AN EXPERIMENTAL DRY CAUSTIC PEELER FOR CLING PEACHES AND OTHER FRUITS

SUMMARY– An experimental cling peach peeler was developed for continuous removal of alkaline peel as a solid rather than the dilute slurry of common industrial practice. The peeler consists of rows of soft rubber disks rotated in such a manner that peel material is gently wiped from the surface of fruit and flung into collectors. Cling peach halves were successfully peeled in a number of tests, with peeling losses comparable to those normally obtained commercially. Both mature and immature Bartlett pears were also successfully peeled. Dewaxing of immature pears with isopropy1 alcohol was necessary to obtain adequate peeling. In single tests, whole apricots and freestone peaches were also successfully peeled.