THE AMERICAN SHRIMP INDUSTRY 597 



inspector. Payment for the 'green' shrimp is usually based on the figures shown on the 

 tally sheets. 



"In Texas and on the Atlantic Coast the shrimp are iced down in refrigerator boxes 

 or on the picking tables after being washed and inspected. This is done because the 

 shrimp are landed at the cannery within an hour or two after catching and must be kept 

 in ice several hours or they are not easily peeled. Shrimp landed at canneries in other 

 areas have usually been held in ice long enough so that the shell is removed readily." 



Picking. "As a rule the baskets or lug boxes of shrimp are taken directly from the 

 inspection belt to the picking room, where they are 'picked' or 'peeled.' Shrimp are 

 peeled entirely by hand, requiring a great deal of labor, as a satisfactory machine for 

 this purpose has not yet been developed. 



"In picking, the body portion of the shrimp is grasped with the left hand, with the 

 legs pointing outward and the head extending beyond the thumb. With the right hand 

 the picker seizes the head and breaks it off, then inserts the thumb of the right hand 

 between the rows of legs, breaking open the shell and peeling off a section about 1 to I/2 

 inches long. A pressure of the left hand on the tail of the shrimp forces the meat from 

 the remainder of the shell. If the workmanship of the individual pickers is not inspected, 

 the tails are apt to be torn off in order to increase the rapidity of picking. Thus, the last 

 segment of meat is lost, increasing the loss in weight and also lowering the quality. 

 It is believed the amount of clear, red color in canned shrimp is associated with the 

 presence of this tail segment, and decrease in amount of color makes the pack less 

 desirable from the standpoint of grade. 



"The picking room is entirely separated from the rest of the cannery, and the picking 

 operation, like other steps in shrimp canning, shows evidence of improvement in handling. 

 No two plants have exactly the same equipment and layout; but, generally the whole 

 shrimp are emptied from the baskets or lug boxes onto long metal or metal-covered 

 tables. These are about 25 feet long by 4 feet wide, usually sloping slightly from the 

 sides toward the center, with each side divided into numbered spaces. A worker is 

 assigned to each space and is given a corresponding number for identification. A metal 

 flume is suspended above the middle of the table in some canneries, or the table may be 

 constructed witli built-in flumes running down each side. 



"The shrimp meat is dropped into the flume by the pickers as soon as the hull is 

 removed. The hulls are dropped into a numbered bucket by the side of each worker. The 

 piecework payment wage depends on the number of buckets of hulls picked by the 

 worker. This method eliminates the delay which has always occurred previously in 

 shrimp canning, through holding the meats in 'cups' while picking. It also helps in 

 washing the meats, and is considered so highly that it was made mandatory in 1938 for 

 all shrimp canneries under federal inspection. Only those canneries not under inspection 

 now pick the meat into cups. 



"Standing by each picker is a cup of alum water, into which the hands must be dipped 

 at frequent intervals as the shrimp heads contain digestive juices which have a corrosive 

 effect on the skin unless this solution is used. A picker will peel from 100 to 400 pounds 

 of shrimp a day, depending on the size of the shrimp and the skill of the individual. The 

 loss of weight in picking averages from 50 to 55 per cent." 



Preparation for Canning. Washing. "After the shrimp have been peeled and the 

 meats inspected, they are emptied into a washer. This is of the flume type and is usually 

 constructed with built-in riffles or turns, whereby the meats are shaken about more 

 vigorously and the effectiveness of the wash is increased. This flume also acts as a 

 conveyor. At the end of the washer is a perforated metal plate or table where the wash 

 water is drained away and the meats are again inspected." 



Blanching. "The 'brining' or 'presoaking' step has recently been abandoned by many 

 packers. In theory it made the meats firmer in texture and was supposed to improve 

 the color. This purpose is now accomplished by increasing the 'blanch' or 'precook.' 



