DEHYDRATION.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 753, 4 August 1922, Page 5

DEHYDRATION.

THOSE who .attended the public meeting of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce on Monday evening at the Carnival Tea Rooms, and distened to Mr Morton, A.M.1.M.E.. lecture on Dehydration,! what it has done and is doing in other countries, and what i!t could do /for the Pukekohe district left greatly impressed. The lecturer,; who, by the way is a New Zealander who served his time at the Newmarket Railway Workshops, has had! very extensive experience in ithe Unified' States and uncUr the Ministry of Food during the war. His lecture whs illustrated with ad’iuaf samples of dehydrated products which included various fruits carrots, parsnips, potatoes, cauliflower etc. The remarkable feature about his process is that (the fruit or vegetable which is dehydrated 1 returns To iltfe natural smell, flavour and appearance after being soaked in writer for a given time. He gave a fascinating description of the erection and operation of a big dehydrating plant; at the famous Kendinup Es't/ate in W.A. (This plane, erected under the lecturer’s supervision, si wed fhe crops of ithe estate,

and made profits for the producers where otherwise there would have been serious waste and loss.

The great Thing is ‘thakj dehydrated products can be so'icl anywhere in the world. FoF instance the cost of transport of Pukekohe potatoes to London wouuld be prohibitive—yet if dehydrated in Pukekohe and put up in sealed cans or barrels, thei’e was no reason in the world, why Pukekohe potatoes and onions could not be served up fresh and ’tasty in the big restaurants and hptess cf London, New York or Chicago.

Dealing with Pukekohe the lecturer stated it offered a unique opportunity. for the ins'tal’Haiikon of a dehydrating plant for the drying of potatoes, onions, carrots,, fruity berries, q:c. He stated that the sweet! potato;, or kumara. if dried; and ground id.to flour, made lovely pan-

POSSIBILITIES FOK PUKEKOHE. A Wonderful Opportunity To Sell in World’s Markets

Mr Morton showed those who remained behind afte,r the lectuie. samples qf dehydrated green peas, which he .stated he defied anyone to detect from fresh green peas when boiled; In this onej feature atone, the speaker stated, 'there was 'a vaslt fortune awaiting (those plucky enough' to take it up anil market the pe,as all. over I>he world.

(Those pre:Unt, numbering about forty-five people, finally decided to call! a meeting at ;an eiarlly dace and misider the advisability of forming a company and establishing a dehy- | clra,tion plant- at Pukekohe.

cakes aijfd other dishes,, and would readily command a world market. He poiitftqd out that dehydrated celery was selling in London at the £ate of £9OO per dried ton. The cost of dehydrating most fruits and vegetables, including fuel, -labour, overhead, etc., worked out in the average plant a.’j about 3d per lb. Apples at Kendinup dried by this process retailed at 1/6 per dried pound. The market for fresh vegetables and. fruit was, necessarily, limited, owing tp cost of transportation, damage by handling, and bulk. Those present were extremely interested and passed a hearty votje of thanks ito the lecturer at the conclusion of his very able address. An examination of .'the samples was then made and astonishment was freely expressed at the range covered* and the excellent, Stpte of the sampins. One 1 jar contained dried slices of lemon, 'which. Mr Morton stated, could he soaked in water and would make a lemon dfiink surpassing that in dele from .fresh cut lemons. He 'told an anecdote of an exhibition arranged in Western Australia in connection with an agricultural show], when a plate of dried lemon slices disappeared from the exhibit, It was discorveed that visitors were carrying them to the bar and putting them in whiskies and soda’s.