Long Ashton Research Station

Abstract

RECENT developments in fruit products research are described in the Long Ashton Research Station report for 1937. Since 1932 a comprehensive study has been made of the possibilities of utilizing surplus and low-grade fruits, both syrups and wines being investigated. In 1934, fruit squashes were included in the programme, and with such success that in the following year production employing the Long Ashton methods was extended to the commercial scale. Even greater success has attended the researches on fruit syrups. The growing popularity of milk bars has resulted in a demand for various syrups as constituents of 'milk shakes'. For the last two years the Research Station has worked in close collaboration with a local firm producing these commodities., and syrups are now being sold on the large scale under the National Mark Scheme. A still more recent development has been the use of these syrups for aerated beverages, the high ascorbic acid content of the juices being an important feature in their favour. Wines made from English fruits have attractive characters and are of full alcoholic strength, but they are relatively expensive, and development on the commercial scale is not expected to be so rapid as in the case of the syrups.