3 COMMERCIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 35 
unpeeled apricots is from 9 to 15 per cent and in the peeled about 35 per cent. The 
pits are dried and exported for apricot oil. The windfalls, waste from the peeling 
tables, and overripe stock are used for brandy. 
BLACKBERRIES (RUBUS VILLOSUS). 
_ he blackberry is one of the very widely distributed berries, in some sections 
“growing wild in such profusion that no attempt is made at cultivation. The vine is 
: very hardy and under favorable conditions is a prolific bearer. The cultivated berry 
has been increased in size and is of good texture and flavor. The surplus crop is 
canned in many parts of the United States, but it has not been developed as a special 
product to the extent that its quality warrants. Owing to the large yield, it should 
be produced at less expense than most berries, and if given the preper sirup to develop 
its flavor it should be received favorably by the consumer. 
All berries should be collected in shallow drawers or trays and delivered promptly 
~o the factory after being picked. It is the picking in buckets and delivering to 
country stores, allowing the fruit to stand for probably a day or more, and then ship- 
ping to factories in boxes in such thick layers that the bottom berries are mashed 
that have brought blackberries into disrepute. 
On their arrival at the factory they should be hand picked to remove bits of stems, 
leaves, and defective fruit, and then washed in single layers under sprays of water, 
so that every part may be cleansed. The berries should be filled into cans by weight, 
the very large ones 19 to 19.5 ounces, and small ones 20 to 21 ounces. ‘To secure this 
fill it may be necessary to tap the cans lightly, but not enough to mash or mar the 
fruit. 
In experimental packing the cans were filled with 450, 500, 550, and 600 grams 
(16, 18, 19.6, and 21.4 ounces), and 50° sirup was used. The berries were of good 
size and quality. The 450-gram fill was slack and on the cut-out gave fruit which 
was whole and separate, but which did not occupy one-half the space after draining. 
The fruit in the cans with 500 grams lacked about three-fourths of an inch of coming 
to the top when packing. The berries remained whole and separate and occupied 
more than one-half the space after draining. The set having 550 grams was nearly 
| level full and some cans needed slight tapping in order to keep the berries below 
the sirup. On cutting cut the berries were separate, whole, and occupied two-thirds 
of the space. The cans filled with 600 grams of fruit required sharp tapping to cause 
them to settle to the level of the sirup. They were evidently overfilled for practical 
factory work. On exhausting, some ef the berries would be forced out. The finished 
product showed only a slight matting at the bottom and fully three-fourths of the 
+ space was occupied after draining. With the grade of fruit used in the experiment 
it was evident that from 19.5 to 20 ounces made a full can. 
The physical condition of the product in the can is influenced by the length of 
time given in processing and by cooling or not cooling after the process is completed. 
The fruit subjected to a short cooking and cooling usually retains a better shape and 
appearance; prolonged cooking or allowing the heat to be retained for a long time 
results in breaking it, and making more or less of a pulp. With delicate berries, 
however, the cooling should not be too sudden for the best results. The effect goes 
further than mere appearance; cooling affects the composition of the sirup, especially 
the quantity of sugar which will be inverted. The longer the heat is maintained the 
more sugar will be inverted. The difference between cooling and not cooling upon 
the inversion is greater than the difference in the effect of cooking for 5 or 25 minutes. 
The inside lacquered can was found to be much superior to the plain tin in holding 
color. The loss in canning blackberries will vary from about 10 to 18 per cent on 
good fruit. 
