Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-07-26
@istellanspas.
HINTS ON CANNING FRUIT.

A lady correspondent furnishes the fol-
lowing to the american Agricultarist:
The season when fruit will be plenty is
fast approaching, and those house-keepers
who have seen how much their canned
fruit was enjoyed the last winter, will be
making calculations to put up large sup
ply the present summer There is moth
ing healthier, and rearly harlly anything
cheaper than canned fruit. 1t may seem
unnecessary to those who are already
adopts at the art to write anything on
this subject; but can assure such, that
there are hundreds of bushels of fruit
spoiled every year in every large town.
lady not long since was telling me that
last fall she put up three baskets of as
handsome peaches as were ever gathered,
and every bottle was spoiled. I constantly
hear the ladies talk about their spoiled
fruit. There is another remark l often
here, and which seems absurd to me. It
is this: My fruit always white molds,
and think it improves it," There is
thick, leathery white mold, which often
forms on the top of the fruit. and which
can be removed whole without affecting,
apparently, the flavor of the fruit; but it
is not desirable to have even this sort Of
mold. 1t would be out of the question to
send such bottles to long distance, as
the mold would be spread all over the
fruit. if it did not impart any unpleasant
flavor. There is such thing as having
bottled fruit without any mold whatever.
l thing the reason white mold forms is,
that the lid of the can is not applied soon
enough. and many ladies consider this as
part of the process. A friend told me she
always waited three or four minutes after
W in no h.tf hnf.~
on the lid. ut lets out the air. You
know there are always bubbles of air that
have to come up" "Oh, yes ~ / said,
Il know but always run a knife quickly
down the inside and that brings them up"
The quicker the lid is applied the
better, and it should not be disturbed
until you want to use the fruit
In regard to the air bubbles. which often
form while the bottle is filling. little
care will Obviate the difficulty In putting
the fruit into the bottle, do not pour it in
in such way as to close the whole mouth
OF the bottle, because that prevents the
escape of the air; but rather let the fruit
slide gently down the side of the bottle.
1t can be done just as quickly this way as
the other. The secret of having bottled
fruit keep, is to have perfectly air tight
cover, and to be sure that the fruit per-
fectly boils all throughout, before putting
it into the bottles, and then be quick about
putting on the cover, and letting the cover
alone until you want to use the contents
of the bottle. 1t is not necessary to let
out the steam or air, after the cover is on
Do not place a string under the rubber
for this purpose. DO not insert pen
knife under the rubber according to some
directions,) to let out air. q know lady
who learned this lesson after her peaches
had all termented.) 1t is not necessary
to bury the bottles in the earth, or to
have dark vault made in the cellar
for the purpose. Mine keep perfectly,
without mold, on shelf in rather light
cellar. If you bottle your fruit in the
right way, it will keep almost anywhere
but by the stove; if you don't do it right,
and let in the air with knife, or some
other way, it won't keep, no matter where
you put it. Of course, if you have not
done it right, it will keep longer in dark
cold place, but . it would succumb to the
atmosphere in the end. Bottled fruit
put up in a proper manner will keep
for years, if desired. l had some splen-
did peaches at a friends the other evening,
and she said she did not know whether
they were two or three years old. But
she knew they were not last years, for
she did not put up any, as she had used
up all her empty bottles for cherries,
plumbs, raspberries, etc. and as she had
several bottles of peaches on hand, she
did not think it necessary to buy more
bottles for fresh supply.