PLAN No. 237. DESICCATED VEGETABLES
An eastern woman, anxious to help her husband lift the mortgage from their farm, had been told of the possibilities of desiccated vegetables, and decided to try out the plan herself.
By way of experiment, she desiccated some vegetables and dried them in the sun. These she soaked for an hour in cold water, poured off the water, and put the vegetables in with some meat she was stewing. In half an hour she had a fine Irish stew ready for the table.
Calling in some of her neighbors, they formed a local company for manufacturing desiccated vegetables. The vegetables, dried to a small bulk, were easily shipped to grocers at a great saving in freight or express charges, the weight also having been reduced to almost nothing.
The company employed several of its members to become traveling salesmen, and they took many orders, as dealers were glad to get the new product. A package containing enough potatoes, carrots and onions for a stew, was sold for 3 cents at retail or 2 cents wholesale. They sold well at all seasons, as they were a great saving to the housewife, and when put into water were as fresh and palatable as in their original state.