The cold seal was accomplished by placing cool kernels in cool jars and sealing without special treatment. By the steam seal, air was exhausted from the jars with a small blast of steam and the jars sealed immediately. Condensation of the steam resulted in a partial vacuum in the jars and a slight increase in moisture content of the kernels. By the hot seal, hot kernels were transferred directly from the oven pans to clean, dry, hot jars, and sealed immediately. Contraction of the air as the jars cooled resulted in a partial vacuum. The vacuum seals were made in clamp-top fruit jars by means of a home pressure cooker. Filled jars, with covers partially clamped, were placed in the cooker. The cooker cover was lubricated at the sealing surface and screwed down tightly. The pressure gauge in the top of the cooker was replaced with a vacuum gauge. The needle valve was removed. An aspirator was attached to the water faucet and connected to the needle valve opening by means of a vacuum hose. After the desired vacuum had been pulled on the cooker, the vacuum hose was removed from the needle valve fitting thus permitting air to rush back into the cooker. The sudden change in pressure automatically sealed the jars. +Presentation of Data+ Preliminary studies were made to determine the effect of temperature and time of drying on moisture content, color, and toasting of kernels. Results of these studies are given in Table I. TABLE I.--Effect of Temperature and Time of Drying on Moisture Content, Color, and Toasting of Pecan Kernels. ================================================= Oven Time in Moisture Change temperature oven in in Degree of kernels color[25] toasting Minutes Per cent 0 3.7 0.0 0 20 2.6 0.5 0 30 1.4 1 1 37 1.2 2 2 225 deg.F 44 1.0 3 4 51 0.5 6 8 58 0.3 8 10 65 0.2 8 10 72 0.1 9 10 ------------------------------------------------- 10 3.2 20 3.1 203 deg.F 30 2.9 41 2.4 50 2.2 60 1.9 ================================================= [Footnote 25: The numbers 0 to 10 indicate varying amounts of change in color or degree of toasting: 0 represents normal color and/or no toasting. 10 represents considerable intensification of color and/or development of typical flavor of toasted kernels.]