COMMERCIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 55 
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sorted, separating the straight stems from the crooked. All the sorting is done by 
hand. ‘The five grades for size, based upon the number of stalks which will go into a 
-standard No. 24 square can, are known as giant, mammoth, large, medium, and small. 
| With giant stalks about 14 are required; mammoth, 20 to 22; large, 30 to 33; medium, 
| 40; and small, 50. What are known as asparagus tips are put up in cans just one-half 
| the regular size, about 30 per cent more stalks being required to fill the can. The 
“so-called hotel tips are the cuttings made in trimming the asparagus to size and the 
whole stalks which are crooked or deformed. These are just as good as the other, 
though not so pleasing in appearance. Some of the large asparagus is peeled, or 
stripped, as the operation is more properly called. 
_ After grading the stalks they are again cut to length for the different sizes of cans 
| used; 54 inches for the regular square can; 4 inches for the No. 1 talland No. 2; and 3 
inches for tips. The loss of weight in preparation for tall cans after the asparagus 
reaches the factory is about 16% per cent for No. 1 tall; for No. 2, about 40 per cent; 
and for tips, 60 per cent. The part cut off represents waste at the present time, as 
only a very small part of this is used as soup stock. After grading and cutting the 
“stalks to length, they are blanched until they are just softened through, so that they 
are flexible but will not snap off on bending. The time required is from 30 seconds 
_to 3 or 4 inches, depending upon the size and age of the material. Then follows 
heavy spraying in cold water, and again each spear must be hand-sorted for color, 
the pure white and that fered with green. They are then filled into cans, always 
keeping the tips up. The can must be crowded, for there will be some shrinkage 
after processing; if the can is not well filled it will not ship well, and the ends and 
Bride buds will ie knocked off, giving an unattractive appearance. The interspaces 
Hare filled with brine testing Shatth 8° Balling (about 64 ounces of salt per gallon of 
water). The process takes from 12 to 22 minutes at 240° F., and the cans are cooled 
ft at once. 
_ The asparagus tip was first packed to use the stalks which might be cut somewhat 
‘short or be broken, then to care for the tender ends which might be left when the 
" grass was delayed in transit to the cannery or forced to stand overnight. Now they 
are packed as a regular product, as they are held in high esteem by the consumers. 
_ It requires nearly 20 per cent more tips to make a can than when the whole stalk is 
“used, which necessitates a higher proportionate cost. The enormous loss in trimming 
the pike to the required length and the hand labor involved in every operation make 
the cost of asparagus necessarily high, and, while a large part of the work might be 
_ simplified, cost can not be materially mednced 
_ Some experiments were conducted in canning asparagus to note the effect of stand- 
ing. One lot was packed within 3 hours after cutting, a second lot within 24 hours, 
_athird within 48 hours, a fourth within 72 hours, and a fifth within 96 hours. Each .- 
- lot consisted of two parts of about 20 cans each, one part being filled with long or full- 
- length stalks, and the other with tips. 
_ The lot put up immediately on arriving at the factory was perfectly tender from 
_ the tip to the base in every stalk. It had a bright, clean, crisp appearance. 
The lot put up within 24 hours lacked some of the clean luster characteristic of the 
fresh, the tips were all tender and gave no evidence of unnatural flavor. The full- 
_ length spears were excellent at the tip, but more than 30 per cent were a little fibrous 
at the butt and had the beginning of a bitter flavor. 
_ The lot held for 48 hours showed more dulling in color, the beginning of a yellow 
_ cast, and a little wrinkling of the stalks as though they were shrinking. The tips 
_ were good, with only the beginning of toughening at the base and some bitter taste. 
_ In the full stalks the base was decidedly fibrous for nearly one-half its length and had 
_ a decidedly bitter taste at the butt, becoming less marked as one approached the tip. 
_ About one-half the stalk was edible. 
_ The lot held for 72 hours showed similar changes in a still more marked degree, 
_ more yellowing, more furrowing or wrinkling of the stalks, decidedly more fibrous 
