CANNING FRUIT.

Instructions.

Select fresh fruit that is perfectly ripe, but at the same time, perfectly sound. One unsound berry may injure all in contact with it.

The boiling water poured into the boiler will be considerably cooled by contact with the cans; care must be taken not to let the water return to the boil while the cans are in it; and yet it must become hot enough to expel the air from the cans.

The surest way to attain the desired object is to keep the bulb of a thermometer in the water. A heat of 200 to 208 degs. Fahr. will answer best, but it must never exceed the latter degree. To ascertain when all the air possible has been expelled, put one drop of hot water on the air hole; the cessation or absence of air bubbles passing through it, will denote that the cans are ready for final sealing.

Fresh Fruit.

Procure a sufficient number of tin cans of suitable size, fill them quite full with the fruit, and solder them securely. Next pierce a small pin-hole in the top of each can, to allow the air to be expelled; place the cans in a boiler as deep as the cans are high, pour boiling water into the boiler until within one-half inch of the top of the cans; keep the water hot over a moderate fire, but not boiling, until the air ceases to escape from the cans, and then seal the air holes with solder before removing the cans from the water. The cans should then be taken out, wiped dry, and allowed to cool; when cold, if the cans have been closed perfectly air-tight, the vacuum inside will cause the top and bottom of the cans to become concave or hollowed inward. Tomatoes are also kept fresh in this manner.

Berries, Etc.

Peaches, apples, pears, plums, etc., can be kept perfectly fresh in tin cans in the manner described above, and will retain their fresh flavor almost, if not entirely intact. Raspberries, strawberries, etc., are kept in better condition by adding ½ pound white sugar to each pound of fruit, letting them come to the boil, and then filling the cans quite full, soldering the lid of the can immediately. The hot fruit will, to all intents, expel the air from the can. No water should be used with the fruits, except in cases where a little is necessary to dissolve the sugar, as it tends to render them insipid. Most vegetables can be kept in cans in this way, omitting the sugar, and scalding them in water sufficient to cover them.

Cold Process.

Pare and halve the peaches. Pack them as closely as possible in a can without any sugar. When the can is full, pour in sufficient cold water to fill all the interstices between the peaches, and reach the brim of the can. Let it stand long enough for the water to soak into all the crevices—say six hours—then pour in water to replace what is sunken away. Seal up the can, and all is done. Canned in this way, peaches retain all their freshness and flavor. There will not be enough water in them to render them insipid. If preferred, a cold syrup could be used instead of pure water, but the peaches taste most natural without any sweetening.

Fresh in Jars.

Use only self-sealing glass jars. Put into a porcelain-lined preserving kettle, enough to fill two quart jars; sprinkle on sugar one-fourth pound; place over a slow fire, and heat through, not boil. While the fruit is being heated, keep the jars filled with moderately hot water. As soon as the fruit is ready, empty the water from the jars, fill to the brim with fruit, and seal immediately. As it cools a vacuum is formed, which prevents bursting. In this way every kind of fruit will retain its flavor. Sometimes a thick leathery mold forms on the top—if so, all the better. The plan of keeping the jars full of hot water is merely to prevent the danger of cracking when the hot fruit is inserted. Some prefer to set the bottles full of cool water in a boiler of water and heating all together gradually; but the other way is much simpler and equally effective.

Pears, Etc.

Place the pears, halved or whole, in the can or jar, cold. Pour syrup over them until the can is nearly full up to the top. Pure water may be used instead of syrup. Solder on the lid carefully, then punch a small hole through the center of the lid. Then place the can in a kettle of warm water, having some wire in the bottom of kettle for the cans to rest on. Have the water come up nearly to top of cans. Bring the water gently to a boil. Boil twenty minutes, lift out the cans, wipe dry around the small hole, then solder it up.

Peaches, plums, cherries, blackberries, green gages, apricots, huckleberries, raspberries, are canned same as pears. Grapes require heavy syrup.

Time to Boil.

In canning fruits and vegetables, leave the can in water from time it commences boiling, as follows:

Pears 20 minutes

Peaches 20 ”

Cherries 20 ”

Apples 20 ”

Strawberries 15 ”

Blackberries 15 ”

Raspberries 15 ”

Huckleberries 15 ”

Plums 20 ”

Quinces 30 ”

Tomatoes 40 ”

Asparagus 1 hr. 50 ”

Pineapple 2 hours.

Jars.

Glass jars have been invented with vent hole in the lid to allow the air and steam to escape while cooking, after which it is made airtight with a thumb screw.