362 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



preserves manufactured commercially within the State, by far the 

 larger quantity of fruit is used for the ordinary canned fruit — that is, 

 fruit that is filled into the can fresh, before cooking; sugar syrup is 

 then put in merely for flavoring, the can is hermetically sealed and 

 finally processed or sterilized by heat. Sugar is not essential to the 

 keeping qualities. The endeavor is to keep the fruit in its natural 

 appearance, flavor, and condition. When properly cooked or sterilized, 

 canned foods will keep so long as the hermetic seal is unbroken. If 

 rust forms on the tin, it soon penetrates and destroys the seal, admitting 

 the air with its microscopic germs of fermentation and decay. 



The preserves, jams and jellies stewed in kettles with a high per- 

 centage of sugar are not so dependent upon hermetic closure, as the 

 sugar acts as a preservative agent. For these so-called preserves, jams 

 and jellies. California produces suitable berries, sour cherries, peaches, 

 plums, quinces, currants, gooseberries, apples and figs. But of greater 

 commercial importance are the fruits that are generally used for tinned 

 or canned fruits — apricots, peaches, pears, cherries and plums. 



CANNED APPLES. 



It may seem strange to some of you who have fresh apples all the 

 year, that there is a considerable business in California canned apples. 

 These are mostly put up in the large tins for hotels and pie bakers, 

 peeled, cored and quartered, ready for use. They are more convenient 

 and frequently cheaper than the fresh apples. A limited quantity is 

 packed in smaller tins for table use in the tropics, where fresh apples 

 quickly spoil. About 2,500 tons are canned annually in California, 

 chiefly Newtown Pippins. The firm white apples are required. For the 

 best quality of table apples the average price is about one cent per 

 pound. The undersized fruit is largely used for the pie grade, and 

 the average price paid is from $10 to $12 per ton. Wormy apples are 

 useless, on account of the additional w^aste and expense in coring, and 

 the disfigurement of the apple. The apples for canning purposes come 

 largely from Sonoma, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. The 

 growers have the opportunity for selling for fresh fruit shipment, for 

 canning or for drying. In suitable land and locations growers have 

 prospered, but with enormous increase in the acreage of Oregon and 

 Washington, California has serious competition, and the relatively 

 small demand for canned apples offers no great aid to the solution of 

 this serious problem. 



APRICOTS. 



The canner is of more importance to the grower of apricots, for this 

 fruit, like pears and peache-s, is exported all over the world, to all 

 countries of importance which have not set hostile tariffs against us. 

 In a normal season 20,000 tons of apricots are canned in California. 

 The average price for the past five years at the cannery has been $30 

 per ton. Fruit of good size, with a clear skin, golden color and firm 

 texture is desired. As a rule apricots are packed unpeeled, as the skin 

 gives a peculiar flavor and character which is desired, and this makes 

 the canner very particular about apricots being free from fungus or 

 skin blemish. The Royal, Blenheim and ITemskirk varieties grown m 

 Santa Clara Valley give best results to the canner. They have high 



