INSPECTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNERIES. 29 



Inspection should show whether the blanching agents used are in 

 violation of the law and whether the net weight is correctly stated. 



ASPARAGUS. 



More than 90 per cent of the asparagus canned in the United States 

 is put up in California. The white stalks are more desirable for 

 canning purposes than the green stalks. 



The asparagus is cut, packed in lug boxes of about 40 pounds 

 each, and hauled to the cannery by wagon or boat early in the morn- 

 ing. It is then sorted by women into two grades, green and white. 

 Each color is next sorted by the women, usually into six uniform 

 sizes, known as giant, colossal, mammoth, large, medium, and small. 

 These names apply to the circumference of the stalk and not to the 

 length. As the stalks are sorted, each size is stacked carefully, stem 

 end out, in wooden boxes having one end open, the sides of which are 

 slightly shorter than the height of the can into which the asparagus 

 is to be packed. The women then cut off even with the box the pro- 

 truding ends of the stalks. The asparagus is next dumped into 

 wicker or wire baskets, blanched in boiling water, sprayed for a 

 minute or so with cold water, conveyed to the packing tables, and 

 dumped into troughs containing cold water. The women pack the 

 stalks vertically in the cans. The cans are then filled with about 

 11° brine, exhausted, sealed, and cooked in retorts for varying 

 lengths of time, according to the size of the can and the condition 

 of the asparagus. The pack of tips only, that is, the top or blossom 

 end of the stalks, is quite large. These tips are also graded into 

 green and white and into five sizes. They are usually about 3 inches 

 long and are packed in a No. 1 square tin in the same manner as the 

 regular stalks. 



Occasionally a fungus, called in the trade " rust," which produces 

 a brown discoloration on the stalk, makes its appearance in certain 

 districts. Some packers may be careless in handling the " soup tip," 

 as a result of which many dirty or decayed pieces or trimmings are 

 included, rendering it filthy and decomposed. Because of the fact 

 that each individual stalk is handled by operators, particular atten- 

 tion should be paid to the sanitary conditions and to the cleanliness 

 of the employees. 



BEANS. 



The principal varieties of beans used in canning are Refugee, 

 Lima, Navy, and Red Kidney. Refugee beans are canned for their 

 pods, which are fleshy, crisp, and tender, rather than for the seed. 

 The beans are sorted by machine, according to their diameter, the 

 larger ones being cut to definite lengths, and filled into the can by 

 weight. They are packed in No. 2, No. 2^, No. 3, and No. 10 cans. 



