SHRIMP: HANDLING, TRANSPORTATION, AND USES. 5 



PREPARING COOKED SHRIMP FOR MARKET. 



COOLING SHRIMP AFTER COOKING. 



After they have been cooked the shrimp should always be cooled 

 thoroughly before being packed for shipment. Unless this cooling is 

 done properly they can not be shipped to market successfully. The 

 spoilage of shrimp in transit is due more to incomplete chilling before 

 packing than to any other single factor. 



The sin-imp should be placed in thin layers on cooling racks of wire 

 screens in a temperature below 50° F., if possible, and exposed to a 

 free circulation of air. Under this treatment the shrimp quickly lose 

 their heat and the excess of water absorbed from the brine. The 

 packer should not judge their temperature merely by touching the 

 shells. Cooked shrimp contain air spaces between the meat and the 

 shell and as the shell is a poor conductor it frequently is cold to the 

 touch even when the shrimp meat itself is still warm. The degree of 

 cooling may be tested by removing a shell and breaking open the 

 meat. 



In the Southern States the temperature of the air may be from 

 75° to 90° F. This is too warm to cool the shrimp to the de- 

 gree necessary in the case of such a perishable foodstuff. Under 

 such conditions the shrimp must be placed in a refrigerated room. 

 Proper cooling is of the greatest importance because it means less 

 danger of spoilage in transit, results in the use of less ice in packing, 

 and insures freshness in the product when it reaches the market. 



PACKING COOKED SHRIMP FOR SHIPMENT. 



There are several ways to pack shrimp, depending on the demands 

 of the markets and the distances to which the shrimp are shipped. For 

 near markets whole or headless cooked shrimp are packed in small 

 boxes or crates and shipped in the cool months, usually without re- 

 frigeration. The containers should not hold over 30 pounds, as a larger 

 bulk increases the danger of heating. Unless the shrimp are ab- 

 solutely dry and cooled to a temperature of less than 40° F. it is 

 hazardous to ship them in air-tight containers because of danger of 

 sweating and consequent decomposition. For this reason some pack- 

 ers use ventilated containers or crates. 



Dry cooked shrimp are thoroughly cooled, packed, and sometimes 

 shipped in 1 to 5 gallon tin cans that are lined with paper and provided 

 with water-tight covers or tops which are soldered or fastened tightly 

 to the can. The sealed cans then are packed in ice in burlap-covered 

 barrels with drainage holes at the bottom. Such packages are reiced 

 by the express company when necessary, and even in warm weather 

 can be transported in good condition. 



Some shippers pack the cooked stock in tight cans in light brine 

 supposed to act as a preservative. The dry-packed stock, however, 



