CHANGES IN FRESH BEEF DURING COLD STORAGE. 5 



COMMERCIAL RIPENING OF MEATS. 



The term " ripening," or " ageing," as applied to fresh beef, de- 

 notes the practice of holding such meat in cold storage at tempera- 

 tures above freezing for various periods of time for the purpose of 

 improving the quality of the meat, it being the opinion of experts 

 that the ripening of beef greatly improves its quality, particularly as 

 regards tenderness. This practice is not followed to any extent by 

 the larger packing houses on their own account, but it is carried on 

 to a certain extent by concerns which supply meats to high-class 

 hotels and restaurants and to the dining-car service. As a rule, such 

 concerns do not ripen meats in their own coolers, but select their cuts 

 of meat and have them ripened in coolers belonging to the larger 

 packing houses. 



The practice of ripening meats is a simple one. Suitable cuts of 

 meat, usually heavy, fancy ribs and loins and occasionally entire 

 hind quarters, are hung in a cooler set aside for the purpose, or in a 

 regular beef cooler, for from two to six weeks, depending upon the 

 degree of ripeness desired. A dry cooler with good circulation of 

 air is preferred, and the temperature is ordinarily held at 34° F. 

 Depending upon the condition of the cooler as regards temperature 

 and humidity, cuts of meat may show a slight growth of mold after 

 from two to three weeks, and a heavy growth after from four to 

 six weeks in storage. The growth of mold appears first and is 

 heaviest on the cut surfaces of the meat. The degree of ripeness is 

 judged largely by the length of the " whiskers," as the growth of 

 mold is called in packing-house parlance. Such meats are wiped free 

 of mold when sold; and the purchaser must assume any loss due to 

 the necessity for trimming. As compared with the total amount of 

 chilled beef handled in this country the quantity of specially ripened 

 beef is quite small. 



PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ON COLD STORAGE OF MEATS. 



Only a brief discussion of the more important cold-storage investi- 

 gations will be attempted. 



Gautier (1897)* was one of the earliest workers to carry on ex- 

 tensive investigations concerning the changes which take place in 

 meats during cold storage. He studied the chemical, physical, and 

 organoleptic proiiertios of fresh (French) beef and mutton as com- 

 pared with frozen (Argentine) beef and mutton that hud been held 

 in cold storage between 5 and months at —3° to —5'' C. Artificial 

 digestion experiments were also carried on. In general, the (ronclii- 

 sions r('a(;lied were to the effect that there was littU^ diHerence in the 

 composition of the fresh beef and mutton as com})ared with the 



< RefereneeH to literature will ho found on page 100. 



