EVAPORATION OF APPLES 
Even bruises are objected to by the most 
exacting operators. Hence all such de- 
tects are cut out as soon as the fruit 
is pared if the highest grade of product 
is expected. This is done with an ordi- 
nary straight-back, sharp-pointed knife, 
having a blade two and one-half or three 
inches long. 
Bleaching 
The fumes of burning sulphur are em- 
ploved not only to make the fruit white 
where the freshly cut surfaces have be- 
come discolored by contact with the air, 
but to prevent further discoloration after 
it is sliced. Sulphuring is also generally 
supposed to be necessary to destroy fungi 
and insects, though under present meth- 
ods of handling this is open to question. 
There are no definite standards govern- 
ing the bleaching as to the time required, 
amount of sulphur necessary to accom- 
plish the desired end, etc. The aim is to 
treat until enough of the fumes have been 
absorhed by the apples to prevent discolor- 
ation after they are sliced and exposed 
to the air. If it is found that the fruit is 
not retaining its clean, white appearance 
with the treatment that is being given, 
either the length of time that the fruit is 
kept in the bleacher is increased or more 
sulphur is burned in the customary time 
for bleaching. Due caution should be ex- 
ercised, however, in this connection, in- 
asmuch as the bleaching of desiccated 
fruits with sulphur fumes is open to criti- 
cism. The sale of fruit containing sul- 
phurous acid in any considerable quantity 
is prohibited by the pure food laws of 
some states, as well as being restricted 
in some of the foreign markets. The Fed- 
eral pure food law will also make definite 
restrictions. 
In many cases the bleaching process is 
doubtless continued much longer than is 
necessary for the desired results. Until 
some <(cfinite standards are established 
and recognized, the greatest care should 
be exercised not to bleach more than the 
minimum required to maintain the de- 
sired color a reasonable length of time. 
The allotted time for bleaching in a 
large number of evaporators, from which 
information has been secured, varies from 
twenty minutes to one and one-half hours. 
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929 
The more usual time appears to be about 
forty-five minutes. This, however, may 
be regulated in a measure by the amount 
of sulphur burned in a given time. 
The estimates regarding the amount of 
sulphur used to bleach a ton of fruit vary 
from four or five pounds to 20 pounds, 
though but little information of a definite 
character is to be obtained at present. 
The usual practice is to start the sul- 
phrr fumes by putting a few live coals 
into the receptacle used for the purpose, 
then adding a small piece or two of stick 
brimstone. Before this has all been vapor- 
ized, more is added. This is continued as 
long as the bleacher is in operation, suffi- 
cient heat being generated to vaporize the 
sulphur without the further addition of 
burning coals. 
When apples are dried whole, without 
slicing or quartering, they require less 
bleaching than if they are to be sliced, 
inasmuch as the interior of the fruit does 
not come in contact with the air. 
For the most satisfactory results it is 
essential that the fruit be put into the 
bleacher in the shortest possible time 
after the surface is exposed to the air by 
paring. If a long delay occurs the sur- 
face becomes discolored, in which case it 
does not regain its original whiteness in 
the bleaching process. 
Slicing, Quartering, Etc. 
After bleaching, the next step in pre- 
paring the fruit is slicing, unless instead 
of slicing it is quartered or dried whole, 
as is done to a limited extent. In prepar- 
ing fruit for some of the smaller evapor- 
ators, as previously mentioned, the slicing 
is done when the fruit is pared, the 
bleaching then follows the slicing instead 
of preceding it. 
The slices are one-fourth inch in thick- 
ness, and in the largest degree possible 
should be cut at right angles to the hole 
made through the axis of the apple when 
the core is removed by the parer, thus 
producing the “rings,” which is the form 
most desired. Other things being equal 
that fruit is sliced the best which con- 
tains the largest proportion of “rings,” 
and this point is given more or less 
weight in grading the finished product. 
When it is desired to evaporate apples 
