The Portland daily press., 1874-10-19
Canning Fruit.

There are various processes to be taken
into consideration in what is now considered
the simple process of preserving fruit in cans,
so that it will keep for any length of time !;
and when these things are all fixed in the
mind, the results can never be failures.
Freshly gathered berries or fruit are very es-
sential. and the former should be eleansed
from all dust and debris by being looked over
before preserving. A good way to wash
them is to let the hand which is filed with
berries rest for a few moments in large
bowl of water, and all the leaves and briars
will thus be rinsed off. The skins of peaches,
pears, ounces, plums, a1d tomatoes, can be
removed by turning boiling water over the
fruit, and after ten minutes scalding, taking
them out one by one, and either peeling off
the skins with sharp knife, or rubbing
them off with towel. There are cooks who
declare that if berries or fruit come in con-
flavor is extracted, but we know that the
syrup is much nicer when they are treated in
this manner. Next in consideration is the
variety of the cans to be used, and whether
they shall be Of glass, crockery, or tin. The
last named we would advise you to shun on
account of the danger arising from the i'm
purity of the metal. Physicians assure us
that many Of our soldiers in the last war lost
their lives from partakng of canned fruits,
add we have experienced the i'll effects of
both canned peaches and canned tomatoes
done up in tin. Glass or stone Jars are the
most desirable, and we should always give
the preference to the former, because its con-
tents can be examined so much more easily,
and you can make sure that they are keeping
well. Of the glass jars, those with porce.
lain-lined cover, which screws on to the cap,
will always give satisfaction. To prepare
these cans for receiving the boiling hot fruit,
it is needful to pour quite hot water into
them and then place them in large dripping
pan on one side of the stove, filling it as full
as possible with hot water, and letting it
come to the boiling point. IT you are still
fearful that the cans will crack when the hot
water is turned out and the fruit put in.
place large silver spoon into each can as it
is filled, Withdrawing it when the jar is near
ly full of fruit. Upon the same principle that
silver teaspoon placed in glass goblet will
enable you to pour pater, boiling hot from
the teakettle, into it without cracking the
goblet, the tablespoon prevents the jar from
cracking. With the dripping pan filled with
jars and hot water on one side, and the pre-
serving kettle on the other, we will lllcommence
to make the syrup, allowing six ounces of
sugar and four tablespoonsfull of boiling
water to each pound of fruit; or else, melting
one pound Of sugar in one pint of boiling
water and adding one-half pint of it to every
quart can of fruit. Let this come to boil
and skim off any scum that may rise, then
put in the halved or whole peaches; and if
the former are used, be very sure to put two
or three Of the stones into each quart jar to
give the flavor of them to the syrup. Boil
them until you can pierce easily with bit Of
broom-corn. Then fill up each can, adding
enough of the syrup to cure the peaches.
Wipe off the tops of the jars with cloth wet
in cold water to remove the drops that have
fallen; put on the covers as quickly as possi-
BILE and screw down tightly, then remove
from the water to the stone hearth, or table,
letting them stand an hour or until cool, and