Fig. 3.—Fruit pricker.
A strong wire sieve is a necessity when purées of fruit are to be made (fig. 2). These sieves are known as purée sieves. They are made of strong wire and in addition have supports of still stronger wire.
A fruit pricker is easily made and saves time (fig. 3). Cut a piece half an inch deep from a broad cork; press through this a dozen or more coarse darning needles; tack the cork on a piece of board. Strike the fruit on the bed of needles, and you have a dozen holes at once. When the work is finished, remove the cork from the board, wash and dry thoroughly. A little oil on the needles will prevent rusting. With needles of the size suggested there is little danger of the points breaking, but it is worth remembering that the use of pricking machines was abandoned in curing prunes on a commercial scale in California because the steel needles broke and remained in the fruit.
Fig. 4.—Wooden vegetable masher.
A wooden vegetable masher is indispensable when making jellies and purées (fig. 4).
Fig. 5.—Glass cylinder (A) and sirup gauge (B).