284 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



product of a given number of acres of tomatoes has been purchased 

 by a certain cannery at a stated price per ton delivered at the factory. 



Many factories can no other product than tomatoes, and nearly 

 every factory includes this vegetable in its list of packed goods. The 

 tomatoes are put up in two pound and three poutid cans at a cost of 

 about 45 cents and 60 cents per dozen respectively. The practice in 

 canning the tomato varies slightly in method. Some packers do not 

 exhaust the cans before tipping, but cap and tip the cans as soon as 

 they are filled and then subject them to the process. Others prefer 

 to exhaust before the veot is tipped, and still others will steam the 

 filled cans in steam boxes before capping them. Where the product 

 can be rapidly passed from the scalding to the process, the first 

 method is claimed to retain the best flavor of the tomato, but if 

 it passes slowly from step to step the tomatoes have time to deterior- 

 ate and an inferior quality results. 



The treatment of tomatoes at the factory has been given else- 

 where, but is briefly oatlined here again. The fruit fresh from the 

 vines is scalded by being dipped into boiling water kept ''jumping" 

 by the injection of steam. This does not cook the tomato, but sim- 

 ply scalds the skin and tissue immediately under it so that the skin 

 can be easily peeled off. This peeling is done by hand, and women 

 are usually employed for the work. They are paid two cents per 

 14 quart bucketful, receiving a brass check for each bucketful as it 

 is delivered to the packer. The checks are redeemed with cash at 

 the office of the factory. The packer fills the cans (2 pounds or 3 

 pounds) as solid ^s possible, after which if there is to be no exhaust 

 the cans are wiped, capped and tipped and then tested for imperfectly 

 sealed cans by submerging about one-half inch under boiling water. 

 This treatment promptly reveals any imperfection in the sealing of 

 the cans by forcing out the air that rises in bubbles through the over- 

 lying waiter. 'Such cans are picked out with the can tongs and their 

 defects are removed. The batch of cans is then processed in the 

 open bath thirty minutes for 3 pound cans and twenty-two minutes 

 for 2 pound cans, or in the closed bath fifteen minutes for 3 pound 

 cans and ten minutes for 2 pound cans. 



The cost of canning tomatoes like the cost of canning any other 

 product, in fact, depends wholly upon the prices paid for raw ma- 

 terials and labor and the mechanical devices used. When every de- 

 tail has been properly arranged the cost of packing 2 pound cans will 

 be about forty-five cents per dozen and 3 pound cans sixty cents per 

 dozen. 



Artificial Coloring. — The market demands a very red tomato and 

 the packer striving to meet this demand is in some sections tempted 

 to lise coloring materials. This of course is contrary to the Pure 

 Food Laws and the conscientious packer will not transgress the law. 



