24 BULLETIN 1265, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTURE 
Owing to shrinkage when the beans were put into the cans without 
preliminary scalding, the cans were slack filled, and unattractive in 
this respect. 
MUCILAGINOUS SUBSTANCES AND CLARITY OF LIQUOR IN CANNING LIMA BEANS. 
As with peas, the seeds of Lima beans are free from mucilaginous 
substances when fresh. The liquor was clear, or not, depending on 
whether starch and protein were liberated from the beans by burst- 
ing or breaking open the testa of the seed. Handling during 
scalding and filling the cans caused more or less bruising and break- 
ing of the beans : and the liquor in the cans of unscalded beans was 
clearer than that of the precooked. Overfilling is just as likely to 
cause cloudiness of the liquor as with peas, and for the same reason. 
PRESSURE AND VACUUM WHEN LIMA BEANS ARE SCALDED. 
What has already been said under this head in connection with 
peas and beans when canned in tin applies equally to Lima beans. 
Some form of scalding is necessary to ex,pel air from the tissues, to 
reduce the pressure developed in the cans during processing, and to 
give the proper vacuum. 
Comparative experiments with steam were not made with Lima 
beans, but there is no reason to suppose the results would differ 
from those with peas. Lima beans are similar in structure and com- 
position to peas, and while they differ greatly in size and therefore 
have less surface exposed per unit of weight than peas, the results to 
be expected are about the same. 
Xo experiment was made to determine the effect of plunging 
freshly scalded beans into cold water, but no reason occurs to the 
writers for expecting results different from those with the vege- 
tables previously discussed. 
CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE SCALDING OF LIMA BEANS. 
. The only advantages from scalding Lima beans before canning, 
so far as these experiments indicate, are in the expulsion of air 
from the tissues, permitting a closer pack and, in the case of tin 
cans, reduction of internal strain on cans, and giving a better vacuum. 
It is probable that steam could be used advantageously instead of 
boiling water, without loss of nutrients and desirable flavoring 
substances. 
SWEET CORN. 
The work with sweet corn was done with these two points specially 
in mind: The effects when the com is scalded on the cob. and the 
results of precooking after the corn is cut from the cob without pre- 
liminary scalding. 
Canning corn on the cob is done commercially by only a few 
concerns, and among home canners canning on the cob is not very 
common ; but scalding before cutting the corn from the cob is quite 
commonly recommended, especially by writers of bulletins for home 
canners. Precooking the coin to 80° C. or more just before putting 
it into the cans is the usual practice. 
In these experiments the Country Gentleman variety was used. 
When broken from the stalk the corn was in prime table condition. 
