40 THE CANNING OF FOODS. 



close discrimination. If the peaches are well ripened, they are run 

 through the factory at once. If they are under ripe, or hard, they 

 may be kept in a cool place for a time. It is the practice of some 

 to pick the peaches over each day and take them out when at their 

 best, but as a rule they are held until all can be used at the same 

 operation. Holding the fruit in cold storage is not advisable, as the 

 flavor is impaired. Some varieties of peaches are graded for size 

 before peeling, and this is done on an orange grader, the space be- 

 tween the rolls being adjusted to deliver three, four, or five sizes as 

 desired. When the lye-peeling system is used the grading is gen- 

 erally done after peeling. The holes in the screen are sixty-four, 

 sixty-eight, seventy-two, and seventy-six thirty-seconds of an inch in 

 diameter, which, with those that will not go through the largest 

 opening, gives five sizes. Careful grading for size is almost wholly 

 limited to the California product. 



There are three methods of peeling : By hand, with the knife ; by 

 steaming and slipping the skin ; and by the use of lye. There have 

 been some machines devised for peeling, but they have been used but 

 little. The knife used for hand peeling is provided with a somewhat 

 curved blade and a guard to limit the depth of the cut. This is the 

 method used almost exclusively in the East and on a portion of the 

 California pack. After the peach is peeled it is split along the line 

 of natural cleavage and the pit forced out in the freestone or removed 

 with a pit spoon in the cling varieties. 



Peeling by means of steam is possible with only a few varieties. 

 This method consists in splitting the peach, removing the pit, and 

 placing the halves in a single layer, split side down, in a tray which 

 has a covering of cheesecloth. When the tray is covered, the cheese- 

 cloth is folded over the peaches and the tray slipped into a steam 

 box. The peaches are heated in this way for about 3 minutes and 

 then the skin may be slipped by picking it up between the fingers. 

 This method involves very careful work, but results in a handsome 

 product. 



When the lye system is used, the peaches are first split and pitted 

 and the halves placed in special machines containing hot, weak solu- 

 tions of caustic soda or lye. They are carried through just fast 

 enough to allow the peel to be removed, the time usually being 12 to 

 18 seconds. As soon as they emerge from the soda solution they are 

 thoroughly sprayed and are kept under sprays or in water until they 

 are placed in the can. Where the lye peelers are installed, the 

 peaches are usually delivered to the filling tables, graded into sizes, 

 as already indicated, but the fillers sort for quality, separating the 

 pieces perfectly ripened, those unevenly ripened or defective in color, 

 and those imperfect in form or in quality. 



