20 BULLETIN 1265, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
when the beans were scalded for 8 minutes than when the scalding 
was for 4 minutes, but it was too small to be significant. The loss in 
weight during treatment with steam was slightly more than with boil- 
ing water, averaging about 3.3 per cent of the original weight. 
Samples of beans purchased on the market weighed more after wash- 
ing and scalding. Therefore, there may be an increase or a de- 
crease in the moisture content during scalding, depending on the 
condition of the material and the method of handling. 
SHRINKAGE OF STRING BEANS. 
The physical character of the string beans when prepared for can- 
ning is such that a satisfactory pack is impossible unless some means 
is employed to reduce the turgidity of the tissues. Scalding, either 
with steam or boiling water, does this. 
In the experiments to determine the amount of shrinkage when 
beans were given a preliminary scalding, it was found that in a 4- 
minute treatment in boiling water there was a reduction in bulk of 
17 to 25 per cent, and of 22 to 29 per cent when scalded for 8 minutes ; 
that is to say, the beans required that much less space in the cans after 
scalding than before. Treatment with live steam for the same periods 
gave approximately the same figures. The reduction in bulk was 
about the same with both the Stringless Green Pod and the Refugee 
Wax varieties. 
LOSSES IN SCALDING STRING BEANS. 
In scalding string beans, the factors which influence the amount 
of loss of the various constituents are the same as with peas and 
spinach. The total losses, however, are considerably less. The pen- 
tosans and closely allied substances in string beans are relatively 
insoluble, which explains why the tissues are less readily softened 
and losses resulting from scalding are relatively small. 
When 1,700 grams of freshly prepared string beans were scalded 
for four minutes in 16,000 cubic centimeters of boiling distilled 
water, 1.24 per cent of the total solids and 11.4 per cent of the mineral 
constituents were lost in the scalding water. When scalded for eight 
minutes, 10.39 per cent of the total solids and 20.75 per cent of the 
mineral constituents 7 came out into the scalding water. 
During a four-minute scalding 5.88 per cent of the total nitrogen 
was lost. 
EFFECT OF SCALDING UPON THE COLOR AND APPEARANCE OF STRING BEANS. 
As with spinach and peas, no differences in color were noticed in 
the finished product when the beans had been scalded and when 
they had not been precooked. In all cases with the green-podded 
variety, the color of the product when the cans and jars were opened 
was olive-green or brownish green, regardless of the temperature 
and period of the process. Where the temperature was higher and 
the time periods longer, the canned product was darker, due to over- 
cooking. When the yellow-podded wax beans were used, the finished 
product showed no significant differences in color, aside from the 
darkening due to severe processing, as already mentioned. The wax 
'The Increased losses from plunging the scalded beans into cold water were too 
small to be of Importance, and the figures arc omitted. 
