INSPECTION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNERIES. 9 



chines, but grading for quality — such as uniform texture and color — 

 is done by hand. The inspector should know how carefully the grad- 

 ing is done, the means for supervising or controlling it, how the 

 grades are designated upon the labels, and to what extent differences 

 in grade are emphasized upon the labels. 



In issuing instructions to inspectors of canned foods the Army 

 defined grades as follows : 



Foods may be graded according to size or quality, or both. Grading for size 

 is largely mechanical, whereas grading for quality (uniform texture, color, 

 etc.) is usually by hand. The various grades do not follow fixed standards, 

 but vary according to locality and weather conditions of the season. There is 

 a tendency at present toward uniformity and standardization of grades. 



The higher grades differ mainly in the size of the pieces of fruit and in the 

 strength of the sirup. Sirup strength is usually measured by degrees on a 

 hydrometer. The Balling and Brix hydrometers both give directly the percent- 

 age of sugar in solution. For example, a 40° sirup consists of 40 pounds 

 of sugar and 60 pounds of water in 100 pounds of sirup. Since the Brix 

 hydrometer is used most frequently in the large fruit-canning sections in the 

 West, densities in this manual will be expressed in Brix degrees unless other- 

 wise stated. 



The Baume hydrometer, which has an arbitrary scale, is sometimes used. 

 The following table shows the relation between the Baume" and Brix readings : 



Degrees Brix (per cent of sugar) . Degrees Baume. 



10.0 5.6 



20.0 11.1 



30.0 16.5 



40.0 21.9 



50.0 27.2 

 It should be borne in mind that after the fruit is cooked with the sirup the 



density of the latter on the finished product will not be the same as when 



added. 



California Fruits. 



California fruits present the greatest number of grades, which in general 

 are as follows : 



(1) Special extra. — Choicest specimens of prime, ripe, large fruit, even in 

 color and texture, and perfectly peeled, pitted, or prepared. Very heavy sirup 

 (about 50°) is used and the product is almost a preserve. The production of 

 this grade is limited in quantity. 



(2) Extra. — Large, prime, ripe fruit of uniform size, evenly colored, of fine 

 texture, free from blemish, and packed.in heavy sirup (about 40°). Cleaning, 

 peeling, pitting, etc., must be perfect. 



(3) Extra standard. — Prime, ripe fruit of slightly smaller size and less 

 regular than extra, and packed in about 30° sirup. The quality of the fruit 

 and its preparation are almost equal to the extra. The quality of this grade is 

 high in value. 



(4) Standard. — Fruit smaller in size than extra standard, or orchard run 

 after removal of culls; not so uniform in ripeness nor so even in color as (3) ; 

 may have some blemishes ; packed in about 20° sirup. 



102636—22 2 



