Adelaide picked over the berries carefully into the colander, then she dipped it up and down several times in a pan of clear cold water to cleanse them from all dust. After they had drained thoroughly, Adelaide poured them into the saucepan, with two tablespoons of cold water (this was to prevent burning), then she placed the saucepan over the fire and let the berries heat through very gradually. It was necessary to stir occasionally with the wooden spoon. They needed to boil but a minute or two, as they had softened sufficiently while heating through.
As soon as they were done, Adelaide filled the sterilized pint jar to overflowing, inserted a silver knife to let all air bubbles rise to the top, then break, placed the new rubber on smoothly, sealed quickly and stood it upside down out of the way of any draft.
After inspecting the jar next morning to be sure it did not leak, she wiped it carefully with a damp cloth to remove all stickiness, pasted on the label and stored the finished product away in the preserve closet.
Canned Peaches No. 1
| Peaches, | 1 dozen |
| Sugar, | 1 cup |
| Water, | 2 cups |
There were three different ways mother told Adelaide that she might put up peaches, two ways with sugar and one without. Adelaide put up a dozen peaches at a time.
The first dozen Adelaide placed in a pan and covered with boiling water and let them stand a few minutes. It was then easy for her to remove the skins with a silver knife, cut in halves and take out the stones. The peaches were large, and mother said they should fill two pint jars. So Adelaide washed and sterilized two jars. Into a saucepan Adelaide measured two cups of water and one cup of sugar, which she placed over the fire and let boil ten minutes, then she dropped the peaches in carefully and let them cook until you could pierce them with a silver fork. When they were done she lifted each half peach out with great care and put twelve of them in one pint jar, and the remaining twelve in the other pint jar. Next she filled the jars to overflowing with the syrup, inserted a silver knife between the fruit and the sides of the jars, to let the air bubbles rise to the top and break, placed new rubbers on smoothly, sealed quickly and stood both jars upside down out of the way of any draft.
The next morning she inspected them carefully to see that they did not leak; then Adelaide wiped off all stickiness with a damp cloth, pasted on the labels and stored the jars away in the preserve closet.
Canned Peaches No. 2
| Peaches, | 1 dozen |
| Sugar | |
| Water, | 2 cups |