Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-10
CANNING OF EGGS ENCOURAGED.
Uncle Sans Tests Show Preservation
Ia Successful.


Washington. April 10.-The depart
rueI,t Of asric uiture IS doing much &c
encourage the canning of eggs and
claims that there are more logical
reasons for them than for almost any
other food produced.
Canned eggs would be cheaper than
eggs in the shell. for they Would have
been put up in the great egg producing
farm corn belt at time when hens are
laying and fresh eggs are almost
drug on the market. The cans can be
shipped in refrigerator cars closely
packed and there will be no waste space
for cardboard packing. while the pres
ent 10 per cent loss for hreakage will
be saved.
Before the department endorsed the
canning Of eggs its specialists made
long and thorough meteorological study
to determine what changes eggs under
went and what factors made them spoil.
This spelling was found to be due al
most to growing bacteria IN the egg-a
little warmth and a little air, and the
damage was done. With other products
the secret was found to be absolute
cleanliness and heat. With eggs 1t Is
the same cleanliness combined with
good grading and cold.
Canned eggs have been tested after
having been kept in storage year and
their quality and flavor found unlm-
paired. AS one investigator put 1t, the
chief difference was that you opened
them with can opener instead OF
spoon. They come to the consumer
frozen and when melted look and smell
like fresh eggs broken into boWi ana
stirred until the whites and yolks are
mixed, except that they are little
thicker. Similar experiments nave been
made with dried eggs or egg powder.
and this, too, will keep for months pro-
vided it is kept at low temperature.
1t is barely possible. therefore, that
canned or dried eggs will be ever dis
placed on store shelves.
An egg canning plant. which the de-
partment regards as standard, looks
more like the modern operating room
of a hospital than a commercial lnstl-
tuition. The eggs on their ARRIVAL al
the plant are sent to chilled room and
kept there for twenty-four hours at a
temperature few degrees above freez-
ing. Then they are candled and all
suspicious ones are discarded.
The graded eggs then go to a re-
frigeratinG room tnat Is rs dSepIiS diiu
as we'll lighted as it is possible to make
! it. No dust or flies can get in and the
temperature never rises above % de-
grees. 1t is water tight and steam
proof so that it can be washed and
steamed turnout. The utensils for
breaking the eggs are all metal so they
can be sterilized in live steam. Before
| beginning work the operatives sterinze
=. their hands much as surgeon does BE-
fore beginning an operation. The SIM
! iiarity also extends to the donnlng OF
clean white caps and gowns.
| Each egg is broken into separate
cup and inspected before being put into
| the sterilized cans. Every doubtful egg
| is discarded, the cup again sterilizeo
and the operatives hands washed be.
fore touching another egg. In order t
make certain that each eggs gets SUI
| hcient attention the egg breakers are
MT allowed to exceed definite number
of eggs per hour.
The canning of eggs is Of immense
benefit to the farmer because it pro
vides him with a steady market at
time when warm weather makes 1t I'm.
perative that he dispose OF his produc'
| in a hurry. It is also a market fol
small eggs, dark shelled eggs and othel
varieties that do not sell well in thu
shell.