Tomatoes
| Ripe tomatoes, | 1 dozen |
Adelaide watched those tomatoes every day, and as soon as they were sufficiently ripe she picked them.
Placing the tomatoes in a pan, she covered them with boiling water for about a minute, drained off the water, peeled them and cut them into quarters. Adelaide let these come just to the boiling point, then she filled the sterilized pint jars at once. In filling the jars Adelaide was careful not to let any of the little seeds of the tomatoes remain on the rubber as they might prevent the jar from being perfectly air-tight.
As usual, Adelaide inserted the silver knife in the jar to let all air bubbles rise to the top and break, fitted on new rubbers smoothly, sealed the jar quickly and let it stand upside down out of the way of any draft.
The next morning Adelaide examined the jar thoroughly to be sure it did not leak, wiped off the outside with a damp cloth, pasted on the label, then stored the jar away in the preserve closet.
CHAPTER VIII
CANNING THE GOVERNMENT
WAY
Early in the summer a friend who was doing government extension work in one of our New England states sent Adelaide a book on "Home Canning" that the government had published.
Adelaide was much pleased and she and mother pored over it eagerly. Mother picked out the "Single Period Cold-Pack" method as being the simplest and best for a little girl.
This is what the government says—
"By the 'Single Period Cold-Pack' method it is as easy to can vegetables as to can fruits. The prepared vegetables or fruits are blanched in boiling water or live steam, then quickly cold-dipped and packed at once into hot jars and sterilized in boiling water or by steam pressure. The jars are then sealed, tested for leaks and stored."
The Single Period Cold-Pack method is a simple and sure way of canning. It insures a good color, texture and flavor to the vegetable or fruit canned. In using this method sterilization is completed in a single period, saving time, fuel and labor. The simplicity of the method commends it. Fruits are put up in syrups. Vegetables require only salt for flavoring and water to fill the container.
Another advantage is that it is practicable to put up food in small as well as large quantities.