peculiar to this part of the Greek mainland. The fruit is grown sometimes on relatively small farms as well as on the larger estate farms, and the whole crop is contracted to a handful of merchants, in Patra mainly, and these process the crop after the farmers deliver it to the storage and processing Currants are not produced, in quantity to the authors knowledge outside of Greece, other than small tonnages in Australia and South Africa, therefore the methods described come from know ledge acquired on visits to the Patra region All the fruit is sun dried and this operation is carried out by two methods: (a)by stripping the grapes from the vine and laying them on concrete floors outside the farmsteads, protecting them by sheets of paper underneath and with gauze or nylon net on the top to protect them from birds and other predators, and also from the rays of direct sunlight at the hottest time of the (b)by taking off the bunches and hanging them on the shoots of the vine to dry under the protection of the foliage. This is labour intensive but is practised by the smaller growers, or others who have abundant cheap bour. This method produces a premium quality currant and commands a higher pr The fruit is dried down to about 14 percent moisture in the farm yards, and is then stripped from the stems to a tolerance of 6 percent waste matter before delivery to the processing factories Secondary Processing The dried fruit is assessed for quality on delivery to the warehouses and is piled in heaps on the concrete floors, sometimes up to three or four metres deep he currants, as delivered, are then pre-riddled to remove stalks, dirt, tones and other extraneous matter and are aspirated in a second stage of dry cleaning They then pass on to a 'breaking machine, which separates the fruit where it has become compacted Fruit then goes to grading machines which separate it into three sizes sma ll, standard and ' jumbo. The first grade is set aside for catering outlets, the standard for retail and other premium outlets, and the over-size fruit normally go as a by-product for the production of alcohol The separate grades are washed by fluming over riffle plates, and pass to a spin drying machine which removes the excess water centrifugally Fruit is then packed in lined wooden boxes, or cartons, which finally go intopeculiar to this part of the Greek mainland. The fruit is grown sometimes on relatively small farms as well as on the larger estate farms, and the whole crop is contracted to a handful of merchants, in Patra mainly, and these process the crop after the farmers deliver it to the storage and processing factories. Currants are not produced,in quantity to the author’s knowledge, outside of Greece, other than small tonnages in Australia and South Africa, therefore the methods described come from knowledge acquired on visits to the Patra region. All the fruit is sun dried and this operation is carried out by two methods: (a) by stripping the grapes from the vine and laying them on concrete floors outside the farmsteads, protecting them by sheets of paper underneath and with gauze or nylon net on the top to protect them from birds and other predators, and also from the rays of direct sunlight at the hottest time of the day. (b) by taking off the bunches and hanging them on the shoots of the vine to dry under the protection of the foliage. This is labour intensive but is practised by the smaller growers, or others who have abundant cheap labour. This method produces a premium quality currant and commands a higher price from the proccssor. The fruit is dried down to about 14 percent moisture in the farm yards, and is then stripped from the stems to a tolerancc of 6 percent waste matter before delivery to the processing factories. Secondary Processing The dried fruit is assessed for quality on delivery to the warehouses, and is piled in heaps on the concrete floors, sometimes up to three or four metres deep. The currants, as delivered, are then prc-riddled to remove stalks, dirt, stones and other extraneous matter, and are aspirated in a second stage of dry cleaning. They then pass on to a ’breaking’ machine, which separates the fruit where it has becomc compacted. Fruit then goes to grading machines which separate it into three sizes -small, standard and ’jumbo’. The first grade is set aside for catering outlets, the standard for retail and other premium outlets, and the over-size fruit normally go as a by-product for the production of alcohol. The separate grades are washed by fluming over riffle plates, and pass to a spin drying machine which removes the exccss water centrifugally. Fruit is then packed in lined wooden boxes, or cartons, which finally go into I78