During the course of an interesting conversation with Mr Alfred Woodall, JP, of Stafford, I learnt some details of the work of drying vegetables which is being carried out under his direction at Evesham. Tons of potatoes, carrots, savoys, swedes and other vegetables are being cleaned and dried by machinery, to the extent of several hundred tons per week. Drying has the effect of reducing weight and bulk without loss of flavour, and with an increase of keeping properties. For instance, 10 tons of potatoes are evaporated down to one tone. Savoy cabbages dried will keep a long time. There is not only less waste, but the articles of food are ready to use in the cook-houses abroad with only the addition of the amount of water which has been evaporated. For Irish stew the dried vegetables are A1, to use a common expression. Many tons of vegetables from Staffordshire have been dried at Evesham. Last summer fruit-pulping was taken in hand. Evesham is a well-known fruit-growing district, fruit was abounding – it would not keep – but by the pulping process (during which it was cooked) the fruit would keep a good time and be available for the jam-makers. As many as 25 tons of damsons from one Staffordshire grower were pulped, and more could have been handled. The machinery is almost human in its working – it does so many operations that are generally done by hand.
