LOBSTER, CRAB, AND SHRIMP 275 



dried, and canned. Most of the shrimp caught on the 

 Atlantic coast are packed in ice in barrels and then 

 shipped immediately. Since the heads constitute from 

 forty to forty-five per cent of the weight of shrimp, 

 they are ordinarily removed before shipment. 



Shrimp keep better if they are cooked prior to 

 shipment. This is accomplished either by dipping 

 into boiling brine for fifteen minutes or by steaming 

 for half an hour. Cooked shrimp are cooled and then 

 packed in one to five gallon shipping tins which are 

 lined with paper. The filled tins are sealed and then 

 packed in barrels with ice. Cooked shrimp may be 

 transported long distances even in warm weather. 

 The surplus of fresh shrimp is either dried or 

 canned. Formerly the bulk of the surplus was dried, 

 but recently canned shrimp has become very popular, 

 until now about seven hundred thousand cases valued 

 at four million dollars are thus preserved each year. 



Freshly caught shrimp are packed in ice until 

 they are needed in the cannery. The first step in the 

 canning operation is the removal of the heads and 

 shells. These are picked off by women and boys who 

 work at the picking tables. Many of the pickers are 

 very expert, being able to separate 250 or more 

 pounds of meat in a single day. The meat is care- 

 fully washed and then cooked for a short period, 

 after which it is cooled and packed into cans. Some 

 packers pack the shrimp dry, whereas others fill the 

 cans with weak brine. The filled cans are capped and 

 preserved by processing in retorts heated with steam 

 under pressure. Canned shrimp are commonly used 

 in places located some distance from markets where 



