598 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



"The washed and drained meats are emptied into metal baskets, having a capacity of 

 about 25 pounds. These baskets are lowered into a tank of boiling 50° salinometer brine. 

 If the shrimp are to be canned 'wet pack,' they are blanched from 8 to 10 minutes, 

 varying with size, or if preparing 'dry pack' shrimp, 10 to 12 minutes. At the end of the 

 blanching period the baskets are raised by block-and-tackle and automatically dumped 

 on a belt conveyor-drier. 



"One packer uses a continuous blanch which consists essentially of a tank of boiling 

 brine through which a conveyor passes. Wire baskets of shrimp are sent through the 

 tank on this conveyor. The special features of this patented apparatus are the equipment 

 for insuring uniform blanching. 



"Wooden blanching tanks described in the literature are no longer used, nor is brine 

 made by adding salt to water in the blanching tank. Wooden equipment is not permitted, 

 and practically all packers now use a salt-dissolving apparatus. They manufacture brine in 

 quantities and store it in tanks until it is needed. The brine used in blanching is now 

 tested and brought to strength between each batch of shrimp. The tanks are emptied 

 and filled with an entirely fresh brine after every seventh cook. 



"Blanching is very important in determining the quality of the canned product. If the 

 strength of the solution drops below 30° salinometer, the brine in the canned product 

 may congeal, or 'jell.' Insufficient washing is also a factor in the congealing of canned 

 shrimp during winter storage. Insufficient time in blanching may also cause jelling. If 

 the brine solution is used for too many cooks or if too many shrimp are put in a basket, 

 the brine will become 'ropy' and the shrimp will have a ragged appearance. If tlie 

 brine is not kept boiling vigorously, the meats will link together. This means that they 

 will not curl, and therefore cannot go through the mechanical grader. The trade demands 

 a well-curled shrimp, and poorly curled shrimp are regarded as inferior. The loss in 

 blanching or precooking is 45 per cent of the picked weight." 



Drying. "Some of the driers are simply moving wire-screen belts, above which are 

 fixed large fans of the paddle-wheel type. Others are enclosed by removable metal hoods, 

 and the fans are of the blower type. The shrimp which move over the conveyor at the 

 rate of about 11 feet per minute are cooled and dried by currents of air from these fans. 

 Approximately 3 minutes are required to dry the surface moisture from the cooked 

 shrimp. The fan drier also removes antennae, or 'whiskers,' and bits of shell. Drying is 

 constant, with no variation in atmospheric conditions as was formerly the case. Therefore 

 portable screen trays on which cooked shrimp were dried in the open are no longer used." 



Inspection and Grading. "From the end of the drier the shrimp empty onto an in- 

 spection belt where they are scanned by several women who remove meats which are 

 broken or otherwise unfit for canning. From the inspection belt the shrimp pass to the 

 grader, which consists essentially of an inclined aluminum plate in which numerous holes 

 are bored. It is divided into three sections. In the first the holes are /s inch, in the second 

 they are about 1 inch, while in the lowest they may be 1/2 inches in diameter. 



"When in operation the grader moves from side to side with a vibrating motion. The 

 small shrimp fall through the holes at the top of the plate. The larger meats pass over 

 the small holes, but fall through the larger holes near the bottom. The biggest shrimp, 

 or 'jumbos,' fall over the end into a basket. Underneath each section of the plate is a 

 metal chute with a double tray. The shrimp fall through the holes, down the chute, and 

 into the trays. The filled trays are stacked in a rack nearby until sufficient shrimp of a size 

 have been accumulated to justify packing that particular size or grade. 



"The 'count' or number of shrimp filled into the can is the most important factor in 

 grading. If the shrimp are to be packed as 'extra large' or 'jumbo,' the count to a 

 standard No. 1 can should be 20 or less. 'Large' may run from 20 to 25, 'medium' from 

 25 to 40, and 'small' over 40. 'Pieces' must be graded thus or as 'broken' shrimp." 



Filling. "The trays of shrimp are taken to metal-surfaced packing tables, having slotted 

 spaces, just wide enough to hold a tray of shrimp. As a rule two girls work at each tray, 



