COMMEECIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 75 



Sardines (Sardinia). 

 The sardines caught on the Pacific coast are much larger than those taken in the 

 East and are handled in a different manner. They are caught in nets at night, and 

 on 1)eing brought to the factory in the morning are put into bins and kept wet with 

 running water for some hours. They are then dressed, scaled, heads and viscera 

 removed, and again thoroughly washed in two or more changes of water. They are 

 next dipped in strong salt brine for a few minutes, rinsed, and placed in wire trays to 

 diy. In order to expedite the chying the trays are canued thi-ough a mechanical drier 

 so that all surface water will be removed. The crates are then dragged through a vat 

 of boiling oil, the length of time being that necessary to cook the fish thoroughly, 

 usually about five minutes. They are left in the crates until cool, which is usually 

 until the following day. placed in the cans by hand, oil or sauce added to fill the inter- 

 spaces, carefully exhausted, and processed at 240° F. for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 



Shrimp (Panaeus brasiliensis). 



The shrimp is a crustacean and belongs in the same general class as crabs, crayfish, 

 and lobsters. There are a number of vai'ieties found in this country, but the one 

 used for canning is the Gulf shiimp, Panaeus brasiliensis. The shrimp found in the 

 fresh waters and west coast are used fresh, but are too small to be used in canning. 

 The Gulf shrimp resembles a large cra^-fish and is from 5 to 7 inches long. They 

 inhabit the deep waters and come to the shore twice each year. They are active 

 swimmers and are provided with very long antennae. The abdomen is the only part 

 of the shrimp that is used, the head and thorax being thrown away. 



The first attempt to can shrimp was made by Mr. G. W. Dunbar, of New Orleans, 

 in 1867. His efforts did not meet with success until 1875, at which time he devised 

 the bag lining for the cans. In 1880 a factory was started at Biloxi, Miss., and from 

 that time to the present the majority of all the shrimp canned has been put up in 

 these two cities. It is only \\'ithin the last 10 years that the canning of shrimp has 

 assumed considerable importance, but it is still limited to about a dozen places in 

 Louisiana and ^Mississippi. A cannery was started in Texas, but failed to secure a 

 regular supply, and the oyster canneries in Florida could not secure enough to make it 

 profitable to prepare to receive them. The early supply of shrimp was obtained from 

 Barataria Bayou, or Lake, which gave the distinctive name, Barataria shrimp. The 

 name is often improperly used now. The shrimp sent to England are called prawns. 



Shrimp are caught in February, March, and April, and in September, October, and 

 early November. The run is uncertain, and a catch depends upon the state of the 

 weather; the quantity taken is very iiTCgular. The shrimp are caught only in shallow 

 water along the .shore. Previous to 1911 all catches had to be made in less than 6 feet. 

 Newer apparatus ha.s been invented, making it possible to take them in water 10 feet 

 in depth. The .shrimp are located by coursing over the ground in a small sailboat, or 

 a pkiff, and trying with a cast net. This i.s a circular net from 6 to 8 feet in diameter, 

 with Ica^ls every few inches around the edge and a cord attached for drawing it together. 

 A man stands at the bow of the boat and makes trial throws until a school is located. 

 ^\'hen the shrimp are found the large seine is anchored on the shore at one end and 

 the boat rowed out and around as large an area as the seine will cover. As soon as 

 the second end i.s }>rought to the .shore the men bring the two ends together and begin 

 tfj draw in the .s<jine. If the w<;ight.s hang c-lose upon the ground the chances for a 

 cat^-h are good, but if the seine should rine the shrimp will find a way out v(!ry (juickly. 

 The handling of the seine r(!quirf!H wading in watcrr from 2 to -1^ feet in (le})th. Tlie 

 seine is drawn in such a manner as to cause the shrimp to go into the ininsc in llu^ir 

 attempt Uj e.scape. 



Ah i>(Hin as the cat^;h is made safe the boat is brought alongside) and the slnimp 

 di]>pc(l out with w-oop not«. They arc HU»wed promptly in the iioid of the vessel and 

 well iced if the weather is warm or the trip is to continue for more than a day. The 

 ncines u.scd in .shrini|> fishintr nn- from I.'>0 t > 22^) fathoms in length (!)00 to l,:!r)0 foot) 



