Before leaving the question of the stick liquor it is curious to remark
how some firms, while complimenting themselves upon the assiduity
and diligence with which they treat their wastes, are yet likely
to allow a certain material, and one which is of distinct value to
their own businesses, to slip through their fingers merely from lack
of knowledge. The abandonment of the stick liquor arising from the
digestive treatment of meat-waste represents an interesting example of
such inadvertence.
Many manufacturers dealing with meat products have installed a
fat-recovery system for the treatment of their waste upon the spot,
the primary idea being to secure the good edible fat for re-use
in connection with their own processes. Furthermore, from their
association with the cooked-meat trade they find it necessary to absorb
material quantities of gelatine to carry out the glazing work in the
preparation of brawn, pies and other dainties. They purchase the crude
gelatine for the purpose, submitting it to careful treatments to adapt
it to their varying requirements. Yet, if they but knew it, they have
no need to spend a single penny--or cent--upon gelatine wherewith to
conduct the final appetizing touches to their wares. They have as much
of this raw material as they can possibly require immediately to hand
in the stick liquor, and which, in the majority of instances, they
allow to escape.
As a matter of fact this liquid residue is far preferable to the
commercial gelatine which they buy for glazing purposes. They need
only to attach an evaporator to their recovery plant to bring about
its concentration. But this is not the only advantage. The gelatine
has to be of varying densities or strengths according to its precise
application. When they have their own evaporator this desideratum
is readily fulfilled. It is only necessary to draw off the material
from the evaporators when it has reached the requisite degree of
concentration for immediate use. Not only is appreciable time saved,
but the up-to-date firms are better off in pocket because they are
utilizing a waste for which otherwise they would have to employ a
purchased commodity. Even if they conduct concentration to the
absolute it does not matter; the article is then recovered in the form
of an edible jelly. This can be clarified, if desired, to be sold as
such, or it can be sold to fellow-manufacturers who do not happen to
have such a plant. Failing such disposal there is no difficulty in
selling the jellied mass as tub size.