42 THE CANNING OF FOODS. 



Red raspberries and black caps should be kept separate. Columbia 

 berries are regarded as inferior in appearance to Cuthberts, being 

 less bright in color, but they have excellent flavor. The use of a sirup 

 of the right density has much to do in bringing out the full flavor. 

 The cans should be enameled-lined to retain both color and flavor. 

 The process is 12 minutes at 212 F. 



STRAWBERRIES (FRAGARIA VIRGINJANA). 



Strawberries used for canning are grown the same as for market, 

 and such varieties as are firm and of uniform size should be used. 

 They should have a well-developed flavor, a little more acid than is 

 desired for eating raw. They should be gathered the same as for the 

 market, in boxes holding not more than 1 quart and preferably only 

 1 pint, the object being to deliver them in the best possible condition, 

 without bruising or mashing. 



A distinctive method of handling berries on the Pacific coast is in 

 a chest of shallow crates. These chests are well made and hold four 

 tiers of five trays each. Each tray measures about 8 inches wide, 

 15 inches long, and 1J inches deep inside. The boxes holding the 

 berries are therefore very shallow and there may be two or more in 

 a tray. The fruit arrives at the factory or market with the mini- 

 mum of bruising. 



On arrival at the factory different methods are followed, but one 

 of the best, as practiced by one of the large packers, is as follows: 

 The boxes are delivered to tables, where they are turned out upon 

 enamel pie plates. The berries are stemmed, defective ones sorted 

 outj and any foreign substance removed. The plate containing the 

 berries from a single box is passed to another helper, who washes the 

 fruit under a spray ; the next one weighs each plate and adds the cor- 

 rect amount to fill one can. The berries are poured from the plate 

 into the can, in which operation a special half funnel is sometimes 

 used. The can should be filled a little above the level. Hot sirup 

 is added and the can given a 2-minute exhaust, sealed, and processed 

 for 14 minutes at 212 F. The cans should be preferably enamel 

 lined, with open tops. 



In the handling of the fruit at this plant the pans are washed after 

 each separate usage. The work involved is greater than in some 

 other systems, but the product can hardly be excelled in cleanliness 

 and in flavor. 



At some other plants the berries are stemmed from the baskets and 

 are run through a fruit washer to remove any leaves or dirt ; they are 

 then filled directly into cans without weighing or are collected in 

 large pans, and when a sufficient quantity has accumulated are then 

 put into a preserving kettle with sugar and heated until they just 



