262 



EVAPORATION OF FRUIT, 



[Dec. 1895, 



pectiue, is left in the cells or on the surface. It is claimed for 

 this process that the " truly evaporated products are rendered 

 more wholesome, more digestible, more indestructible, and are 

 thereby made more valuable not only as articles of food, but 

 because they are not subject to deterioration and loss." Besides 

 this, it is urged that there is not nearly so great a loss of valuable 

 properties in the evaporation of fruit by these machines as in 

 drjing by sun heat, or in other ways. 



Evaporating machines are of many sizes and prices to suit 

 small and large fruit-growers. The cheapest costs about SL Ss. ; 

 it has no stove, but is made so as to go upon an ordinary kitchen 

 range in the same way as a stock pot. It has a hot chamber 

 and nine wire trays, and has been found to be well calculated to 

 evaporate the fruit of a good sized garden. It is easily worked 

 by the cook or housekeeper, and all kinds of fruit and herbs 

 may be evaporated with this little machine. From 20 to 30 lbs. 

 of fruit can be evaporated by it in 12 hours. Other sizes of the 

 upright machine can be obtained at prices ranging from 51. 15s. 

 to SOL, the evaporating capacity ranging from 48 lbs. to 

 420 lbs. of fruit in 12 hours, with a coal consumption of from 

 15 to 80 lbs. Little space is taken up by even the largest 

 of these machines, which weighs only 16 cwts., and is 8 feet 

 high. Their management is simple and easy. A person of 

 ordinary intelligence can work them after proper instruction. 



Of the horizontal machines there are ihany sizes also. The 

 smallest costs lOs., being suited for household use. For 

 small fruit growers, a machine is recommended which costs from 

 19^. to 261. 10s., according to the number of trays. With this, 

 from 400 to 500 bushels of apples can be dried in 24 hours, with 

 about 80 lbs. of coals. Another machine suited for larger 

 growers will dry 1,100 lbs. of apples in 24 hours, with about 

 200 lbs. of coal. This costs from 44^. to 60^. There are other 

 machines, costing from 521. to 150^., capable of drying from 

 1,600 to 3,000 lbs. of fruit in 24 hours. These are suited for 

 very large farms. There are some complaints as to the expense of 

 these machines, but it seems that a machine, costing from 19^. to 

 26^. 10s., which can dry 400 bushels of apples in 24 hours is not 

 very dear. But it is thought that fixed machines could be put 

 up on fruit farms upon the lines of the best evaporators, at a 

 very reasonable cost. 



In some of the southern States of America a serviceable fruit 

 dryer is used by small growers, consisting of a tin hot water 

 vessel from 4 to 5 feet long, 2| feet in width, and 3 or 4 inches 

 deep, and having a tin funnel soldered on to the top. One end 

 of this is placed on an ordinary large kitchen range, the other 

 is kept up by a leg or trestle, water is poured in to partly fill the 

 tin, and steam is generated by the heat of the stove. The fruit 

 is spread evenly over the surface of the tin, and it is said that 

 it is evapoi'ated in two or three hours even with a moderate 

 fire, 



