Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-08-18
From the American Agricnturist.1
PREPARE THE FRUIT BOTTLES.
THE BEST METHOD OF PRESERVING FL

THE BEST METHOD OF PRESERVING FRUIT.
Cherries and Strawberries now in the height
of bearing, have ushtred in the fruit season,
to be kept up by raspberries, backberries,
peaches, plums etc, TO the end of the luscious
catalogue. Thanks to recent inventions, we
may prolong the enjoyment of these cheap and
healthful luxuries beyond the few short months
of their ripening, and rejoice in fruits returning
almost their natural freshness, when the plants
that bore them are shiverng in the winter gale,
or sleeping under their snowy covering. Be
fore us, as we write, stands wide -mouthed
pint bottle or jar, inverted in a small lin 'pat-
ty-pan," with cement just covering the rim
around the neck of the jar. In the jar are
peaches put up last August, the jar corked, the
cap ard cement added, and they now look as if
just gathered and made ready for tea. Being
in clear glass; any change can be readily noticed.
Having during the year fairly tested the useful
ness of glass vessels for this purpose, we shall
hereafter discard tin or metal OF any kind. For
many fruits and vegetables tin cans answer ev-
cry purpose; and if glass or carthen ware were
not obtainable, we should use tin for sweet
fruits as formerly; but the comparative cheap
ness of glass, the entire absence of injury to
the articles by couosion of the surface, and the
readiness with which the condition of the pre-
serves is asceilained. are paramount advantages.
No particular form of jar is essential-any bot
tie with neck wide enough to receive the fruit
will answer. We gave preference to those hav-
ing ilange about the mouth. and shoulder
in the neck for the cork to rest against, because
of their convenience. The addition of the
small pan upon the top for holding the cement,
and relieving the pressure upon the cork, makes
the shoulder neck unnecessary
The essential points to be observed in pre-
-, IL.
cles be entirely fresh. With soft pupy fruits,
as strawberries, this is very important. Many
who have been at fault here, blamed the bottles
aud ~. Gov, accommodating ihnn, Rnr-
rioo purchased IN the market are often from six
to thirty hours gathered, or more Fermenta-
ton advances somewhat before it oan DO por
ceivcd by the taste, and when once it has started
is with difficulty arrested. The good housewife
sometimes introduces such fruit into conline-
men;, without sufficient cookng-the openings
are safely closed, but the working" goes on
Carbonic gas is generated, "pop" go the corks,
and out run the frothing syrup and the house
wile's hopes together Fruits with firm skin
give less difficulty, because their decay does not
commence so early.
2d. Sufficient cooking is needed to expel the
air contained in the fruit, and to counteract the
change which exposure to the atmosphere has
produced. The liquid abumcn is made solid
u! "ui!'iS, anu III 'ils s'd'e II Hot e"SllI Ier-
mented. Green corn among vegetables, require
the longest boiling say two or three hours
Skin fruits, as plums, peaches, ETC., we have
kept without cooking, except that obtained by
pouring in the boiling syrup and sealing at once,
but previous heating HroWgh is preferable.
Sd. Care must be taken TO entirely exclude
the air. IU the bottle. raise the liquid to the
boiling point, then put in the cork, and make
all so tight with cement that air cannot enter.
4 pin hole left will as certainly spoil the fruit
as though the cork were not inserted. House
keepers should not be discouraged by one or
two failures A few trials will rive the neces-
sary experience, after which they will thank the
igricuitnid for commencing the fruit bottles
Now is the time to procure supply.
SPECIAL DIRECTIONS FOR PUTTING UP FRUIT.
As g,ide to new reodors and for convenient
reCeronce for older readers we add the follow
ing special directions.
Ber.;es For Strawberries block borr;es and
rosnbcrrics toro tho clean frn;t NICK od While
dry ovoid;ng wosb;ng unless reollv necessarv
Put into n gIozed vessel one of brass will do
bu, ;s not so GOOD os nm enomeled one POM
over il hot svrnn madc of ID In to III If
GOOD white sngor to one mint of wafer i've
have usnd I . Al and I In of smgar w;,b
nearly equal success A GOOD rnle is to use
ahont 40 pucb Su,or ne VII Lo roon;rod ,o g,
,hc fruit for eo,irS rememhcring that rather
more is reouired When ,br frn;, : to he t satur.
ated through. than when if is to he eaten fresh \
A small omount of svrnn will he needed to iii
the intersticcs between the fruit, and il need
not como quito up to tho top at lrst as tho
fruit will sink down into it when boiling. Care
fully cook the berries in the syrup for - TO 90
minutes, so that all shall be scalded through
Too much cooking DESTROYS the form of the
fruit, and dissiparts the fine aroma Heat it
through, but do not stew it down. Have the
bottles ready heated by the stove, or in water
(setting them in, when it is cold and heating
them up,) and pour in the fruit with the syrup
This can best be done through wide-nccked
funnel, or from pitcher, to avoid getting the
syrup upon the top of the bottle, which would