Old-Fashioned Apple Peeler

Old-Fashioned Apple Peeler FARM HOME Miscellaneous 32-6-31 In spite of new technology, the apple peeler of choice for people who need to peel a lot of apples fast is a machine patented way back in 1870. Two operators using an Apple Combo built by the F.B. Pease Company, Inc., can peel 3 to 4 bushels of apples an hour. "It's cast iron and stainless steel with some aluminum," says Ronald Thomas, a manager with the third generation company. "They last a lifetime. Customers have handed them down through several generations." The process is simple: Place an apple on the fork, turn the crank three times, and the apple is peeled and cored. The apple falls to a slicer that will cut it into 4 to 20 slices. It adjusts to apple size and peel thickness. "This is meant to be a commercial peeler," Thomas says. "We're about the only ones building a machine like this." Customers run the gamut from restaurant owners to orchard owners to institutions. While there are faster - and much more expensive - electric models available, customers like the quality of the U.S.-made machines. They also know they will always be able to purchase replacement parts. The Apple Combo has been shipped throughout North America. It comes on a 30 by 30-in. table frame and weighs 160 lbs. Cost is $4,100, plus shipping. F.B. Pease also manufactures larger electric apple processing equipment that processes hundreds of apples per hour. The company welcomes interested dealers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, F.B. Pease Co., P.O. Box 93178, Rochester, N.Y. 14692 (ph 585 475-1870; rwthomas42@hotmail.com; www.fb pease.net).

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