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



of the commercial production of cranberries is located in Massachusetts, 

 Wisconsin, and New Jersey: Washington and Oregon produce the re- 

 mainder, about 10 percent of the national total. Nearly all the com- 

 mercial canning and freezing of berries other than cranberries takes 

 place in the Pacific Coast States. Berries can be dehydrated but, 

 with the exception of cranberries, few are dehydrated commercially. 

 Cranberries are stored in refrigerated warehouses, but usually not 

 longer than 3 months. In the preparation of puree for drum drying, 

 cranberries are cooked in a small amount of water until the skins crack 

 and are then put through a pulper to remove skins and seeds. The 

 puree is dried on a steam-heated stainless-steel drum and comes off 

 the drum in a continuous sheet which is ready to be pulverized. 



CHEREIES 



Sour cherries are produced mostly in the Great Lakes region and 

 the Eastern States, and most of the sweet cherries are grown in the 

 Pacific Coast States. Michigan and California lead in production. 

 Common varieties of sweet cherries are Bing. Royal Anne, and Tartar- 

 ian. The leading sour cherry is Montmorency. Both sweet and sour 

 cherries can be dehydrated but are not dried in large amounts. Fresh 

 cherries can be stored for only a short period. In preparation for 

 dehydration cherries are stemmed and then thoroughly washed. Pit- 

 ting is done by a machine. Cherries can be dried without pitting: 

 thus loss of juice is avoided. Steam blanching has been suggested but 

 gives the fruit an undesirable texture. Royal Anne and sour cherries 

 should be sulfured before they are dried. 



FIGS 



Figs are produced for the most part in California, but to some extent 

 in Texas. Four varieties are dried : Calmyrna. Adriatic. Kadota. and 

 Black Mission. The first three are light-colored and the latter black. 

 Kadota is grown chiefly for canning and is not commonly dried. The 

 dried Calmyrna is considered superior to the dried product of the 

 other varieties. Figs are both sun-dried and dehydrated. They dry 

 to a considerable extent while hanging on the tree. Most figs are dried 

 without any pretreatment. Kadota may be sulfured. If they are 

 to be dehydrated, exposure to the sun for 1 to 2 days is essential to 

 remove the green color. 



GRAPES 



Grapes rank third in production among fruits — below apples and 

 oranges. California leads in production: in fact. 90 percent of the 

 total national crop is produced there. New York and Michigan rank 

 next, and a large number of States produce minor quantities on a 

 commercial scale. Varieties can be classified, according to use. as 

 raisin varieties (about three-fifths of the total), wine or juice varie- 

 ties, and table varieties. Raisin grapes should have a sugar content of 

 about 23 percent. Nearly the whole national production of raisins is 

 dried in California, where they are largely sun-dried without pre- 

 treatment, usually in the fields where they grow. Sulfur-bleached 

 raisins are prepared by dipping seedless grapes in alkali to check the 



