202 MISC. PUBLICATION 5 4 0, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



the addition of crushed ice to the lug boxes is an effective method. The 

 safest method is to process vined peas as soon after harvest as possible. 

 They should not be held in water. If it is necessary to hold unshelled 

 peas before processing, keep them in air having a temperature of 

 32° F. 



Information on the moisture content of green peas is given in table 

 i!2. The drying ratio and drying yield are shown in table 23. Tables 

 24 and 25 contain information on suitable conditions for dehydration. 

 Dried peas present no unusual problem in packaging (table 26). 



In rehydrating dried peas, add 1 part by weight of dried material 

 to 6 parts of cold water and boil slowly for 10 minutes. Then drain 

 and weigh. The weight of rehydrated peas should be aboiU six or 

 seven times the original weight. The rehydrated peas should be 

 mildly sweet and their flavor and odor should resemble those of the 

 cooked fresh product. They should be soft and tender in texture and 

 the color should be uniformly bright yellowish-green. 



POTATOES 



Of all the vegetables that are dehydrated, potatoes are the most im- 

 portant. The demand for dehydrated potatoes exceeds that for any 

 other vegetable ; in fact, the total present demand for potatoes is almost 

 equal to demands for all other dehydrated vegetables combined. 



The national commercial production of potatoes in 1942 amounted 

 to 11 million tons. Potatoes are grown in all States. Maine, with a 

 production of 1.3 million tons, or 12 percent of the national total, out- 

 ranked all other States. Idaho with 918,000 tons and New York with 

 822,000 tons were next in importance. Five other States — California, 

 Minnesota, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Colorado — each produced 

 over 500,000 tons. The entire production of these eight States was 

 more than half the total national crop. 



Potatoes are grown during all seasons in one part of the country or 

 another. In some of the Southern States, the harvest starts early in 

 the spring, while in southern Florida and in the lower Rio Grande 

 Valley potatoes are harvested toward the end of the year. Early pota- 

 toes are a relatively unimportant part of the total production. The 

 season of availability for the intermediate and late crops extends from 

 the beginning of harvest in late summer to at least the late spring of 

 the following year. Yields per acre are influenced to a large extent by 

 climate and the use of irrigation. They vary widely from year to year 

 and among the States. The 1930-39 average yield per acre for all 

 States was 3.4 tons, compared with 3.9 tons in 1941. 



For dehydration many operators prefer the type that becomes white 

 and mealy with cooking. Experimental testing of potatoes grown in 

 any given area, prior to the establishment of a new dehydration plant, 

 is advisable as a means of determinating (1) the operating conditions 

 that make the best dried product. (2) the acceptability of this product 

 for use, and (3) the yield of dried product obtainable from the raw 

 material. 



The variety of potato most widely grown in the United States is 

 the Irish Cobbler. Because of its remarkable adaptability, it is srown 

 to some extent nearly everywhere. The Triumph is second in im- 

 portance and acreage, with large concentrations in the Middle West, 



