68 BULLETIN 196, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Beldom bulge in this way for the reason that they can not be sealed when too full, 

 and, as a rule, they weigh from 3 to 4 ounces less than the hand-filled cans. Over- 

 filling also necessitates a longer process, breaking up the fruit and detracting from 

 the appearance of the product. In order to bring out the flavor some canners add 

 one teaspoonful of a mixture of equal parts of salt and sugar, or of one part of salt to 

 two parts of sugar, to each can. This is rarely done except upon high-grade goods 

 and must be done by hand in order to insure uniformity. 



There are several types of filling machines for solder- topped cans. A type in use 

 for some time consists of a chamber to hold a quantity of tomatoes sufficient to fill a 

 can, and a plunger or piston to force them in. The result is that the fruit is more or 

 less badly broken, though just as good in quality as the handpacked. Some of the 

 latest machines fill the cans on the principle of the collapsible tube, resulting in a 

 much better appearing product than with the old type. During the last season 

 machines were designed to fill the open-top can. All fill by volume rather than by 

 weight. When the filling is done by hand the product is often designated "hand- 

 packed" or "solid-packed," to distinguish it from that filled by machine, or filled 

 with tomatoes and juice added to fill the interspaces. The use of water in canning 

 tomatoes is imnecessary and constitutes an adulteration. Its only justification has 

 been in the packing of whole-peeled or unpeeled fruit for salads, where perfect appear- 

 ance rather than food value is the criterion of success. These are packed, one in 

 a flat can, or five or six in a single layer in the large flat can, every effort being made 

 to retain the fruit whole. The quantity packed is very small and equally good results 

 can be obtained by using juice in place of water. The use of about 4 ounces of juice 

 in filling the interstices in fancy selected stock materially increases the amount of 

 whole fruit on the cut-out and adds somewhat to the appearance. The juice used 

 for this purpose should be of the same grade as the stock and not made from trimmings. 



The packing of tomatoes results in two classes of product: (1) Ttiat in which only 

 whole stock or solid pieces are used; (2) pulp or puree. The two products are dis- 

 tinct and both have useful places, but one should not be substituted for the other. 

 The term "canned tomato" applies to whole or solid fruit and not to the mixture. 



The regular packed tomatoes should be well exhausted, sealed, and processed for 

 from 35 to 55 minutes; the more solid the pack, the heavier the process required. 

 Thirty-five minutes is not safe with most packers nor when cooling is practiced. 

 For fancy tomatoes it is better to exhaust slowly to about 120° F., as there will be 

 less breaking down of the fruit than if it be subjected to high heat for a shorter time. 

 The length of time given in processing depends upon the condition of the fruit; if 

 soft-ripe and closely packed, it will require a longer time than if firm and sound. 

 This rule, the reverse of what is generally supposed to be true, applies throughout 

 canning. The softer and mushier the consistency, the harder for the heat to pene- 

 trate. Some packers process in the retort at 220° to 230° F. for 25 minutes, but this 

 has the effect of breaking the fruit. It is preferable to cool the can, as there will be 

 a gain of from 1 to 3 ounces in solids on draining and a better color. 



Somewhat too much stress is being placed upon the quantity of solid meat which 

 will be found in a can of tomatoes after draining on a screen. A very high percentage 

 of solid meat may mean the use of a variety which is hard and inferior, or fruit which 

 is slightly green, in which event the flavor is deficient. The full rich flavor of the 

 tomato is not developed until it is thoroughly ripe, so ripe that the processing will 

 cause a part of the tissue to break down and after long shipments it may be badly 

 broken. While it is desirable to have a large proportion of the fruit whole or in large 

 pieces, abroken condition is notnecessarUy evidence of poor stock or improper methods. 



The addition of juice or water to cans has a direct effect upon the cut-out, the differ- 

 ence being in the quantity and specific gravity of the liquid portion. The effect 

 of adding water is shown in the following table: 



