The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
THE CANNING OF OYSTERS.
Twice Steamed and stcrilizcd Before
Ready for Market.
lFrom tho Chicago Record.

(froul INC Chicago RccoTd)
Pass Christian, Miss.-The following
method of canning oysters is employed at
Pass Christian. where we are told no pre-
sorvatiye is used except very careful
$ canning process. which sterilizes the
oyster in the she'll. and a second steam
ing process after the can is scaled. which
again steriiZes and also exhausts the air
from the can. causing the necessary vac
uum.
The cannery is on piles over the waters
OF Mississippi sound, near the end of
pier .i16 feet long. This great length IS
rendered necessary by The distance of the
channel from the shore; the water be
tween is very shallow. Beyond the build
ings there is dock on which the oysters
are hoisted in buckets. by steam. from
Tat b0ttoracd oyster schooners which
dredge their freight from various beds at
distance of from seven TO twenty miles,
taking about five days TO procure and de-
liver each load The oysters are dumped
from the hcisJing buckets into train of
fou- cars made of iron stats; these cars
gun on a narrow tramway and each holds
Eve barrels When the train is loaded
it is pushed into q long iron box, the
ends are closed and steam is let on which
cooks them in the shell. Next the steam
/ is cut of, the train is pushed out at the
other end of the box. and The oysters.
whose shells are now agape. perfectly dry
from thorough cooking, are taken from
the cars and opened by women and girls
standing by long tables into galvanized
| lran measures. The measures hold four
pounds ard half: each one as soon as
, Allied is carried TO a window opening into
an adjouTning room weighed and paid for
on the spot, ) cents being the regulation
price.
The oysters are next thoroughly washed
in watts to remove bits of shell. then for
waTded to the canning table, where girls
put them into the cylindrical cases. The
cans are next placed in a large open
bucket made OF iron bands hoisted and let
down by machinery into deep iron cylin-
der just fitting the circumference of the
bucket; The lid is closed and steam ap-
piled for about eight minutes at . tenn
perature of 24e degrees Fahrenheit.
longer time allowance is given to the
larger cans. This heat is sufficient to
generate enough steam within the cans to
destroy any germs and preserve the con
tents until the outside rus;s through and
lets in the air These oysters. it is
claimed. are put up absolutely free from
chemical pFeserHatiVe. which must be
used with all oysters that are canned raw
what is known in the trade as fresh
canned. They go to all parts OF the
country. many OF them to the wholesale
| houses of Chicago and are supposed to
retail at 10 cents a pound can. They are
used principally in the country trade
I These oysters have been so thoroughly
cooked by steam as to shrink TO about
oae-eighi. their original size. and should
be served as soon as heated through.
Besides oysters. shrimp are canned at
this establishment in their season, also
crabs (beth soft and hard she'll and Lou
isiana mclasses. Another product per-
haps. Will surprise the public--canned
salmon. absolutely pure. prepared from
the finest doep-sea mullet Catfish are too
eXpensivei caught of the mouth of the
Mississippi II is not claimed that this
product is equal to the best Columbia
River salmon: it is simply better than the
| inferior grades
Four hundred people are employed dur
ing the season. As oysters stand not on
The order Of their spelling, colored labor
cannot be employed because the negro
insists on taking a holiday when the cir
Gus is in town or anything exciting is GO
ing on; therefore the operatives are all
Poles and Behemians from Baltimore. The
ProprietOrs transport them from and to
baltimore house them in barracks spe-
rially built for the purpose. and furnish
them fuel all free of expense. a large
| majority are women and girls. No can
ming is done In hot months.