198 MISC. PUBLICATION 5 40. U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Machines husk from V/ 2 to 2 tons of corn per hour. After the ears 

 have been husked they are trimm/d and then washed with sprays of 

 clean water. For best results from the standpoint of preservation of 

 flavor and prevention of excessive loss of water-soluble nutritive fac- 

 tors, sweet corn should be blanched on the ear in live steam until the 

 peroxidase system has been destroyed (table 21). as shown by a test 

 applied to a water extract of the blanched corn after the skin and cob 

 tissues have been filtered out. After the ears have been blanched, they 

 should be cooled to 65° or 70 z F. by immersion in clean, cold, running 

 water. The kernels are then cut from the cob. Continuous cutters are 

 used, and as the corn comes from the cutter it can be spread immediately 

 on the trays. The cut corn should not be washed before drying, as this 

 will result in loss of sugar and other soluble constituents. Chaff and 

 cob tissue can lie removed by a fanning mill after the product is dried. 



Information on the moisture content of fresh and dried sweet corn 

 is given in table 22. The drying ratio and drying yield are shown 

 in table 28. Tables 24 and 25 contain information on suitable condi- 

 tions for dehydration. 



Dried sweet corn presents no unusual problem so far as packaging 

 and storage of the finished product are concerned. In dehydrating 

 sweet corn it is recommended that four parts of water be added to one 

 part by weight of the dried product. Allow the material to soak for 

 2 hours, and then boil gently for 10 minutes. The drained weight 

 should be approximately two to three times the weight of the dried 

 vegetable. The product should be mild in corn flavor and soft and 

 tender in texture. The color should be uniformly white or yellow, de- 

 pending upon the original color. The odor should be that* of freshly 

 cooked corn. 



Among the best varieties and hybrids for drying are : Aristogold 

 Bantam, Evergreen. Bantam Evergreen. Golden Gross Bantam. Xar- 

 row Grain Evergreen. Country Gentleman, and Silver Cross Ever- 

 green. Among other varieties and hybrids giving a good product 

 are: Golden Bantam. Golden Hybrid 2439. Ioana. Marcross, Spaneross, 

 Top Cross Whipple Yellow. Tristate Hybrid. Country Gentleman 

 19 x 24. and Xarrow Grain Hybrid 26 x 15. 



KALE 



Kale is a cool-weather green vegetable grown as a fall crop, chiefly 

 along the middle Atlantic coast. It is dried in much the same man- 

 ner as other greens are dried and presents no special problems. 

 (See discussion on Swiss chard and spinach.) Losses that result from 

 trimming and sorting average about 55 to 60 percent of the original 

 weight. Information on blanching and dehydration are included in 

 tables '21 to 25. Methods of rehydration and testing for quality are 

 similar to those used with other greens. 



MT7STAKD GEEEXS 



The basal leaves of the mustard plant are used for green> and make 

 an acceptable dried product. The plant require- but a short time to 

 reach the proper stage for use. Preparation for dehydration is sim- 

 ilar to that for other greens. (See discussion on chard, kale, and 



