COMMEECIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 55 



sorted, separating the straight stems from the crooked. All the sorting is done by 

 hand. The five grades for size, based upon the number of stalks which will go into a 

 standard No. 2h square can, are known as giant, mammoth, large, medium, and small. 

 With giant stalks about 14 are requii-ed; marmnoth, 20 to 22; large, 30 to 33; medium, 

 40; and small, 50. What are known as asparagus tips are put up in cans just one-half 

 the regular size, about 30 per cent more stalks being required to fill the can. The 

 so-called hotel tips are the cuttings made in trimming the asparagus to size and the 

 whole stalks which are crooked or deformed. These are just as good as the other, 

 though not so pleasing in appearance. Some of the large asparagus is peeled, or 

 stripped, as the operation is more properly called. 



After grading the stalks they are again cut to length for the different sizes of cans 

 used; 5i inches for the regular square can; 4 inches for the No. 1 tall and No. 2; and 3 

 inches for tips. The loss of weight in preparation for tall cans after the asparagus 

 reaches the factory is about 16f per cent for No. 1 tall; for No. 2, about 40 per cent; 

 and for tips, 60 per cent. The part cut off represents waste at the present time, as 

 only a very small part of this is used as soup stock. After grading and cutting the 

 stalks to length, thej' are blanched until they are just softened through, so that they 

 are flexible but will not snap off on bending. The time required is from 30 seconds 

 to 3 or 4 inches, depending upon the size and age of the material. Then follows 

 hea\y sprajing in cold water, and again each spear must be hand-sorted for color, 

 the pure white and that tipped with green. They are then filled into cans, always 

 keeping the tips up. The can must be crowded, for there will be some shrinkage 

 after processing; if the can is not well filled it will not ship well, and the ends and 

 side buds will be knocked off, giving an unattractive appearance. The interspaces 

 are filled -with brine testing about 8° Balling (about 6^- ounces of salt per gallon of 

 water). The process takes from 12 to 22 minutes at 240° F., and the cans are cooled 

 at once. 



The asparagus tip was first packed to use the stalks which might be cut somewhat 

 short or be broken, then to care for the tender ends which might be left when the 

 grass was delayed in tran.sit to the cannery or forced to stand overnight. Now they 

 are packed as a regular product, as they are held in high esteem by the consumers. 

 It requires nearly 20 per cent more tips to make a can than when the whole stalk is 

 used, which necessitates a higher jiroportionate cost. The enormous loss in trimming 

 the stalks to the required length and the hand labor involved in every operation make 

 the cost of asparagus nece.ssarily high, and, while a large part of the work might be 

 simplified, cost can not be materially reduced. 



Some experiments were conducted in canning asparagus to note the effect of stand- 

 ing. One lot was packed within 3 hours after cutting, a second lot within 24 hours, 

 a third within 48 houns, a fourth wdthiu 72 hours, and a fifth witliin 96 hours. Each 

 lot consisted of two parts of ab(;ut 20 cans each, one part being filled with long or full- 

 length Htalk.H, and the other with tips. 



The lot put up immediately on arriving at the factory was perfectly tender from 

 the tip to the ba.se in every stalk. It had a bright, clean, crisp appearance. 



The lot put up within 24 hours lacked some of the clean luster characteristic of the 

 fresh, the tips were all tender and gave no evidence of unnatural flavor. The full- 

 length spears were excellent at the tip, but more than 30 per cent were a little fibrous 

 at the butt and had the beginning of a bitter flavor. 



The lot held for 48 hours showed nujre dulling in color, the beginning of a yellow 

 cast, and a liMle wrinkling of tiu; stalks as thougli tlicy \\<T<t Hhrinking. The ti|)a 

 were d'xxl, with only the beginning of toughening at thf; banc; and Honio l)itt('r (astc. 

 In the full .Hialks the base was decidedly fihrous for nearly one-half its length and liad 

 a dfcidedly bitter taste at tlie butt, becoming less marked as one a|)|)roaehed I lie lip. 

 About one-hulf the stalk was edible. 



The lot held for 72 hfjurs showed similar changes in a still niorc marked degree, 

 more yellowing, more furrowing or wrinkling of the stalks, decidedly more fibnjus 



