San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-06
CANNING FIRST
KNOWN 116
YEARS AGO
Nicholas Appert Applied
Preserving Process
During 1909.
BY ERNA J. BERTRAMS

Director Of food economies at Armour
the San Antonio Lightly
In order that you might appreciate
the true value of canned foods, 1t is
well to delve into the history of the
canning industry and give you a few
facts of Importance that will help you
in your marketing.
1t is a far cry from the humble be-
ginning in food preserving made by
Nicholas Appert in 1909 to the in
dustry that today supplies a world
with food. Huge canneries FOR fruit,
vegetables. fish and meats turn out
annually billions of cans Of food-de-
licious. wholesome and nourishing, yet
it is all but the enlargement Of the
first idea of Appert-the preserving
OF foods. the exclusion of air and the
proper sterilization Of the food prod
ucts. The containers and methods of
sealing have been perfected, the speed
at which canning is done has been in
creased-but the fundamental process
is the same.
CANNING MEATS.
The following basic process is used
in the canning of all meat foods
after the required inspection by the
United States government inspectors,
the meat is sent to the cooler until
the animal heat is dissipated. 1t then
is sent to the cutting table, where are
made the cuts for the various meat
delicacies-potted meats. meat loaves,
deviled tongue, OK tongue. mince meat.
corned beef, brain and tripe, pork and
beans and Vienna sausage. Recipes
and formulas. prepared and executed
by the worlds finest chefs, are used
food products.
The first process is the cooking
practically all meats are cooked be-
fore being canned-the two outstand-
ing exceptions are tripe and brain
tripe is picked before canning and
brain is packed fresh.
The meats are placed in huge sani-
tary containers having a capacity Of
several hundred pounds and cooked.
Then the container is lifted from its
| steam jacketed berth and carried to
the trimming tables. Here sit girls and
women in spotless white aprons and
caps, busily trimming away all ex-
cess fat, gristle and skin. From the
trimming table, the meat to be used in
the ported and some of the canned
meats is carried by gravity chutes to
the ehopping room, where the meat is
weighed, mixed with other meats and
proper seasoning, and chopped to the
right consistency in huge rocker chop
pers. ,.-. s
PRODUCTS CANNED.
1t Is again conveyed; this time in
enamel.lined trucks to the stuffing and
weighing machines, and is automatic
ally stuffed into the cans.
The Vienna Sausage mixture is
stuffed into the sausage castings,
smoked, cooked in a water bath, cut
into the proper lengths and stuffed
into the cans. The cans then pass
into what is called an exhaust box,
where all the air is driven from the
cans by means of heat. The cans are
now capped and sealed and sent to
large iron retorts where the cooking
process is completed.
To insure proper sterilization, the
cans remain in these pressure retorts
for twenty minutes, at temperature
of $50 degrees F., and any known form
of life is killed. The cans are then
cooled, thoroughly cleansed to remove
grease, and after standing a definite
length of time, tested for swells or
leaks. If no imperfections are found,
the cans are labelled and packed for
shipment.