The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-01-04
BEANS IN BOSTON.
HUB RESIDENTS PAY MILLIONS
FOR THEM ANNUALLY.
The Average Supply Per Capita Is
Thirty-seven Quarts - Only
I Place Where They Are
Baked Right.

More money is spent each year in
Boston in buying baked beans than
would buy the largest battleship in
the United States navy.
In 1904 the gross receipts of beans
in Boston were more than $4,000 bar.
rels. In each barrel are five bushels.
The average price at which these we're
sold by the wholesalers was $1.S5
a bushel and when these beans we're
sold again by retailers to their Gus.
toners they brought an average of L.
cents pound, or grand total OF
s6.59S,272.
There are other places where beans
are used, but they are not Boston
beans and can never be unless the
man who superintends their baking
happens to have served an apprentice
ship Ia some of the Boston bakeries.
SO tremendous has the demand for
baked beans become In Boston that
two companies have been formed
whose business is to bake beans for
restaurants and quick lunch establish
ments. One of these companies uses
an average of 1000 quarts week and
the other 10000, yet the beans that
these companies bake are but drop
In the bucket compared with the con.
sumption Of the city.
The most remarkable feature OF this
remarkable consumption of beans is
that the demand is steadily increasing
and that $4,000 more barrels of beans
were sold in Boston in 1904 than in
1903. There are seasons In which the
demand for this staple is greater than
in others, notably the months from
Thanksgiving to April.
Taking the receipts In Boston for
1904 of 6S.732 barrels, that would give
the number Of bushels 343.66O, or TO-
9o.,120 quarts. weighing 21.994.240
pound.
Accepting ss the population OF Bos-
ton approximately $4,000. this would
give each inhabitant. men and women.
boys, girls and babies. an average of
81 quarts. Those 81 quarts OF beans
would weigh 14S pounds.
me bean baking establishments,
which are fitted with the most i'm.
proved methods. have large porce-
lain kettle built over a furnace in one
corner of the cellar. In this huge
thing the beans are soaked during the
day and parboiled at night. Early the
second morning the pots in which they
are to be baked. which vary in size
from those holding 12 quarts to ones
which hold single quart, are ar.
ranged around on floor and tables.
Into them the beans are poured from
large dippers.
Then the baker goes about from pot
to pot and puts in his seasoning.
There Is as much mystery over this
part of the performance as there is
in making chemical combinations
Good bakers are in great demand. for
II is a more difficult matter TO mix
spices and what not for 800
Or 900 quarts of beans than II is to
season only a small pot which is to
be eaten in a family where. per.
even If the flavor is not good
no mention will be made OF the fact
for fear of hurting the feeling of the
Once this precious part of the bak.
Ing Is done. an underhelper goes
about putting in pieces of salt pork.
allotted at the proportion of one pound
10 each gallon of beans.
Several hours are consumed in get
ling the beans into the pots and max.
ng them ready for the oven. and
while this is being done the head
baker is giving attention to his oven.
On the same side of the cellar with
.he parboiling kettle Is the oven.
which must hold 500 to 1000 quarts
If beans.
The work is so arranged that all the
pots are ready for baking about IL
''clock. Then as quickly as possible
hey are put into the oven. and, once
n. are allowed to remain till two
,'clock the following morning, when
he work of taking them out begins.
As fast as one pot Is out 1t Is sent
Up on an elevator to the floor above
Ind from there loaded into two-horse
wagons, which distribute the beans to
he restaurants.
The demand for beans In the bake
shops Is greater on Saturday than on
my other day of the week, although
IN Wednesday the bakers prepare
more than on the intervening days.