CANNING FRUITS

have their share of attention. It is well to put soda or ammonia into the jars or bottles, fill up with water, and let stand an hour, putting the stoppers or covers into a howl to soak in the same way. Then pour out ands cald nicely, but not with boiling water, as that cracks the ■polished surface inside; wipe dry, set in I the sun or wind to air, and then set away carefully. It is often difficult to remove the tops of glass jars when screwed on, on aceouiu oi the slippery nature of the glass. The holder represented in the cut will be understood at a glance. It clasps and holds the jar without danger of breaking it.

The folloAving table gives the time required for cooking and the quantity of sugar to the quart for the various kinds of fruit. By observing these rules and the general directions given above any fruit may be successfully canned. However, for convenience, a number of valuable recipes are appended.

Time for Quant.

boiling sugar

fruit. to qt.

Quinces, sliced 30min. 10 oz.

Uaspberries 6 " 4 "

llipe Currants 6 " 8 "

Siberian crab-apple.s 25 " 8 ''

Small sour pears, whole.. . "0 " 8 "

Sour apples, quartered 10 •' 6 "

Strawberries 8 " 8 "

Tom: toes SO " none.

Whortleber-ies 5 " 5 "

Wild Grapes 10 " 8"

A quart of stemmed currants or berries by measure Aveighs one and a quarter pounds.

Bar lett pears, halved. .

Time for b iling f uit. ... 20 mia ... 6 "

Blueberrriea

... 5 "

Goose crries

... 8 "

Peaches, whole

Pie-plant, sliced

Pine-apples, sliced

P.ums ." . .

... 8 " ... 15 " ...10 " ... 15 " ..10 "

4 " 4 " 8 " G " 10 "

Ccmned Berrief^. — Select those the skins of Avhich have not been broken, or the juice will darken the syrup; fill cans compactly, set in kettle of cold 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 Avater, cover the cans closely to retain heat on the top berries. To insure full cans when cold, have extra cans of berries heated in like manner to supply the shrinkage. If the fruit swims pour off surplus syrup, fill Avith hot fruit, and seal up as soon as fruit on top is thoroughly scalded. In using this or any of the following recipes refer to the preface abov^e for general directions.

Canned Berries. — Pick out stems or hulls if any — if gathered carefully the berries Avill not need washing, put in porcelain kettle on stove, adding a scant cup water to prevent burning at first.

152 CANNED FRUITS.

When they come to a boil, skim well, take off all surplus juice, keep- ing it for jelly, add sugar to taste (for pies it may l)o omitted), or a half pound sugar to each pound fruit, let hoil five minutes, fill in glass, stone, or tin cans, using a small strainer for dii)ping berric;s so that the quantity of juice put up may be reg- Handie Strainer. uLntod, filHug lu thc juicc witli dii)])er. The

strainer if of size to fit in cans may be set into them and syrup poured through instead of using the cheesecloth strainer described. Seal with putty unless self-sealers are used. This rule applies to all berries and small fruits.

Ccuuied BlacMerricH. (Without water.) — Place fruit in preserv- ing kettle, sweeten as for eating, or add sugar according to above table, let stand on back of stove until dissolved, then draw gradu- ally to the front, keep at boiling ])oint long enougli to thoroughly cook the fruit, skimming Avell, and can as previously directed. All berries may be put up in this way, blueberries requiring less sugar than other varieties, and some can Peaches and Pears thus.

Canned Cherries. — Boil moderately five minutes the propor- tion of six ounces sugar to each quart stoned cherries ; or make a syrup of one pint water and three pounds sugar, add cherries and cook as above. Can as in general directions.

Canned Crah-Apples. — To each pound fruit allow half pound sugar, and a pint Avater to three pounds sugar. When the syrup is boihng hot drop in the apples. They will cook very quickly. Or better,- steam till tender, place in syrup a moment, then fill cans with fruit and fill up with syrup.

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

Canned Gonsehcrries. — Cut off tops and stems and cook the berries in Avater until white, but not enough to break them ; put into cans with as little water as possible, fill up the can with boiling water and seal ; Avhen opened pour off water and cook like fresh berries. Or put berries into wide-mouthed bottles, cork or put on covers, and set in vessel of cold water on the stove until it boils. Do not boil long enough to break the berries. Take usual pjecautions in sealing. Will keep a year in a dry j^lace.

Canned Gooseberries. — Prepare and place in a large ])an, pour boiling water over them, let stand until cold ; fill jars as full as you

CAFNED FRUITS. 133

can, pour boiling water over them, be sure it covers the berries, then seal. You Avill find berries as solid as when first gathered.

Canned Grapes. — Pick grapes off stems, wash in cold Avater and squeeze the pulps into an earthen dish or preserving kettle, throwing skins into another. Boil skins with a very little water until tender, and pulps until seeds separate, then strain through a colander (to remove seeds) into dish with the skins. Add sugar to taste, or half as much sugar as fruit, stew and can as other fruits. To can Green Grax>es halve them, extract the seeds with a small knife, sweeten, cook as above, and can.

Canned Peaches. (With vinegar.) — Pour boiling water over one peck of large clingstone peaches to remove the fuzz ; make a syrup of three pounds sugar and one pint vinegar, using a little water if required to cover the peaches ; cook until pretty soft, and can as usual.

Canned Peaches. — Plave one porcelain kettle with boiling water and another with a syrup made sweet enough with white sugar for the peaches, well skimmed, or clarified according to directions in preface; pare, halve, and drop the peaches into the boiling water, let remain until a silver fork will pierce them, lift them out with a wire spoon, fill can, pour in all the boiling syrup the can will hold, and seal immediately. Continue in this way, preparing and scaling only one can at a time, until done. Or, rich jiroporlions for the same recipe are seven pounds sugar and seven gills boiling water for the syrup, sweetening the water in which peaches are cooked, using two pounds sugar to three quarts water. Boil down the water in the first kettle with the syrup if any is left ; if not, add more sugar and quite a nice marmalade will result. This manner of canning peaches has been thoroughly tested, and is pronounced by the experienced the best of all methods.

Canned Peaches. — When wanted extra nice for prize competi- tion, or for use on " state occasions," select with great care fruit of uniform size and shape and all perfect. Peel with a thin sharp sil- ver fruit knife, which does not discolor, dropping as soon as jjared into an earthen vessel of water to prevent the air from darkening them. As soon as fruit enough for one can is pared put up by lay- ing piece by piece in the can, turning the inside of halves from which stones were removed, outward, which gives a handsome ap- pearance, and fill up with syrup as clear as crystal, placing the cheese-cloth strainer over the filler. Screw on covers without the rubbers, stand cans in wash-boiler on slab or a board perforated with holes, or a folded towel with a towel between them (some use straw or hay), fill up with cold water to within two or three inches of top of cans, gradually bring to a boil and boil fifteen minutes. Draw to back of stove to let steam pass ofi", roll the hand in a tov/el, lift cans

154 CANNED FRUITS.

out and place on hot platter. Take off covers and lot out air bubbles with a knife, as directed in preface. The fruit will settle some and the contents of one or two cans will be needed to fill up the others ; prepare for this purpose nearly a fourth more cans. Fill up, put on rubbers, seal and put away according to pre^'ious directions. The same process may be used for canning all kinds of fruit.

Canned Peaches. — Prepare peaches and weigh out half a pound best loaf sugar to each pound fruit. Sprinkle a little sugar in a deep earthen bowl, put in a layer of peaches, then one of sugar, and so alternate until closely packed, covering top with sugar; cover lightly and let stand ten or twelve hours. Drain juice off into pre- serving kettle, let come to a boil, put in peaches, and as fast as pieces swell sufliciently take out with '.ilver fork and jjlace in air- tight glass jar. When filled pour lao ooiling syrup over, filling to top and seal at once. Peaches and other fruits jDrepared in this way have been kept three or four years.

Canned Peaches. (Cold) — Pare and halve peaches and pack closely as possible in cans Avithout sugar, and pour in enough cold water to fill to brim. Let stand long enough for water to soak into all crevices — six hours or so — then let out air bubbles with a silver knife, fill up again Avith cold Avater and seal. Canned thus, peaches retain all their freshness and flaA'or. A cold syrup may be used instead of water if preferred, but peaches taste most natural Avithout sweetening. Can pears same Avay.

Canned Peaches. (Steamed.) — After peeling, seed and place in a steamer oA'cr a kettle of boiling water, first laying a cloth in bot- tom of steamer ; fill about half full of fruit, coA'er tightly, make a syrup in a porcelain kettle for fruit alone, let the fruit steam untilit can be easily pierced Avith a silver fork, drop gently for a moment into the hot syrup, place in the cans, fill, coA-er, and seal. The aboA'e recipe is for canning a fcAV at a time. This recipe, applies equally AA-ell to pears.

Canned Peaches. — Pare, halve and seed ; make a syrup of a pint granulated sugar to a quart AA'atcr (enough for two quart-cans) place on stoA'e in porcelain kettle and AAiien syrup boils, skim, and drop in enough fruit (tAvo quarts halved peaches) for a one-quart can ; Avatch closely, tost and can as in general directions. Add more peaches to the hot syrup for next can, and repeat the oj^eration. If there are more poaches than Avill fill the can, place them in another can and Jicep hot until more are ready, and so on until all are canned. Apples may be canned in the same manner.

Canned Pears. — Prepare and can precisely like peaches in pre- ceding recipes except that they require longer cooking. When clone they are easily pierced Avith a silver fork. Some add a half pint peeled and quartered quinces to CA'cry tAA'o quarts hah'ed pears ; cook

CANNED FRUITS. 155

quinces fifteen minutes before adding pears. More quinces may be added, but the above is an excellent proportion for Pears With Quinces.

Canned Pie Plant. — Cut pic plant in pieces two inches long, put over a slow fire with its weight in sugar ; when sugar is dis- solved let boil slowly until clear, but do not cook long enough to become dark colored. Put up in air-tight cans.

Canned Pie Plant. (Cold) — Skin and cut as for pie, fill glass cans full as possible, shaking down while packing, then fill up with pure fresh cold water, let stand a little while and expel the air, add more water, then screw on covers. No cooking or heating. Will keej) perfecthj, and fruit will be as nice and fresh when opened as if just brought from garden.

Canned Pine-apple. — Peel and slice, or ])ick to pieces with silver fork, make syrup in proportion of three-fourths pound best white granulated sugar and one cup water to each pound fruit, boil five minutes, skim or strain, add the fruit and let it boil (cook- ing long discolors it) ; have can hot, fill and seal up as soon as pos- sible. Or, peel and grate on coarse grater, rejecting cores ; using above proportions, put in an earthen vessel sprinkled with sugar, first a layer of fruit, then a layer of sugar, thus alternating until all is used. Cover, let stand oveTnight, and in the morning bring to a boil, boil one minute and can immediately.

Canned Pine-apple. — Pare and be careful to cut out the eyes, chop fine, weigh, and add to it same weight of sugar ; mix thor- oughly, let stand twenty-four hours and (without cooking) fill cans full and seal tight. Look at them in about tAvo weeks, and if there are signs of working, pour into a kettle, heat through and put back into cans.

Canned Plums. — "Wash and put whole into a syrup made in the proportion of a pint water and a pound sugar to every two pounds fruit ; boil eight minutes, can, and seal immediately. If pricked Avith a fork before placing in syrup they AA'ill be less liable to burst. Cherries, damsons, and green gages are canned in same way. The large Avhite plums must be skinned by using the dipping process as lor peaches.

Canned Plums. — Wi])e good sound fruit Avith a cloth and place carefully in cans ; pour boiling hot water OA'er them and seal while hot. Grapes put up in same AA-ay are nice for pies.

Canned Quinces. — Pare and quarter the fruit, and take out all the coves and the hard place around them. Boil the fruit in clear water until tender, then spread on towels to dry. For one pound fruit alloAV half pound sugar and one pint water for three pounds sugar. When syrup is boiling hot put in fruit, and let it cook very

156 CANNED FRUITS.

slowly ; or, set hack on the stove so that it hardly cooks at all, and keep on for an hour or more, if yon can without its cooking to pif>f.ps — as the lon^rer it cooks, the brighter red color it will be. Put it in jars, and strain the syrup over it. as with other fruits. Can ap- ])les or pears at same time and add to them when first ])ut on a half pint (juinces (and juice) cooked in syrup as above half an hour.

Canned Straioberries. — Fill glass cans with fresh, whole straw- beri'ics, alternating layers of berries and sugar, in the proportion of half pound sugar to pound berries; lay covers on lightly, stand in wasli-boiler and ])Vocecd as in third recipe for peaches. Great care nnist be taken to keep the berries whole and round ; as the cans cool invert them occasionally to prevent the fruit from forming in a mass at one end. Damnons may be put up in same Avay, cooking until soft l)ut not broken. Strawberries are very nice put up as peaches in fourth recipe.

Canned Straicherrles.—^Yox every quart fresh strawberries take one coffee-cup white sugar, add a tablespoon or two of water if there is no juice in the bottom, to prevent burning before the heat brings out tlie juice ; as soon as fruit boils add the sugar, and stir gently for a few minutes until it boils up again, and can immediately. Or make a syrup of one pound sugar and as little water as possible, add three pounds berries and cook slowhj for twenty minutes. The color and flavor of the strawberries depend upon gentle cooking. Cherries and Gooseberries are nice canned same wa3^ It is better not to cook any more fruit than can be put into one glass fruit-jar. Usually a few spoonfuls syrup will be left with which to begin the next can. Another method is to stem the largest, finest ber- ries ol)tainable, put into cans, giving them a shake occasionally Avhile filling to settle them, and fill in with a rich syrup, using only just enough Avater to dissolve sugar, first boiling it ten minutes, then seal. Strawberries are considered diilicult to keep, but there need be no trouble if the fruit is fresh, closed air-tight in glass, and kept ns directed in general directions for canning fruits.

Canned Stravherries. — Put four pounds white sugar in a ket- tle, add a cup cold water, let boil till perfectly clear, then add four quarts nice berries. Boil ten minutes, keeping them covered with syrup, but avoid stirring in order to preserve their good appearance. Take out berries with a small strainer or skimmer, place in cans, fill- ing r.bout three-quarters full, and let the syrup boil ten minutes longer, and fill each can with it. Let stand till cool, then cover with a tablespoon lirandy (take out a little juice if necessary), screw on the lid and put in a dry, dark place. This method is claimed to be the (tnly means of preserving tlie peculiar flavor of the strawberries. If after two or three weeks the least fermentation appears, put the cans in a boiler (on a small board to prevent contact with bottom), fill with cold water nearly to top of cans, loosen the lids, but do not

CANNED VEGETABLES. 157

take them ofi', let water boil for a little while, then take out cans, tighten the covers and the berries will keep over a year. Fully ripe currants and acid cherries canned in same manner, one pound of sugar to one of dressed fruit, are delicious. They never need a sec- ond boiling if carefully prepared.

Canned Watermelon. — Cut rind of ripe melons (first cutting oflf all green joarts) into small pieces two or three inches long, and boil in water until tender enough to pierce w^ith fork ; have a syrup made of Avhite sugar, allowing half pound sugar to pound fruit; skim out melon and place in syrup together with a few pieces race ginger, let cook a few minutes, put in cans and seal as in general directions.

Oaniiin"- Vepretables.

All vegetables intended for canning should he perfectly hcA). — especially is this true of corn — and of the best quality. To prepare corn, cut with a sharp knife through the center of every row of grains, and cut off the outer edge ; then with the back of the blade push out the yellow eye, with the rich, creamy center of the grain, leaving the hull on the cob. Or, simply cut off with a knife, being careful not to cut too close to the cob, and scrape down the cob with the back of the knife to get all the rich milk. Remove the skins from tomatoes in the usual way, by covering with boiling hot water, but do not let them stand in the water but a moment or two or thev will be softened more or loss, and if to be canned whole their shape will be injured. A bushel of tomatoes makes about twenty quarts. Peas and beans should be shelled just hefore can- ning. String-beans are prepared as for ordinary cooking. The very complete directions given in "Canning Fruit" preface for preparing, filling, sealing and putting away cans should be consulted and fol- lowed in canning vegetables. Especial care should be taken to ex- clude the light from tomatoes, as it causes the formation of citric acid, which no amount of sugar will sweeten. For this reason many prefer earthen or tin cans for tomatoes, but they can be put up suc- cessfully in glass, when they should be buried in sand or oats ; or simply wrapped in paper and set away in a box or cupboard in a

158 CANNED VEGETABLES.

dry, cool cellar they keep perfectly. When put up in tin all vegeta- bles must be turned out as soon as the can is opened. If the whole is not used the remainder may be ke])t a day or two by salting slightly and placing in refrigerator. If put up in glass set away in can.

Canned Beans. — Take Lima, V)utter or caseknife beans, cook as for the table, boiling one hour ; season with pepper and salt and fill jars quite full, seal carefully as directed, and they will keep the year round,

Canv.ea Corn . — Dissolve an ounce tartaric acid in half cup water and take one tablespoon to two quarts sweet corn ; cook, and while boiling fill tlie cans. "When used turn into a colander, rinse with cold water, add a little soda and sugar while cooking, and season with butter, pepp( r and salt.

Canned Corn. — Cut sweet corn from col), put a handful or two into the can, then a pinch of salt, also a ])infh of sugar ; take a potato masher or anything else convenient that will go in the can, and press corn down as close as possible, then repeat putting in corn, salt and sugar as before until the can is full ; seal up and set away witli other fruit. Be sure and not put in any more salt tlian is required for seasoning when cooked. To cook it, sim])ly turn from the bottle and cook as you would fresh corn. Or cut the corn from cob, pack in glass cans, pound the corn as hard as possible without breaking cans ; screw on top but not tight. Put on boiler with cold water and proceed as in third recipe for peaches. After putting on rubbers, screw tight, put back into the water, set the boiler off the stove ; let the cans stand till morning, take out, tighten the covers, and keep in a dark place. Can Peas and Beans same way.

Canned Corn. — Pick sweet corn whenmilk-ripe.or if bought,nave as fresh as possible; cut from the cob and scrape to get the juice, fill tin cans and seal air-tight, surround with straw to prevent strik- ing against each other, and put into a boiler over the fire with enough cold water to cover. Hnat the water gradually and when tliey have boiled an hour and a half, jnmcture the tops of the cans to allow the escape of gasses. then seal them immediately while they are still hot. Continue to boil them for two hours and a half. In ])acking the cut corn in the can the liberated milk and juices sur- round the kernels, forming a liquid in which they are cooked. Peas and Beans are canned same way.

Canned Corn and Tomatoes. — Scald,peel and slice tomatoes, (not too ripe) in the proportion of two-thirds tomatoes to one-third corn ; put on in a porcelain kettle, let boil half an hour, and can immedi-

CANNED VEGETABLES. 159

ately in tin or glass (if glass keep in the dark). Some take equal parts of corn and tomatoes, preparing them as above. Others, after cutting the corn from the cob, cook half an hour in custard kettle ; prepare the tomatoes as above, cooking in a separate kettle twenty minutes, adding the corn in the proportion of one-third corn to two- thirds tomatoes, mixing well until they boil up once ; then can as in general directions.

Canned PwmpMn. — Peel, scrape the pulp and seeds, cut in small pieces, put in a close-fitting steamer and steam two hours ; then put in a kettle ; to every quart add two ounces sugar, boil five minutes and can. Or, after peeling and removing seeds cut into pieces three or four inches square, stand in oven on the rind and bake until done, when it will peel out of the shell easily. Then mash and can while hot, sealing as fruit. Cannot be told from fresh.

Canned String- Beans. — String fresh string-beans, break in sev- eral pieces, cook in boiling water ten minutes, and can like tomatoes.

Canned Succotash. — Cook Lima beans and corn as for eating in the proportion liked, either half and half, or with a less quantity of beans, and can.

Canned Tomatoes. — The tomatoes must be entirely fresh and not over-ripe ; pour over them boiling water, let stand a few minutes, drain off, remove the skins, and slice in small pieces into a stone jar, cutting out all the hard or defective portions ; some add a little salt ; cook for half an hour, or as for eating, in their own juice, skimming off the scum which rises, and stirring with a wooden spoon or paddle ; can and seal as in general directions ; put up in glass, wrap in paper and keep in dark place. Tin or stone cans may be used.

Canned Tomatoes. — Take ripe, round, firm tomatoes, freshly gathered and not too large to go into the mouth of cans. Prepare only enough at one time to fill one or two cans and drop them at once into the preserving kettle in which should be ready some toma- toes cut fine. Boil until heated through, then put into cans, filling up with the cut tomatoes in which they were cooked and seal.

Canned Tomatoes. — Skin tomatoes as usual, 23lace on sieve to drain and pack as solidly as possible in cans ; then set cans in boiler of cold water, heat up and boil half an hour, and fill and seal as in third recipe for peaches.

160 CATSUPS AXD SAUCES.