8 TOMATO KETCHUP UNDEK THE MICROSCOPE. 



METHODS OF HANDLING. 



For convenience of discussion the influence of different methods 

 of handling is discussed under the following heads, though the order 

 in which they are actually conducted in various factories varies quite 

 widely: (a) Sorting, (b) washing, (c) pulping, (d) concentrating, 

 (e) storing. 



SORTING. 



From a study of various methods followed in different factories it 

 seems that at present there is no purely mechanical method of sorting 

 that is satisfactory for performing this work. Especially is this true 

 of the removal of the so-called " dry rot " or " black rot." Some 

 manufacturers have very erroneously supposed that because of the 

 rather hard texture of the dry rot none of it went into the pulp while 

 passing through the cyclone. This is entirely contrary to the facts 

 in the case, as the action of the machine removes most of the dry rot 

 from the fruit and passes it out with the rest of the pulp in which it 

 is easily detected and injures the appearance and character of the 

 final product. In one washer examined the soft rot was satisfactorily 

 removed mechanically, and this apparatus, which was a " home 

 device," will be described under " Washing." 



In some factories where the tomatoes are peeled and either canned 

 or made into some whole-tomato product such as chili sauce, the trim- 

 mings are used in the manufacture of pulp or ketchup. Some manu- 

 facturers make no attempt to reject the decayed portions of the fruit 

 and hence their products are almost sure to show up badly under the 

 microscope. On the other hand, some firms depend on the peelers to 

 sort out and reject the decayed portions, but after watching this as 

 practiced in different places, the writer is convinced that the elimi- 

 nation of objectionable parts can not be effectively accomplished in 

 regular factory practice by this method, for, being paid by the piece 

 for the peeled tomotoes only, the peelers become careless or indiffer- 

 ent about the removal of the decayed portions from the trimmings 

 which are to be used for pulp making. In one place where this 

 method was followed, an examination of portions of the trimmings 

 collected during the day showed from 15 to 20 per cent of the frag- 

 ments to be decayed to a considerable degree. In some factories the 

 sorting is done before the washing or scalding, others make it an 

 intermediate operation between the principal washing and the scald- 

 ing with a final rinsing. Then the peelers are furnished with 

 buckets in which to place any decayed parts that they may find 

 which escaped the principal sorting. In favor of the intermediate 

 method there is this to be said, that the fruit being more or less 

 washed, the decayed portions are more readily seen and picked out. 



