It is coarser in flesh than the French and generally flatter
in flavor when cooked and thus falls below the ideal of a cured prune,
but it has compensating characters, such as early ripening, with which
no other prune compares. The Sugar is also valuable as a shipping plum
to Eastern markets.
Glossing Dried Prunes.
Will you give the method for giving the gloss to dried French prunes?
There are various methods. One pound of glycerine to 20 gallons of
water; a quick dip in the mixture very hot gives a good finish. Where a
clear bloom rather than a shine, is desired, five pounds of common salt
to 100 gallons of water, also dipped hot, gives a good effect. Some use
a thin syrup made by boiling small prunes in water (by stove or steam)
and thinning with water to produce the result desired. Steam cooking
avoids bad flavor by burning. The salt dip is probably the most widely
used.
Price of Prunes on a Size Basis.
Explain the grading in price of prunes. For instance, if the base price
is, say, five and three-fourths cents, what size does this refer to, and
how is the price for other sizes calculated? Also, what is the meaning
of the phrase "four-size basis"?
Prunes, after being sold to the packer, are graded into different sizes,
according to the number required to make a pound, and paid for on that
basis. The four regular sizes are 60-70s, 70-80s, 80-90s, and 90-100s,
which means that from 60 to 70 prunes are required to make a pound, and
so on.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93