The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-07-21


| The season Is now opening whom evers
housewife should commence to preserve wha,
fruit win be required during the winter and
spring months. The process Of preparing ths
fruit is TO put the fruit IN a preserving kettls
of some kinda glazed iron kettls, OF even q
timed one, or a tin bucket VIII do@~and
sweeten it with just sugar or honey enddgh "a
fit it for the table. The sweetening is added
in the form of a syrup, made by boiling from
one to three pounds Of sugar usually two
pounds) with one quart of water The more
juicy fruits, such as strawberries, blackber.
ries, &C., require less syrup, while pears and
ounces require more. The fruit is heated
with the syrup just long enough to scald IT
through. Some prefer to use less sweetening,
and add more when the fruit is used. Others
use no sugar they think the fruit keeps just
as well, and preserves its aroma better with
out any sugar. We prefer to use all the
sugar that is to be needed, believing that the
fruit will probably keep more certainly, and
it is then always ready to pour out at once
upon the table. The fruit to be preserved
should be in good condition--ripe, but not
over-ripe, not containing any decayed portions.
Tomatoes are peeled, and then cooked down
to one-half, as this makes better sauce, and
requires less jar room.
Take common, wide-mouthed glass bottles
or stone jars those with rim around the
neck are preferable. Procure thick Canton
flannel or any other thick cloth, cut it into
squares sufficiently large to cover the top and
neck of the jar. Dip these pieces into heated
grating wax, made by melting together one
pound rosin, two ounces beeswax, and one and
half ounces tallow. Several pieces may be
put in at one time, and should be allowed to
remain in until they are perfectly saturated
with the wax. just before filling a jar with
fruit, take out one of these pieces thus allow
be handled with greater ease. and there is no
danger of the wax running them into the
fruit. After the wax has been kept long
time it is apt to harden slightly. A little tai
low should be added.
In preparing the fruit one pound of sugar
whortleberres, &C., is sufficient while for
strawberries and the more acid fruits, one
pound to four is requisite. Add a small
quantity OF water and cook the fruit trifie
less than if it were to be used Immediately
upon the table.
Heat the bottles or jars to prevent break
ing. This may done by placing them under
meath the stove, or else by putting them III a
kettle of cold water and gradually heating it.
Pour the hot fssi. 'ato the. Jar or bottle, fill
Ing il full; wipe the top and outside pcrfeoeiy
dry have ready a piece Of white paper cut
so that it will just fit the outside the mouth
of the bottle or jar, and lay it on the top Of
the fruit. Now you are prepared for the
sealing process. The piece Of cloth being all
ready, having been previously saturated with
the wax and allowed to cool three or four
minutes, place one of them over the mouth of
the vessel, drawing It as tightly as possible,
and then wind piece of strong twfne round
and round, binding the edges of cloth firmly
against the neck. Then with a spoon dip on
a little of the hot wax, spreading it even over
the top of ihe cloth, and over this place pa
per large enough to cover the top and neck of
the jar, smoothing it as close as possible, and
it is sealed AS soon as they cool, glance
will determine whether they are air-tight or
not, as, If so there will be slight depression
OIL the cover The least hole will prevent this
concavity, and thus indicate at once necessity
of repeating the sealing process. If care be
perfectly sealed at first