The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-05
Aqri1ultural
Preserving fruit by Hermetrical sealing.


fruit by Hermetrical sealing.
We are glad to see that year by year
the old practice of making large quanti-
ties of preserves in every family, is declin
ing, and sweetmeats are giving place to
a more simple, healthful, and delicious ar
ticle, namely, fresh fruit preserved in its
natural state, by perfectly excluding the air.
Fresh peaches, strawberries, &c, are
certainly a greater luxury in mid-winter
than the same fruits preserved with sugar.
while the expense is less, and the amount
of skill required, no greater.
The self-sealing tin cans, now extern
sively introduced, are far superior to the
old kind, as the housewife can put them
up quickly and safely, without the aid of
a timer; they are as easily opened as
closed, and the same cans will do for sue
cessiye years. These self-sealing cans are
made in different ways. Some are sealed
by screwing a cork upon q rubber COM
press, and applying melted bees-wax, 9TH
ers by warming the cover and pressing it
into a rim of cement, which surrounds the
top of the can, others again are sealed
with peculiar kind of soft solder.
The chief agent in the work of preser-
vation is heat. If after the application
of heat for certain time (by which pro-
cess the air is expelled,) the article be
sealed up hermetically, it will remain un-
changed for an indefinite period. We
will briefly describe the method Of putting
up fruits in this manner, as given by sew
eral manufacturers
First, select good fresh fruits or vege-
tables. Stale and fermented articles can
never be preserved. Vegetables decom-
posing quick, such as green corn, green
peas, asparagus, should be preserved with
in six hours after being picked, particu-
larly in warm weather. Berries always
within twenty-four hours. Peaches, quin-
ces, pears, apples, should be peeled, and
the seeds removed before preserving.
Vegetables should be partially cooked
first. Such as corn, peas and tomatoes,
should be boiled half hour; asparagus
a quarter hour. To the vegetables, add
half pint of the water they are cooking
in, to the quart.
Fill the can with ripe fruit, adding, il
desired, little sugar-simply enough to
render the fruit palatable-and set it in
vessel of water, (warm or cold.) Lei
the water boil, and continue boiling unit
the fruit IS aceN heated through-say fol
half an hour. Direction has been giver
to simply let the water boil, but such di
rection is defective, as at this time the
fruit in the center of the vessel will bt
scarcely warmed. Should the vessel b'
then sealed, fermentation will take place
The heat must thoroughly penetrate th'
contents of the vessel. As soon as th'
fruit is sufficiently heated, seal the can
and the work is. done
Another way is to make syrup of tw'
pounds of sugar for every six pounds o
fruit, using half pint of water for ever.
pound of sugar. Skim the syrup as sool
as it boils, and then put in your fruit ant
let it boil ten minutes. Fill the cans, ant
seal up hot. Some make syrup of hal
pound of sugar to every pound of fruit
and some use only a quarter of poun
! of sugar to pound of fruit-while som
use no sugar at all.
To keep peaches, pare and cut theI
up. If thrown into cold water, they wi
retain their firmness and color, Hea
them in the cans as above-or, boil thel
ten minutes in syrup. In this wa
Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, plum
peaches, &C., &c., may be kept for an
length of time, in the same condition ths
they were sealed up, and with their fave
unchanged For small fruit, it is best
make a syrup without water, and boil I'll
fruit in it for only a few minutes.
i Peaches, ounces, pears, apples, shoul
be pealed, quartered, and the seeds reno
ed before preserving. They should
!; placed in kettle and brought to bris
boil, with as little stirring as will preve1
them from scorching, to avoid breakin
!, the fruit. The fruit should be kept boi
ing while the cans are being filled. T.
5 matoes should be boiled and the SIX
: taken off, and then placed in kettle al
> brought to boil, and kept SO while fillir
3. the cans.
$ Fill the cans quickly to overaowir
/. from the boiling material in the kettl
. and Immediately place on the cap, (whi'
should be warm,) fitting it closely to t
e shoulder of the neck of the can. Bic
7 or wipe the moisture out of the CALLER
! which the heat of the can will in a litt
while dry off, Then fill the gallery wi
q cement. This takes less time than fillil
: with cold fruit, and heating the can !
| in boiling water.
!. Fresh stewed fruits of all kinds may
!. kept in the vessels. twill only be nece
q sary to stew the fruit as for the table, a
4 ding the amount of sugar required
/ make it palatable; fill up the vessel wi
Is the hot fruit and seal at once. All ri
. fruits preserved in this way, will be fou
as fresh in the winter season, as if j.
4 taken from the tree and stewed.
}, HoD to knoac MatMe canis Hernaetica
is sealed, and that the contents aciH keep.-T