Moisture determinations in dried vegetables were made after lyophilisation by drying in a vacuum desiccator at 70°, 60° and 50° and room temperature. The findings of Makower & Nielsen could not be corroborated, but it is considered that the results at 50° are a close approach to the moisture content. Since these results are in good agreement with the values found by titration with Karl Fischer reagent after extraction with formamide, the titration method may be accepted as a standard procedure for the determination of moisture in dried vegetables. Determination of the end‐point of drying under vacuum at 70° after lyophilisation of the material appears to be impossible, probably because of thermal decomposition soon after drying starts, probably within 3 h.

A method of determining the amylose content in starch of heat‐sterilised garden peas is described. By this method a number of smooth and wrinkled peas and garden peas of the type Cennia in different size grades were analysed. The amylose content of wrinkled peas showed values between 38.6 and 85.8%, of smooth peas between 19.9 and 43.4% and of Cennia between 10.8 and 25.6%. These values overlap, but, in the corresponding size grades, the amylose content of the wrinkled peas is much higher than that of the smooth peas and this in turn is much higher than that of Cennia. Given a known size grade, the amylose content can be used to identify heat‐sterilised garden peas when a microscopical examination is inconclusive.

Summary. Due to the fact that smooth‐seeded and wrinkle‐seeded pea varieties are both on the market, canned as well as quick‐frozen, it is of practical importance to determine the difference between these two types. A simple microscopic examination has been worked out, in which the distinction between smooth and wrinkled peas can be easily established. After treatment with ethanol the shape of the starch granules is fixed, which differs in smooth and wrinkled varieties. The method cannot be used for intermediate varieties, raised by crossing between the two types.