CANNING AND PRESERVING

Canned fruits are now more popular with most people than preserved fruits.

The expense in preparing them is less, and the natural flavor is retained.

To prepare fruit for canning, look over carefully, reject imperfect fruit, and be sure that the fruit is clean.

The fruit may be cooked in a saucepan with just enough sugar to make it palatable and water to keep the fruit from burning, and transferred to sterile jars; or it may be put into sterile jars in the first place, and cooked by steam,—the latter method preserves the color and flavor better.

To sterilize jars, put jars into cold water, bring water to the boiling point, and boil ten minutes; fill jars with cooked fruit, and pour in sirup to overflowing; adjust rubbers and covers. Invert and let stand on folded cloth until cold; if there are no air bubbles, place jars in a cool dark closet to keep. If air bubbles are present, take off cover, reheat, and add more hot sirup and proceed as before.

Canned Apples

Pare and core the apples; cover with cold water. Boil sugar and water five minutes; add apples and simmer until tender; add lemon juice and rind; place apples in sterilized jars; fill to overflowing with sirup; adjust rubbers and covers; set in a cool place until cool then keep in dark dry closet.

Canned Apples and Pineapple

Pare, core, and cut the apples in rings. Cut pineapple in slices, remove skin and eyes, and cut pulp into squares, being careful to reject the core. Boil sugar and water five minutes; add pineapple; cook until tender; then cook apples until tender; add lemon rind; fill jars which have been sterilized with apple and pineapple, adjust rings, fill jars with sirup, adjust covers, seal.

Canned Blackberries

Place sugar and berries in preserving kettle, let stand several hours, then cook slowly until the boiling point is reached; boil five minutes; fill sterilized jars and seal.

Canned Blueberries

Blueberries are canned the same as [Blackberries], allowing one half cup water for every four pounds of blueberries.

Canned Cherries

Stone the cherries or not as preferred. Place sugar and cherries in preserving kettle, let stand two hours. Cook until tender, fill sterilized jars, and seal.

Canned Currants

Wash, stem, and cover currants with sugar; let stand in preserving kettle over night. Cook slowly until boiling point is reached, skim, fill sterilized jars, and seal.

Canned Gooseberries

Stem and wash gooseberries, cover with sugar, and let stand over night; if green, add one quarter cup water; bring quickly to boiling point, fill jars, and seal.

Canned Huckleberries

Huckleberries are canned in the same way as [Blackberries].

Canned Peaches

Pare peaches and cook in sugar and water, either whole or in halves, until tender. Arrange in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.

Pears, pineapples, and plums are canned in the same way as peaches.

Canned Quinces

Cook sugar and water until sirupy. Pare and quarter quinces; let stand in cold water. Cook in boiling water until tender, then cook in sugar and water sirup five minutes. Arrange quinces in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.

Canned Quinces and Apples

Pare and quarter quinces and apples, let stand in cold water to prevent discoloration. Cook in boiling water until tender, then simmer in sugar and water sirup ten minutes. Arrange fruit in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.

Canned Raspberries

Arrange berries and sugar in alternate layers in glass jars; set jars on trivet in large boiler two thirds full of water; cover and cook until the water in boiler boils vigorously. Remove jar; if berries have settled, refill from another jar, and seal.

Canned Strawberries

Prepare in the same way as [Canned Raspberries].

Canned Beans

Prepare string beans as for boiling. Cook in water one half hour. Fill sterilized jars with beans, adjust rubbers, fill with cold water, and put on covers. Arrange on rack in boiler, fill boiler two thirds full with water, cover boiler, and boil hard two hours. Seal and remove jars.

Canned Corn

Cut fresh young corn from the cob. Pack sterilized jars to overflowing with corn. Seal, set on trivet in boiler, surround with cold water, and boil five or six hours, having boiler covered all of the time. Keep in dark, cool place.

Canned Peas

Cook shelled peas in boiling water one half hour. Fill sterilized jars with cooked peas, then pour in cold water until jar will hold no more. Set jars on trivet in boiler, surround jars with cold water, cover boiler, and boil four hours. Seal, and keep in cool place.

Canned Tomatoes

Remove skins from tomatoes; boil hard twenty minutes; fill sterilized jars, being careful to keep seeds away from rubbers. Seal, and keep in cool place.