PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES 529 



HOME CANNING 



At a number of places alono; the coast it has ])ecomc the custom for 

 the thrifty housewives to do a little home canning of salmon for winter 

 use when the fish are abundant and cheap, and the.y find canning 

 salmon as easy as canning vegetables and fruit. The fish are dressed, 

 skinned, and the backbone removed. It is then cut into transverse 

 strips of a size to fit either a pint or a quart glass jar, whichever is to 

 be used. The jars are then filled with the pieces, salted to taste, the 

 rubber ring put on, after which the can (;over is put on loosely so that 

 the steam may escape. Strips of thin wood are placed at the bottom 

 of a kettle or wash boiler and the cans set down on them. Enough 

 cold water is then poured into the kettle to bring it up to within about 

 2 inches of the top of the cans. The kettle is then put on the stove 

 and, after it comes to a boil, note is made of the time, and the cans are 

 cooked from one and one-half to three hours. There seems to be a 

 great variation in the time of cooking on the part of the operators. 

 Some even cook only one hour, but these generally use a preservaline. 

 About three hours seems to be the best time, as the bones are then 

 quite soft. At the end of the cooking period the tops are tightened, 

 the kettle removed from the stove, and the water and cans allowed to 

 cool in the kettle. 



Portable retorts and hand double seamers are now available for house- 

 hold use, and as a result many are using tin cans as containers. A re- 

 cent improvement on the double seamer permits of the use of a tin con- 

 tainer three times, thus materially reducing the heavy expense for cans. 



INSPECTION OF PLANTS PACKING CANNED SALMON 



For some years there has been a desire on the part of a majority 

 of the salmon canners for some form of inspection of the plants 

 and of the pack made. The widespread suspicion that the salmon 

 pack of 1918 was considerably^ below standard, which suspicion 

 resulted in heavy^ monetary loss to the packers, gave a great impetus 

 to this desire. The National Canners Association, an organization 

 composed of the majority of the canners of the United States, a few 

 years before, at the request of the sardine canners of Maine, organized 

 them into the sardine section of the association, and by an assessment 

 of a small sum per case raised sufficient funds to provide an inspection 

 service to see that the plants were put into and kept in a satisfactory 

 sanitary condition and also to inspect the goods packed and, if they 

 were up to the standards fixed in advance, to affix to the cans suit- 

 able certificates attesting this. 



At its annual convention in 1919 the association decided to extend 

 a similar service to any other section willing to assess itself to pay 

 the necessary expense. In explanation of its plan the association 

 issued the following circular shortly after the convention had 

 adjourned: 



1. This service is installed by the National Canners Association, with which a 

 direct contract is made by each canner. 



2. It runs for a term of three years and is applied in States or local territories 

 where similar conditions are to be met. 



3. The cost of the inspection is paid by the canners in the territory named 

 through an_ assessment which, in the past, has been collected by the can com- 

 panies with which each canner deals. This cost is added to the can invoice, and 

 is remitted by the can companies to the treasurer of the National Canners As- 

 sociation each month. 



