Lifting the peaches out carefully with a fork, Adelaide put twelve halves in each sterilized pint jar, and filled them to overflowing with the juice.
Inserting a silver knife between the fruit and the sides of the jars, she let the air bubbles rise to the top and break. Next she placed the new rubbers on smoothly, sealed quickly and stood each jar upside down out of the way of any draft.
Next morning Adelaide examined each jar carefully to be sure they did not leak, wiped off all stickiness with a damp cloth, pasted on the labels and stored away the jars in the preserve closet.
Canned Apricots
| Apricots, | 1½ dozen |
| Sugar | |
| Water, | 1 cup |
The apricots are so much smaller than peaches that one dozen, mother said, should just fill a pint jar, but, to be on the safe side, she would let Adelaide prepare eighteen. Mother also said she was surprised that more people did not can this fruit, it was of such a rich and delicate flavor.
Adelaide washed and wiped each apricot thoroughly, cut it in halves and removed the stone. After weighing the apricots she put them in the saucepan and added one-third their weight in sugar and one cup of water.
Placing the saucepan over the fire, Adelaide let the fruit come slowly to the boiling point, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. After they had boiled gently twenty minutes (Adelaide stirred all the time being very careful not to break the apricots) she filled the sterilized pint jar at once.
Adelaide picked the apricots out with a silver fork and placed them in the jar first, then she poured in the juice so that it overflowed. Using a silver knife, she inserted it between the fruit and the jar, to let all air bubbles rise to the top and break. Next she placed a new rubber, which had been dipped in boiling water, on the jar smoothly, sealed quickly and stood the jar upside down out of the way of any draft.