68 BULLETIN 908, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



red the corn-oil to the olive-oil pack. Eliminating the olive-oil packs 

 from consideration, there was no question of the superiority of the 

 corn-oil packs in the rich flavor imparted to the fish and the absence 

 of any characteristic taste of the oil. The flavor of the fish in the 

 corn-oil packs was not masked by the oil, but rather improved by it. 

 In most cases, the winter-pressed oil was pronounced second in 

 quality to corn oil, prime summer yellow oil being classed third. 



The packs composed of baked fish and of fish fried in oil were far 

 superior to the products prepared by other methods which did not 

 bring out the delicate fish flavor. The better flavor of the fish, 

 developed by frying or baking, may be conserved for the canned 

 product by the use of corn oil. 



Canneries equipped with the so-called Ferris wheel driers can 

 utilize this equipment to excellent advantage by grilling the fish 

 before frying and packing them, thus attaining the very best flavor. 



EFFECT ON APPEARANCE OF SARDINES. 



It was found also that in packing sardines in corn oil or the better 

 grade of cottonseed oil, stearin did not settle out during cold weather. 

 Sardines packed in prime summer yellow cottonseed oil when opened 

 in cold weather present a very unattractive appearance, due to the 

 white film or mass of stearin over the fish. It would seem wise, there- 

 fore, to pack sardines for shipment into cold climates in the winter- 

 pressed variety of cottonseed oil or in corn oil and use prime summer 

 yellow cottonseed oil for goods going to warm regions. 



Tomato Sauce. 



Sardines in tomato sauce have not been packed in Maine to any 

 great extent. During the season of 1913 an attempt was made by one 

 of the canning companies to pack a few cases in this way, but the 

 undertaking proved unsuccessful. It is understood that several 

 other companies are now packing a few sardines and herrings in 

 tomato sauce. In consideration of the demand for this product, it 

 is strange that herring and sardines in tomato sauce are not prepared 

 in greater quantity in Maine. That no special difficulty is encoun- 

 tered in the process, and the product is very attractive, is shown by 

 the fact that packers in other localities put out a great many cans 



of this article. 



Mustard Sauce. 



It has been estimated that 25 per cent of the season's pack of Maine 

 sardines is put up in mustard sauce. A large part of the sauce used 

 for this purpose is prepared in mustard sauce mills, owned and oper- 

 ated by the sardine companies. In one instance several companies 

 operate a mustard sauce plant on a cooperative basis. Part of the 



