The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-06-19
~J To@ATo PULP USEFUL
Comparatively Little Known Form Of
The Tomato Which VIII Be Found
cheap and Convenient.

| average housewife Is not as familiar
| as with the others. It is however, a
| convenient and cheap product for use
as soup stock, seasoning, and in sauce
for meat and fish. The fact that in
the past much tomato pulp has been
made from inferior material and I'M
der unsatisfactory conditions need not
now deter the purchaser, for a little
care in the inspection of the label
on the container and of the product
itself will enable anyone with a reas-
enable degree of certainty to select
wholesome and sound brand. although
with tomato pulp, as with number
of other food products, the purity OF
the article in certain cases can be
determined conclusively only by
chemical or microscopic examination.
Tomato pulp is made by removing
| the skins and seeds from the vege-
table by putting it through a machine
called cyclone. The resulting pulp
is then boiled down to the desired
consistency. In common practice the
volume Of the tomatoes is reduced IN
the process about one half. Ordinar.
lily, the pulp is packed for household
use in No. cans, which hold ap.
proximately 10 ounces net.
Although tomato pulp prepared in
this way has been on the market for
some time, 1t has not been used in
this country as extensively as In Italy
and elsewhere in Europe. Many
housewives believe apparently that IL
Of no use except rs foundation for
tomato soup. 1t can, however. be-
utilized in many other ways which
will readily suggest themselves to
any experienced cook. In the past,
however, the product has been found
to be so varied that a recipe which
gives good results at one time may
prove most unsatisfactory at anoth-
or, even though the same brand of
pulp is used. This is easily under.
stood when one remembers that be-
fore the passage of the Federal Food
and Drugs Act there was nothing to
prevent the introduction into the pro
duct of what is known as Gamers
waste, the refuse from the tomato
peeling tables in tomato canning es-
Adjustments. Much of this material
was most unsatisfactory from q SAM
tary standpoint and at best It's COM
position could not be definitely
known In advance.
Under the Federal Food and Drugs
Act, however, much OF what was
known as 'skin and core" pulp has
been eliminated from interstate COM
marce and has thus left an opening
for high grade whole tomato pulp.
Under former conditions the manu-
facturer Of this high grade product
could not compete with inferior
brands because Of the low price at
which the latter could be sold. Al
though the consumer usually pays
about S cents can for high and low
grade pulp alike, there is great
difference In the cost of manufacture.
"Skin and core" pulp has sold at
wholesale for as little as Is cents a
dozen cans, while good sound pulp
from whole tomatoes can scarcely be
put out for less than IS or 40 cents.
Although, as has been said much
OF the Objectionable pulp is no long
or on the market, 1t is well for the
customer to bear in mind two points
Pulp that is made not from whole to-
matoes but from trimmings, and pass
es through interstate commerce. must
bear upon the label some such ex-
pressions as made from small toma-
toes and trimmings: Made from to-
matoes and parts thereof; made
from pieces Of tomatoes and trim
mings"; made from tomato clippings
and whole tomatoes" etc. Tomato
pulp of this character is frequently
a sound and wholesome product, but
when trimmings and clippings are
used II is more difficult to pat 1t up
in a satisfactory manner than when
only whole tomatoes are utilized. The
Federal Food and Drugs Act, Of
course does not apply to food made
and sold wholly within the boundar-
les of state. Such products are un-
der the control only of state laws and
municipal regulations as administer
ed by food officials.
After all, however, the appearance
of the pulp itself is the real test. II
a can of good pulp is examined, it viii
show a smooth, even texture, and be
practically free from little black
spots, many of which come from de-
cayed portions, indicating that toma-
toes with black or dry rot had been
used. In very low grade products,
a peculiar, finely curdled appearance
is sometimes found. These are forms
of deterioration In tomato pulp. as
wen as In other food products which
can not be detected except by a
chemical or microscopicai examina-
ton, but for all practical purposes
a careful scrutiny of the label and the
pulp will enable one to judge correct
ly the product. Under present condi-
tions. however. the housewife who
bears these suggestions in mind may
effect a considerable saving by a