Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-03
a TALK ABOUT PRESERVING
FRUITS.


picked Instead Of the dried apples,
peaches, cherries and currants, and the con
cenrated costly jars Of preserves 10 be
brought out only for company" on spe-
cial occasions, il is now easy, and economical
IN money as well as in health, 10 have a
daily supply Of good, naturally favored, all
most fresh pie plant, strawberries, cherries,
blackberries, apple sauce, ETC. The fruit
thus kept is healthful, and, with high
priced butter, a cheap bottle Of nice fruit
upon the tea table, is economical, as il fur
nishes both nutriment and condiment.
There are various contrivances and meth
DDS for accomplishing the object and each
season brings out from half dozen to two
dozen new devices. In what follows, we
speak wholly from home experience, re-
marking that we have latterly been almost
uniformly successful in securing full sup
ply Of various fruits, that have been agree
able % the home circle as well as to visitors
The chief requisites, after the fruits, are ::
Some good, convenient form Of bottles or
cans, cooking vessel, and sugar.
THE FHUTrs-Fruits Of all kinds are
easily preserved, as are also rhubarb or pie
plant and tomatoes The main supply of
fruits proper for the year consists in the or
der Of abundance:
l. OF Peaches, when plenty.
?. Strawberries.
3. Cherries, when plenty.
A. Pears
3. Raspberries and Blaclyberries.
Apple sauce is put up plentifully at differ
ent seasons, usually in the bottles used for
other fruits Elephant and tomatoes are
preserved In large quantities, 80 az to have
an abundance whenever wanted, until they
come again. Indeed, all the fruits are put
up in supply to last until a new crop Of EACH
and In a season of special abundance, a two
years stock laid in. We seldom find much
difference in bottles Of fruits opened after
one, two and sometimes even three years.
BOTTLES AND CASs.-We have used
dozen different kinds, and succeeded with
most Of them, but have latterly settled down
upon n simple form Of glass bottle, usually
quart size, for every thing but tomatoes, and
in part for these. Our chief failures have
been with some tomatoes carefully put up in
glass bottles, which iermented; yet we shall
continue to use these, expecting that further
experience will secure unfailing success.
We have never failed with tomatoes in sealed
tin cans, large and small, and they do not
seem 10 act upon the tin at all Glass is al
ways preferable, however, for all preserved
fruits ETC., as unpleasant effects may some
times result from corrosion. Any kind Of
glass bottles will answer. if the neck be large
enough 90 receive the fruit handily, and Of
such form as 10 admit Of tight corking-if
soft corzs Of good quality can be obtained to
iit them. IL the corks are softened in hot
water, pressed in firmly, and covered tightly
with wax and cloth tied over, or with a well
waxcd cloth tied on, they answer. A corked
bottle inverted into little tin dish or patty
pan, or in a saucer containing a spoonful or
frHf, Of
be taken not 10 leave any air bubbles around
the edge. The cement used is one and a half
ounces OF tallow melted with one pound Of
common resin, in a tin or iron vessel. Make
in quanty, and heat il up as often as needed;
every melting improves il. The only care
required in using wax for closing the bottle
mouths, is TO have the necks wiped clean
after the fruit is put in, so that the wax will
adhere firmly to the glass.
SELECTING AND PREPARING THE FRUIT
As rdle choose fully ripe fruit, but not
that over ripe. A soft or decaying spot may
iuiure the flavor and tend 10 decay the whole.
II too green the flavor will be inferior. The
berry fruits are % be sorted, detected ones
rejected, stems and hulls removed, and care
fully but quickly washed if soiled, though
this is always TO be avoided il possible, as it
Injuries the flavor, especially of raspberries
and strawberries Peaches, pears, etc,
need pairing. Some scald peaches TO aid in
removing the thin skin, but they are better
pared. They may be preserved whole but
are better cut in halves and the nuts re
moved.
We now mainly use some kind Of patented
bottles with covers closing upon the India
rubber ring, which dispenses with wax. ANY
form that will absolutely shut out all access
of air will answer the purpose
THE COOKING VEssEL.-The best is the
iron porcelain kettles, quite common, which
are very convenient for many cooking pur-
poses They are iron vessels plated on the
inside with porcelain CT white earthenware,
glazed. One holding five or six quarts will
answer. Wide fiat ones arc preferable Cop
per or even brass vessels, if well cleaned, or
a Tin pail or pan may be used.
THE SueAR.-For very nice preserved
fruit, as white peaches and pears, the best
refined A sugar isdesirable, and for all kinds
We think sugar as refined b sugar is best,
and even the cheapest on the whole. For |
apple sauce, put into cans for general family /
use, G. or the best light brown. will answer. |
Our rule is 30 use just sugar enough 20 it |
the different kinds of fruit for the table. /
Some families like more, and some less; |
hence no definite rule can be given. For /
the sweeter fruits, strawberries, peaches, |
sweet pears, huckleberries and the like. we |
use four to six pounds Of sugar to the gallon |
of water, or one-half 90 three-iourth pounds /
10 the pint For more acid fruits, as cher /
ries, plumhs, sour pears, curants, crabapples, |
etc, about one pound % the pint more or |
less according to the acidity, and ripeness.
COOKING THE FRUlr.-Three methods are
used: Some place the fruit in bottles, with /
sugar added, put on the covers nearly tight,
set the bottles in warm water and heat 20
boiling, and after time is given 10 heat the
fruit through, the covers are fastened down
closely. We prefer, a. being less trouble
some, 10 FIRST cook the fruit in the porcelain,
or Tin vessels, and then dip il hot into the
jars which must have been previously
warmed 20 prevent their breaking as noted
below. For the incest preserves the fruit
may be cooked in a syrup FIRST and then
dipped out into the hot jars, and new
syrup be filled in hot The cooking syrup
may be used for several successive patches Of
fruit, and finally fer poorer kinds of fruit,
or making common sauce. For ordinary
preserving, the fruit and syrup used in cook
ing it may be dipped together in the bottle.
The amount Of cooking is important Too
little hazards the keeping, and too much not
only mars the appearance, but il greatly in
lures the flavor In ell cases have the syrup
boiling hot and over the fire when the fruit
Is first put into IT, and il win then heat
through without becoming sol or losing its
flavor Only fruit enough to 6ll three or
four bottles should be cooked al a time, or
some viii be ovordone.
Strawberries should be cooked but three
or four minutes before dipping them into
the bottles, which should be previously all
ready and hot With this precsution they
retain their natural form and favor.
Peaches, being larger, require a little
more time 90 heat through, but when fully
ripe five 10 seven minutes is long enough,
and the same Is true Of well riponed pears,
especially the Bartlctts and Nergaliebs,
which. by the way, make a most delicious
preserve.
ouinces and hard pears may cook ten 10
fieen minuies, or more, Tor they should be
come tender.
The general rule Cor cooking Is to have
The sol fruits iult heated through the centre,
a. quick ~ may be after they 50 into the
syr1p. and then get them into the bottles
Immediately, giving no time for the escape
Of ihe aroma.
Tomato. well ripened, are soalded to
Ain diem easily. then pat into jest water
and saarsnfrffrr ]