VEGETABLE AND FRUIT DEHYDRATION 201 



weighing the rehydrated sample. After soaking 2 hours, properly 

 dehydrated onion will have reached five to six times its original 

 weight. Eehydrated onions should be crisp and succulent and should 

 have a mildly sweet or sweet-bitter taste and a rich, pungent odor. 

 The color should be yellowish white to light yellow. Ked onions 

 should have yellowish- white centers with bright-red outer rings. 

 Dehydrated onions should be cooked only after rehydration, and the 

 time of boiling should be as short as possible. White varieties are 

 recommended for the preparation, of dishes such as buttered or 

 creamed onions. 



PARSNIPS 



Parsnips are of minor importance as a commercial vegetable crop ; 

 the comparatively small acreage grown apparently reflects a lack of 

 general popularity. The relatively poor quality of dehydrated pars- 

 nips and the fact that parsnips will keep well in the ground if protected 

 from freezing makes dehydration impractical in most cases. 



In many parts of the South parsnips are planted so that they will 

 mature during the early summer. As they require warm weather 

 and warm soil at planting time, they are usually planted late as com- 

 pared with other vegetable crops, in other parts of the country. 

 They may be left in the ground until used, and can be stored in 

 cellars or pits at high relative humidity, for 2 to 4 months. When 

 dehydrated, they are prepared and processed in much the same man- 

 ner as carrots. (See tables 21 to 25.) They present no unusual 

 problems so tar as packaging is concerned. 



In making the rehydrating test on dried parsnips it is recommended 

 that nine parts of water by weight be added to one part of dehydrated 

 slices, brought to a boil rapidly, and simmered for 5 minutes. Then 

 the sample should be drained and weighed. Other samples should 

 be simmered for longer periods. It is probable that the optimum 

 quality will be attained in approximately 10 minutes, and that the 

 drained weight will be five times the original weight of dried sample. 

 The high-quality sample will be sweet, pungent, natural in flavor, 

 and will have a light to moderate greenish-yellow color. 



GREEN PEAS 



Green peas are important in both the canning and .the freezing 

 industries and are grown and processed in large quantities in the 

 Great Lakes region, the Pacific Northwest, New York, Utah, and else- 

 where. Wisconsin leads among the pea-growing States. Peas are 

 planted early because they are essentially a cool-weather crop. Va- 

 rieties differ in time required for maturity. Two types are commonly 

 distinguished — canning and market garden. Alaska is a popular 

 canning pea. Other prominent canning varieties are Green Admiral, 

 Perfection, and Surprise. Thomas Laxton, Stratagem, and Tall Tele- 

 phone, which are commonly used for freezing, and Tall Alderman are 

 market -garden varieties. In general, the market-garden varieties are 

 best suited for dehydration. An important matter is the stage of 

 maturity ; the peas should be mature, but still green and tender. 



Peas are commonly vined mechanically in the field and packed in lug 

 boxes, in which they are conveyed to the plant. They should be cooled 

 as quickly as possible if they are to be held for more than a few hours ; 



