Both wood and fiber cases are used for catsup, and the fiber cases seem to do all right where the contents do not weigh over about 40 lbs. If they weigh more than that it is usually considered advisable to use wood cases.
Stacking Catsup to Avoid “Black Neck”
In CHAPTER VIII mention was made of the darkening in the neck of the bottle, called “black neck.” It was stated that this was usually due to the fact that the closure is not absolutely air tight, and allows the air to very slowly filter into the space in the neck, which should be a vacuum if the seal is perfectly tight. This condition can be partly avoided by printing the cases so that when the case is stacked right side up the catsup will be neck down in the case. Therefore, the vacuum space will be at the bottom of the bottle, instead of at the neck, and there is no chance for air to filter into the neck because the body of the catsup is right up against the closure. When these cases are shipped out and stacked in a warehouse, the catsup will always be bottom up as long as the cases are right side up. In all probability the bottles will remain in this position until the case is unpacked by the retailer and the bottles are placed on the shelves.
Packing Gallons and No. 10’s
Packing catsup in gallon glass jars and enamel lined No. 10 cans is very similar to packing it in bottles. These sizes can either be processed or not processed, and the same principles apply as in packing the smaller sizes. If no process is given, the containers should be put through a hot air sterilizer, just as the small bottles are, and the catsup should be very hot when filled.
With glass jars the breakage is often very great, and they must be heated slowly and carefully, and placed on a warm wooden surface when they are filled. A metal surface beneath the jars will almost always cause a lot of breakage due to the fact that it chills so easily. For the closure a cork is usually used, and the process should not exceed 180 degrees, as a higher temperature will cause the corks to pop out. A process of two hours is sufficient for gallon jars.
If No. 10 catsup is given an after-sterilization, 1½ hours in boiling water is sufficient. It must be understood that it takes much longer for the heat to penetrate to the center of a can of catsup than it does with pulp, as the catsup contains sugar and salt and is heavier in specific gravity. After-sterilization the cans should be cooled gradually in water, and allowed to remain in the water until they only have sufficient heat left to allow the water to evaporate from the surface of the can and prevent rusting.
CHAPTER XI
THE MANUFACTURE OF CHILI SAUCE AND THE PULPING OF TOMATO TRIMMINGS
Chili sauce is the finest tomato product manufactured. It differs from catsup in that it is made from whole peeled tomatoes with the seeds and fiber left in, and in that it usually contains more onion than catsup, and is usually a little “hotter.”