SOME CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE 



CANNING OF SARDINES 



By Harry R. Beard, 



Assistant Technologist, Experimental Laboratory, U. S. Bureau of Fish- 

 eries, San Pedro, California. 



Sardine canning in the United States is carried on in 

 two localities, the coast of Maine, from Portland north to the 

 Canadian border, and on the California coast from Monterey 

 south to Mexico. In 1922 over two and one-half million 

 cases were packed, having a value in excess of nine million 

 dollars. These figures place this industry next to that of 

 salmon canning in importance and, excluding Alaska salmon, 

 first among our canned fishery products. 



Although other products are canned, the output in Maine 

 is essentially "quarter-oils" being small herring with oil in 

 flat cans of approximately quarter pound capacity, while in 

 California the pack consists almost in total of from four to 

 ten large pilchards or sardines, with tomato sauce, in 

 fifteen ounce flat oval cans, giving the so called "pound 

 oval" pack. "Quarter-oils" are also canned in California 

 and, in Maine, small and large fish are put up in mustard 

 and tomato sauces. 



The general method of preparation in Maine is to salt 

 the fish lightly or place them for a short time in brine, after 

 which they are spread on wire trays, next steamed and then 

 partially dried by moving warm air. When cool, the fish 

 are packed into cans, covered with oil or sauce, sealed, and 

 next cooked and sterilized in hot water or steam. Califor- 

 nia sardines are usually brined, partially dried, pre-cooked 

 in hot oil, cooled, packed into cans with the proper sauce and 

 exhausted. After sealing the canned fish are cooked and 

 sterilized in steam retorts. Some fish, however, are pre- 

 cooked by steam in California and by hot oil in Maine. 



With the view in mind of aiding in the protection of 

 cheaper, yet at the same time better packs of sardines, the 

 U. S. Bureau of Fisheries has been experimenting upon the 

 technology of sardine canning in its Experimental Labora- 

 tory, San Pedro, California. Much research has been con- 

 ducted yielding results most interesting and practical. It 

 is the work which will now be briefly described and dis- 

 cussed, 



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