INSPECTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNERIES. 5 



Grading for size is usually done by machinery. While important, 

 grading for size, texture, and color is secondary to the elimination of 

 defective products. Examine the fruit or vegetables after they pass 

 the sorters to see whether or not any defective products pass, and 

 if so, what percentage. 



'washing. 



Give careful attention to the method of washing and note the make 

 and kind of machines used. There is a tendency on the part of some 

 canners to depend too much upon sterilization, neglecting both sort- 

 ing and washing. Note the sufficiency and purity of the water sup- 

 ply, which sometimes runs low, resulting in inefficient washing. Is 

 the wash water flowing continuously? If not, how often is it 

 changed? A common arrangement for washing is a tank of water 

 which is agitated so as to cause the fruits or vegetables to move gently 

 through the water toward one end of the tank, from which they are 

 elevated and forced under a strong spray of water as they leave the 

 tank. The effectiveness of the spray depends both upon its force 

 and upon its volume. A good spray is valuable in removing dirt and 

 mold from the surface of the fruits or vegetables. Peas and some 

 other similar products are often washed in a revolving cylinder called 

 a " squirrel cage," but other machines are also used for this purpose. 

 Examine specimens of the fruit and vegetables after they come from 

 the washing process to see if any dirt or mold still clings to them. 



PEEPAEATION. 



In the preparation of fruits and vegetables for canning, such oper- 

 ations as peeling and cutting to size, in fact all those that are per- 

 formed by hand, should be done by workers free from communicable 

 diseases. Apples, pears, and usually peaches are peeled and cut to 

 size; peas are shelled and blanched; corn is husked, silked, and cut 

 from the cob; beans are snipped, strung, and blanched; asparagus 

 is cut into lengths and blanched ; sweet potatoes and beets are peeled. 

 Is all the waste discarded or is it utilized for any purpose ? All waste 

 should be used or discarded promptly, not allowed to accumulate and 

 ferment. 



Blanching is not for the purpose of changing the color, as might 

 be inferred from the name, but it is a parboiling to make the product 

 more suitable for packing in the can. Vegetables are usually blanched 

 for from 1 to 5 minutes. Blanching causes a softening of the tissue 

 and in some cases removes mucous substances from the surfaces. 



The method of filling the can depends upon the product. Peaches, 

 pears, apples, and the like are put in the can by hand, but special 

 machines have been adapted for many fruits and vegetables. The 



