COMMERCIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 59 
clean as machinery can make it. This cleaner consists of a series of wire combs, which 
intermesh as the corn passes through, and wire cylinders which act as sifters. 
The corn is next mixed and cooked, and in this operation it is necessary to add 
some water, otherwise it would become a dry, tough mass in the can, The quantity 
of water used will depend upon the consistency desired and the condition of the 
corn. Some varieties require more than others, but the average quantity used in 
cream corn is about 5 ounces per can. It is also usual to add both salt and sugar to 
the corn to give the desired flavor. This is used in all grades, though more carefully 
in the high grades than in the low. The eastern packers, as a rule, use more sugar 
than the western. 
The care with which the cooking is done before the corn enters the can determines 
in a large measure its appearance. Too much brine will give a sloppy can, while 
too little givesa dry can. Insufficient cooking will leave the brine and corn separated ; 
the quantity of brine may be right but the corn may be dry in the bottom of the can 
and most of the brine on top, or they may be mixed but not blended. The preliminary 
heating is done by steam, using automatic machinery, which heats and evenly mixes 
the corn and brine and at the same time fills the cans. The corn enters the cans at 
about 180° F., and the capping is done in the usual manner. 
Corn is one of the most difficult products to process. It requires a temperature 
of about 250° F. for 75 minutes to insure sterilization. There are packers who process 
at from 240° to 245° for 90 minutes, and others who process their corn twice to insure 
keeping. The higher the temperature the browner the corn and the more pronounced 
the cooked taste. The consistency of the corn makes a great difference in the heat 
which must be used; the drier the corn the slower the heat penetration. 
Corn is packed as “‘cream corn,’’ or, as it is sometimes called, ‘‘Maine style,’’ the 
kernels being cut as already described and the portion scraped from the cob added. 
The product should be of a thick, creamy consistency. Again, the corn iscut from 
the cob as closely as possible by knives, but only the whole grains are used, the bits 
and scrapings being discarded; corn used in this way must have long, slender grains, 
commonly called ‘‘shoe peg,’’ and the quantity of brine be such as to keep the kernels 
separate. This method of preparation is called ‘‘Maryland style” by the trade. 
In some instances the corn is run through a recutter, which gives a grainy effect or 
one like the cream corn, depending upon the method of handling. This procedure 
is also followed in working up corn which has become too old to make a good regular 
pack. Corn may be run through slitting machines, which cut the grains open on the 
end and then squeeze out the contents, leaving it free from hull. Cut corn is also 
run through a “‘cyclone,’’ a machine for forcing the creamy portion of the kernel 
through a fine sieve, thus removing all of the hull and giving much the appearance 
of green corn meal, 
Field corn is not used in canning. Some of the sweet corn used produces very 
large ears and coarse grains, which give rise to the suspicion that field corn has been 
substituted. ‘There has been a very general improvement in sweet corn in the last 
10 years, and it will probably not be long before this coarser variety will give way 
to a better and sweeter one. 
A can of fancy corn when opened should be well filled (within three-eighths of an 
inch of the top), should be absolutely young and tender stock, medium moist, prac- 
tically free from silk or bits of cob or husk, only slightly darker than natural or of a 
light golden-brown color, and have the distinctive young corn flavor. The weight of 
the contents should be about 21 ounces. If put up in ‘‘Maryland style,’’ the kernels 
should be separate and the brine nearly clear and the corn should weigh not less than 
13.5 ounces, exclusive of the liquor. 
A can of standard corn should be well filled, reasonably tender, fairly bright color 
or slightly brown, and nearly free from silk, bits of cob, or husk. The flavor should 
be characteristic of young sweet corn. If put up in ‘‘Maryland style,’’ a part of the 
kernels may be somewhat hardened and the brine a little cloudy. 
