Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-08-15
Canning Fruits,

We briefly spoke Of canning fruits year
ago, but as many farmers do not seem to
and as there are many methods. or rather,
not the belt Methods procticed, we shalt give
fuller explanation both OF the philosophy and
practice OF the thing, so that any person can
doit .I sr
AR is expanded by heat. A cubic inch Of
air may be heated 30 a. to expand TO many
cubic feet. Or, to give q simpler illustration ::
If room twenty feet square should be entirely
destltu te OF air, and you could set tree cubic
inch of air within it, it would diffpee itself
equ ally through the whole room, but it would
then be exceedingly rare, 50 much So that fruits
would keep in snch room as efectually as
II canned mp In jars. II now, you take bottle
and heat it, the air inside will expand and be
nearly an; or quite forced oatof the bottle, and
coos there will be almost perfect vacuum
formed. But had you left the bottle open the
article air would slowly have filled the bottle
as before. Now the object OF canning fruits is
to expel the air FROG the vessels and seal
them mp before the air returns. With these
simple explanations, which we think every
directions for canning fruits for family use,
and we shall make use OF the commouest
materials which are within reach OF every
family.
Collect all the common glass bottles, gherkin
bottles. small jugs and jars, you can find,
nave them thoroughly cleansed, and leave no
old corks in them. 1t Is not necessary to buy
expensive Jars for berries. In fact, we prefer
common junk bottle for these. Fit your
| cork beforehand. A common cork is large
enough usually to be cut in two and it will be
all the more convenient. Suppose you have
| raspberries. Scald your berries in a clean
kettle, a porcelain one is best. Only bring
them to steady heat. SO they will settle
together. Now put some cold water into fat
bot omed kettle, copper wash boiler is best,
and put in yonr bottles without the corks ana
let them become well heated by q slow fire, so
the bottles will not break. When well heated,
| take bottle by the neck with cloth, so as not
| to burn your hands. and with teaspoon fill
| the bottle with your scalded raspberries. A
| little practice will teach You how to do it rap
| idly. Set the bottle back in the water of your
kettle, which need not be more than four inches
| deep, and when yon have set in as many filled
| bottles as you have room tor, raise the tenn
perature OF the water to the boiling point, and
continue 1t till You see the steam coming out of
the bottles. Ii you filled your bottles to the
neck. the liquid will expand and run out OF
tie bottle This is right. Now have your
sealing-wax ready and melted IN an old d ish.
This should be made of ten parts of rosin, one
OF beeswax. and one of tallow. Enough may
be made to last several years. Have little
with cloth In your left hand, and if it is en-
trely full of liquid, pour out a teaspoonful so
as 10 give room tor the cork, put in the cork,
and Immediately cover it with sealing wax,
and drop on. or let some one else do it. q few
drops OF cold water and cool the sealing wax
as rapidly as possible. This is an important
point. for as soon as the bottle is taken out OF
the wafer II begins to cool. and the air is forced
through the crevices OF the cork with immense
force and the process is frustrated, but by
dropping on the water you suddenly harden
the wax. and prevent the air from entering
\ TOUR raspberriss are now canned, ana may be
set away in cool place in the cellar. Many
farmers advocate putting sugar with the ber-
ries when canning them, but we see no ad-
vantage in 1t, if they are canned as they
should be. Strawberries exception.
Their extremely delicate character renders it
very difficult to can them, and the best way
is 10 use pound for pound OF sugar.
In the wav we have described, you may can
all the different kinds OF berries, grapes, and
tomatoes. with half the trouble of preserving
them and at less expense. and with further
care after once canned. than to eat them when
Won feel inclined, which will be pretty often
In winter and spring. We have found rasp.
berries and ripe currants actually better after
being canned, and to our taste there is nothing
better than we'll canned raspberries in March.
len quarts OF raspberries will supply an or.
binary family with q nice dish twice week
for three months We know Of nothing that
can add so 10 uch 10 the pleasures Of the table,
e. SO cheap rate, as canned fruits in winter.
The practice, we know. is becoming more
common, and we want every one, even the
poorest who can find junk bottle, to fill it
with berries and save them for winter and
spring. How gratifying they often prove to a
sIck member OF the family, and how nice it is
10 have bottle TO carry to a sick neghbor. In
canning tomatoes, they should be scalded the
SKINS removed. and put into your wide
mCuthed vessels.
1t is truly wonderful how much science has
Done for us TO render Us more comfortable to
furnish US with Injuries which heretofore
nave been out Of reach. A half day spent in
applying the simplest kno Wedge OF a scien.
ufic character TO the canning OF fruits may fur
Kings could not once possess.--Hdins Farmer.