112 



Preparation of Fruit Pulp. 



[may, 



Pulping is a useful method of dealing with fruit in wet seasons 

 when it would otherwise quickly spoil ; or in periods of glut and 

 low prices when it is desired to keep the fruit 

 Preparation of - m a f orm [ n w hich it can be sold for manu- 

 Fruit Pulp.* ■ . • . r 1.1 



facture into jams or preserves at favourable 



opportunities. In ordinary seasons it would more often pay the 

 grower better to sell his fruit raw than to pulp it ; but there is 

 always a certain quantity of damaged soft fruit which, while not 

 fit for sale raw for table use, is suitable for conversion into pulp. 



The varieties of fruit pulps for which there is the greatest 

 demand are raspberry, apricot, currant, plum, greengage, and 

 gooseberry. There is also a market for apple pulp in seasons 

 when other fruit is scarce. 



The plant necessary for pulping on a moderate scale for the 

 wholesale trade does not involve a very large outlay of capital. 

 A large shed divided into two rooms will usually afford ample 

 accommodation for the fittings and utensils required. In one 

 room the fruit is boiled in small copper vats, of a capacity of 

 30 gallons each, which are arranged against the wall, the remain- 

 ing space being occupied by the casks and other receptacles 

 into which the boiled pulp is poured and allowed to cool. The 

 second room contains the boiler which generates the steam for 

 heating the copper vats, and in this room the casks, jars, tins, &c, 

 containing the pulp are finally closed and made ready for market. 



Any type of boiler is suitable so long as it will produce steam 

 readily at a small expenditure of coal. 



The vats consist of copper pans with outer jackets or pans 

 of iron, upon the rims of which the inside copper pans are' 

 suspended. Between each inner and outer pan there is a space 

 of half an inch in which the hot steam circulates. The vats are 

 supported on uprights fitted with brackets which allow them to 

 be turned for emptying or filling as the case may be. Sometimes 

 the pans are heated by hot water instead of by steam, but this 

 system is not considered so satisfactory. 



The method of dealing with various kinds of fruit may now 

 be described. It should be noted that the better the quality of 

 the fruit the better will be the pulp. 



* An aeeeunt of the methods employed in the preparation of fruit pulp in France 

 appeared in this Journal for January, 1905, p. 621. 



