I will discuss these points a little further. What makes tomato pulp unpalatable and what causes an unpleasant after-taste? The most common cause is poor tomato stock, or tomato stock which has been overcooked. Such a foundation for soup will almost invariably leave a lingering unpleasant after-taste in the mouth. Another thing is too much flour, masking the flavor of the tomato and giving it a somewhat “pasty” taste. Another thing is the injudicious use of spices, producing unpopular flavors, or using one spice, such as bay leaves, for instance, in such large proportion that almost every other flavor is masked. None of these defects are rare in tomato soups, and they all cause unpalatability to some extent. Proper Sweetness Getting proper sweetness is not nearly so easy as one might suppose. It is not so difficult when the soup is made from fresh tomatoes, although even then every batch must be tasted after all but a few pounds of the sugar is added, and the amount of sugar varied according to the sweetness of the tomatoes. When the weather is moderately dry, with plenty of sunshine, the tomatoes are usually sweet and do not require so much sugar, but tomatoes which ripen during rainy, dark, cold days are not so sweet, and a little more sugar is needed. When making soup from canned pulp it is necessary to watch the sweetness of the pulp very close, and it may be necessary for the cook to vary the sugar on a 100–gallon batch ten or fifteen pounds during a day’s run. Canned pulp often varies greatly in sweetness, and if held in storage for many months it often loses some of its sweetness on account of the action of living, acid forming bacteria, which may not be present in large amount, but nevertheless, in time, have a noticeable effect on the sweetness of the pulp. When pulp is purchased for the purpose of making soup its sweetness should be one of the first considerations in passing judgment on it. Gradual Souring of Pulp When the soup manufacturer makes his own pulp and works it up into soup during the winter months he will probably find that he will save on his sugar bill if he will pack the pulp in No. 10 cans and sterilize it—at least that part of the pulp which must be held in storage several months. In this way living, acid forming bacteria are killed, and the danger of the pulp losing its sweetness during months of storage is greatly minimized. The fact that the gradual souring of pulp in 5–gal. cans, even though very slight, is due to the action of living, acid forming bacteria can hardly be doubted. Bacteriological tests supplemented by chemical analyses would determine the matter definitely, but there is evidence in the experience of every canner to show that this souring is due to the fact that the pulp is not sterile.