Within the mid-Nineties, Washington state contained an estimated 63 prune dryers, 43 in Clark County. In 1901, The Columbian reported 40 dryers (additionally known as evaporators) in Vancouver. Others could possibly be discovered round Lake Shore, Orchards, Felida, Ridgefield, Barberton, Burton, Washougal and elsewhere. The primary dryer was constructed by Arthur Hidden in 1883 and dried 2½ tons of prunes — a paltry quantity in comparison with the tonnages in the course of the prune growth instances. In the present day, solely two outdated dryers stay, neither operational.
After World Struggle I, Clark County’s prune output turned it into the “Prune Capital of the World,” earlier than a number of components together with the Nice Melancholy and elevated competitors from California decimated native growers.
Clark County’s European plums harvest began in mid-August and ran 4 or 5 weeks. Staff hand-picked tons of fruit, then spent the subsequent seven to 10 days washing, splitting and pitting the plums to keep away from spoilage and put together them for processing. Many of the fruit was destined for the dryers, although some plums have been canned or eaten recent. The Washington Growers Company and the Prunarians, a neighborhood commerce and civic group, even distilled and bottled a prune brandy earlier than Prohibition.
The dryers ran nonstop for weeks. Staff measured the plums’ moisture as they dried, with most hundreds taking about 24 hours to succeed in the correct stage of prune-ness. When the moisture content material was proper, the prunes have been inspected totally, sorted by measurement and saved in a dry, cool place to await distribution.
