Freeze-dried strawberries

This question is submitted on behalf of Sabine Goerke-Shrode, who
does not have access to this list.

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    The museum collection has had two recent food additions: a small
    basket with candy coated, freeze-dried strawberries from the
    famous Nut Tree restaurant/gift shop and a box of dried Burton
    prunes (a prune developed locally in the 1890s, commercially
    extinct since the 1940s--these are probably the last existing
    ones).

    Both owners kept these items in their respective refrigerators.
    The museum has already had the strawberry basket on exhibit for
    more than a year without visible changes.

    Should we keep both items indefinitely refrigerated or even
    frozen? We don't have a refrigerator/freezer for artifacts
    only--and too many volunteers/docents/staff members use the
    regular refrigerator, not knowing the difference between
    yesterday's leftover food and an artifact. I would appreciate
    your input,

    Sabine Goerke-Shrode
    Curator of Collections
    Vacaville Museum, Vacaville, CA

Jayne Holt


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:25
                Distributed: Friday, September 21, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-15-25-016
                                  ***