ANNUAL REPORT, 1935 63 



glass jars of food were processed fully sealed, i.e., with the wire bails clamped 

 down, have shown that this new canning procedure is dependable, safe and 

 superior to the method in common use. The internal pressure within the jars 

 during processing is never high enough to constitute a hazard. In this work 

 65 cooperators canned 15,355 jars of 41 different food products. This method 

 decreases markedly the loss of liquid from jars during processing, improves 

 their appearance, saves time, makes unnecessary the handling of the jars after 

 processing, arid has no effect on either breakage or spoilage. It seems likely 

 that these results will greatly influence home-canning methods everywhere. 



Use of Corn Sugar in Manufactured Fruit and Vegetable Products. 



(C. R. Fellers and Joseph Miller.) Purified crystalline corn sugar (dextrose) 

 may be partially substituted for sucrose in many jams, preserves, jellies, canned 

 and frozen fruits, and pickles. Usually more than 25 percent cannot be used 

 because of crystal formation, insufficient sweetness, or a changed flavor. It 

 cannot be used jn canning sweet corn or peas because of marked darkening, 

 due to the high pH value of these products. Dextrose added to cucumbers, 

 peppers, or green tomatoes accelerates fermentation and increases acid pro- 

 duction — both of which are desirable. Dextrose, used to the extent of 50 

 percent of the total sugar in sweet pickle products, improves both the appear- 

 ance and texture of the pickles. 



Frozen Food Investigations. (C. R. Fellers and Walter Stepat.) Fresh 

 raw peas, shipped in iced hampers, lost 30 to 50 percent of their ascorbic acid 

 (vitamin C ) content after 24 to 48 hours. Frozen, blanched peas lost 35 to 65 

 percent of their ascorbic acid content after cooking. Under the same condi- 

 tions, canned peas lost from 75 to 90 percent. Guinea pig bio-assays showed 

 the average protective levels of peas to be approximately as follows: Raw 

 peas as received in the pods at Amherst, 2.9 grams; fresh peas (cooked), 3.6 

 grams; frozen peas (cooked), 4.6 grams; and canned peas (heated), 8.8 grams. 



Similar studi esare being conducted on the effect of storage, freezing, and 

 canning on the ascorbic acid content of spinach and lima beans. 



Utilization of Cull Onions. (C. R. Fellers and J. A. Clague.) The only 

 work on this project was in connection with the fermenting of small onions for 

 use in relishes and mixed pickles. A salt concentration approximating 15 per- 

 cent gave best results. 



Nutritional Studies on Blueberries. (Oreana Merriam, C. R. Fellers 

 and P. D. Isham.) Continued studies show little difference in vitamin C con- 

 tent among the important cultivated varieties. All are fair sources of vitamin 

 C, with a daily protective level for guinea pigs of 8 to 12 grams. If blueberries 

 are kept solidly frozen, no significant loss in vitamin C occurs. If defrosted 

 and refrozen, serious losses occur. Canned blueberries are variable in their 

 vitamin C content and range from fairly good to poor sources of this vitamin. 

 The data are being prepared for publication. 



Vitamin D Investigations. (C. R. Fellers, P. D. Isham, W. B. Esselen 

 and R. E. Buck.) A summary of the work on the vitamin D potency of milks 

 produced in Massachusetts has been published (Amer. Jour. Pub. Health 25: 

 1340-1345). Only 2.6 percent of the samples of vitamin D milk examined were 

 seriously deficient in this vitamin. Vitamin D assays are being conducted on 

 certain fish meals used as poultry foods, and also on the body and liver oils 

 of the Atlantic whiting. Cooperative work with the A.O.A.C. Committee 

 on Vitamin Standardization has also been carried on with a view to setting 

 up standard methods for vitamin bio-assay. 



