CHAPTER I

THE WORLD-WIDE FOOD-CONFECTION

AFTER every man, woman and child gets to know its pleasant taste and its food value, the world consumption of pop-corn is going to be something tremendous.

Consider that pop-corn contains the whole of the grain, and that the grain is thoroughly cooked. It is a healthful, nourishing food. It is pure. It is a poor man’s confection and food combined. It is too palatable for the rich man to ignore. It is considered by “Uncle Sam” to be such a valuable article that through the United States Agricultural Department, he has published two pamphlets for free distribution, Farmers’ Bulletins No. 553, “Pop-corn for the Home,” and No. 554, “Pop-corn for the Market.” By permission of the department we avail ourselves of some of the information there given.

Out of the more than twenty varieties of pop-corn you are advised to use White Rice, as that makes the largest popped kernel compared to the size of the raw kernel, and it is the most common commercial pop-corn.

As it is the expanding of the moisture in pop-corn by turning into steam that explodes and cooks the grain, it is necessary to have the right quantity of moisture, about twelve per cent., and to have that moisture evenly distributed throughout the kernel, and the kernel otherwise in fit condition for popping.

Some of the things that spoil the popping quality of corn are:

Seed from which the crop is raised not being acclimated to the locality in which it is planted.

Other kinds of corn growing near the pop-corn.

Picking before the pop-corn has fully ripened, or picking after the coming of frost.

Not sufficient ventilation while curing.

Too much drying out; shelled corn dries out faster than corn on the cob.

Shelling the corn too long before popping.

Defects in the kernel itself.

Damage from moths which produce weevils.

Insufficient heat, giving poor popping results.

You see that it is really a delicate proposition to deliver pop-corn to you that will give you the best results. Therefore, it is not safe for you to buy pop-corn of any but reliable dealers.

Seventy pounds of ears, air-dried, constitute a bushel.

Fifty-six pounds of shelled pop-corn make a bushel.

One hundred pounds of ears should give eighty pounds of shelled pop-corn.

There are the same number of food units in:--

One brick of Pop-corn. One-fifth of a pound of Roast Beef. Four servings of Oatmeal. Four Eggs. One-third pound Roast Lamb. One pint Milk.

To be more accurate, here is the percentage of proteid, fat, carbohydrates and the number of calories in one pound of each of the foods noted.

Proteid Fat Carbohydrates Calories Peanuts, 25.8 38.6 24.4 2560 Sugar, 00 00 100 1857 Pop-corn, 11 11 78 1860 Cocoanut, 4 77 19 2800 Raisins, 3 9 88 1600 Oatmeal (boiled), 18 7 75 300 Roast Beef, 18 82 00 1800 Eggs, 32 68 00 760 Roast Lamb, 40 60 00 900 Milk, 19 52 29 300

Chart of Manufacturing Procedure

MOLASSES SUGAR | CORN SYRUP | | RAW | | CORN | | | GREASE STOCK STOCK | SALT TANK TANK POPPING COCOANUT \ / MACHINE CHOCOLATE --------- STOVE / | COLOR | _________/ | | / | FLAVOR ---- MIXER ------- GRINDER ____________/ | \ / / | \ / / | \ BUTTERED BRITTLE PANS MOULDING MACHINE FOR CORN TANK MARBLE | CRISPETTES | | DODGER | PRESS BRICKS, BISCUITS | | OR BALL | | / | CUTTING / | MACHINE / | | / PAPER PACKING TABLE ---- BOXES STRING LABELS

This chart of manufacturing process shows at what point each ingredient enters the batch.

It shows the arrangement of operations.

It shows what type of goods is the easiest to make and what takes the most machinery to complete. It condenses on one page the underlying principles of pop-corn confection manufacture.

Study it carefully. In this chart you will find the answer to your question of how to arrange your factory--at what point in the work a certain material is added to the confection.

It shows what materials are required to manufacture pop-corn confection and shows what set of machines are necessary to make a particular type of corn confection.

It shows what machines are the essential ones in the business.

SCHEDULE OF EQUIPMENT

---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- |A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Salted Pop-Corn |×|×| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Buttered Pop-Corn |×|×| | | |×|×| | | | |×| | | | | | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Crispettes, various colors |×|×|×|×| |×|×|×| | | | |×| | | | | and flavors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Dodgers, various colors |×|×|×|×| |×|×|×|×| | | |×| | | | | and flavors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Biscuits, various colors |×|×|×|×| |×|×| |×|×| | | |×|×| | | and flavors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Penny Squares and Bars |×|×|×|×| |×|×| |×|×|×| | | | | |×| ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Bricks |×|×|×|×| |×|×| |×|×|×| | | | | |×|× ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Sticks |×|×|×|×| |×|×| |×|×|×| | | | |×| | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Brittle |×|×|×|×| |×|×| | |×| | | | | | | | ---------------------------------+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Key

=A= Popper No. 2002-3 Page 19 =B= Sifter No. 112 Page 20 =C= Two Stock Tanks No. 2013-1 Page 25 =D= Measure 2 qt. Graduated =E= Paddle No. 2006-1 Page 41 =F= Stove No. 113-1 Page 25 =G= Mixer No. 114-2 Page 29 =H= Crispette Machine S F 3 Page 38 =I= Grinder No. 109-1 Page 22 =J= Press No. 110-1 Page 33 =K= {Cutting Machine No. 111 Page 35 {Cutting Machine No. 115 Page 37 =L= Buttered Corn Tank No. 2019-1 Page 41 =M= Wrapping Form Page 31 =N= Biscuit Mould No. 2002-1 Page 31 =O= 5 Biscuit Pans No. 2007-2 Page 31 =P= 5 Stick Pans No. 2007-3 and Mould No. 2002-4 Page 39 =Q= 5 Pans No. 2007-1 Page 31 =R= 5 Transfer Racks No. 2022-1 Page 35

This schedule illustrates in a different way from the “Chart of Manufacturing Procedure” on page 9 what you require as an equipment for the manufacture of any one of the regular types of Pop-Corn Confection.

Pop-Corn Bars, “Penny Squares and Bars” as the line is called, requires as you see by the ×’s, these machines--Popper, Sifter, Stock Tanks, Measure, Stove, Mixer, Grinder, Press, Cutting Machine, 5 Pans--thus you get a definite list of the tools for a complete plant, for the particular product.