— Engineers
Ifffe "explode” blueberries. Then,
after a year or more, they restore
exploded blueberries to near fresh
form. The patented process, ac
cording to its inventors, has the
potential of expanding markets for
the North American blueberry.
Almost all blueberries, wild or
cultivated, grow on this continent.
The fruit is popular when in
season; and in Europe and
elsewhere, people pay high prices
for blueberries.. However, sup
plying enough blueberries to
consumers here or abroad is dif
ficult. The harvest season is only
six weeks in spring.
Fresh blueberries are highly
perishable. And, extending the
"selling season” via drying or
freezing has not been as effective
as with other fruits.
Post-harvest research scientists
with USDA’s Agricultural
Research Service here say that
explosion-drying is the best way to
store and ship commercial
blueberries. USDA’s large-scale
prototype ot an explosion-drying
machine saves 40 percent ot the
Exciting new hybrids are coming out
of Funk's Comprehensive Breeding
System. Seven new G-numbers will
be available for 1982 planting. These
new hybrids feature genetic diversity
to give you stronger protection against
the many problems that could occur
in your fields. You’ll appreciate their
stress tolerance, broad adaptability
and other risk-reducing advantages.
From early maturity through late
season varieties, we offer our strang
l'd
energy required by conventional
food drying systems. The ex
plosion-dryer machine dries many
types of fruits and vegetables. To
date, onions and carrots are ex
plosion-dried commercially.
' Here is how explosion-drying
works, inside a heated chamber,
heavy pressure is exerted on small
batches of blueberries at a time.
As pressure is suddenly released,'
water in the blueberries literally
explodes from the fruit. Each
explosion-dried batch, popping
from the machine at regular beats,
looks like soft, blue gravel. Ex
plosion-dried blueberries are
porous, slightly puffed and
crunchy making them a good
snack food. Add boiling water,
however, and the "blue gravel” is
restored to a form surprisingly
close to fresh blueberries.
Reconstituted, explosion-dried
or-puffed fruits and vegetables
retain the flavor and texture of
fresh fruit better than fruit dried
by other means.
Research chemical engineers
John Sullivan, who helped design
and build USDA’s explosion-dryer,
THE NEW
YIELD
STARS.
Blueberries sell year-round, if explosion-dried
est lineup ever. Dependable, high
performance hybrids of the “World
Yield Leader” family.
1981 was our biggest sales year
ever. Why are farmers planting more
Funk’s G and less of some other
brands? Because they appreciate
what happens when they put Funk’s
G-Hybrids to work on their farms.
We’re “Makin’ Our Move” in the
1980’s. Strongly upward. The 80’s
could become bigger crop years for
1
a In riL
Clj
Plant the World Yield Leader. ■7H MOB
says the process could solve two
blueberry marketing problems.
"First, growers would no longer
need to sell their entire fresn
blueberry crop at peak season low
prices. Growers’ cooperatives
could explosion-dry part of their
crop in order to extend sales
throughout the season.
Secondly, for distributors and
sellers explosion-drying is a good
alternative to curinm
What to do with home canned foods that have frozen
LANCASTER Do you have
canned foods stored where they
may freeze at the extremely low
temperatures we are experiencing
this winter? Even if they have
never frozen before, it’s a good
idea to check your canned food
frequently if there is any
possibility it might freeze.
Home canned foods do not
always have to be discarded if
these safety rules are follows.
—lf just a few jars of home
canned foods are affected, prepare
you, too, as you “Make Your Move”
toward more Funk’s G.
Ask your Hoffman Seed Man or
Funk’s G-Dealer about the new “yield
stars” and other great Funk’s G-Hybrids
best suited for you.
Hoffman Seeds, Inc.
Landisville r PA 17538
The limitation ol warranty and remedy on the un * s ,s * nam ®
tag attached to each bag ot Funk s G Hybrids Numbers identify varieties
sold is a part of the terms of sale thereof 1109 H
' jsrA*
■ J 0
”V - -r -^r
:- :{l , -,M
; Of i0 4 s
i 1 -, v
- • v#* 0 ' s '*
incaster Farming, Saturday, February 27,1982—89
freezing.” Freezing, the most
popular blueberry preserving
method, is energy-intensive and
expensive. Also, the shelf life of
frozen commercial blueberries is
only six months, after which they
become “woody or gritty,”
Sullivan says. Explosion-dried
blueberries are both cheaper to
produce and of higher quality than
either canned or frozen
blueberries.
and eat before contents have
thawed.
—lf the headspace in jars of
home canned food is small-as
when proper home canning
techniques are used-the contents
will expand upon freezing and lift
lid from jar exposing a frozen area
above jar top. If this happens,
apply a layer of plastic food film or
plastic freezer bag over the ex
posed area while frozen and seal
tightly over edge of jar with a
rubber band. Place jar of frozen
The Georgia Blueberry
Association supplied blueberries to
ERRC for recent explosion-drying
experiments. Encouraged by the
results, the Association, in
cooperation with the Georgia Slate
Coastal Plains Regional Service
Commission, is building a facility
that Will explosion-dry blueberries
tor Association members. ERRC
will supply the plans and advice,
Sullivan says.
food in freezer. If the jar has not
broken during the initial freezing it
is unlikely to break during freezer
storage. If the jar has broken,
discard the jar and contents.
—lf a large number of home
canned food jars have frozen and it
is impossible to refreeze contents
as described above, or you do not
have adequate freezer space, re
can foods following recommended
home canning procedures as you
would if foods were fresh. Process
for full tune.
Keep in mind that any canned
food which has been re-canned will
be of lesser quality in color, tex
ture, flavor and vitamin retention.
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