204 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



Sections, while still warm, are then put through rubber rollers, similar 

 to a wringer, which provide a squeezing action that breaks the shell just 

 enough to force out the meat, leaving only the shell to proceed through 

 the rollers. The meat is washed, inspected, and passed into a second 

 cooker of the continuous type. The meats pass through a boiling, dilute 

 brine for about four minutes, depending on the skrinkage desired for 

 proper fill in the cans. The meats are then spray-washed, inspected, and 

 passed to the packing table. 



Figure 14.4. A tank with live king crab awaiting processing at an Alaskan plant. Note 

 the crab pots at the left background. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.) 



Some packers have found that an ultraviolet light is valuable to detect 

 shell fragments by the resulting fiourescence. Packers cut the large leg 

 sections to fit the can and fill most packs with one layer of leg meat, 

 followed by smaller leg sections and shoulder meat. Parchment paper 

 ends are commonly inserted to minimize possible tin-plate discoloration. 



Use of small retorts for frequent process-cooks is desirable and used 

 by most packers. The retort time and temperature most commonly 

 accepted by the industry is 55 minutes at 240°F, followed by water cool- 

 ing until the cans are slightly above room temperature. A final meat pH 

 of 6.6 to 6.8 is desirable. Canned king crab meat, in common with other 

 canned crab and lobster meat, should be stored at a relatively cool 



