335 



the placing of the proper label and boxing. The cans are made by 

 machinery in the upper storey of the building, and come rolling 

 down in a steady stream during working hours along a railway 

 made for that purpose." 



PULPING FRUIT. 



Apart from fruit-canning, which needs to be done with a con- 

 siderable amount of neatness, and requires a certain skill to be suc- 

 cessfully carried out, a large number of the varieties of fruits cul- 

 tivated in our orchards are not adapted for the purpose of canning. 



Pulping fruit does not present the same difficulties. The 

 principles of canning apply broadly 'to this method of utilising our 

 fruit, but the operations of pulping are, in the main, more within 

 the means of the majority of fruitgrowers than is fruit-canning 

 properly speaking. 



For pulping, the fruit is picked in approximately the same 

 condition as for canning firm and sweet, although the over-ripe 

 fruit may be used as well. 



No sugar is required. The stone fruits are pitted and set to 

 cook in a copper boiler, or preferably in a steam- jacketed pan. The 

 object of this cooking is to kill all germs of decomposition, the 

 time required varying from 25 to 35 minutes. The whole mass is 

 kept continuously stirred to prevent caking and burning, which 

 would materially damage the quality of the pulp. 



Immediately the pulp is cooked, the fire is drawn out or the 

 steam shut oft:, and the pulp is run or ladled into tins of recognised 

 size if for export. 



These tins are cylindrical, 5| to 6 inches in diameter, and 10 

 inches deep ; they hold lOlbs. Fruit pulp is shipped from the 

 South of France and Italy in packages of that size, 10 tins going 

 to a case, which is reported to hold lOOlbs. net. 



For home use or for other markets, instead of the lOlb. tin, 

 the large four-gallon tin, similar in shape and size with the 

 ordinary kerosene tin, is used. When filled it holds 451bs. of 

 pulp. This package should be made of a heavier gauge tin than 

 the kerosene tin, and thus guard against leakage caused by rough 

 handling during transit. 



The filling of the tins is done in the case of small fruit through 

 a good- sized funnel set over a hole three inches in diameter punched 

 into the top. If apricots and suchlike are tinned, they are 

 ladled in. 



To tomato pulp add a little salt to taste. If it is desired to 

 peel them, dip the tomatoes for half a minute in boiling water and 

 tear off the skin. 



Some pulp settles down considerably when tinned. Should 

 this occur, the empty space should be filled with scalded pulp. A 



