<5 a5F 
COMMERCIAL CANNING OF FOODS. 61 
definite size, or through cylinders, with sections having perforations corresponding 
to those in the screens. The perforations are standard and give the following sizes 
in the peas: Petits pois, extra sifted, sifted, early June, marrowfat, and, in the case 
of late peas, the telephone. If the peas are properly labeled, they should be uniform 
in size. Some manufacturers, instead of turning out all these sizes, combine two sizes 
inone. A few peas are sold ungraded or with only the first and second size taken out. 
The petits pois should pass through an 18 sixty-fourths inch hole; the extra sifted, or 
extra fine, through a 20 sixty-fourths inch hole; the sifted, or fine, through a 22 sixty- 
fourths inch hole; early June, through a 24 sixty-fourths inch hole; while the marrow- 
fats pass over the ends of the screens. With sweet wrinkled peas, a 26 sixty-fourths 
inch sereen is used to separate the marrowfats, and those remaining above pass over 
as telephone size. These designations, which were partially adopted from the French, 
have been in use for a long time, and refer to size and not to variety nor to time of 
gathering, as would be inferred from the name “early June.’’ The term ‘‘early 
June” has, in recent years, come to have another meaning, that of including all of 
the smooth or Alaska group of peas in distinction from the sweet wrinkled varieties. 
We therefore find smallest-sifted early June, extra-sifted early June, and sifted 
early June, as distinguished from the same names applied to sweets. The. trade 
terms have little meaning to the consumer and could be supplanted by proper descrip- 
tive terms to the advantage of all concerned. 
Peas are also graded for quality. Those that are small, young, and tender, so that 
they will crush easily between the thumb and finger, are considered to be the highest 
grade, while those that have a considerable percentage hard, turn brown upon pro- 
cessing, or cause clouded liquor in the can are of a lower grade. The grading is done 
largely upon the judgment of the inspector as the peas arrive, and later by the 
superintendent. 
The peas may be mechanically graded for quality before, but preferably after, 
grading for size. This is possible because the old or hard peas are heavier than the 
younger and more tender ones. As peas will not all mature alike on the same vine, 
nor in the same field, it is not possible to cut them so as to secure absolute uniformity. 
The more slowly the peas mature, under fairly cool moist conditions, the tenderer they 
will be, so that in some sections the necessity for grading for quality is less than in 
others. This grading is effected by means of brine, which is made to a strength that 
will float those that are tender, the harder ones sinking. The first quality can be 
skimmed off, and those that sink can be again separated in another and heavier solu- 
. tion, giving asecond and third grade. The first grade will be lighter in color and softer 
‘on pressure, and will give a clear liquor on canning; the second grade will be slightly 
darker, and the liquor cloudy; while in the third grade the size will be uneven, the 
peas dark and hard, and the liquor very cloudy and thick. In dry seasons the grading 
will not be so good, as there is less difference in the weight of the peas. It is pussible 
to get 15 grades of peas, depending upon size and quality, from the same load, the 
difference being sufficient to be easily distinguishable in the finished product. 
When the peas leave the graders they pass over slowly moving belts in a single layer, 
and those which are split, off color, or defective are picked out. This is the only opera- 
tion in which it is necessary to touch the peas with the hands. 
The peas are blanched, or more properly parboiled. They are boiled just long 
enough to soften them uniformly and to remove the mucous substance on the outside. 
The time for the blanching will vary from one-half minute for the very tender small 
peas to 15 minutes for the overmatured large ones, some variation being necessary for 
each size and degree of hardness. Most of the blanching requires from 1 to 4 minutes. 
The matter of blanching is exceedingly important, for upon it depends in a large 
degree the appearance of the peas and the character of the liquor. There are several 
different styles of apparatus in use for blanching, the simplest being a large trough con- 
taining scalding water in which wire baskets holding the peas are placed for the re- 
