The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-08-09
Preserving Fruits in Cans, Jars and
Bottles.


of putting up fruit by the Oneida (N.
" Community is copied from their or
gan, the Circular:
"The fruit is first suitably prepared
by hulling, asserting, or pairing and cut.
ting, as the case demands; and in most
instances, is Immediately placed iu clean
glass bottles, filing them full and when
such fruit as peaches. pears, ounces, &C.,
are cut in large pieces, it is best to take
some pains to crowd the fruit into the
bottle-otherwise the heating process
will not leave the bottle properly filled
with fruit. .., ....,r
"Next prepare syrup Of melted re-.
fined or white sugar, and pour into the
bottles by the following rule: Allow
six ounces Of sugar to one quart Of fruit;
or melt ten pounds Of sugar in one gal.
lon of water, and give one.half pint Of
the syrup thus produced to one quart
bottle Of fruit. This rule is adapted to the
strawberry, cherry, peach and other simi.
lar fruits. More acid fruits, like the
currant, require greater proportion Of
sugar Sugar, for few years, and cs.
pccially tho present season, has been so
high that the temptation has been for
those who put up fruit for sale to make
the proportion Of sugar much less than
the above rule requires, and some parties
have acknowledged that they had re-
duccd the quantity Of sugar to three
ounces for one quart Of fruit. Fruit
put up dir II sht will, Of course, keep
just as well without sugar as with it, but
it is thought much better to heat the fruit
in syrup, rather than to heat it in water
and apply sugar as it is used for the
table.
"Thc filled bottles are then placed in
a stcaming box-bcst if made throug h
out Of wood-the bottles rest on false
bottom of narrow stats, covering the
steam. .pipc-cold water is then let into
the box until the bottles arc two thirds
covered the fruit is gradually heated to
a boiling point BY letting steam into the
water, through pipe leading from the
engine room in another portion Of the
building. 1t requires from fifty.fvc to
sixty minutes to properly heat or cook
most kinds of fruits. They arc com.
monty allowed to boil FIVE minutes, but
in some Instances arc taken ont Of the
steam box before they reach the boiling
point.
:. "Corks are made sufficiently aexible
by stcamiug them twenty minutes With
the fruit. They should be large enough
to gil the neck of the bottle tightly, and
require some force to crowd them in.
Formerly ono cork,as procured Of dealers,
was made to stop two bottles, but now it
is considered better to use whole cork
for each bottle.
Until lust year the community used
for sealing wax compound Of the fol-
lowing proportions: ID. Of rosin, o.
tallow, 3 or. beeswax; but common boat
pitch is now used, and is found to an.
swer quite as we'll, and is much cheaper.
1t is prepared by first being boiled few
minutes, and then heated every timc a
batch Of fruit is to be sealed.
Tho fruit being sufficiently heated,
the corks steamed, and the boat.pitch
ready, the bottles are taken succcssively
to table and quickly corked. The
corks may bo forced in by q blow from
a mallct, or better BY small lever ar.
rangement, or best by such machine as
that used here, and in other fruit estab.
lishments, which, worked by hand and
foot, performs this operation easily and
rapidly. The portion Of cork remain.
ing above the bottle is pared off with a
sharp knife, and left in convex form.
"Some fruit prescrvers, at this stage,
pack their fruit away, laying the bottles
down on the side and trusting to the
cork, thus kept moist, to exclude the air,
and sealing the bottles when they ill
orders tor the market, and when they
are less hurried; but the Community
have always scaled their fruit immedi-
ately after it is corked, which is done By
dipping the mouth Of the bottle into the
melted sealing.wax, so as to cover the
bulb. Then transfer it to basin Of
cold water, dipping to the same depth,
to cool the wax. If the dipping is car.
ried below the bulb or rim at the mouth
Of the bottle, there is danger Of crack.
ing the glass. Now examine the sealed
part to see if the wax has formed blis..
ters. If there are blistcrs, rub them
away with the finger, using little tallow
or oil to prevent sticking. 1t was form.
erly thought necessary to repeat the dip
ping operation in wax and water but it
is now only done when the first dipping
leaves the cork imperfectly covered.
"The operation is now completed, and
the fruit is ready to be packed away on
shelves or in chests, in cool dry cellar.
IF placed on shelves, cloth should be
hung before them to exclude the light.
In a few days after packing away, iu-'
spect the bottles to see If any show signs
Of fermentation, which may be detected
by foamy appearance Of tho fruit. If
this is observed in any bottle, it denotes
either a crack in the glass, or that the
scaling wax was imperfect. The bottle