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 shrimp 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. i 
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 
tothe 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, 
