INSPECTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNERIES. 27 



cordance with the grading already done in the field. These sizing 

 machines square the ends of the fruit, remove the shells in three 

 pieces, cut out the cores in cylindrical form, and size the fruit to fit 

 the can. 



The cored and sized fruit drops onto a conveyor belt which carries 

 it along the trimming tables. Standing on either side of the table 

 the trimmers cut off any portion of the peel which may have been 

 missed by the sizer. After being trimmed, the fruit is returned to 

 the belt and carried to the slicing machine, where it is cut crosswise 

 into disks or slices. The slices are then passed along the conveyor 

 belts to the packing tables, where the different grades are sorted out 

 and packed in cans. 



Essentially four different grades or classes of fruit are packed. In 

 the fancy grade, the slices must be cored perfectly, with no bit of 

 the peel remaining and no imperfections from trimming cuts on the 

 outer edge. The fruit must be fully ripe, with a good, rich color. 

 In the standard grades the slices need not be perfectly cored, and 

 they may have one or two slight imperfections on the outer edge. 

 The color of the fruit of this grade may be a little less rich than that 

 of the fancy grade pineapple. The fruit, however, must be good. 

 The third or substandard grade slices are those that are not suitable 

 for the first two grades but have not been broken to pieces. A slice 

 with a decided hole in the edge is sometimes packed as the third 

 grade. The fourth grade includes cores, broken pieces, and grated 

 materials, all of which are canned separately and labeled, appropri- 

 ately. 



The packed and graded cans go to the sirup machines, where each 

 grade receives a sirup of a different strength. The open cans of 

 fruit are next passed through the open exhaust box, where they are 

 held, according to different practices, for from 2^ to 6 minutes at the 

 temperature of live steam. Immediately after being exhausted, the 

 cans are passed on to the closing machines, where the covers are 

 sealed on, sanitary seal cans being used in all cases. 



Two general methods for sterilizing are employed. In one, the 

 cans in large crates handled by cranes are placed in large open vats 

 of water heated by steam coils. The cans are kept in the boiling 

 water for from 30 to 40 minutes. In the second method there is 

 some device for keeping the cans in continuous motion. The cans 

 need be kept in the boiling water for only approximately 14 minutes. 



One of the greatest problems in the pineapple industry is the 

 utilization or disposition of the waste or by-product. The proportion 

 of the whole pineapple that is not suitable for canning varies from 

 50 to 60 per cent. Attempts have been made to utilize the waste in 

 various ways. The inspector should note whether any of it is 

 allowed to ferment in or near the cannery. 



