The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-12
FARMERS READING.
Canning Fruit.

The Strawberry season has come
and gone. Other small fruits are
coming on, however, and perhaps a
word on preserving. or, IN other words,
canning fruit, will be acceptable to
our readers even at this late dateso
% As the word is usually understood
We never pyeserve any kind of fruits,
Chat is) we never take pound for
pound Of sugar and fruit and boil it
down until it becomes an indejestible
mass. not fit to enter the stomachS of
the most robust, much less of the fee
BILE ones who are sure to make the
most use of such things 1t certainly
requires much less labor to keep fruit
as nearly as possible in the natural.
state. besides It is much more econon-
ical, healthful and palatable.n If the
Sanitary or hygienic effects of fruit as
a diet, especially the berries, were I'M
.derstood and appreciated, by the
masses as they should be, more atten-
ton would be given to the fruit house
and less to Che pork barrel. Physiol-
ogistsa tell us that in winter we eat not
only for repairs but also for warmth,
in summer for repairs only IN other
words in winter we eat both food and
fuel, consequently when the warm
spring, days come we need to keep up
repairs only, and can readily dispense
with the heat producing part OF our
diet. !, Nature fnstinctiyely turns, away
from those things that contain q large
amount of carbin, and We have an in
tense longing or desire for something
green or sour as we often express it.
and when the kinds offood that nature
calls for is, not furnished the appetite
lis often fdeminished SO that not more
than one half of the usual amount of
food is taken, many people imagine
this to be a bad symptom, and think
they must have a tonic or. a bottle of
bitters fixed immediately to whet UP
the appetite, while a dish of berries
and cream or berries and bread even,
would be much more effectual and
certainly more pleasant to take.
But / asharpened my pencil to say
a word about the process OF, canning
fruit. Tin n are considered the
safest and most convenient, yet / can
not say. that / prefer them. Fruit
cannot be as, healthful kept in tin as
that kept I'M glass or stone. Stone
however is not always air tight, conse-,
qnentlyit is unsafe, glass does we'll if
care is used in canning and the cans
are wrapped in paper orkept in dark
places after being filed. .
1 am very much pleased with Mrs.
Katy Jacksons pianfor canning fruit,
and will give an extract from her writ
ten experience: {
Early in the strawberry season
had made a large tin boiler, of the
shape of a common wash boiler, and
of size to fit a common kitchen cook
ing-stove. Into this was fitted a per-
forated plate or steamer of galvanized
iron, raised upon legs high enough to
admit of plenty of water upon the bot
tom of the boiler, and yet leaving
sufficient room between the steamer
and the top of the boiler to %inclose the
common two quart glass can, when the
boiler cover was on. This boiler held
twelve cans-two rows of six cans
each.
Selecting good, fresh, early straw
berries of our best and sweetest vari-
cites, L filled the cans-a dozen at
a time, adding, in the process of fill
ing, enough sugar to make the berries
pleasant and palatable for the table
bat no more. Then placing the cans
upon the steamer, (the water beneath
which was boiling,) and covering the
boiler. | let them remain until the
fruit asthoroughly scalded, and then
covered them tightly, the covers hav-
ire been previously heated ia boiling
wafer. After allowing the fruit ITO
cool. [ turned the Jars upside down,
letting them remain so far q day or
a day or. two in order that the liquid
might rise to the top of the jar and
cover the fruit entirely. This aids
greatly in its preservation. q l used for
the most part and preferred, ''Spen-
GERS Patent" cans.