Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1895 — Improvement in Canned Fruits. [ARTICLE]

Improvement in Canned Fruits.

The present season will witness a very great change in the manufacture of canned goods, especially fruits, in California. The tin cau appears to be doomed for all the best qualities of fruit, and possibly for every line. The new vacuum process, a recent inveution which lias just com* into use in Europe, lias been adopted by some of the largest packers on tbe Pacific coast. By this every atom of deleterious gas generated in cooking, and even the air, is extracted, reducing fermentation to the minimum. The cost of manufacture is materially reduced, for the use of all solder is done away with, and each jar oi cau cau be opened without any can-opener, or key-opening device, as a small hole punctured by a penknife enables one to lift off the entire cover. The special poinl of value to the consumer by the adoption of this new process is that there is a greal saving In freight charges, because the goods in glass ure “solid packed.” A tin can of the ordinary type contains twothirds fruit and one-third syrup. A solid pack contains ninety per cent fruit and ten per cent syrup. The superior attractiveness and healthfulness of fruits packed in ( glass need no comment. It may be said, however, that in the lower grades of canned fruits, as at present packed, the aperture in the top of the can is so small that the fruit is crushed and cut while placing it in the cans, and hence tbe syrup is cloudy.' This cannot happen by the new process. Bfcsides this, the use of rosiu, acid and solder and the hot iron to fasten the cap, often scorches the syrup in the can. By the new process the cheaper grades of fruit will be almost as good as the higher grade, the only real difference being in the size of the fruit. California, and other States as well, can put up jellies, jams, preserves and similar fruH products of as high quality as anything imported, aud probably for less money. The only difficulty is iu the commercial knowledge required to create distinct brands and give them standing in the world’s markets. This will come in time, and from present indications vary shortly. The flax yield of the State of Illinois comprises 4672 acres.