Glass. 
 Book. 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 
 
MODERN PRACIICE 
 
 — OF— 
 
 CANNING MEAIS 
 
 — BY— 
 
 G. T. HAMEL 
 
 #" 
 
 
 V 
 
 Copyrighted 1911 
 
 
 liy 
 
 
 Ti!E Gl-s \'. Brecht Butchers Supply Co. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 ESTABLISHED 1853 
 
 ST. LOUIS, U. S. A. 
 
A 
 
 ^" ., 
 
 DEDICATED 
 
 to my good friend and first guide 
 in the food preserving industry 
 
 PROF. A. CORTHAY 
 
 ©CI.A283590 
 
0\ 
 
 ^'^- Noted bacteriologists have recently published a 
 
 > Introduction 
 
 Noted bacteriologists have recer 
 r few books on the preserving and canning industries, 
 j \ but such is the extent of the matter they deal with 
 i that not only the public in general, but even the 
 
 packers and their foremen in charge, have very seldom 
 
 gone through all the pages of those most valuable 
 
 scientific works. 
 
 Moreover, these books, for one reason or another, 
 
 pa]^ very little consideration to the canning of the 
 
 meats. 
 
 In the following pages I will try to explain what 
 meat canning is, or ought to be, and I would like to 
 make the great consuming public understand that 
 canned meats, when properly packed up, are just as 
 wholesome as any other article of food on the market. 
 
 I will also try to show that even small sized pack- 
 ing plants can derive profits from a canning department. 
 
 The consumption of canned foods is increasing all 
 over the world. Their manufacture is now, or will 
 soon be, everywhere under the inspection of skilled 
 Government appointed inspectors. 
 
 Mv consideration of the scientific theory of preser- 
 vation of food products in closed vessels, and also of 
 the different materials used in the manufacture of the 
 containers, may help them to exercise their delicate 
 duty and fully protect the public health without un- 
 justly injuring the interests of the packers, which are 
 also well worth consideration as being part of the 
 national wealth of the same rank as other large indus- 
 tries. 
 
I am greatly indebted to the works of Professor 
 E. W. Duckwall and Dr. J. Pacrette, which have been 
 a great help to me in my canning experience, and I 
 wish strongly to recommend their perusal to those 
 wishing to go further into the matter of the preservation 
 of food products. 
 
 Although this book is only intended to be a sum- 
 mary of the modern practice of canning meats in the 
 large packing houses, I have not been able to resist 
 the temptation of giving the recipes of a few products 
 of higher class. My excuse will be found in the follow- 
 ing lines copied from the book of Dr. J. Pacrette 
 already mentioned: 
 
 "Now that the means of production are, we could 
 say, unlimited, the competition is felt, the prices are 
 lowered, and the packing industry alone remains a 
 source of profit to the manufacturer who, by the 
 quality of his goods, establishes the reputation of his 
 brand. His goods are appreciated, and called for, 
 because the}^ have merits besides the brutal nourishing 
 principles that all food products contain. 
 
 "Refinement of taste gains all social classes, 
 palates are being more and more educated. The 
 future belongs to the preserver who will keep up to 
 date, to the canner who will be more anxious to 
 increase the quality of his products than to increase 
 his output." 
 
 G. T. HAMEL. 
 Ottawa (Canada). July, 19 lo. 
 
Modern Practice of Canning Meats 
 
 Contents 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 Chap. I. — Preservation of food products in air-tight 
 receptacles. Summary of the theory. 
 
 Chap. II. — The vacuum theory. Exhausting or venting. 
 
 Chap. III. — Canned m.eats containers: Tin cans, glass 
 
 iars. 
 Chap. IV. — Application of the theor}- to meat canning. 
 
 Chap. V. — Recipes and formulas. 
 
 Chap. VI. — By-products of the beef department, bones, 
 extract of beef. • 
 
 Chap. VII. — Miscellaneous: Auto-vacuum, Centrifugal 
 dryer, canning of raw meat. 
 
 Chap. VIII. — Inspection and legislation. 
 
 Appendix: Tables. 
 
Chapter I. 
 
 Preservation of Food Products in 
 Air-tight Receptacles 
 
 Summary of the Theory 
 
 The decomposition of meat is due to the action 
 of small living organisms called Bacteria^ Bacilli^ 
 or Microbes^ which, after a certain lapse of time 
 varying with their number but mainly with the sur- 
 rounding circumstances, generate fermentation. • 
 
 These organisms are found in the air, the water, 
 the dust, on the tables of the canning room, the tools, 
 and, in fact, everywhere, especially in the most remote 
 corners where the cleaning is most difficult. 
 
 Their size is so small that 50,000 of them can 
 pass, side by side, through a pin-hole made through a 
 can, without touching the metal, and the canner must 
 keep in mind that their power of reproduction is such 
 that we can hardly have any idea of it, especially when 
 they exist under favorable conditions. 
 
 Bacteria grow best at temperatures ranging from 
 70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 
 
 I will not enumerate the different sorts of bacteria, 
 nor examine their mode of reproduction, but I may 
 say that most of those that the canner has to contend 
 with reproduce bv spores^ a sort of seed, and that 
 these spores are more hardy and resistant to destruc- 
 tion b}^ heat than the living bacteria themselves. 
 
 In fact the only practical means for the canner to 
 get rid of these feiTnents and to insure the keeping of 
 his products is to kill the bacteria and their spores by 
 the action of heat, and this process is called "sterili- 
 zation." 
 
Most of the adult ferments are killed by a tem- 
 perature of 170 degrees Fahr., while some others require 
 the boiling point, i. e., 212 degrees, for 15 minutes at 
 least. 
 
 The spores are very resistant ,to the action of heat, 
 and it may be said that some of them require a tem- 
 perature of 250 degrees for 30 minutes in order to be 
 destroyed. 
 
 Cold does not destroy them, nor does pressure 
 seem to have much effect on them. 
 
 The aim of the packer is to destroy the ferments 
 contained in the meat and then to protect meats thus 
 sterilized from the contamination of new ferments. 
 
 In practice, the packer puts the meat into suitable 
 containers made of tin plate, glass, etc., and hermeti- 
 cally closes them, in order to prevent the introduction 
 of new agents of fermentation, and then he will destroy, 
 by the action of heat, all ferments contained in the 
 air-tight receptacles. 
 
 We know that a temperature of 250 degrees Fahr. 
 will destroy not only all living bacteria but also their 
 spores, but the canner soon finds out that such a high 
 temperature may be injurious to certain classes of pro- 
 ducts by over-cooking them and rendering them 
 unpalatable or, at least, unattractive. 
 
 Fortunately, in most cases, the action of salt or 
 sugar will be sufficient to prevent the development of 
 spores, and, therefore, avoid the danger of fermentation 
 from their own work, while the adults will be killed b}^ 
 the rather low temperature of the boiling point. The 
 salt alone would have been insufficient to impede the 
 disorganizing work of the latter. 
 
 However, I wish to impress at once upon the 
 mind of the canner that although heat is of great 
 
help in destroying the feiTnents it does not destroy 
 the toxins or poisons that ma\' have been developed 
 in the food products previous to canning. Hence the 
 necessit}' of canning only fresh, wholesome materials 
 and also the danger of ''reprocessing leaks " as will be 
 exi^lained later on. 
 
 Necessity of Keeping the Canning 
 Department Scientifically Clean 
 
 Cleanliness is absolutely necessary in the canning 
 department. Bv cleanliness we mean not only the 
 washing and scrubbing of the central part of the floors 
 and of all parts of the machines and materials, such as 
 tables, which are within sight, but the thorough washing 
 of all of them in every part and especially in the small 
 remote corners which an occasional visitor would have 
 no idea of inspecting. 
 
 These small remote corners are the favorite places 
 chosen b)' bacteria for incubation and development and 
 are frequently the cause of a good deal of trouble for the 
 canner, who generally is at a loss to ascertain the cause. 
 
 "Prompt disposition shall be made of all trimmings 
 and waste material which shall be sent immediately 
 to the rendering tank. If the floors and machines are 
 not kept clean by the liberal use of soap, hot water, 
 and disinfectants, the harmful bacteria will soon be 
 present in all parts of the building in such numbers as 
 to produce chemical changes when least suspected," 
 says Professor Duckwall. 
 
 We must not forget that the aim of the canner is 
 for many reasons to use as short and low ''process'" as 
 possible, and, in fact, the process given is very seldom 
 that which theory would recommend for absolute de- 
 
 —9— 
 
struction of all bacteria and spores which may attack a 
 given material, and nevertheless the product keeps 
 well. But it has been found in many cases of carelessly 
 cleaned factories that, after a few years, or sometimes 
 a few months, certain species of bacteria which had not 
 been met with before suddenly grow and, suddenly 
 also, a process which had always been considered 
 reliable fails. As it is only after a certain time that 
 the spoiling of the products may be detected, a con- 
 siderable amount of goods and mone}' is lost. 
 
 Preservatives 
 
 Preservatives are chemicals which have the power 
 of delaying the growth of bacteria in food products. 
 Their use may have been, to a certain extent, helpful 
 in the manufacture of some articles, such as catsups 
 and sauces which are not packed in hermetically sealed 
 receptacles, but the canner ought to ignore them 
 entirely as sterilization by heat is certainly not onh' 
 sufficieiit but safer and cheaper. 
 
 Not very long ago it was a very frequent thing to 
 meet canners who would freely use borax, boracic 
 acid, salicylic acid, etc., in the manufacture of the 
 pickle in which the meats had to be cured. The propor- 
 tion was indeed very small and it does not appear that 
 it has ever caused an}^ harm to the health of the con- 
 suming public. In fact human longevity has increased 
 within the last 15 years, while the consumption of 
 preserved goods has also increased in great proportions. 
 
 We must, however, give the highest approval to 
 the legislation prohibiting the vise of antiseptics in 
 canned goods. 
 
 The packer who handles his meats in the proper 
 way and at the proper temperature can take care of 
 them without any trouble and without the aid of 
 chemicals, 
 
 —10— 
 
The use of saltpetre is generally allowed in small 
 proportions, at least where it is customary to add it 
 to the pickling elements. 
 
 In fact, the packer does not use saltpetre as an 
 antiseptic but only to suit the fancy of consumers 
 who desire a red color in all cured meats. 
 
 —11— 
 
Chapter II. 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 The use of all antiseptics for the preservation of 
 food products is now prohibited in nearly all coun- 
 tries, exception being made in regard to salt, sugar, vin- 
 egar and smoke, and also a small percentage of saltpetre. 
 
 In fact, chemicals are entirely unnecessary to the 
 canner, and sterilization by heat is the only practical 
 means to destroy bacteria. 
 
 Now, is there any advantage to the canner in 
 creating a more or less perfect vacuum in the con- 
 tainers? To this question the bacteriologist answers: 
 "No." The air-spaces which are left in the can being 
 a good deal more easily penetrated by heat and, there- 
 fore, more easily brought to the proper sterilizing 
 temperature than the solids or liquids which we have 
 to preserve, the bacteria contained in such air-spaces 
 will be destroyed sooner than those contained in any 
 other part of the receptacle. 
 
 Therefore, in theory, it does not matter whether 
 or not we create a vacuum in the receptacle, and the 
 goods, when processed under similar conditions, will 
 keep just as well whether the air has been expelled 
 fr9m the can or not. 
 
 Moreover, there is no machine which creates a 
 perfect vacuum, and, therefore, the least particle of 
 air left in the container would hold more than enough 
 bacteria to start the decomposition of the product, 
 and we must add that, even if it were possible to 
 create a perfect vacuum, thus eliminating all bacteria 
 carried with the air, this vacuum would not destroy 
 the bacteria contained in the meats," broths, or jellies, 
 and it has been proved that the absence of oxygen in 
 the air is a great aid to the development of some of 
 their species. 
 
 —12^ 
 
However, in practice the canner has an interest 
 to create a certain amount of \'acuiam in the cans or 
 jars, for the following reasons, viz. : 
 
 A. In the cans, to detect the leak}- ones, and to 
 compress the contents. 
 
 B. In the glass, to produce an air-tight sealing, 
 by the mere fact of the atmospheric pressure on the 
 lid. 
 
 But I repeat that all attempt to preserve food pro- 
 ducts with the aid only of a more or less perfect vacuum 
 is entirely unscientific, and has already driven a few 
 insufficiently informed packers to great financial losses. 
 
 The exhausting of the air contained in the cans 
 after they have been filled with meat can be effected 
 by different processes. 
 
 First. Exhausting hi a water bath, with the vent 
 open . 
 
 The trays filled with cans are dipped in a vat full 
 of water, so that the water covers the tops of the cans 
 by one or two inches. Owing to the small size of the 
 vent hole (and if the temperature of the water is not 
 colder than that of the cans) the water will not enter 
 the inside of the can. The water is then brought to a 
 boil by means of steam coils and its heat brings the 
 contents of the can to a temperature near the boiling 
 point, thus expelling nearlv all the, air, which bubbles 
 through the vent hole. When the exhausting process 
 is considered sufficient, the trays are raised and the 
 vents are closed with a drop of solder at once, and 
 before any chance has been given for the cans to cool. 
 
 Water-baths, as well as steam boxes provided 
 with mechanical conveyers, have been built which are 
 called "continuous exhausters," and they are exten- 
 sively used in \-egetable canneries where the time 
 required for exhausting is short owing to the tempera- 
 ture and the nature of the materials. 
 
 —13— 
 
Second. Exhausting in a retort with the vent open 
 is, or, I should say, has been, extensively used in the 
 meat canneries. To exhaust meat cans in water, when 
 the contents have been allowed to cool and the jellies 
 to solidify, requires quite a time. But the heat generated 
 by the steam under pressure in the retort allows the 
 canner to shorten the time required. He places the 
 trays full of cans, with the vent holes left open, on the 
 trucks of the retort and acts exactly as if he were going 
 to "process," i. ^. , he closes the door of the retort, turns 
 on the steam and gets his soldering tools ready for 
 tipping. When the time required has elapsed, he shuts 
 off the steam, opens the door, and at once seals the 
 vent holes of all the cans with a drop of solder. Then 
 he pushes the trucks back into the retort, closes the 
 door again and resumes the sterilizing process. 
 
 To one who has gone through the manipulation of 
 all this boiling of hot materials, there is no need to 
 say that the work is rather unpleasant. 
 
 Third. Venting cans which have been previously 
 sealed. Still more disagreeable is the venting process, 
 either under water or in the retort, which is sometimes 
 employed for very large sizes, such as 14 lb. — Corned 
 Beef for example. Here the cans are not onty capped 
 but "tipped" also previous to being placed either in the 
 water-bath or in the retort. Then, after a certain time, 
 as the pressure exerted by the boiling juices inside the 
 can would put the can out of shape, if not burst the 
 seams open, a man punches a small hole with an awl in 
 the top of each can, from which hot air, steam, and 
 also a quantity of boiling jelly escapes, perhaps scald- 
 ing the man and swamping the floor. A second man 
 following him closely immediately seals the hole with 
 a drop of solder. And this disagreeable work is often 
 repeated a second time, after an interval of an hour, 
 before the definite process is resumed. Happily for the 
 meat canner the vacuum tipping machine has done 
 away with this old-fashioned method. 
 
 —14— 
 
The Vacuum Tipping Machine 
 
 This machine allows the packer to get rid of the 
 old-fashioned and uncleanly process of exhausting or 
 venting the cans, either under water or in the steam 
 retort, as I will explain in the chapter relating to 
 "Corned Beef." Its introduction is of great value in 
 the canning department. 
 
 The cans are run through the machine with the 
 vent open. A vacuum is created in the chamber of the 
 machine by a vacuum pump. All the cans have to pass 
 under a glass covering which allows the operator to see 
 them as they pass. He holds in the right hand the 
 handle of a soldering iron which is heated by electricity 
 and the point of which works inside the ^•acuum cham- 
 
 Vacuum Can Soldering Machine 
 —15— 
 
ber. As the cans pass under the point of the iron the 
 operator appHes the point to the vent hole, which has 
 been previously covered with a small drop of solder, 
 and the can is thus hermetically sealed under a vacuum, 
 most of the air contained inside the can having been 
 exhausted by the action of the pump. The vacuum 
 is released and the cans are taken out of the machine. 
 They are received by an inspector and all of them which 
 have not slightly "collapsed" under the influence of the 
 vacuum are considered as "leaks" and returned to the 
 patcher. 
 
 Some skill is required by the operator to properly 
 "seal" the cans with this machine, but still more judg- 
 ment is required by the canning foreman in order to 
 make the operator do quick and neat work and at the 
 Ka,me time to secure a good-looking, full can. 
 
 There must be just enough jelly put in the can to 
 fill all the empty spaces between the can and the meat 
 and all the empty spaces between the pieces of meat 
 when the can has undergone the vacuum process and 
 collapsed. But any excess will, under the influence of 
 the vacuum and of the temperature, find its way through 
 the vent holes' and create trouble for the operator in the 
 action of sealing the vent, as by removing the atmos- 
 pheric pressure the ebullition of a liquid takes place at 
 a relatively low temperature. The hotter the contents 
 of the can the more tendency the jelty will have to 
 boil and overflow under the vacuum. But, at the 
 same time, if the operator has succeeded in perfectly 
 sealing the vent, the can will collapse better when cold. 
 The colder the contents of the cans are, the easier will 
 be the work of the operator, but a greater degree of 
 vacuum will be required in order to get the same 
 collapsing of the can. 
 
 —16— 
 
The above consideration^ concern canned meats 
 only. 
 
 In the canning of fruits or vegetables the object 
 of the vacuum process is rather to detect the leaks, 
 even before the process, as there is no necessity of 
 compressing the contents. 
 
 As the canning of so-called Pork and Beans is 
 rather in the hands of the meat canners than in those 
 of the vegetable canneries, I wish to say a few wotds 
 about it. Pork and Beans are generally packed up in 
 round cans of the shape and size called "packers." 
 These cans are delivered by the can manufacturer 
 with tops and bottoms convex. If the manufactured 
 product shows a concave appearance at both ends it 
 will be evidence of a vacuum existing inside the can, 
 and, therefore, a perfect air-tight sealing. If the can- 
 ner has given the goods a sufficient process he will be 
 able to guarantee their keeping qualities under any 
 climatic conditions. It is therefore -an advantage 
 to run the cans through the "vacuum pot" and under 
 a light vacuum. But in the case of round cans of the 
 type of 3 Lb. "Packers," which are made of rather light 
 tin plate, attention must be paid and very little vacuum 
 allowed in the machine. Otherwise, and especially 
 when the contents of the cans are hot, not only the 
 tops and bottoms would draw in, but even the cylin- 
 drical body of the can would collapse into a prismatic 
 form, and have the appearance of a roughly smashed 
 tin when it is entirely cold. 
 
 Needless to say the cans are run through the 
 machine in an upright position, since the vent is on 
 the top. However, the operator may have to handle 
 cans which cannot stand upright inside the chamber of 
 the machine on account of the height. 
 
 —17— 
 
The writer has exhausted quite a number of 6 lb. 
 Corned Beef cans in a machine made for 2 lb. cans. 
 The vent hole was tipped, then a small hole punched 
 in the body of the can at the highest point of the tin 
 plate, when the can was lying on one side, and the 
 can was run through the machine in that position and 
 the hole sealed as usual. The results proved the 
 correctness of the theory advanced to support this 
 process. 
 
 -IS— 
 
 ■ 
 
Chapter III. 
 
 Canned Meats Containers 
 Cans Made of Tin-Plate 
 
 Tin cans are in general use for canned meats as 
 being much cheaper than glass jars. They are also 
 lighter and therefore save freight charges. 
 
 The trade has adopted sizes and shapes which the 
 canner has generally to adopt unless he puts up high- 
 grade fanc}'^ articles or new goods. 
 
 The thickness of the coating of tin on the iron 
 plate which constitutes the tin-plate is a great factor 
 in the price. But as this coating is the preserving 
 agent against rust and, therefore, against the holes 
 caused by it, the canner should not seek economy in 
 the quality of the tin-plate. It is admitted that a tin- 
 plate shotild be guaranteed by the manufacturer to 
 average at least 3 lbs. of tin per box of tin-plate (14 
 by 20) in order to be fit for canning purposes. 
 
 The canner should also obtain from the can manu- 
 facturer a giiarantee that the amount of leaks caused 
 by defective soldering should not exceed a certain 
 given quantity. 
 
 We are indebted to one of the most important tin 
 can manufacturers in North America, the American 
 Can Co., New York, for the following list showing 
 what is considered standard size for staple articles. 
 
 List 
 Standard Meat Cans 
 
 
 Diameter 
 
 Height 
 
 Opg. 
 
 \i lb. Potted Meat Can, Key 
 
 2%'* 
 
 IH" 
 
 i>r 
 
 Mlb. 
 
 ■iw 
 
 IM" 
 
 IK" 
 
 y2 lb. 
 
 2W 
 
 3." 
 
 ^1 6 
 
 IK" 
 
 J4 lb. Vienna Saus. " 
 
 2H" 
 
 9 A " 
 
 -1 6 
 
 \W' 
 
 V'l lb. 
 
 15" 
 
 - 1 G 
 
 9 9 >r 
 
 - 1 li 
 
 0-L." 
 
 - 1 li 
 
 -19— 
 
Standard Meat Cans — Continued 
 
 
 Diameter 
 
 Height 
 
 Opg. 
 
 1 lb. Vienna Saus. 
 
 Can Key 
 
 
 015// 
 •^1 6 
 
 43/o" 
 
 2tV" 
 
 2 lb. 
 
 " 
 
 
 4M" 
 
 43€" 
 
 2H" 
 
 1 lb. Flat Roast Beef Can " 
 
 
 4M" 
 
 23^" 
 
 2tV'' 
 
 2 lb. Tall " 
 
 ( ( ( a 
 
 
 4M" 
 
 4M" 
 
 2tV' 
 
 2 lb. Flat " 
 
 t It < 1 
 
 
 5tV" 
 
 2y&" 
 
 2tV' 
 
 6 lb. Tall " 
 
 " Plain 
 
 
 6" 
 
 6H" 
 
 2ii" 
 
 1 lb. Lamb Tongue " Key 
 
 
 4J€" 
 
 2^" 
 
 2H" 
 
 y> lb. Lunch Tongue " " 
 
 
 3M" 
 
 IM" 
 
 2M" 
 
 l" lb. 
 
 " " 
 
 
 4M" 
 
 2^" 
 
 2ii" 
 
 6 lb. Flar. Lunch Tongue Plain 
 
 Top. 
 
 634" 
 
 6M" 
 
 4" 
 
 
 
 Bot. 
 
 Ol 6 
 
 
 
 lYolh.O-K Tongue Can Key 
 
 
 5i^" 
 
 C\ 1 fl 
 
 ^16 
 
 4" 
 
 iMlb. " " ' 
 
 1 < ( 
 
 
 5t^" 
 
 25^" 
 
 4" 
 
 2 lb. " 
 
 1 11 
 
 
 ^-h" 
 
 1 3 // 
 ^1 6 
 
 4" 
 
 2Mlb. " 
 
 1 .1 
 
 
 6"- 
 
 2ii" 
 
 4" 
 
 23^ lb. " 
 
 ' " 
 
 
 6" 
 
 3" 
 
 4" 
 
 2Mlb. " " 
 
 ' " 
 
 
 6" 
 
 3fV" 
 
 4" 
 
 3 lb. " 
 
 ( 1 ( 
 
 
 6" 
 
 3tV' 
 
 4" 
 
 6 lb. " 
 
 Plain 
 
 
 6" 
 
 6^" 
 
 4" 
 
 3/0 lb. Hamburger ' 
 
 Key 
 
 
 33^" 
 
 IM" 
 
 1J4" 
 
 M Ib.ChippedBeef 
 
 ' " 
 
 
 3^" 
 
 1^" 
 
 Open 
 
 V2 lb. ". " ' 
 
 I ii 
 
 
 m" 
 
 13^" 
 
 f £ 
 
 1 lb. 
 
 I i< 
 
 
 4M" 
 
 2%" 
 
 (( 
 
 6 lb. " '■ ' 
 
 Plain 
 
 
 7"- 
 
 5M" 
 
 (( 
 
 1^ Pint Soup 
 
 ( <( 
 
 
 234" 
 
 3t^" 
 
 1^" 
 
 1 " " 
 
 ' " 
 
 
 Ol 5// 
 
 ^1 6 
 
 434" 
 
 2tV' 
 
 M lb. Flar. Cd. Bf. H 
 
 ash Can Key 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 2W 
 2M" 
 
 \W 
 
 234" 
 
 M lb. " " " 
 
 ( ( t (1 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 334" 
 
 2W' 
 
 Uf" 
 
 234". 
 
 1 lb. " " " 
 
 t 1 (( (( 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 4M" 
 
 9 // 
 
 01 6 
 
 2tV' 
 
 2>^" 
 
 14 lb. Sq. " " 
 
 (( <( 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 2Ax3A" 
 23C3A" 
 
 23i" 
 
 134" 
 
 1 lb. " " " 
 
 < ( (1 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 2x3" 
 
 3M" 
 
 1^" 
 
 2 lb. " " " 
 
 " *' 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 2iix4A" 
 2^3x434" 
 
 4.1 1" 
 
 HI" 
 
 2 lb. (Net)Sq.Cd. 
 
 Bf. " " 
 
 Top. 2Mx4i^" 
 
 Cl 1// 
 
 HI" 
 
 
 
 Bot. 
 
 2^x4J^" 
 
 
 
 6 lb. " ' " 
 
 " Plain 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 ^1 e-^^i 6 
 
 3^x4%" 
 
 9tV" 
 
 95// 
 
 6 lb. " " 
 
 IC II II 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 434x5^" 
 3iix5^" 
 
 8>g" 
 
 oil// 
 
 14 lb. " " 
 
 II II II 
 
 Top. 
 Bot. 
 
 4ifx63^" 
 43€x6tL-" 
 
 13M" 
 
 -ly^' 
 
 —20— 
 
Standard Meat Cans — Continued 
 
 
 Diameter 
 
 Height 
 
 Opg. 
 
 Vx 
 
 lb. 
 
 Veal Loaf Can 
 
 Key 
 
 2x3A" 
 
 1 1 3// 
 
 W^' 
 
 ¥, 
 
 lb. 
 
 " 
 
 
 3x4M" 
 
 IW 
 
 IW 
 
 
 lb. 
 
 ., 
 
 
 3^x4 J^" 
 
 2" 
 
 1^2" 
 
 ^ 2 
 
 lb. 
 lb. 
 
 Bacon 
 
 
 3iJx53^" 
 3iix53^" 
 
 1 3 " 
 115" 
 
 Open 
 
 12 
 
 lb. 
 
 " " 
 
 
 5-tVx7A" 
 
 19" 
 
 " 
 
 5 
 
 lb. 
 
 Square Lard " 
 
 Plain 
 
 5^x5H" 
 
 6+r' 
 
 1 IS" 
 
 5 
 
 lb. 
 
 Round 
 
 
 6" 
 
 6^8" 
 
 1 1 S" 
 
 It is recommended by all hygienists that all 
 seams be soldered outside the can to prevent contact 
 between the contents of the can and the lead contained 
 in the solder. Meats, however, do not attack the solder 
 like fruits and vegetables containing acids. 
 
 The use of chloride of zinc as soldering flux is also 
 to be avoided. Up-to-date can-makers use only a 
 sokition of rosin in lard oil or, at least, a flux free from 
 acids. 
 
 All cans are assumed to have been tested by the 
 maker and to be strong and air-tight. 
 
 lVaski?ig Etnply Cans. It is always proper 
 for the canner to wash the inside of the cans before 
 using them. This will clean out dust and dirt, and 
 also the remainder of the soldering flux. The steam- 
 ing of the can after washing will have the effect of 
 sterilizing the can and also of helping it to drv out 
 more quickly on account of the heat. When the 
 amount of the business does not warrant the purchase 
 of a special machine, any mechanic or steam-fitter can, 
 at small expense, work out a scheme to obtain the 
 desired result. 
 
 Standard cans have openings that are considered 
 the best suitable to the class of meats to be packed in 
 them. The smaller the opening is the less solder will 
 
 -^21— 
 
be required for capping, and this constitutes a great 
 item in the price of canned goods. 
 
 LXUJLJ. 
 
 Capping Machine. The capping of tins filled with 
 meats is generall}^ done by hand on the bench of the 
 capping machine. In this machine the cans are placed 
 on revolving stands while the caps are pressed tight 
 against the tops of the cans by means of adjustable 
 spindles. The helper of the capper does the placing 
 and fluxing of the cap while the can is revolving, and 
 the capper, working along the bench of the machine, 
 holding in one hand the soldering iron and in the other 
 hand the solder stick and "scratch-awl," seals the caps. 
 
 There are, of course, some automatic machines 
 used by fruit and vegetable packers that may be 
 utilized for meat capping; but \he.y are very expensive, 
 they require the help of skilled mechanics, and it takes 
 quite a time to set them up whenever a change in the 
 size of the cans is required. Unless the canning of 
 meats is done on such a large scale that the machine 
 
 —22— 
 
will run on the same size for a long time without reset- 
 ting, this investment would not be advisable. 
 
 Soldering Flux. For capping, the use of a non- 
 acid soldering flux is recommended; it meets the re- 
 quirements of the pure food laws. One of the best fluxes 
 I have used consists of i lb. of rosin melted over a 
 slow fire with t gallon of pure lard oil. 
 
 Since the adoption of the ^'acuum tipping machine, 
 the mea,t canner has done away with the old and in- 
 efficient system of detecting cap-leaks by immersion of 
 the cans in a hot water bath. Any cap-leaks which 
 may have escaped the attention of the inspector 
 directly following the capping machine will be dis- 
 covered after the sealing process under vacuum. 
 
 Vacuum Tipping Machine^ The capped cans go 
 to the vacuum sealer, vent open, and a drop of solder 
 previously dipped into the soldering flux has been 
 deposited right over the small vent-hole. When the 
 machine is filled up with the cans the doors are closed 
 and the machine chamber connected with a vacuum 
 pump until the required degree of vacuum is obtained. 
 Most of the air contained in the can is thus sucked 
 through the vent-hole. Then, by a special mechanism, 
 the cans are brought one after another under the point 
 of a soldering iron heated by electricity, the solder drop 
 is melted and the cans are then hermetically sealed. 
 The man in charge releases the vacuum, and instantly 
 all "non-leaky" cans collapse tmder the infiuence of 
 the atmospheric pressure. All cans that do not show 
 a concave appearance on the flat sides, or have not the 
 tops and bottom drawn., are "leaks" and are returned 
 for inspection. Once the weak point discovered, it is 
 patched and sent to the vacuum pot again. A system 
 now coming in vogue is the double-seamed can. Solder 
 is not employed to seal the top to the body of the can. 
 There is no opening in the top as it is double-seamed 
 
 —23— 
 
on the body only after the can has been filled. Be- 
 tween the flange of the body and the top, and in order 
 to make a perfectly air-tight joint, a special composi- 
 tion is applied which moulds itself under the pressure 
 of the double-seaming machine, and has to resist the 
 action of the heat in the retort, and later on the action 
 of time, which is the worst of all. 
 
 This system presents a real economy of solder and 
 of labor and is especially desirable for packers of 
 articles which lose value when they are cut into 
 pieces in order to go through the small openings of the 
 cap; such as whole fruits, and, in the case of meats', a 
 whole bird, chicken or game, tongue, etc. 
 
 This system is in fact the future of the tin can. 
 But, whether or not a perfect cement, giving the same 
 guarantee of permanent security as the solder, has 
 been found, I can hardly say. However, many canners 
 in Europe and also a few large firms in the United 
 States are giving an extensive trial to this system. 
 
 Glass Container 
 
 Glass containers would be b}^ all means the best 
 packing for canned food of every description, as they 
 do not alter the taste of the goods. But they cost too 
 much, their weight is very great as compared with tin 
 cans containing the same amount of meat, — which means 
 high freight charges, — and their processing requires 
 many precautions, as the glass, when hot and sub- 
 jected to inside pressure, is very liable to crack if 
 cooling is allowed to take place too quickly. 
 
 Consequentl}^, whatever may be the difference in 
 taste between the same goods when packed in tin or 
 in glass, the canner has to put tip with the tin can 
 unless he manufactures high-grade articles. Other- 
 wise the consumer would have to pay more for the 
 container than for the contents. 
 
Canners handling a local retail trade and who are 
 able to redeem the glass jar from the consumer may 
 succeed in creating a profitable trade in glass jars, as 
 the quality of the goods will be readily appreciated. 
 
 Sliced bacon and sliced dried beef are extensively 
 put up in glass jars by some large firms. The reason 
 is that these goods, on account of their curing, i. e., 
 preservation by salt and sugar, can be kept in good 
 condition for a reasonable length of time without being 
 sterilized by heat. But creating a vacuum is advis- 
 able and will help in the keeping of the goods. In the 
 case of glass jars the cured meat should be placed in the 
 jar and the lid put on after a rubber has been inserted, 
 which will, later on, make a perfectly air-tight joint. 
 The whole is then run through the vacuum machine. 
 When the vacuum is released the pressure of the atmo- 
 sphere on the ■ lid will compress the rubber between 
 the lid and the glass and make an air-tight joint. 
 
 Other meat products, when put up in glass jars, 
 must be processed in the same manner as tin cans. 
 
 Different classes of glass jars have been placed on 
 the market. They generalh' belong to two different 
 systems as far as the sealing is concerned. 
 
 In one class, one must rely upon the atmospheric 
 pressure to keep the lid tight. In that case the jars 
 would be processed under steam pressure in closed 
 retorts. A special device, in the form of a removable 
 spring made of steel band, is in a moment adapted to 
 the lid. In the retort the contents of the jars are 
 brought to the boiling point or over. When the pro- 
 cess is completed the steam is shut off and allowed to 
 escape from the retort. But the contents of the jar 
 keep on boiling for a moment and, as the outside pres- 
 sure is released, some steam escapes from the inside of 
 the jar, carrying away most of the air contained in it. 
 
 — 25— 
 
Then, with the cooHng of the jar, the boih'ng stops, 
 the vapors condense, creating a vacuum, and the atmos- 
 pheric pressure squeezes the lid tightly against the 
 rubber ring. The rubber having been softened by the 
 heat of the steam readily moulds itself between the 
 glass and the lid. 
 
 However, I regret to say that experience has 
 proved that sooner or later, and very likely on account 
 of the alteration in the nature of the rubber ring due 
 to the effect of time, the air will find its way through. 
 
 Therefore, these packages, although very con- 
 venient in many circtinastances, do not offer alDsolute 
 guarantee of long keeping. 
 
 In the second class the joint is pressed down 
 tightly between the lid and the glass by a machine 
 exerting a pressure of several hundred pounds per 
 square inch. Then the same machine applies a metal 
 ring Avhich will maintain that pressure indefinitely after 
 the action of the machine has been released. The 
 goods are then processed. No vacuum exists, and we 
 know that it has no influence on the keeping of the 
 goods. An air space must be left between the top of 
 the goods and the lid in order to provide for the expan- 
 sion of the goods under the action of the heat in the 
 retort or the water-bath. Otherwise the glass would 
 crack. 
 
 In this system the joints are made of various 
 substances, cork, rubber, cardboard, specially prepared 
 paper, etc., according to the different materials to be 
 packed, and a thin sheet of pure tin foil should be 
 inserted between the contents of the jar and the joint, 
 which prevents decomposition under the influence of 
 the oil or acids. 
 
 It would seem that this last described system of 
 closing glass jars, although it involves the purchase 
 of a double-seaming machine, is by far the safest for 
 long keeping. 
 
 —26— 
 
Chapter IV. 
 
 Application of the Theory to the 
 Meat Canning Industry 
 
 The operator being sure that the meats he intends 
 to pack are wholesome, sound and in first-class condi- 
 tion, should "stuff" a given amount of meat into a tin 
 or glass container, seal the container hermetically, and 
 submit it to the required degree of temperature to 
 insure the destruction of all ferments, thus insuring the 
 good keeping of the contents for years and under any 
 conditions as long as the receptacle remains air-tight. 
 The canning of meats dift'ers somewhat from that of 
 liquids, such as soups; also from that of fruits and 
 vegetables. 
 
 Fresh beef, for instance, holds about 409^* of 
 elemental moisture, most of which separates from 
 the solid constituents under the action of the heat; as 
 every cook knows. 
 
 Should the experimenting apprentice-canner fill 
 a can with fresh beef as tightly as possible, seal it and 
 "process" it, /'. e., submit it to the required degree of 
 temperature to insure good keeping under all conditions 
 of outside temperature, his surprise will be great upon 
 opening it — for he will find a few small pieces, poor in 
 color, swimming in the center of a soup of disagreeable 
 appearance, in fact an unsightly product. 
 
 The appearance of the goods is a great factor in 
 the sale of canned meats, as in that of every kind of 
 food products. 
 
 —27— 
 
Consequently, the meat-canner has had to dis- 
 cover some means to remedy this difficulty. There 
 are several ways to overcome the trouble, which will be 
 explained later on. But that simple little matter of 
 the separation of fresh meat into solids and liquids 
 under the action of heat is the only cause that 
 makes the canning of meats so different from the can- 
 ning of other food products, and that will always make 
 canned meats have a different appearance from meats 
 cooked in the kitchen range, although just as whole- 
 some and nutritive when rationally prepared. Another 
 point well worth consideration is the following: The 
 liquids expelled from fresh meat by heat are not pure 
 water. On the contrary they retain a great part of the 
 nutritious elements of the meat. 
 
 When cooking the .meat in a kitchen range it 
 matters little, because, later on, these liquids are used 
 for food in the form of broth, gravy, sauces, etc. The 
 hotel chef is aware of this fact and saves all these 
 valuable liquids to make his "stock" which is the 
 base of nearly all his gravies or sauces. The modern 
 meat-canner now does the same, saving, by concen- 
 trating, the above mentioned liquids, and selling the 
 manufactured product under the name of beef extract 
 or by any other name that may be suggested by the 
 advertising manager. 
 
 It may be said that loo lbs. weight of boned beef 
 completely deprived of all soluble matter leaves 4% 
 of dried extract. The commercial, so-called, "solid" 
 extract still retains 20% of moisture, and the so-called 
 "fluid" extract is made by the addition of 40 parts of 
 water to 60 parts of solid extract. 
 
 The manufacture of these extracts will be given 
 later on, and m}^ present object is only to show the 
 packer of canned meats the loss he sustains when send- 
 
 —28— 
 
ing his "soak" and "cook" waters to the drain instead 
 of converting them into a product which is at present 
 worth $1.50 per pound. 
 
 If the "stock" of the hotel cook is the base of his 
 sauces, the extract of the canning room is the base of 
 most of the canned soups, as I will explain in due 
 course. 
 
 Modern Practice in Large Meat 
 Packing Plants 
 
 There is a considerable difference between the 
 methods of preparing meats for the canning depart- 
 ment employed in the large beef packing plants and 
 those of small meat canneries preparing only fancy and 
 high priced dishes. 
 
 We will describe the methods of the large canners 
 only. Their aim has been to complete their packing 
 house by the addition of a new department which may 
 help them to sell part of their products under a different 
 form. Having selected for this department, as well as 
 for the others, the best scientific and mechanical means 
 of work, they have succeeded in placing upon the mar- 
 ket goods which are not only a wholesome article of 
 food but, at the same time, are so cheap that no private 
 house can afford to put up the same amount of meat at 
 the same price, and thus they have become the great 
 suppliers of armies, camps, mines, prospectors, sports- 
 men, etc. 
 
 The small meat-canner who is rather a preparer 
 of high-grade articles, ready to serve dishes for con- 
 sumers of fancy goods, does not need to be taught 
 how to cook and season his goods, as he is generally a 
 cook by trade and has competent assistance of that 
 class. Nevertheless he may derive some profit from 
 a perusal of the following pages. 
 
 —29— 
 
I will treat, therefore, only of the' manufacture of 
 staple articles, as put up by the large packers, with 
 the object of making my readers familiar with methods 
 which should enable them to prepare an unlimited 
 number of different products intended to suit consumers 
 and the trade in every country. 
 
 In fact such large establishments as are found in the 
 United States pack every kind of canned meat accord- 
 ing to the requirements of the different nations they 
 cater for and the specifications of their governments. 
 They are prepared to give satisfaction to the Japanese 
 or to the Mexican as well as to the European customers. 
 
 Curing of Meats 
 
 To "cure" meats, is to have them undergo a pro- 
 cess, a treatment of salt and sugar, to which is some- 
 times added a small amount of saltpetre, which will 
 modify the color, composition and flavor of the meat 
 and greatly aid in its preservation under ordinary 
 circumstances. 
 
 Curing also brings modifications, alterations in the 
 natural state of the meat by adding or subtracting 
 moisture, etc. 
 
 The addition of such harmless but in fact very 
 powerful preservatives as salt and sugar allows the 
 canner to process the meat without running it through 
 an excessive degree of heat, as has been already 
 explained in treating of the theory. 
 
 The alterations in the percentage of natural 
 moisture has a great influence on the shrinkage of the 
 meats after boiling and, therefore, on the yields of the 
 meats used in the canning department. These con- 
 siderations are sufficient to induce the canner to make 
 a careful and complete study of the various curing pro- 
 cesses. He will, find them described in all publications 
 
 —30— 
 
pertaining to the meat packing industry. Therefore 
 my intention is not to describe them particularly but 
 only to summarize their effects in connection with the 
 canning department. 
 
 By curing the meats with dry salt and sugar, which 
 is called dry curing, a certain percentage of their 
 elemental moisture is absorbed by dissolution with, the 
 curing elements, salt and sugar, which surround them, 
 and a corresponding shrinkage in the weight of the 
 meat is observed. When boiling dry-salt meats, the 
 shrinkage due to the cooking will be less than that 
 observed in regard to the same meats cured in salt 
 solutions. 
 
 On the contrary siveet pickle meats, i. e., meats 
 that have been cured by immersion in a solution of salt 
 and sugar in water, will absorb a certain amount of the 
 water of the solution and increase notably in weight. 
 This increase is often from io% to 15%- But, when 
 boiling this meat, the shrinkage will be greater than 
 that observed on dry-salt meats. 
 
 However, it is a fact proved by practical experience 
 that, everything being considered from the start, sweet 
 pickle meats give a better yield than dry-salt meats in 
 the canning department. In all modern j^acking houses , 
 the pickling of meats is now done in cellars where the 
 temperature is maintained by artificial refrigeration at 
 temperatures ranging from 36 to 40 degrees Fahr. 
 
 The higher the temperature is the quicker will be 
 the action of the curing elements, but the pickle will 
 also have more tendency to spoil and a more careful 
 watching of the meats will be required. Personally I 
 have, for a period of 6 years, ctn-ed corned beef in a 
 cellar well protected against the sun but without any 
 artificial refrigeration and I have obtained results which 
 have sur]3rised many packing-house men. But the over- 
 
 —31— 
 
hauling was frequent and the man in charge was 
 vigilant. Under such conditions the meat was some- 
 times cured very quickty, and it was an advantage in 
 the case of rush orders. 
 
 The heavier a piece of meat, the longer the time 
 required for the curing elements to penetrate to the 
 very center of the piece, i. e., the longer is the time 
 required for fully curing the meat. 
 
 The foreman of the canning department when 
 receiving the meat from the cellar should carefully 
 examine it and assure himself that the meat is per- 
 fectly cured. He should cut two or three of the larger 
 pieces right in the center. Fully cured meat will show 
 an even color all through. Insufficiently cured pieces 
 will be detected by the gray appearance of the centei 
 
 It is not very often that the packing house has so 
 many orders for canned meats that it will be necessary 
 to reduce the curing time. This has, however, happened 
 in war times, and, in any case, the longer the meat is 
 kept in the pickling cellar the more refrigeration will 
 it require. Refrigeration is an item in general expenses. 
 Moreover the interest on the money applied in the pur- 
 chase of meat increases the output price, and, after all, 
 the keeping of the meat is absolute^ certain when in 
 cans and cannot be considered quite as safe in the 
 cellar. 
 
 Much has been said lately about shortening the 
 time of curing the meat without "pumping" it. One 
 of the devices is the following: The meat is placed in 
 a metal box and is then covered with the pickle. A 
 lid is applied to the box which fits so as to make a 
 perfectly air-tight joint. Then the top of the box is 
 connected with an air pump and a vacuum is created. 
 All the air contained in the tissues of the meat is thus 
 
 —32— 
 
expelled, creating in the meat a kind of a porous state. 
 Then the vacuum is released, the atmospheric pressure 
 on the surface of the pickle forces it into the empty 
 spaces, and, in order to hasten the process, an air 
 pressure is applied to the surface of the pickle, as high 
 as TOO lbs. to the square inch. A few minutes later 
 the pressure is released, the lid raised off and the meat 
 sent to the cellar. I have not vet had an opportunity 
 of experimenting with the svstem, but it seems worth 
 making a trial. 
 
 As already stated, I have not the intention of giv- 
 ing any pickling formulas or recipes for use in the 
 pickling cellar. In fact, pickle used for curing beef 
 for the canning department is made of 65 to 70 degrees 
 strong plain salt pickle to which is added a proportion 
 of about 3 5 lbs. of saltpetre for each i ,000 gallons. Sugar 
 is also added, but here the packers differ widely, since 
 one will only use 80 lbs. of sugar per 1,000 gallons 
 while another will use 300 lbs. for the same quantity. 
 The latter is the right one, not only because it pro- 
 duces a better quality, but also because the sugar 
 serves as a kind of food for the meat and will greatly 
 decrease the shrinkage in cooking. 
 
 The pickle should always be boiled and skimmed 
 in order to get rid of all impurities contained in the 
 water, salt and sugar, and to sterilize the whole mass, 
 but it must not be applied to the meat until entirely 
 cold. The sketch which I am giving shows a very 
 convenient set of tanks for the preparation of the 
 pickle when large quantities may be required at the 
 same time for quickly cooling the same. 
 
 The small canner will boil his pickle in jacketed 
 kettles and let it cool without artificial means. 
 
 (See tables of salt solutions in Appendix.) 
 —33— 
 
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 -34— 
 
Processing 
 
 To process is to submit a tin can or glass jar to a 
 certain temperature and for the certain time necessary 
 to insure that fermentation will be absolutely pre- 
 vented in the contents as long as the receptacle is 
 maintained perfectly air-tight. 
 
 Theory teaches us what temperatures are necessary 
 to destroy all sources of fermentations, t. e., to destroy 
 the bacteria and their spores. In practice the canner 
 has but very seldom to reach the theoretical point of 
 sterilization, as he will be helped out by the presence 
 of salt and sugar, which are harmless but powerful 
 preservatives against the development of spores. 
 
 In most cases the aim is therefore to destroy the 
 bacteria only. 
 
 But in order that they may be totally destroyed 
 the given temperature must' reach the very center of 
 the ca/n, and, consequently, the larger the can, the 
 longer the time required for the processing of the same 
 class of goods. 
 
 The aim of the packer is to sterilize the product 
 thoroughly, but, at the same time, to avoid overcook- 
 ing, which would impair the quality of the product. 
 
 In order to ascei^tain whether the required tem- 
 perature has reached the center of a certain sized can, 
 the canner inserts a small self-registering thermometer 
 (specially constructed for that ]HU-pose) in the center 
 of a can filled with the material to be tested, seals the 
 can as usual, puts a special mark on it, and, when the 
 batch is out of the retort, opens it and reads the 
 temperature obtained at the center of the can 
 
 Open J "a/ Process. Processing can be made in 
 boiling water. Cans or jars should be immersed in 
 cold water, the temperature of the water brought to 
 the boiling point by means of steam, and the goods 
 
 —35— 
 
kept in the boiling water for the required time. The 
 time as indicated in the annexed tables starts from the 
 moment the water begins to boil. 
 
 Horizo'ntal Steam Retort 
 
 Steam Retort. Processing can also be made at a 
 higher temperature than that of boihng point under 
 steam pressure in closed retorts either in dry steam or 
 in water. Retorts are placed vertically when processing 
 under water is required, and horizontally for dry steam 
 process. 
 
 Both systems have about the same practical effect 
 on meats, although I have noticed in practice that long 
 process in water has a better effect on the color of the 
 meat and gives a more tender product than a quick 
 dry steam process under high temperature. 
 
 Processing in Salt Solutions. B}^ adding common 
 salt in certain proportions to water, the boiling point 
 
 —36— 
 
Upright Process Ki-ttle 
 
 of the solution is raised. Chloride of calcium permits 
 of reaching a still higher point and these two solutions 
 are sometimes in use amongst the canners to process 
 at a higher temperatiu^e than 212 degrees Fahr. in open 
 vats. 
 
 Oil, which only boils at a very high temperature, 
 has also been tried. These baths have, of course, to be 
 heated by closed steam coils. However, after trial, the 
 system has been abandoned by many of the large meat 
 canning plants for some reason or another. 
 
 Cooling the Cans. When the meat has been suffi- 
 ciently sterilized to insure its keeping, there is no 
 further need to keep it cooking. In fact, all kinds of 
 meats are always rather too much cooked after the 
 necessary sterilizing process. The cooking continues 
 for a time in cans going out very hot from the retort 
 and piled tight, especially in big piles. For this reason 
 
 —37— 
 
a good long sprinkling of cold water by some convenient 
 device is to be recommended. 
 
 Cooling Glass Jars. Great care must be taken in 
 the cooling of glass jars. Instructions are generally 
 supplied by the glass manufacturers. As a general 
 rule, the heating process, either in water or steam, 
 must be very slow, and, in cooling, the rule as to a very 
 gradual change of temperature must be even more 
 strictly observed. Cold air drafts and the piling of glass 
 jars on cold metal tables is generally the cause of a 
 great percentage of cracks. 
 
 Testing Value of Sterilization. Incubators — Since 
 we know that temperatures between 7 o and 1 00 degrees 
 are -the most favorable for the growing of bacteria, in 
 order to be sure that the product will keep under any 
 climatic conditions, the canner should select a few cans 
 from each batch and keep them for a few days in a 
 closed receptacle similar to the hot-boxes called 
 "incubators" by the bacteriologists. This should be 
 a simple closet, with shelves made of slats, to insure 
 the circulation of the air inside, and a steam coil should 
 be placed along the bottom to keep a constant temper- 
 ature of about 90 degrees. 
 
 If cans swell in the closet the process is insuffi- 
 cient. Doubtful cans may also be tried in this incubator. 
 
 Danger of Reprocessing Leaks 
 
 It must be first understood that I am speaking 
 only of leaky cans that may be found defective after 
 they have stood in the piles for several days. 
 
 The following remarks do not apply to leaks 
 immediately discovered when the goods are passing 
 out of the retort. 
 
 In order to be thoroughly understood by the 
 reader, I think that I cannot do better than to repro- 
 
 —38— 
 
duce the following lines extracted from the highly 
 remarkable book of Professor E. W. Duckwall, on the 
 "Canning of Food Products, with Bacteriological 
 Technique": 
 
 "In order that packers may more fully tmder- 
 stand the danger of putting out reprocessed leaks, let 
 us look into the stibject from various points of view: 
 
 "I. — There is danger of ptomaines forming in 
 putrescible food. 
 
 "II. — There is danger of pathogenic molds and 
 yeasts gaining entrance to acid foods. 
 
 "III. — There is danger of tin and lead poison. 
 
 "IV. — The qviality is extremely poor and, there- 
 fore, detrimental to the packers' reputation. 
 
 "A ptomaine is a complex chemical compound 
 formed in several ways, principally as a product 
 elaborated by certain bacteria belonging to the putre- 
 factive class. Ptomaine poisoning is much more com- 
 mon than generally known. . . . Usually in such 
 cases the food does not by any peculiar taste or odor 
 indicate the presence of an injurious substance. 
 The chemical changes are rapid and the ptomaines may 
 be found when unperceived decomposition is taking 
 place. . . . It is well known fact that tin and 
 lead compounds are poisonous. . . . Canned goods 
 which become swelled because of leaks have formed 
 considerable acid and gas by the action of the bacteria 
 and when worked over must contain tin and lead in 
 appreciable amount. . . . Every can of goods you 
 send out will probably reach a consumer who is look- 
 ing for something good to eat; every package will 
 either make a friend or an enemy for your brand. . . . 
 Conclusion: Cut the leaks open, empty them and send 
 the contents to the dump, or wash them away in the 
 sewer." 
 
 —39— 
 
Please remember that Dr. Duckwall has been a 
 canner himself and is not only a noted bacteriologist 
 but a practical man, and above all a friend to all can- 
 ners. Therefore his advice must be considered as 
 impartial. 
 
 Remarks 
 
 The boiling temperature of water at the same 
 altitude being always the same, the canning foreman 
 needs no instruments to watch it when he is processing 
 goods under water. 
 
 But processing in closed steam retorts is a different 
 proposition. The pressure in the steam generating 
 boilers is liable to vary and, unless a special steam 
 pressure reducing valve has been provided on the 
 steam line just before the retort connections, a constant 
 watch at the steam-gauge will be required. 
 
 Never use high pressure steam-gauges; use low 
 pressure gauges. 
 
 Do not rely entirely upon the steam-gauge. It 
 is liable to get out of order. 
 
 Your retort should be fitted not only with a reliable 
 low pressure steam-gauge, but also with a first-class 
 thermometer showing the actual temperature of the 
 steam in the retort, and, by comparison, the pressure. 
 This is, in fact, the only reliable instrument for the 
 man in charge of the processing. 
 
 Cooling the Cans 
 
 When a sufficient "process" has been given to the 
 canned goods to thoroughly sterilize the contents and 
 thus insure perfect keeping the cans should be cooled 
 immediately in order to stop the cooking process. If 
 
 —40— 
 
the cans are piled while hot in the labeling room, 
 those in the center of the pile will keep hot for many 
 hours and this is liable to be detrimental to the quality 
 of the product. 
 
 When cans have been processed in open vats under 
 water the proper thing is to turn on the cold water 
 until the cans are sufficientlv cool. 
 
 The same may be said with regard to cans which 
 have been processed in upright retoi'ts. 
 
 When the cans have been processed in the hori- 
 zontal steam -box, a very convenient device to cool 
 them is as follows: The trucks are taken out of the 
 retort and kept on the tracks. A system of perforated 
 water pipes is hung from the ceiling and sprinkles water 
 on top of the trucks like a shower bath. 
 
 When the cans are cool enough the}" must be 
 cleaned of all the dirt and fatt}" matters which adhere 
 to their surface. In the small plants this work is done 
 by hand, and a convenient and economical method is to 
 rub them vigorously in a box full of sawdust. In 
 larger plants the cans pass through the "can washer." 
 This is a machine where an endless conveyor carries 
 the cans first through a hot-water bath, where lye or 
 caustic soda has been previously dissolved, and then 
 through a second bath or running water. 
 
 The clean cans are carried to the labeling room. 
 It is customary to lacquer or paint meat cans, or at 
 least the two ends which are not protected by the 
 label. This prevents rusting of the tin plate. When 
 the lacquer is dry the label is applied. 
 
 Hand labor is generally used in the lacquering and 
 labeling room of the meat canning plants. The square 
 shape of most cans prevents the use of painting and 
 labeling machines which perform such cheap and neat 
 work in fruit and vegetable canneries. 
 
 —41— 
 
It is not advisable to label and box immediately. 
 Whatever may be the skill of the inspector of leaks, 
 there will always be a certain number of leaks which 
 have not been detected, or which have been created, 
 during the sterilizing process. These leaks will become 
 "swells" later on. They will develop naturally and 
 show their defects if the cans are kept for a few 
 days in a warm room. If you put your cans in boxes 
 right away these swells will be detected only by the 
 retailer and greatly injure your trade. I would advise 
 the use of a special "waiting room," kept at a temper- 
 ature of about 85 degrees Fahr., where the cans could 
 be piled up and kept for a fortnight before boxing. 
 
 The last inspection is made by the boxing man, 
 who should be reliable and vigilant. All cans which 
 he is suspicious about should be put away for further 
 examination by the foreman of the canning depart- 
 ment, and, should some of them be doubtful on careful 
 examination by the latter, they should be subjected 
 to the test in the "incubator" before being considered 
 as good for shipment. 
 
 -42— 
 
Chapter V. 
 
 Recipes and Formulas 
 Corned Beef 
 
 Corned beef is generally received by the Canning 
 Department all cured and ready to be cooked. The 
 Canning Department has only to ascertain its quality. 
 
 Corned beef is generally put up in square flaring 
 cans called #i, 7^2, #6, #14. The 6s and the 14s 
 must be net weight, i. e., the contents when unpacked 
 must weigh 6 lbs. and 14 lbs. net. The trade requires 
 for all of them, but especially for the 6s and 14s, that 
 the contents when impacked under a reasonably cool 
 temperature form a solid block easily sliced on the 
 counter of the retailer. The meat must be well trimmed, 
 free from sinews, gristle and skirtings, and present all 
 over a bright reddish-pink color. 
 
 In order to reach these desiderata, the corned 
 beef, as it is received from the pickling cellar, is in- 
 spected in regard to its quality and its percentage of 
 salt. 
 
 It is always advisable to wash it in cold water, to 
 free it from old pickle, and almost always the canning 
 foreman will have to soak it in cold water over night 
 to dissolve the excess of salt. This soaking water 
 should be pumped to the evaporating room for extract 
 purposes. 
 
 The corned beef should then be boiled either in 
 steam-jacketed kettles or in tanks heated b}' per- 
 forated steam coils. In fact, since the corned beef 
 cooking waters are not much good for extract purposes, 
 giving it a kind of "cheesy" taste, the latter system of 
 boiling is generally in use as being more economical in 
 
 —43— 
 
consumption of steam and as the canner has no wish 
 to keep the cooking waters concentrated. 
 
 : I 
 
 Meat Boiling Box 
 
 There is no general rule to regulate the length of 
 time required for this first boiling of corned beef. 
 It depends upon the quality of the meat and also upon 
 the temperature of the boiling water. 
 
 The writer has been in charge of a plant located 
 some 5,000 feet above sea level, where water boiled at 
 about 2 03 K degrees Fahr . , instead of 2 1 2 . It was found 
 that the meat had to be boiled nearly twice the length 
 of time required under ordinary circumstances. If the 
 
 —44— 
 
meat is too much cooked, the shrinkage by ehmination 
 of constituent liquors is considerable and is a great loss 
 in weight, and, therefore, in money to the packer. It 
 is also a loss to the consumer in nutritious elements. 
 If the meat is not enough boiled we will have the 
 repetition of our experience in canning raw meat, and 
 the product will be of a disagreeable appearance and 
 unsalable. Every canner will, therefore, have to study 
 what is required for his local conditions and the sugges- 
 tions which I give below are onh- intended to start him 
 on the right track. It is customary in many canning 
 plants to boil corned beef for a certain time, say 
 
 Rotary Meat Cutter 
 
 20 minutes, and then shut off the steam and let the 
 meat soak in the hot cooking water for another 40 
 minutes. This is supposed to lessen the shrinkage which 
 sometimes reaches 38% when the meat is boiled for one 
 hour, as it is customary in other places. 
 
 —45— 
 
The corned beef, when boiled, is forked out of the 
 boihng vats, trimmed on the trimming table, to free 
 it from all sinews and skirting, and cut in small pieces 
 to suit the size of the opening of the tin cans. Some 
 canners slice the corned beef in the power rotary cutter 
 previous to boiling in order to reduce the time of cook- 
 ing; this leaves very little hand -work to be done after 
 cooking. Others do nearly all the trimming on the 
 fresh meat before it is sent to the pickling cellar, and 
 cook the meat in the condition in which it comes from 
 the pickling vats. But after the boiling they pass the 
 meat through the "Mammoth" meat-cutter which 
 reduces the meat into pieces suitable for the stuffing 
 machines without any hand work. 
 
 I have seen both methods employed with equally 
 good results. However, I consider the second as prefer- 
 able, when there is no rush in the boning room, as I 
 do not see any good reason for pickling trimmings, 
 which have to be rejected afterwards. 
 
 The meat then passes into the hands of the scaler 
 who weighs the amount of meat required to fill the can, 
 and he, or his helper, places the proper quantity of 
 meat in the hopper of the stuffing machine. 
 
 Whatever may be the kind of stuffing machine in 
 use, either the single stuffer or the rotary machine, the 
 cans should be prepared in advance and a certain 
 amount of "stock" deposited inside before they are 
 placed under the hopper. 
 
 The "stock" is a jelly which everyone can prepare 
 by dissolving i lb. of white sheet edible gelatine in a 
 gallon of water. Pork packers often prepare this 
 jelly by a long ebullition of rinds, snouts, pigs' feet, 
 etc. Calves' feet give also a very good jelly. 
 
 Coloring this jelly slighth'- b}^ the addition of 
 burnt sugar or dark syrup adds to the appearance of 
 
 —46— 
 
the finished product. The quantity of stock which is 
 generally added to the meat is given at the end of each 
 special class of product described later on. The plunger 
 which is working inside the hopper of the stuffing 
 machine presses the meat into the can. This can, 
 
 Rotary Can Stuffer 
 
 roughly filled, is .seized bv a second scaler who care- 
 fully examines its weight, picks off the excess of meat 
 or adds the necessary quantity o'n top of the can in 
 order to balance the scale as set up by the foreman. 
 
 Next come the operators who finish the stuffing by 
 hand with a wooden stick in order to push the meat 
 low enough so that it may not interfere with the work 
 of the capper; then the wipers wipe the top of the can, 
 and especially the groove where the cap sits, as this 
 
 -47- 
 
part must be perfectly clean and free from all particles 
 of meat in order to insure a neat and perfect capping. 
 Put the caps on the cans, pass them to the helper 
 of the capper who places the cans under the spindles 
 of the machine, rub the groove with a small brush 
 wetted in the soldering flux, and finally take them out 
 when capped and the solder hard enough, and if the 
 inspector is satisfied that the capping is good, i. e., 
 that there is no hole left which would allow the air to 
 pass through later on, the can is ready for the venting 
 process. 
 
 I have already explained that the venting process 
 has for its object the creation of a partial vacuum 
 inside the can. This vacuum will make the can 
 "collapse" slightly under the effect of the outside 
 atmospheric pressure, i- e., the square cans of the 
 corned beef type will show on the sides a slightly 
 concave appearance, and the round cans will have tops 
 and bottoms "drawn." If, after venting, the can does 
 not show the appearance above described, there must 
 be a hole somewhere through which the air has been 
 able to pass and destroy the vacuum, and this hole 
 must be detected and patched immediately, and the 
 vacuum applied again. 
 
 The grocer knows this fact and does not consider 
 as good, a can which gives a springy reaction under 
 hand pressure. 
 
 As we have explained in previous chapters, not 
 long ago the "venting," or exhausting of the air was 
 made "under water" or "in the retort." To-day, it is 
 only for the 14s that the above systems are still in 
 use, on account of their size. But, nearly everywhere, 
 the IS, 2S and 6s are exhausted with the aid of the 
 vacuum tipping machine which does quicker and 
 
 —48— 
 
cleaner work and saves considerable handling of the 
 cans. At the same time, the cans collapse immediately 
 and the leaks can be detected and repaired instantly. 
 
 The following table is given only as a help and 
 reference to canners intending to use standard size 
 corned beef cans. It shows the amount of cooked 
 meat and stock which are generally stuffed in each 
 size. Also the vacuum in inches of mercury which is 
 generally used when running the filled cans through 
 the vacuum tipping machine. 
 
 The length of process is given for sterilization in 
 open vats under boiling water, as this process seems to 
 give better results for corned beef. The quality is 
 superior, and, owing to the previous "cure" in salt, 
 there is no danger of further fermentation. 
 
 However, the length of the process can be greatly 
 shortened by processing in the steam retort at a higher 
 temperature as will be shown in the tables at the end 
 of the volume. 
 
 Corned Beef 
 
 SIZE 
 
 MEAT 
 
 JELLY 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 PROCESS 
 
 I 
 
 13 K oz. 
 
 }i oz. 
 
 21 
 
 3 hrs. 30 min, 
 under water. 
 
 2 
 
 27 OZ. 
 
 I oz. 
 
 21 
 
 4 hrs. under 
 water. 
 
 6 
 
 5 lbs. II oz. 
 
 6 oz. 
 
 21 
 
 6 hrs. under 
 water. 
 
 14 
 
 13 lbs. 2 oz. 
 
 16 oz. 
 
 20 
 
 I hour 45 min. 
 open vent in the 
 retort under 4 
 lbs. pressure. — 
 Then 5 hrs. 15 
 min. under wa- 
 ter with closed 
 vent. 
 
 —49— 
 
Roast Beef 
 
 The preparation of so-called "roast beef" is a 
 different proposition from that of corned beef. 
 
 A few years ago roast beef was in fact a kind of 
 short and mild cured corned beef. To-day, and not 
 without reason, the trade does not want any more 
 "roast beef" with the corned beef appearance. The 
 product is required to present a rather gray or at 
 least a light pink color like that of cold overdone 
 home-baked roast beef. 
 
 To bake roast beef rare in a kitchen range and 
 stuff it into cans would not give the produce that one 
 would expect. For the reasons already explained at 
 the beginning of this book, i. e. , on account of the pro- 
 cessing of the can, the meat would simply turn out like 
 a piece of boiled beef in cooking soup. 
 
 In canned roast beef the baking of the meat 
 results from the high temperature of the process in the 
 retort (240 degrees Fahr.). 
 
 Previously, the meat should be slightly boiled, or 
 rather cooked in a steam oven, in order to expel the 
 constitutive liquids as in the case of corned beef; the 
 consumer expects a solid piece of meat and does not 
 wish to buy broth or gravy. 
 
 Not only in order to bake the meat, but also in 
 order to inspire the perfect keeping of the product, the 
 roast beef has to be processed at a very high tem- 
 perature. Here, indeed, the canner has not the pres- 
 ence of a highly salted meat and his security against 
 the action of spores is lessened. He must, therefore, 
 try to destroy not only the bacteria, but also the 
 spores by the use of a high temperature. 
 
 When the product is required to be entirely gray, 
 no previous cure is advisable, but the fresh meat should 
 
 —50— 
 
be soaked in iced water for 12 hours before canning, in 
 order to get rid of the blood. 
 
 Should a certain pink color be desired, a short 
 cure of 72 hours in the following pickle has given 
 splendid results, viz.: Water 100 gallons, sugar 100 
 lbs. The pickling vat has to be kept in the cooler at 
 a low temperature. 
 
 The soaking water of the first process, as well as 
 this sort of sugar pickle, should be saved for extract 
 as they give a splendid product. 
 
 Where the cooking waters are not saved for 
 extract the salt that has to be used in order to make 
 the product palatable may be added in the cooking 
 kettle. 
 
 But the roast beef cook waters are of so much value 
 for extracts that, if extract is made, I would recommend 
 boiling the meat in steam- jacketed kettles in a very 
 limited amount of water and without any addition of 
 salt. 
 
 The salting of the meat will then be done either 
 by dissolving the necessary amount of salt in the 
 jelly (stock) or by putting the required amount of salt 
 directly into the cans previous to stuffing. Below are 
 figures for the latter system. Needless to say the 
 seasoning can be modified in order to suit the taste of 
 the consumer. 
 
 R. B. 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 Jelly 
 
 Salt 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 I 
 
 I3K 
 
 2 
 
 >2 oz. 
 
 23 
 
 2 
 
 25 
 
 3 
 
 I OZ. 
 
 23 
 
 6 
 
 88 
 
 8 
 
 3K OZ. 
 
 
 Process 
 
 2 hrs. at 10 lbs. 
 
 2}i hrs. at 10 lbs. 
 
 2 hrs. open vent in 
 retort at 4 lbs., then 
 2X hrs. closed at 9 lbs. 
 
 —51- 
 
Tongues 
 
 Ox tongues, pig tongues, lamb tongues, are also 
 part of the staple articles in the list of canned meats. 
 They are treated in a manner similar to that for corned 
 beef as far as curing and cooking are concerned. But 
 they are put up whole, and, therefore, the stuffing has 
 to be done by hand. 
 
 On account of the dimensions of the pieces the 
 openings in the cans are comparatively large, and a 
 little skill is required in order to pack a can that will 
 look nice and full when opened. Still more skill is 
 required for the filling of glass jars where it is very 
 important that the meat should touch the glass all 
 around and look neat and bright, with as little jelly as 
 possible. 
 
 The hole remaining in the center of the package is 
 filled with trimmings. 
 
 The tongues are cooked according to the time 
 given below as an average. Owing to the high prices 
 prevalent for canned tongues it seems time that more 
 attention should be paid to their seasoning than is 
 generally done. 
 
 When cooked, the tongues are skinned and trimmed. 
 The skin of the tongues is very easily removed when 
 they have been fully cooked. The average time of 
 boiling the tongues is the following : 
 
 Ox-tongues 2 hours. 
 
 Pig tongues 1% hovu". 
 
 The boiling water will show on the surface a cer- 
 tain amount of fat which is well worth saving. The 
 tongues for canning purposes must also be trimmed, as 
 only the lean part is put up in tins or glasses. There- 
 fore, all fat as well as all bones from the gullet 
 should be removed. 
 
 —52— 
 
The fat trimmings are sent to the tallow depart- 
 ment, and the lean trimmings, which are not employed 
 for filling the center of the can, may be chopped for 
 the manufacture of potted tongues, or used in the 
 sausage department. 
 
 All of these trimmings go to the credit of the 
 canned tongue article. 
 
 Ox tongues are generally packed up in sizes 
 
 called 
 
 1/ 
 
 2, 2j 
 
 3 and 6; Pig tongues, generally 
 
 called "lunch tongues." are packed up in sizes called 
 
 %, I and 6s. 
 
 Ciiviiig. The curing of the tongues is similar to 
 that of beef, generally speaking. The tongues, how- 
 ever, have to receive special attention on account of 
 the blood and saliva with which they are covered. 
 Passing them through a revolving washer as soon as 
 they are taken from the head is to be highly recom- 
 mended. If this is not possible the tongues have to be 
 washed careftilly in lukewarm water and then sent to 
 the cooler where they are hung, points down. When 
 perfectly chilled they should be, first cured in strong 
 plain pickle for a day at least This will remove all 
 saliva and the tongues are then ready for ciu-ing in 
 sweet pickle. 
 
 Stuffing, Jellying, and Processing Table 
 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat ' 
 
 Jelly 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 Process 
 
 Ox 
 
 1 lb. 6 oz. 
 
 3oz. 
 
 21 
 
 3 hrs. 15 water 
 
 " 
 
 2 
 
 1-12 
 
 5 oz. 
 
 21 
 
 3 hrs. .30 water 
 
 ** 
 
 214 
 
 2-3 
 
 6 oz. 
 
 21 
 
 3 hrs. 50 water 
 
 
 3 
 
 2-11 
 
 6 oz. 
 
 No 
 
 Open vent 2 hrs., 
 closed 2 hrs. water. 
 
 
 6 
 
 ■ 5-14 
 
 4 oz. 
 
 No 
 
 Open vent 2 hours, 
 closed 3 hrs. water. 
 
 Lunch 
 
 M 
 
 7 oz. 
 
 1,4 oz. 
 
 21 
 
 1 hr. at 220 (2,4 lb. 
 pressure) 
 
 
 1 
 
 14 oz. 
 
 1 oz. 
 
 21 
 
 1)4 hr. at 220 (2)^ 
 lb. pressure) 
 
 -53- 
 
Dried Beef 
 
 "Dried beef" is beef cured in a similar manner to 
 corned beef, although in a sweeter pickle. The meat 
 when fully cured is then dried and smoked and consti- 
 tutes a very nice article of food when well prepared. 
 
 Manufacturers of dried beef generally reserve the 
 rounds of beef for that use. Out of the rounds three 
 pieces are made in the standard cut, the names of 
 which are "inside," "outside" and "knuckle." The 
 knuckle is the best piece owing to its shape, then comes 
 the outside, then the inside. The two first named cuts, 
 being rather large, require a longer time to be fully 
 cured to the center. However, I do not advise pump- 
 ing them with pickle when they are prepared for can- 
 ning ptirposes. Dried beef for the canning room has to 
 be dried a good deal more than dried beef prepared for 
 sale on the shop counter. Pumping introduces a great 
 quantity of moisture in the very center of the piece 
 and, therefore, the drying process needs to be length- 
 ened. Unless the packer can install a properly heated 
 and ventilated room for drying, he will find that 
 losses will occur in the drying room rather than in the 
 curing cellar, and that is the reason why I do not 
 recommend pumping the meats that are intended for 
 the canning department. 
 
 If the meat is carefully overhauled every week it 
 will be found fully cured in 60 days; bift it may be kept 
 in sweet pickle for another two months if necessary 
 without overhauling again. 
 
 The meat should be then carefully washed in cold 
 water. If beef hams are old, soak them in cold water 
 according to the following schedule: 
 
 —54— 
 
Days Old 
 
 Hours to 
 
 Soak 
 
 Change Water 
 
 60 
 
 10 
 
 
 2 times 
 
 75 
 
 12 
 
 
 2 times 
 
 125 
 
 20 
 
 
 3 times 
 
 Over 
 
 30 
 
 
 3 times 
 
 Hang the pieces in a cool, well ventilated room in 
 order to drain all free water: this will require from 24 
 to 48 hours, according to the conditions of temperature. 
 This may also be done in the smoke-house when there 
 is room enough for it. Smoke 24 hours at least, keep- 
 ing the smoke-house at 150 Fahr., and then hang to 
 dr}' in a well-aired room, kept at a moderate tempera- 
 ture, for a time ranging from 5 to 10 days. 
 
 In plants where smoke-houses are provided with a 
 steam-heating system, the drving process will require 
 only 200 hours at 150 degrees. 
 
Canning. The first grade, "sliced dried beef" is 
 made out of the knuckle pieces. 
 
 The second grade , ' ' chipped beef, ' ' is made out of the 
 other pieces and from the trimmings of the first grade. 
 
 The first grade is generally put up in glass jars. 
 Slice with a good slicing machine, fill the jars accord- 
 ing to the following table, put the top on, then run 
 through the vacuum machine, allowing all possible, 
 vacuum (27 to 28 in.). When dried beef is put up in 
 tin cans, use special chipped-beef cans. These cans are 
 supplied by the manufacturer with the entire top 
 detached from the body of the can. Fill the can with 
 the required amount of sliced meat, put the top on, 
 float the can, i. e., solder the top to the body by rotat- 
 ing quickly in a solder bath, then exhaust the air in 
 the vacuum pot at 28 in., and tip. 
 
 Filling in Jars 
 
 Filling in Tins 
 
 Size I Meat 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 K 
 I 
 
 5 oz. 
 9 oz. 
 
 I 
 
 4X ozs- 
 8X ozs. 
 
 Sliced Bacon 
 
 Use only high grade, fully cured and well-smoked 
 bacon. Slice carefully with the slicing machine, stuff 
 and seal same as explained for dried beef. 
 
 Fowl (Chicken and Turkey) 
 
 Fowl is generally put up in the state of boneless 
 chicken or turkey. For this purpose the birds are 
 boiled in salted water, seasoned with a bag of spices, 
 until they can be boned by hand easily. 
 
 Then the bones and skins are boiled in a limited 
 amount of water until the soup attains the consistency 
 of a jelly. This jelly is made perfectly palatable by the 
 addition of }4 lb. salt to the gallon,, and pepper and 
 spices to taste. 
 
 —56-^ 
 
The meat is then stuffed tight into the cans bv 
 hand, with the addition of jelly, and processed accord- 
 
 ing to the following table: 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 Jelly 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 Process 
 
 K 
 
 6 
 
 K 
 
 21 in. 
 
 I hr. 45 min, at 9 .lbs.- 
 steam pressure. 
 
 I 
 
 13 
 
 I 
 
 2 1 m. 
 
 2 hrs. 15 min. at 9 l^s. 
 pressure. 
 
 A better result is obtained by previously curing 
 the fowl for 12 hours in a dry cure made of half salt 
 and half sugar and spices to taste; the proportion of 
 the mixture to the meat is 4 to 100. Fowl may also 
 be browned in a steam kettle with the addition of lard, 
 onions, etc., after boiling. The cook water of fowl is a 
 precious element in the manufacture of meat extracts. 
 
 In Europe whole or half chickens, not boned, are 
 put up in jelly in tins of an oval shape. In that case, 
 only young birds are used, and they are generally 
 browned in the oven or in a steam kettle at a high tem- 
 perature before being canned and covered with meat 
 jelly. 
 
 Potted Meats 
 
 put up m tr/'4 
 
 Prei^arations called "potted meats" are generally 
 #K and #K sizes, and when carefully 
 prepared constitute a very wholesome article of food, 
 very convenient for the preparation of lunch dishes, 
 sandwiches, etc. 
 
 They have the advantage of enabling the packer 
 to dispose of small pieces, trimmings, etc., which, 
 although having the same nutritive value as other 
 cuts, would not find an easy sale under that form. 
 Before the enactment of the recent pure food laws, 
 now in force in all civilized countries, a few packers had 
 
given a bad reputation to this class of canned meats by 
 using inferior materials in their preparation, but that 
 time has passed and the consumer of Government- 
 inspected foods knows that he is buying what is 
 described on the label. 
 
 Another class of potted meats is packed up with 
 a small addition of amylaceous matters and consti- 
 tutes what is known under the name of veal loaf, 
 chicken loaf, ham loaf, beef loaf, etc. 
 
 I give below a table showing the stuffing and pro- 
 cessing which is common to all potted meats put up 
 in standard tins, and also a few formulas for the pre- 
 paration of the meat. These formulas can be varied 
 indefinitely and in order to suit the requirements of 
 the packer as well as those of the trade. 
 
 
 Stuffing and Processing 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 Process 
 
 
 3K oz. 
 
 7 oz. 
 
 21 
 21 
 
 i}4 hours at lo lbs. 
 !%■ hours at lo lbs. 
 
 Potted Ham 
 
 Use ham trimmings which have been cured from 
 8 to lo days and smoked on trays in the smoke-house. 
 Cook these trimmings 1 5 minutes in boiling water, pass 
 them through the h plate of the "Enterprise" chopper, 
 then finish chopping in the "Buffalo" cutter, adding to 
 a 400 lbs. batch of meat the following spices: 
 
 Ground mustard 6 lbs. 
 
 White pepper i lb. 
 
 Red pepper 2 oz. 
 
 Mace, cloves and nutmeg to taste. 
 
 Water, up to the proportion of 4 lbs. per batch of 
 50 lbs., may be added during the chopping in the 
 "Buffalo." 
 
 —58— 
 
Enterprise Chopper 
 
 Buffalo Chopper 
 
 — 59— 
 
Potted Meat 
 
 There is no formula for potted meats where almost 
 all kinds of meat trimmings may be used as in the 
 manufacture of Bologna-sausage. When it is desired 
 to give a smoky flavor, dried beef may be used 
 instead of ham trimmings. 
 
 Potted Tongue 
 
 The base of "potted tongue" is the trimmings of 
 the cured tongues which are put in cans. Use the 
 following spices for 50 lb. of ox tongue trimmings: 
 
 White pepper 2^ oz. 
 
 Cayenne ' 2 oz. 
 
 Mace 2 oz. 
 
 Cloves 2 oz. 
 
 Nutmeg 2 oz. 
 
 Water 2 lbs. 
 
 Deviled Meats 
 
 Deviled meats are prepared in the same manner 
 as potted meats; the seasoning alone is different, a 
 greater quantity of cayenne pepper and spices being 
 used. 
 
 Pate de Foie (Liver Pate) 
 
 This is a very nice preparation for sandwiches. It 
 is stuffed and canned like ordinary potted meats. It 
 must not, however, be confounded with the French 
 '•'•Pate de foie gr as,'''' which is made of goose and duck 
 livers and is a fancy and very expensive article. Our 
 potted liver is made as follows: 
 Chop fine. 
 
 Pork liver i part 
 
 Fresh pork fat 2 parts 
 
 Lean pork meat . >< part 
 
 Spiced salt 3 oz. per lb. of product 
 
 —60— 
 
Chop the meat when raw and cook slowh' in a 
 steam-jacket kettle without any addition of water. 
 Stuff when hot. The formtila of spiced salt, which is 
 a very convenient one in many cases, is given later. 
 
 Veal Loaf 
 
 To work out the following formula, first cook the* 
 meat about 30 minutes, then run it through the "Enter- 
 'prise" chopper and the "Buffalo" cutter, then add the 
 milk, flour and spices. Hash very fine and stuff. Cap 
 and run through the vacuvmi pot at 17 in., then process 
 as follows: 
 
 #X 2 hours at 10 lbs. 
 
 #1 2 1-2 hours at 10 lbs. 
 
 Formula 
 
 Meat 50 lbs. 
 
 Corn meal .• 2 lbs. 
 
 H. M. P. flour 2 lbs. 
 
 White pepper 4 oz. 
 
 Mace >2 oz. 
 
 Sage I oz. 
 
 Sweet sa\'ory % oz. 
 
 Milk 1 quart 
 
 Sugar I oz. 
 
 Eggs 6 
 
 Salt 2 lbs. 
 
 Jellied Veal 
 
 Cure in salt for about 14 days in order to absorb 
 most of the excess of moisture. Cook only 10 minutes 
 in boiling water. Stuff' same as corned beef, Vjut use 
 only a very light jelly, as the meat will produce jelly 
 by itself. Some seasoning will greatly help to improve 
 the taste of veal meat. 
 
 —61— 
 
Corned Beef Hash 
 
 Formula 
 
 Corned beef ■ • ■ 45 lbs. 
 
 Salt pork trimmings 7,% lbs. 
 
 Potatoes 45 lbs. 
 
 Eggs 2^ lbs. 
 
 Onions 6}4 lbs. 
 
 Pepper 8 oz. 
 
 Spices to taste. 
 
 Potatoes should be boiled 20 minutes before peel- 
 ing and a certain proportion of water and oleo oil, as 
 a fat, may be added if necessary. 
 
 Compressed Ham 
 
 Compressed ham is generally made of ham trim- 
 mings. First trim ofE the fat, then boil the meat in 
 open vats for 25 to 45 minutes, according to the size 
 of the pieces. 
 
 Fill the cans according to the table given beloW: 
 using a jelly well prepared and seasoned to suit the 
 trade. 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 Jelly 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 Process 
 
 I 
 2 
 
 10 OZ. 
 2 2 OZ. 
 
 2 OZ. 
 
 3 OZ. 
 
 2 1 in. 
 2 2 in. 
 
 3 hours at 226 Fahr. 
 
 4 hours at 226 Fahr. 
 
 Irish Stew^ 
 
 Boned mutton is cut into suitable pieces and put 
 in the steam-jacket kettle with just enough water to 
 cover it. The usual flavoring made of spiced salt, 
 par.sley and onions is added. The whole is simmered 
 itntil the soup has been reduced half its volume. It is 
 then ready to can and process. 
 
 —62— 
 
French Stew 
 
 Mutton shoulders are generally used. First, fry 
 the boned meat in hot grease (oleo stock is generally 
 used in large packing plants). Can the meat and cover 
 with stock made as follows: Add to the hot fat in the 
 jacket kettle % lb. flour for every lb. of soup (to thicken 
 and brown it) and, when brown, thin the sauce with 
 diluted extract until the required quantity of sauce is 
 'obtained. Add a few vegetables and spices to taste. 
 
 Stewed Kidneys 
 
 Cut the kidneys in large pieces and remove all the 
 fat. Then soak the pieces first in cold water, and after- 
 wards in hot water. 
 
 Put 40 lbs. of kidneys in the steam-jacket kettle 
 with the addition of 5 lbs. oleo fat as frying stock, and 
 2 lbs. minced onions. Add 2 lbs. flour and 2 lbs. of the 
 following spices: 
 
 Salt 8 lbs. 
 
 Pepper 14 oz. 
 
 Cayenne X oz. 
 
 Paprika X oz 
 
 Other spices to taste. 
 
 Fill #2 cans with 20 oz. meat and cover with 
 "stock." This should be the ordinary stock thickened 
 with flour and flavored with spices to taste. 
 
 Tripe in Milk 
 
 The cleaned tripe is boiled in wooden vats or 
 enameled steam-jacket kettles, as steel or cast iron 
 kettles would turn it black. Even in wooden vats a 
 wooden perforated false bottom must be provided to 
 prevent the contact of the tripe and the steam pipes. 
 
 When the tripe is cooked and tender, it is cut in 
 strips, then rolled into rolls and stufi'ed into the cans. 
 
 —63— 
 
The can is then filled with a soup made of milk to 
 which is added salt in the proportion of 5 lbs. of salt 
 to each 10 gallons of milk. 
 
 Size 
 
 Meat 
 
 Milk 
 
 \'acuum 1 Process 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 26 oz. 
 
 5 lbs. 8 oz. 
 
 3 oz. 
 8 oz. 
 
 23 in. 
 23 in. 
 
 3 hours at 10 lbs. 
 6 hours at 7 lbs. 
 
 Tripe "A la Mode de Caen," 
 (French Style) 
 
 The cleaned tripe is cooked slowly for 6 hours in 
 jacket enameled kettles covered with a well-fitting lid. 
 To each 20 lbs. of fresh tripe add the following ingre- 
 dients : 
 
 Lard i lb. 
 
 Calf's feet ';.... 4 pieces 
 
 Salt ; . . . 9 oz. 
 
 White pepper ^ oz. 
 
 Cloves /^ oz. 
 
 Vinegar i pint 
 
 Onions ' 4 
 
 Carrots 4 
 
 Thyme, parsley, bay leaves. 
 Then can and process 1% hours at 10 lbs. 
 
 Mince Meat 
 
 Cook 2 lbs. beef in boiling water, then stand aside 
 over night to cool. Then chop the meat together with 
 the following ingredients: 
 
 2 lbs. beef suet. 
 4 lbs. apples. 
 I lb. citron. 
 }4 lb. lemon peel. 
 
 14 lb. candied orange peel. 
 2 lbs. laver raisins, stoned. 
 2 lbs. currants. 
 2 lbs. seedless raisins. 
 
 —64— 
 
Mix well all together and then add the juice and rind 
 of: 
 
 2 oranges, % oz. cinnamon. 
 
 2 lemons. % oz. mace. 
 
 2 nutmegs, grated. i teaspoonful of salt. 
 
 X oz. cloves. 
 Mix well and ptit in stone jar, covering with one 
 quart of sherry and one quart of brandy. 
 
 Chile Con Carne 
 
 This is a favorite dish of the Mexicans and of 
 many people in Central America. It is manufactured 
 to a certain extent by the Chicago canners for supplying 
 their Southern trade. 
 
 Recipe: The principal element of the seasonings 
 is a kind of large, sweet, red pepper — called by the 
 Mexicans "Chile Ancho." 
 
 First remove all seeds, then cook the fruit in boil- 
 ing water in a steam-jacket kettle until it can be run 
 through an "Enterprise" chopper to make a pulp. 
 
 Then take loo lbs. of beef and grind through 
 medium plate of the "Enterprise" chopper. 
 
 Put the Chile pulp and the meat and spices in the 
 jacket kettle, using the following proportions: 
 
 Meat loo lbs. 
 
 Chile pulp 15 lbs. 
 
 Salt. 2'i^ lbs. 
 
 Garlic ,K lb. 
 
 Cumina 7 ozs. 
 
 Oregano 5 ozs. 
 
 Water 8 gal. 
 
 Cayenne pepper 8 oz. 
 
 Keep boiling until the meat is well cooked, then 
 spread in the jacket kettle 3 lbs. of flour, to thicken the 
 sauce, and pack in cans. 
 
 —65— 
 
White beans may be added in each can. The 
 beans should be cooked in water in a separate kettle, 
 in order to keep them whole, as the mass of meat 
 must be kept stirring all the time it is cooking. 
 
 Should the meat be too lean, some fat, such as 
 oleo oil, may be used to soften it. 
 
 Pork and Beans 
 
 I am sorry to say that this favorite dish of so 
 many people, which is, -in fact, so dainty when properly 
 prepared at home, does not receive from the average 
 packer the attention which it deserves. The meat 
 packing industry has undertaken its manufacture be- 
 cause it is a means of securing a sale for some cuts of 
 pork which, when raw, would meet very little demand. 
 And the idea was a good one indeed. But the competi- 
 tion in selling prices has induced the packers to cut 
 down, more and more, the proportion of pork in the 
 product, so that the buyer is sometimes disappointed 
 with what he buys. Let the buyer stick to the best 
 brands. He will have to pay a few cents more, but he 
 will get what he expects. 
 
 The beans are first soaked in cold salted water for 
 1 2 hours previous to cooking. They are half-cooked in 
 boiling water, the water being carefully skimmed, and 
 then sent to the drain. This process washes away the 
 matter which causes a bitter taste in the product and 
 also the slimy products which impair the appearance of 
 the liquid surrounding the canned beans. Now, in 
 order to put up a uniform product, the canner must 
 weigh carefully the quantities of beans and also of the 
 soup to be put in each can. Indeed, during the process- 
 ing of beans, which is long and at high temperature, the 
 beans will keep on cooking, softening and absorbing a 
 certain amount of the soup. Should the proportion of 
 
 —66— 
 
the liquid to that of the beans be too small the product, 
 after the process, will be altogether too dry, and will 
 become still drier after a few weeks in the storage 
 room. Another danger is the excess of liquid, which 
 does not suit the consumer. 
 
 In practice, and when the filling of the cans is 
 done by hand, special cups are prepared, both for the 
 cooked beans and for the soup, holding a certain weight 
 of each of these constituents. They are filled close to 
 the top edge and their contents stuffed into the can 
 with the aid of a funnel. The can then passes into the 
 hands of a scaler who makes up the required net weight 
 by adding or subtracting some of the liquid. 
 
 The filling of cans by machine has now taken the 
 place of hand-filling in up-to-date plants, as a labor- 
 saver and a guarantee of uniformity. 
 
 Different soups are prepared to be added to the 
 beans and thus the packer is enabled to market what 
 is called "Plain Beans," "Beans with Tomato Sauce," 
 etc. But the proportion of pork deposited in each can 
 previous to the filling with beans and soup generally 
 remains the same. 
 
 The proportions as given below are an average. 
 All beans have not the same cooking and absorbing 
 properties, nor will all waters cook the beans in the 
 same manner. Consequentlv a few experiments have 
 to be made at the start, as well as each time that a 
 fresh supply of beans is brought to the canning depart- 
 ment. 
 
 
 
 sm 
 
 ^ng and Processing 
 
 Size 
 
 Pork 
 
 Beans 
 
 Soup 
 
 Vacuum 
 
 Process 
 
 I 
 
 I OZ. 
 
 6 OZ. 
 
 4 OZ. 
 
 15 
 
 2 hrs. 30 min. at 10 lbs. 
 
 2 
 
 2 OZ. 
 
 12 OZ. 
 
 8 OZ. 
 
 15 
 
 2%: do. 
 
 3 
 
 3 OZ- 
 
 21 OZ. 
 
 12 OZ. 
 
 15 
 
 3 do. 
 
 -67- 
 
Recipes for Soups 
 
 Soup for Tomato Sauce 
 
 Water 25 gal. 
 
 Tomato pulp 25 gal. 
 
 Sugar 25 lbs. 
 
 Salt 4 lbs. 
 
 Pepper 6 oz. 
 
 Spices to taste. 
 
 Boil this soup 15 min- 
 utes at least. 
 
 Soup for Plain Beans 
 
 Water 25 gal. 
 
 Brawn stock chop- 
 ped fine 12 lbs. 
 
 Sugar 25 lbs. 
 
 Salt 5 lbs. 
 
 Pepper 6 oz. 
 
 Spices to taste. 
 
 Boil this soup v^" hour. 
 
 N. B. Processing beans in the retort at a high 
 temperature has generally the effect of baking them, 
 z e., of giving them a rather brownish color. The same^ 
 ■pack of beans if processed under water at the boiling 
 point will turn out of a lighter color. The canner must 
 meet the requirements of the trade, but the process in 
 the retort at a high temperature is certainly safer and, 
 of course, quicker. 
 
 When beans and soup are stuffed hot into the cans 
 and the capping and tipping are done immediately, 
 without allowing the can to cool, there is no necessity 
 of using the vacuum machine; — the ends will "draw" 
 sufficiently when the can has cooled. 
 
 Soups 
 
 Very nice soups can be put up in the canning 
 department of a packing house if the foreman canner 
 has the ' inspirations of a good cook, as he then can 
 dispose of a great quantity of material to advantage. 
 
 The greatest part of the contents of a tin of soup 
 being liquids, the process to be applied will be lighter 
 and shorter than that supplied to meats, as the liquids 
 are better conductors of heat, and the sterilization will 
 thus be easier. 
 
 —68— 
 
Soups are generally put up in sizes called #i, 
 #iK) #2. Below is given the process-time generally 
 considered as sufficient for the different sizes. 
 
 When the cans are filled with hot liquids, and 
 capped and tipped immediately, no exhausting is- 
 necessary, the heat of the liquid expels enough of the 
 air contained in the air-space to "draw" the ends of 
 the can when the contents are cold. 
 
 Cans for soups may be made of light tin-plate, 
 and, by having the bottom made of a very light tin- 
 plate, the consumer will be able to cut it with a pocket 
 knife; no key-opening device is generally adapted to 
 this class of cans. 
 
 Stuffing and Processing 
 
 \ Size 
 
 Process 
 
 No. I 
 
 No. iK 
 
 55 min. at 230 
 60 min. at 230 
 
 Recipes for Soups 
 
 Consomme 
 
 Boil fresh beef trimmings or dilute extract of beef 
 in the required quantity of water to produce a rich 
 broth, boil 15 minutes with a few vegetables (carrots, 
 turnips, onions), pepj^er and spices to taste, strain and 
 filter, can and process. 
 
 Roast beef cook-waters can be used with advantage 
 and take the place of the extract. 
 
 It will be only necessary to let them simmer in 
 the kettle itp to the proper concentration point and 
 then act as above explained. Coloring, if required, 
 can be given with burnt sugar. 
 
 —69^ 
 
Vegetable Soup 
 
 Cut in small cubes a quantity of carrots, turnips, 
 parsnips and a few stalks of celery. Blanch these 
 vegetables in boiling water for lo minutes. Some green 
 peas may also be added. Now prepare the same broth 
 as described for the consomme, but without the addition 
 of other vegetables during the boiling. The broth can 
 also be made slightly lighter. 
 
 Then fill the cans with the^cut vegetables up to a 
 quarter of the height, finish filling the cans with hot 
 consomme, cap and tip and process. 
 
 Pea Soup 
 
 Soak one bushel of dried peas in lukewarm water 
 over night; the next morning send the soak- water to 
 the drain, place the peas in a steam-jacket kettle, 
 covering with water and adding the following: 
 
 Lard lo lbs. 
 
 Smoked ham trimmings 5 lbs. 
 
 Carrots 3 lbs. 
 
 Onions 3 lbs. 
 
 Salt 2X lbs. 
 
 White pepper 3>^ oz. 
 
 Other spices to taste. 
 
 Keep gently boiling for an hour, then crush through 
 the finest plate of the "Enterprise" chopper, pass 
 through a hair-sieve and put the paste back into the 
 jacket kettle, to keep it hot, adding to it enough water 
 to get the required consistency. Then fill the cans, cap 
 and process. 
 
 Tomato Soup 
 
 Scald the tomatoes, crush them, put them in the 
 jacket kettle, adding sufficient water. Keep boiling an 
 hour, adding 2 lbs. of lard for each 20 gallons of soup. 
 
 —70— 
 
Thicken the soup with the addition of i lb. of rice flour 
 to each 20 gals., also 2 lbs. of salt, a pinch of pepper 
 and spices to taste. Then strain carefully through a 
 hair-sieve, and put back in the kettle to keep hot. 
 
 Swell some rice in boiling water for 20 minutes. 
 Place 2 i^ ozs. of the swelled rice in each #1 can, fill 
 with hot soup, cap and process. 
 
 Ox-Tail Soup 
 
 Concentrated ox-tail soup is made of the concen- 
 trated broth obtained by boiling ox-tails for .4. to 5 
 hours with a few vegetables, salt and spices to taste. 
 
 The broth should then be strained and clarified, and 
 colored with burnt sugar if necessary. The meat should 
 be taken out of the bones, which are sent to the tank 
 house, and the cans are filled as follows: 
 
 #1 cans. Boned meat 1% ozs. 
 
 Broth 8 ozs. 
 
 Swelled pearl barley i >2 ozs. 
 
 When cold this concentrated broth will become a 
 jelly. 
 
 -71- 
 
Chapter VI. 
 By-products of the Beef Department 
 
 The beef by-product department and the canning 
 department must work together in order to get the 
 maximum of salable products out of the cattle 
 slaughtered for canning purposes. It is only owing to 
 this combination that the large packers of the United 
 States, Argentina and Australia have been able to place 
 on the market a line of canned meats, such as corned 
 beef and roast beef, which sell so cheaply that the 
 housekeeper herself cannot figure on making her own 
 cooked meat at the same price, when she is aware of 
 the fact that the shrinkage of beef meat in cooking 
 amounts to 3.3%, and that the bones are of no value 
 whatever for food purposes. This result is obtained as 
 follows: Canning cattle are generally bought at a 
 rather low figure, not being fat enough for the retail 
 butcher's shop. When canning cattle are slaughtered 
 for the canning department the best cuts are generally 
 saved, which can be sold fresh at a good figure and this 
 goes to the credit of the canned meat. 
 
 Moreover, the meat has to be boned, and the 
 packer should save these bones which, when fresh, will 
 render valuable liquors for extract purposes, fat and 
 marrow, and can then be sold either as hard bones or 
 for chemical purposes, according to their quality. 
 
 Again, the meat generally has to be soaked and 
 boiled, and, as the water dissolves a great part of its 
 soluble and nutritious elements, similar to those con- 
 tained in ordinary beef broth, it mav be saved and con- 
 
 —72— 
 
centrated by evaporation for the manufacture of beef 
 extract. I shall, therefore, say a few words about the 
 treatment to be applied to the bones and respecting 
 the manufacture of meat extracts. 
 
 Bones 
 
 Packitig-houses where no canning department is in 
 operation onlv consider the sale of the skulls, jaws, 
 and shins or shanks, as thev are called indifferently. 
 These shins are very valuable when they have been 
 treated properh/ and may be sold as hard bones for 
 the manufacture of knife handles, brush handles, but- 
 tons, and man}' other purposes. 
 
 When the carcasses of beef are boned for canning 
 purposes the canner disposes of another series of bones 
 which are just as valuable as the shanks. I refer to 
 the cannons and the clods in the fore-quarters, and to 
 the thighs and buttocks in the hind-quarters. 
 
 All these bones undergo the same treatment as the 
 shanks. The ends or knuckle pieces are sawn off with 
 the power bone-saw so as barely to expose the marrow. 
 The bones are then cooked for about 6 hours in water 
 
 —73— 
 
at the temperature of 190 degrees Fahr. The hquid is 
 then allowed to settle for an hour. All grease on top 
 of the water is skimmed off and saved, and the bones 
 are sent to the revolving washer to be perfectl}^ freed 
 from all meat, and cleaned. When perfectly clean and 
 white they are spread on racks in the drying room, 
 where the temperature should be kept at 85 or 90 
 
 Bone Washer and Polisher 
 
 degrees Fahr. , no more. Great care must be exercised 
 not to boil the cooking water nor to overcook the bones. 
 This would have the result of dissolving part of the 
 gelatine of the bones. The bones would turn out 
 "chalky" and become unsalable as hard bones, and the 
 cooking waters would contain too much gelatine to be 
 of any use in the extract room. 
 
 The other bones, rib-bones, back-bones, etc., 
 generally retain a larger proportion of meat adhering 
 to them. The best way to treat them is as follows: 
 First, cook them at a rather low temperature (150 
 degrees Fahr. will be enough) and save this water for ■ 
 
 —74— 
 
extract. Secondly, reboil them at 212 degrees for a 
 longer time, in order to render all the fat. 
 
 After that thev may be sent to the tank-house, or 
 be treated for the manufacture of glue, but this subject 
 is outside the scope of this treatise. In any case, and 
 in order to get the best price for them, they must be 
 • thoroughly cleaned by passing them through the revolv- 
 ing washer, and they must be completely dried. 
 
 Extract of Beef 
 
 This is another by-product of the beef department, 
 which is still more closeh' connected with the canning 
 department. 
 
 Beef extract is the result of the concentration of 
 the soluble juices of the meats. These juices dissolve 
 in the soaking and cooking waters and, not very long 
 ago, were lost and sent to the drain. They are, how- 
 ever, the very elements of the meat savor. The}^ are 
 recommended by many physicians as precious to 
 invalids,, and they are also the most valuable help to 
 the modern "chef." 
 
 One hundred i^ounds of beef, "fully extracted," 
 yields, in the chemist's laboratory, 4% of perfectly 
 dried extract. The so-called "solid" extract of the 
 packers contains about 20% of moisture. Therefore, 
 the meat would yield about 5% of commercial solid 
 extract. But the aim of the packer is not to extract 
 from the meat all its soluble principles. He only 
 tries to save that proportion of them which would be 
 lost during the different processes of manufacture. In 
 practice the yield in extract of the meats handled in 
 the canning department is much below the figures 
 given above. 
 
 —75— 
 
However, with the present price of meat extracts, 
 it will be easy to figure out the loss sustained by the 
 packer who does not save the liquors from the canning 
 department. Commercially speaking, I may say that 
 beef extract is a compound of the different extracts 
 obtained by the concentration or evaporation of the 
 soaking or cooking waters of beef or bone liquors 
 handled in the canning, and, sometimes, in the sausage 
 departments. 
 
 These liquors are generally evaporated by them- 
 selves up to the required density, because each of them 
 presents different characteristics in taste, flavor, color, 
 etc., and afterwards, definite proportions of them are 
 compounded together to make up the finished product. 
 
 Pure extract should contain no fatty matters and 
 as little gelatine as possible. 
 
 Of course it might be possible to evaporate these 
 liquors in open steam-jacket kettles. But, not to men- 
 tion the time required for the process and the high 
 steam consumption, the temperature of the boiling 
 liquid and that of the walls of the kettle are liable to 
 "bake" some of the solids contained in the liquors, and 
 to impart to them a disagreeable flavor. 
 
 A great improvement is obtained by the use of a 
 revolving cylinder similar to that employed as "stick 
 driers." Low-pressure steam is allowed to circulate 
 inside the cylinder. The liquors to be concentrated are 
 run as a thin film on the outside of the drum, and, 
 owing to the great surface of evaporation, the process 
 is considerably lessened. This apparatus is the one I 
 would recommend for small plants as it involves only 
 a light expense in machinery. 
 
 Where considerable quantities of liquors are evap- 
 orated every day the packer looks more closely to the 
 
steam consumption than to the cost of the apparatus, 
 and, consequentlv, he prefers the vacuum e\'aporators 
 
 By artificially lessening the atmospheric pressure 
 on the top of a liquid the temperature of ebullition is 
 considerably lowered. Thus disappears the danger of 
 "baking the product." Moreover, the air-pump which 
 creates the vacuum will at the same time take care of 
 the vapors produced by the ebullition of the liquid, 
 and, with the aid of the condenser, will aid quicker 
 evaporation. 
 
 Evaporating under a vacuum is also economical as 
 it allows the use of the exhaust steam from jacket 
 kettles, steam engines, etc., for heating. And while a 
 cylinder-drier working under the atmospheric pressure 
 will require as an average i lb. of coal to evaporate lo 
 lbs. of liquor, a double-effect evaporator will evaporate. 
 
with the same quantity of coal, i6 lbs. of liquor, and 
 a triple-effect, 24 lbs. 
 
 The main materials which are used for the produc- 
 tion of liquors for the extract department are handled 
 as follows: 
 
 Beef Hearts 
 
 Fresh beef hearts are sometimes difficult to sell. 
 In this case they may be sliced or crushed in the meat 
 chopper, then soaked for 24 hours in cold water, the 
 water being changed two or three times during that 
 period and all these waters being put away in a cooler 
 for further use in the extract department. These 
 heart soak-waters give a very good extract and will 
 yield 2 . 3 5 / 1 00 of the weight of the hearts in solid extract . 
 When the hearts are treated for extract only an addi- 
 tion of one part of hydrochloric acid to 250 parts of 
 the soak-water will greatly increase the yield in extract. 
 
 Corned Beef 
 
 Nearty all corned beef used in the canning depart- 
 ment has to be soaked for at least twelve hours in cold 
 water in order to wash off the old pickle and to dissolve 
 the excess of salt. These soak-waters contain, of 
 course, part of the meat juices. Their evaporation will 
 yield about 1.50% of extract. This extract alone 
 would be altogether too salty, but it can be mixed 
 with heart or roast-beef extracts. The corned beef 
 cook- waters are not employed generally, as they give a 
 rather disagreeable taste to the product, a "cheesy'.' 
 taste, as the packer says. 
 
 Roast Beef 
 
 Roast-beef soak and cook- waters are a first-class 
 material for extract, as only fresh meats are generally 
 used for that purpose. Roast -beef cooking and soaking- 
 
 —78— 
 
waters when added will yield 2.50% of the weight of 
 the fresh meat in solid extract. 
 
 Bone Liquors 
 
 All bones from meats cut for the canning depart- 
 ment may be cooked for two hours in water at about 
 150 degrees Fahr. They will render a liquor which can 
 be blended with other liquors for extract and will 
 yield /-2% of the weight of the bones. They contain, 
 in fact, a small percentage of gelatine, but, when com- 
 pounded with above described products, will give a 
 very satisfactory result. The bones are then sent to 
 the bone department for further treatment. 
 
 Whatever may be the machinery employed for 
 the evaporation, the operation is carried on in two 
 sections, as follows: 
 
 Cook -waters from the canning room and bone- 
 liquors are first boiled b}' themselves in large flat open 
 vats. Then an equal quantity of soak-waters (gen- 
 
 erally called "cellar" waters) is added. The heat pro- 
 duces the coagulation of the albuminous matters which 
 
 -79- 
 
are dissolved in the cellar-waters and this coagulated 
 albumen forms a scum which rises to the surface. The 
 scum is vigorously stirred in the mass of the liquid, the 
 coagulated albumen having the property of carrying 
 with it most of the impurities in suspense in the liquid, 
 and the liquid is then first strained through a coarse 
 sieve and then pumped through a filter press, or, at 
 least, carefully filtered through flannel bags. 
 
 Then the clear liquid is pumped to the evaporators. 
 It is first concentrated to a density of 7 to 8 degrees 
 Baume. Now, .if the liquor is not clear enough, some 
 more cellar-water may be added and a new filtration 
 made. 
 
 The liquid is then pumped into the finishing pan 
 where it is concentrated into a paste which will contain 
 only from 20% to 25% of moisture. This, when cold, 
 will have the appearance of a heavy dark-brown paste , 
 and is called ' ' solid extract. ' ' It contains, as an average, 
 22% of moisture, 63% of organic substances and 15% 
 of salt. The salt comes partly from that contained in 
 the corned beef soak-waters and the balance is added 
 to the liquor before the last process. It is the only 
 preservative that should be used in the manufacture 
 of beef extract, although some packers also add sugar 
 up to the proportion of i>'2%. 
 
 Sometimes the concentration is not carried so high 
 and the process is stopped when the liquid marks 20 
 degrees Baume. This is what is called "fluid extract." 
 It contains 45% of moisture and 10% of salt. 
 
 Fluid extract does not keep so long as solid extract, 
 and it is wise to put it in large cans and to give it a 
 process in the retort Then it can be kept for any 
 length of time and may be bottled only at the time of 
 shipping. 
 
 —80— 
 
Solid extract when put up in well-corked jars and 
 stored in a cold room keeps well. This is why manu- 
 facturers first reduce all extracts to a solid. When- 
 ever they receive orders for fluid extract they prepare 
 it by thoroughlv mixing 60 parts of solid extract with 
 '40 parts of water. 
 
 As already explained, all solid extracts made 
 from different materials are stored in a cold room. 
 When the time for sale arrives definite proportions of 
 each one of them are blended together in a small steam- 
 jacket kettle provided with an agitator (beater). This 
 has not only the effect of thoroughly blending the 
 dift'erent materials but also introduces into the paste 
 a certain quantity of air, which will make the color of 
 the finished product a light brown, instead of the dark 
 black color which it had when coming out of the 
 finishing pan. 
 
 Bouillon tablets, soup tablets (with or without 
 addition of vegetables), are all derived from meat 
 extract, and they are often found to contain a notable 
 proportion of gelatine. 
 
 Beef extracts are on the market under numerous 
 fancy names. Their value should be estimated only 
 by the resuh; of analysis, and their proj^ortion of 
 organic substances. 
 
 —81- 
 
Chapter VII. 
 Recent Inventions 
 
 The "Auto-Vacuum" 
 
 Such is the name given by the inventor, Mr. Aug. 
 Corthay, to an apparatus in which the meat is cooked 
 without any addition of water and in a closed recep- 
 tacle. 
 
 It is in fact a steam-jacket kettle, covered by a 
 dome which can be bolted tightly on the body of the 
 kettle. The meat is put in the kettle without any 
 other addition than the proper amount of salt and 
 spices. Then the lid is secured and the steam turned 
 on. 
 
 The name of auto-vacuum applied by the inventor 
 to the apparatus (which seems rather strange when 
 applied to a closed kettle where there is a pressure 
 greater than that of the atmosphere during the cook- 
 ing process), derives its origin from this fact: When 
 starting the operation, the pet-cock on the top 
 of the lid is left open, allowing all the air possible to 
 be expelled by the first vapors of the boiling. Then 
 it is closed and the meat is stewed in its own vapor. 
 
 This first expulsion of the air lasts for a longer or 
 shorter time according to the kind of meats treated. 
 For example, we ma}^ mention the cooking of tripe, 
 which, as everyone knows, requires consideral^le time 
 under water. This time is greatly reduced by cooking 
 under pressure, but the taste would be rather disagree- 
 able if the pet-cock was not kept open for a certain 
 time, thus allowing the first vapors to escape and carry- 
 
 —82— 
 
ing away all objectionable odors. During the cooking 
 process all the meat juices separate under the influence 
 of the heat, as usual, but, no water having been 
 allowed to come in contact with the meat, they issue 
 in a state of intense concentration and very little boil- 
 ing'is afterwards required to convert them into extract. 
 
 In addition to this, the meat has not been deprived 
 of its juices by boiling in water, the shrinkage is no 
 greater as there is no evaporation, but the saving in 
 savory principles is considerable, and the cooking 
 process is very quick, being made under the pressure 
 generated bv the vaporization of the liquids themselves, 
 under the influence of the steam jacket. 
 
 I really believe that the apparatus is well worth a 
 trial by the small canner who aims rather at quality 
 than at quantity of product. It is also admirably 
 adapted to the cooking of vegetables. 
 
 When the meat has been taken out and the jelly 
 carefully strained and filtered, the jelly is put back 
 into the kettle and the lid is put on again. A connec- 
 tion is made with a vacuum pump and the cooking 
 kettle becomes a finishing kettle for extract. 
 
 Centrifugal Drier of Meats 
 
 This apparatus is based on the same principle as 
 the centrifugal drying machines used in so many indus- 
 tries, laundries, etc. It is built like a cream-separator, 
 but the bowl is perforated instead of being plain. 
 
 The meats which come from the sweet-pickle 
 cellar are dumped into the bowl and it is put in motion; 
 its speed is about i,8oo revolutions per minute. Under 
 the influence of centrifugal force all the free liquids are 
 expelled. 
 
 A great number of these machines are now in use 
 in the southeastern countries of Europe, especially 
 
 —83— 
 
where a great quantity of summer sausage is turned 
 out. This affords, indeed, a quick means of freeing 
 the meat of part of its constituent juices, a process 
 which takes so long when drying is done by air circu- 
 lation. Moreover, in the latter process the juices are 
 lost; in the new one they can be saved for other pur- 
 poses. 
 
 Not only the manufacturers of summer sausage, 
 but also manufacturers of dried beef can derive advan- 
 tage from the use of the centrifugal drier because it 
 is during the first period of desiccation that there are 
 the greatest risks of spoiling the products. 
 
 In the manufacture of canned meats proper it 
 would seem that by treating the meats with the centri- 
 fugal machine one might, in certain cases, avoid the 
 soaking process which is always detrimental to the 
 natural flavor of the meat. By this treatment also a 
 richer liquor for extract purposes may be immediately 
 obtained. 
 
 Canning of Raw Meats 
 
 This is a favorite subject of mine and it involves 
 a problem for which a solution has still to be found. 
 
 By stuffing the meat raw into the can the packer 
 would do away with the 35% shrinkage which occurs 
 during the boiling of the meat previous to canning, and 
 the consuming public would get a better product, as 
 they would obtain for a given price, not meat partially 
 deprived of its savory principles and soluble extracts, 
 by the boiling in water, but meat where all the nourish- 
 ing principles have been concentrated in an air-tight 
 receptacle and which would have even more nutritive 
 value than the same amount of meat treated on the 
 kitchen range. It is to be regretted that this problem 
 has so far remained unsolved. Is it the fault of the 
 
 —84— 
 
public or is it that of the packer? The question is 
 dififictilt to answer. 
 
 It may be the fault of the public. They in fact 
 do not know what they get for their money. Thev 
 have been educated to a supply of solid, compressed, 
 but washed-out meat; and they do not understand 
 that they would get more by buying meats preserved 
 iti their concentrated cooking gravy. 
 
 Nevertheless I must blame the packer as being' 
 partly responsible for this state of affairs. While spend- 
 ing such considerable sums of money in advertising his 
 goods, he might at the same time just as well have 
 explained to the public what canned meats ought to 
 be. It might even appear that the meat canner had 
 some kind of interest in concealing the trvith, but, if 
 that was so, he is now caught in his own trap. 
 
 In attempting to supply the public with a "solid" 
 piece of meat, he has to stand .35% shrinkage in cook- 
 ing, and, if he is not so equipped as to be able to save 
 the liquors and turn them into extracts, he sends to 
 the drain these ^■aluable liquors which are thus lost 
 both to himself and to the consumer. 
 
 Things will have to change and the time will come 
 when the public will ask for the brand that offers them 
 the greatest amount of nutritive elements, agreeably 
 seasoned, for the same money. And then the time of 
 lixiviated, pressed, oversalted, overboiled meats will 
 be over. The consumer will have to pay no more for 
 his can of beef and he will not have to btiy beef extract 
 to season it — the identical extract made from the 
 soluble principles of the very meat he has already 
 purchased. 
 
 To conclude, the eft'orts of the intelligent canner 
 should be directed to the canning of meat preserved 
 with all its nutritive qualities. To give it the attractive 
 
 —85— 
 
appearance which will satisfy the customer on opening 
 the can is the problem to be solved. 
 
 It is to be sincerely hoped that the efforts of 
 experimentalists (and I know a few of them) may 
 meet with abundant success, as well in the interest of 
 the canners as of that of the consuming public. 
 
 —86- 
 
Legislation and Inspection 
 
 The necessity of protecting the pubhc health 
 against the ignorance, and sometimes the excessive 
 cupidity, of a certain class of manufacturers of food 
 products, has compelled the legislatures of all civilized 
 nations to enact regulations concerning the preparation 
 and the sale of food products, and, in consequence, 
 meats, canned meats and all canned foods in general. 
 
 Whatever the manufacturer of canned foods may 
 have thought when the law. was first put in force, these 
 regulations and the assurance thus given to the con- 
 suming public that they can buy and use canned meats 
 with entire security, have been the most important 
 measures in the interest of the canner himself. 
 
 A leading authority says, with reason: "If the 
 people had implicit confidence in all manufactured 
 food products, and all were strictly first class, the 
 maximum capacity of all factories would be insufficient 
 to supply the demand." 
 
 The large meat canners of the United States under- 
 stood this side of the question at first glance and have 
 been as eager to have the inspection of foreign prospec- 
 tive buyers as that of their own government. Thanks 
 to the inspector's label they have succeeded in main- 
 taining the confidence and continuing to book the 
 orders of the great bu3"ers of canned meats. 
 
 Inspection is, therefore, of vital importance to 
 the manufacturer of canned foods 
 
 I may add that, in my opinion, the intelligent 
 Government-inspector should be the friend of the 
 packer, should explain to him fully the scientific rea- 
 sons for his work, if necessary, and should, whenever 
 possible, try to help him in the solution of the various 
 problems of his trade as often as his scientific knowl- 
 edge may be of assistance. 
 
 —87— 
 
In all Government-inspected plants, the meats 
 used in the manufacture of canned meats have been 
 previously inspected and approved when fresh. The 
 nature and quality of the preservatives which can be 
 used being also well determined by the regulations, 
 the main duty of the inspector in charge of the canning 
 room would be to assure himself that all meats 
 coming out of the pickling cellar are indisputably fit 
 for human food. 
 
 Then the main point for him to watch would be 
 that no reprocessing of leaks is done. As I have al- 
 ready explained", this is where there is actual danger 
 for the public health on account of the possible forma- 
 tion of ptomaines, and of lead and tin salts which can- 
 not be detected by the consumer, either by the advanced 
 state of decomposition or by the swelled appearance 
 of the can. ' 
 
 A few countries have also enacted regulations pre- 
 scribing that all seams should be soldered outside, 
 prohibiting the use of solder containing an excess of 
 lead, and prohibiting also the use of chloride of zinc as 
 a soldering flux, But these rules have not been 
 adopted everywhere as 3^et as all hygienists are not 
 agreed on the matter. 
 
 The balance of the regulations, which is common 
 to all countries, concerns cleanliness in the operations,, 
 •etc. , prohibits a false description of the contents of the 
 cans, of the net weight and of the date of manufacture. 
 
 —88- 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 spiced Salt or Prepared Salt 
 
 (For the Seasoning of Meats) 
 
 Spiced salt is prepared by thoroughly mixing lo 
 lbs. of fine salt to lo oz. of especial spices for meats. 
 
 Special Spice for Meats 
 
 White pepper • i lb. 
 
 Cayenne pepper K oz. 
 
 Curry 14 oz. 
 
 Ginger. 3 oz. 
 
 Bay leaves 6 oz. 
 
 Thyme 6 oz. 
 
 Sage 6 oz. 
 
 Nutmeg I o oz. 
 
 Cloves 3 oz. 
 
 Cinnamon 3 oz. 
 
 —89— 
 
Plain Salt Solutions 
 
 Salt % 
 
 Water % 
 
 Degrees 
 Salonieter 
 
 Specific Gravity 
 
 O 
 
 100 
 
 
 
 I. 
 
 I 
 
 99 
 
 4 
 
 1.007 
 
 5 
 
 95 
 
 20 
 
 1.037 
 
 lO 
 
 90 
 
 40 
 
 1.073 
 
 IS 
 
 85 
 
 60 
 
 1. 115 
 
 20 
 
 80 
 
 80 
 
 1.150 
 
 25 
 
 75 
 
 100 
 
 1. 191 
 
 From the above table, it will be understood that 
 the figure representing the percentage of salt in a 
 solution is obtained by dividing the number of degrees 
 by 4- 
 
 For instance, to make a 68 degree pickle, we have 
 to dissolve 68 divided by 4, or 17 parts of salt in 83 
 parts of water. 
 
 —90— 
 
Boiling Point of Solutions of Common 
 Salt and Chloride of Calcium in Water 
 
 Common Salt % 
 
 Chloride of Calcium % 
 
 Boiling Point 
 Thrm. Centigrade 
 
 7-7 
 
 10. 
 
 lOI 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 16.5 
 
 102 
 
 18 
 
 T 
 
 
 
 21.6 
 
 103 
 
 23 
 
 I 
 
 25.8 
 
 104 
 
 27 
 
 7 
 
 29.4 
 
 105 
 
 31 
 
 8 
 
 32.6 
 
 106 
 
 35 
 
 8 
 
 35-6 
 
 107 
 
 39 
 
 7 
 
 38-5 
 
 108 
 
 
 41-3 
 
 no 
 
 
 44- 
 
 III 
 
 
 46.8 
 
 112 
 
 
 49-7 
 
 113 
 
 
 52.8 
 
 114 
 
 
 55.6 
 
 115 
 
 
 58.6 
 
 116 
 
 
 61.6 
 
 117 
 
 
 64.6 
 
 118 
 
 
 67.6 
 
 119 . 
 
 
 70.6 
 
 120 
 
 
 73-6 
 
 
 —91— 
 
Tin-Plate Standards 
 
 Size 
 
 No. Sheets per 
 Box 
 
 Net Weight 
 of Box 
 
 Denomination 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 95 
 
 Light 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 100 
 
 ICL 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 107 
 
 IC 
 
 14 b}^ 20 
 
 112 
 
 128 
 
 IXL 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 13s 
 
 IX 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 156 
 
 IXX 
 
 14 by 20 
 
 112 
 
 176 
 
 IXXX 
 
 —92— 
 
r 
 
 Comparison Between Steam Pressure 
 and Steam Temperature 
 
 Pressure in lbs. per 
 sq. inch 
 
 Temperature Fahr. 
 
 O 
 
 212 
 
 I 
 
 214 
 
 2 
 
 219 
 
 3 
 
 222 
 
 4 
 
 224.4 
 
 5. 
 
 227 
 
 6 
 
 229 
 
 7 
 
 232 
 
 8 
 
 23s 
 
 9 
 
 238 
 
 lO 
 
 240 
 
 II 
 
 242 
 
 12 
 
 244 
 
 13 
 
 246 
 
 14 
 
 248 
 
 I'S 
 
 250 
 
 -93— 
 
We are Designing and Consulting 
 Engineers 
 
 for the Meat Packing and Canning 
 Industries. We also manufacture and 
 furnish all machinery and equipment for 
 packing houses and canning factories. 
 We solicit your correspondence, and 
 will give same special attention. 
 
 Experts in Every Department 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 Established 1853 
 Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
 
 Branches: 
 
 DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 
 
 -94- 
 
Mince Meat Press 
 
 This machine has a capacity of 25 to 30 cakes per minute, 
 and requires about 2 H. P. to operate it. 
 
 The moulds can be made to make any size cake up to one 
 pound. 
 
 All the working parts that come in contact with the mince 
 meat are made of bronze metal. 
 
 The gears are cut from solid metal. 
 
 It is provided with tight and loose pulley, 24 inches in 
 diameter, four-inch face. 
 
 Should make about fifty revolutions per minute. 
 
 If it's a machine or apparatus used by the Canner of Meats, 
 we can furnish it. 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 Established 1853 
 Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
 Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 
 
 —97— 
 
Can Washer and Sterilizer 
 
 This is an entirely 
 automatic, compact 
 little rotary machine, 
 placed so as to inter- 
 cept and treat the 
 empty cans as they fall 
 through the usual can 
 chutes to filling ma- 
 chines. The cans are 
 first subjected to a 
 thorough washing by 
 geyser spray of water 
 under pressure, and 
 then steamed in sim- 
 ilar way and passed 
 hot to the filler. 
 
 Capacity as desired, 
 up to 5,000 cans per 
 hour. 
 
 Four of the machines were used throughout the season of 1907 at the 
 plant of the Gibson Canning Co., Gibson, 111. — to which Company we can 
 refer you. 
 
 The accumulating dross and dirt removed from apparently clean cans 
 was something truly remarkable — (much of this was saved and is available 
 as an exhibit) — to say nothing of the soluble matter removed in the operation. 
 
 AH packers know of the unavoidable dust and particles of trash, etc., 
 that find their way into empty cans, and the constant opportunities for 
 unmentionable abuse to which they are subject during handling and storage, 
 and must realize at once that this is one of the greatest aids to sanitary 
 packing introduced in the movement for pure and sanitary canned goods. 
 Further Particulars and Price on Application 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 Established 1853 
 
 Main Offices and Factoriea: ST. LOUIS 
 
 Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 
 
 —98— 
 
Universal Exhauster 
 
 View Showing Machine Uncovered 
 
 This machine will handle any size and any shape of can up to and in- 
 cluding gallons without change, and can be furnished for any capacity desired. 
 
 Labeling Machine 
 
 --/LT-irTT.A ' / -L ...11 — .1^ 
 
 This machine puts labels on tin cans in a perfectly satisfactory manner' 
 Its thoroughly established reputation and exceptional merit are so wel' 
 known as to make a detailed description of the machine unnecessary. This 
 machine is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity in every well appointed 
 canning factory. 
 
 Capacity, from 2,o()() to 4,000 per hour. Floor space, 3x12 feet, in- 
 cluding runways. Shipping weight, about 250 pounds. 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 Establislied 1853 
 
 Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
 
 Branches: DENVER NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 
 
 —99— 
 
Our Main Offices and Factories, St. Louis 
 
 The above is a bird's-eye view of our great main plant in St. Louis, 
 which covers almost an entire city block, and contains more than 
 600,000 feet of floor space. 
 
 This plant is equipped throughout with the most modern machinery, 
 and devoted to the manufacture of machinery and appliances used in the 
 meat industry and the working up of its by-products. 
 
 Our experts in every department are not only familiar with the 
 mechanical part of the business, but also possess the technical knowl- 
 edge necessary for the practical operation of packing houses, lard 
 refineries and canning factories. 
 
 Correspondence solicited and given careful attention. 
 
 THE BRECHT COMPANY 
 
 Established 1853 
 Main Offices and Factories: ST. LOUIS 
 Branches: DENVER NEW YORK 
 
 BUENOS AIRES HAMBURG 
 
 —100— 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO