CANNING FRUITS

deanse the cans thoroughly and test to see if any ]eak or are cracked. If tin cans leak, send them to the tinner ; if disoolored inside they may be lined with writing-paper just before using. In buying stoneware for canning purposes, be sure that it is weU glazed, as fruits canned in jars or jugs imperfectly glazed sometimes become poisonous. Never use defective glass cans, but keep them for storing things m the pantry ; and in buying them, take care that they are free from flaws and blisters, else the glass will crumble off in small particles when subjected to heat. Self-sealers are very convenient, bat the heat hardens the rubber rings, which are difficult to re- place, so that in a year or two they are unfit for vuse. For this reason many prefer those with a groove around the top for sealing with wax or putty. The latter is very convenient, as jars sealed with it can be opened readily with a strong fork or knife, and are much more easily cleaned than when wax-sealed. Putty may be bought ready for use, and is soon made soil by molding in the hand. In using it should be worked out into a small roll, and pressed firmly into the groove with a knife, care being taken to keep it well pressed down as the can cools. In canning, provide a wide-mouthed ftinnel (made to set into the can), and pour the fruit into a funnel from a bright tin dipper (if old or rusty it will discolor the fruit) or a small pitcher, heated before^putting in the hot firuit to prevent breaking. Pour fi^it as quickly as possible, and screw down top immediately.

Fruit should be selected carefully, and all that is imperfect re- jected. Large fruits, such as peaches, pears, etc., are in the best

120 CANNING FRUITS.

condition to can when not quite fully ripe, and should be put up as soon as possible after picking ; s<mall fruits, such as berries, should never stand over night if it is possible to avoid it. The highest-flavored and longest-keeping fruits are best put up without paring, after having carefully removed the down with a fine but stiff brush. Use only the best sugtir in the proportion of half a pound of sugar to a pound of good fruit, varying tlie rule, of course, with the sweetness of the fruit. Or, in canning for pies omit sugar, as the natural flavor is better preserved without it, and some prefer this method for all purposes. It is economical, and well worthy of experiment. Cans put up in this way should have a special mark so as to distinguish them from the rest. When ready to can, first place the jars (glass) in a large pan of warm water on the back of the stove, make ready the syrup in a nice clean porcelain kettle, add the fruit — it is better to prepare only enough fruit or syrup for two or three cans at a time — and by the time it is done, the water in the pan will be hot and the cans ready for use. Take them out of the water and set them on a hot plattex^which answers the double pur- pose of preventing their contact with any cold sur&ce like the table, and saving any fruit that may be spoiled. Fill as full as possible, and set aside where no current of air will strike them ; or, better, wring out a towel wet in hot water and set them on it ; let stand a moment or two or until wiped ofl*, when the fruit will have shrunk away a little; fill up again with hot syrup, or if you have none, boiling water from the tea-kettle will do, and then seal. In can- ning peaches, t

There are several other ways of preparing glass cans for fruit, among them the following : Wring a towel from cold water, double and wrap closely about and under the can so as to exclude the air, and put a cold silver spoon inside and fill ; or, put a towel in a steamer, set in the cans, and place over a kettle of cM water, boil the water, and when ready to fill, remove the cans and wrap in a

CANNING FRUITS. 121

towel wrong from warm water, put a table-spoon rinsed in hot water inside, and fill ; or, wash the cans in tepid water, place an iron rod ins^ide, and at once pour in the boiling fruit, but not too fiist In using gla«s cans with tops which screw on, be sure that the rubbers are firm and close-fitting, and throw away all that are imperfect. When the can is filled to overflowing, put on the top at once and screw down tightly, and &s the fruit and cans cool, causing contraction of the glass, turn down again and again until perfectly air-tight. Wrap as soon as cold with brown wrapping- paper, unless the fruit-cloi^et is very dark. Light injures all fruit, but especially tomatoes, in which it causes the formation of citric acid, which no amount of sugar will sweeten. The place where canned fruits are kept should also be dry and cod, for if too warm the fruit will spoil. In canning, use a porcelain-lined kettle, silver fork or broom splint and wire spoon or dipper; a steel fork discolors the fruit.

Cans should be examined two or three days after filling, and if syrup leaks out from the rim, they should Ije unsealed, the fruit thoroughly cooked and kept for jam or jelly, as it will have lost the delicacy of color and flavor so desirable in canned fruits. Pint cans are better for berries than quart. Strawberries keep their color best in stone jars; if glass cans are used for them, they should be buried in sand. If syrup is left after canning berries, it may, ffhile thin, be flavored with vinegar, boiled a moment, and then bottled and corked for a drink mixe<l with ice- water.

In using self-sealing cans the rubber ring must show an even edge all round, for if it slips back out of sight at any point, air will be admitted. On opening tin cans, remember to ix)ur aU the fruit out into an earthen or glass dish. If any part is not used at* the time, re-cook, and return to dish, and it will keep for a day or two, many of the loss perishable fruits longer. Wines, cider, shrubs, etc., must be bottled, well corked, sealed, and the bottles placed on their sides in a box of sand or sawdust. To can maple syrup, pour hot into cans or jugs, and seal well.

The fine du^play of canned fruits at the Centennial Exhibition was prepared as follows : The fruits were selected with great care, of uniform size and shape, and all perfect. They were carefully

CANNINO FRUITS,

peeled with a thin, sharp, silver fruit-knife, which did not dbcdor them, and immediately plunged into cold water in an earthen or wooden vessel to prevent the air from darkening them. As soon as enough for one can was prepared, it was put up bj laying the fruit piece by piece in the can, and pouring syrup, clear as crystal, over it, and tjien, after subjecting the whole to the usual heat, sealing up.

The following table gives the time required for cooking and the quantity of sugar to the quart for the various kinds of fruit

Time for Quant, boiling ftugar fruit. to qt.

Cherries 5min. 6oz.

BaspberrieB 6 " 4 "

Blackberries... 6 "

Strawberries 8 ''

Plums 10 "

Whortleberries 5 "

Pie Plant, sliced 10 "

Bmall sour pears, whole 30 ^* Bartlett pears, halved... 20

6 " 8" 10" 8 " 8" 4" 6" 4 "

Peaches, whole 15inin.

Pine apples, sliced 15

Siberian crab-apples.... 25 Sour apples, quartered... 10

Ripe currants 6

Wild grapes 10

Tomatoes 20

Gooseberries 8

Quinces, sliced 15

Timp for Qniini. boiling sugar fruit to qt.

4oz. 6" 8" 5"

it ti II <{ u

Canned Berries.

Select those the skins of which have not been broken, or the

juice will darken the S3rrup; fill cans compactly, set in a kettle of

oold water, with a cloth beneath them, over an even heat; when

sufficiently heated, pour over the berries a syrup of white sugar

dissolved in boiling water (the richer the better for keeping, though

not for preserving the flavor of the fruit), cover the cans closely to

retain heat on the top berries. To insure full cans when cold, have

extra berries heated in like manner to supply the shrinkage. If

the fruit swims, pour off surplus syrup, fill with hot fruit, and

itcal up as soon as the fruit at the top is thoroughly scalded. — Iffisft

L. Southwick.

Plain Canned Berrebs. ^

Pick out stems or hulls if any — ^if gathered carefully the berriea

will not need washing, put in porcelain kettle on the stove, adding

a small tea-cup water to prevent burning at first. When they

come to a boil, skim well, add sugar to taste (for pies it may be

omitted), let boil five minutes, fill in glass, stone, or tin cans, and

seal with putty unless self-sealers are used. This rule applies to

CANIONQ FRUITS, 123

raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, or any of the

small berries.

Canned Cukrants.

Look over carefully, stem and weigh, allowing a pound of sugar to every one of fruit; put in a kettle, cover, and leave to heat slowly and stew gently for twenty or thirty minutes ; then add the sugar, and shake kettle occasionally to make it mix with iruit ; do not allow to boil, but keep as hot as possible until sugar is dissolved, then pour in cans and secure covers at once. White currants are beautiful preserved in this way. — Maryland mdhod.