Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-08-29
r E G. [ p E S.

PRESERVING FRUIT.-From an experience
OF number Of years, III putting up various
kinds Of fruits, we learn that the less they
are cooked the more nearly is the natural
flavor OF the fruit preserved, provided the
heat has been raised to a sufficient degree
to entirely eXpel all the air contained in the
cells of the fruit. Beyond this, cooking is
unnecessary. For heating the fruit we have
practiced various methods: at first il was
scaded in u kettle and then put into the
jars, but OF late years, particularly with the
different kinds OF berries, our practice has
been to put them ut once into the jars and
then set them into the water, raising the
heat to the boiling point, letting them stand
in the water until the contents were tho
roughly heated through--taking the fruit
from one OF the jars to fill up the shrinkage,
or some is sculded in kettle for this pur-
pose-and then sealing Immediately. By
putting the fruit into the jar before it is
scaldeo it retains its form much better
The most convenient vessel for setting the
jars into for scalding that we have tried is
square tin pan, az large as can be conve-
niently heated over the stove, say to hold
ten or twelve quart jars at time, in two
rows. The depth of the pan should be near
ly equal to the height OF the jars. We have
learned one lesson by rather costly expert
ence. Ii the Jars set close down upon the
bottom of the pan, they are very liable to
break, owing to the confined air in the cavi-
ty at tue bottom. To obyiate this II small
wire is bent i'll zig gag form, so that some
portion OF the wire will come under the bot
tom Of each jar.
Every year brings out number of new
patents for sef-seaing jars. OF the great
number of these it is not easy without
trial to determine which is best. Last sea-
son we saw very simple and economical
method practlccd, applicable to any kind Of
jars. 1t was applied however to fruits pre-
served in about half the usual weight of
sugar, something after the old plan Uf pre-
serving fruits, and the jars closed when not
quite 50 hot as is usual in the modern me-
thod of putting up fruits. The jars were
closed by simply pasting two thicknesses of
strong MANILA paper over the neck, after
having placed over the fruit in each jar II
paper cut to fit the inside. This paper is
unsized, such us is used for printing; they
kept perfectly. In scaling up fruits while
hot, which should always he done, the
shrinkage would be more, and the pressure
on the outside consequently greater. We
think IL very safe plan would be To apply,
first, piece of strong cloth over the jar,
closely pasted around the neck, and then to
cover that with two thicknesses Of MANILA
paper, the first extending a little below the
edge of the cloth, and the next thickness
below the first, so as to be sure to close up
every passage against the ingress of air;
then to the whole apply one or two coats of
glue. This would be a simple process that
any one could perform, and we have no
doubt would he as eflectual rs any of the
seltsealers. We have frequently put up to-
matoes and other fruits in cheap quart jars,
such as are sold at 75 cents per dozen, and
closed them with nothing but simple cap
of strong cotton cloth, well waxed and firm
ly bound around the neck with twine, and
the whole we'll coated over with wax but
the binding is a severe operation for the
hands, aud ii the paste and glue will answer
the same purpose, cheap lars may be used
and the work easily done,-H., ia Country
GGntlen,dH.