The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-08-26
FARM AND GARDEN.
Canning Fruit.

Though canned fruit can be bought at any
grocery at reasonable figures, there il really
nothing in the market like the fruit canned al
home. everyone knows that. a lady IN 'ht
Farmers stock Journal discusses the subject
wisely and gives many excellent suggestions
for canning which appear below, anu which
will he of value to ladies who want the best
of everything regardless OF trouble involved
Most Of the canned fruit in market Is in TIN
and some OF il is very good, though not SO
good as one can prepare herself, for whatever
is done by the wholesale Is usually poorly
done If can is perfectly alright it cannot
by any possible means impart metallic fla.
vor to the fruit. Some people Will open tin
can, pour out part the fruit, and leave the rest
in, of course that remaining exposed, as it is
10 the action of the atmosphere, will soon &C.
uuire an unpleasant flavor. When can is
opened pour all the fruit out, and keep it in
the earthern or glass dish until eaten, not IN
tin. Always can tomatoes, gooseberrles ana
strawberries in tin. If tomatoes are canned
in glass, the action Of the light upon them
will form crystals of citric acid which makes
them so sour that nothing can swceten them
they will keep nicely and without the least
trouble if canned in tin, so will Strawberries
and gOoseberries Cherries are better II put
in glass cans raspberries, peaches, piuihs,
huckleberries, blackbcrrIes and currants may
be put in either, and no one would know
what they were canned IN unless told.
Now for the process. Cleanse the cans
thoroughly and test them to ascertain II they
leak or are cracked. If any OF the TN cans
leak, repair them or send them to the timer
for repairs If glass cans are detective 40 not
use them for Gaming, but keeping them Tor
storing things in the pantry. When the cans
have been cleansed, put warm water IN them
IN dish pan. Just before canning have ready
another nan of water quite hot, and put In two
or three cans that have already been warmed
in water take out as you are readyto MI WIN
fruit and stand them upon hot platter while
filling them; the platter keeps the jars from
coming in contact with cold surface like the
table, and catches what fruit may drop In NIL
ing.
Look over the fruit carefully, and if 1t has
pits remove them, leaving only a rev TO
heighten the flavor; for can OF cherries leave
in about dozen pits for peaches one or two.
Use porcelain kettle for cooking the fruit
and only enough sugar to render 1t palatable.
II fruit 10 made very sweet 1t is unhealthy In
dipestible, and expensive; ii is the pleasant,
natural acid of the fruit which our systems
require and sugar spOils 1t all.
Peaches should be canned by the same me-
thod, but in preparing them remember If they
are quite ripe the skin can be removed with
out using a knife, simply by pouring boiling
water over them same as with tomatoes, then
cut in halves and remove the pits. Perhaps
more water might be put in to form thessyrup
than used with strawberries.
Cherries should be cooked three minutes
at least, and more if the form is not injured by
il. Make syrup for them the same as with
other fruits, and observe same process in can
ming.
Raspberries same as Strawberries be sure
that thew are heated to good boiling tempera-
ture if cooked too long they will be hard and
undesirable. One can hardly time the cook.
ing tor others. because so much depends upon
the intensity of the fire; a hot, steady fire for
ironing is the best. Fruit ought to cook
quickly; slow fire consumes time, rende's
the fruit hard, and drives off in steam all the
delicate flavor which is desirable to preserve.
Black berries should be canned the same as
raspberries
Gooseberr;es and currants require mole
sugar and perhaps more cooking. The goose
berries should be well done, so that the skins
NAV be tender, and they will admit OF more
than twice the water that is used with straw
berries
Plums same as peaches, only they will need
TO be pared with knife. However, we have
so few cultivated plums that II ethod of pre-.
pairing wild ones or of making that famous
plum butter that our old settlers had to de-
pend upon for every occasion, would be in
order, and we call on them for the modus OPP
erandi Now, gcoi pioneer mothers, let IS
hear from you. -,
Tomatoes should be nicely pared by scald-
ing first, then slipping the skin off; place in
a large porcelain kettle or a tin wash boiler
never in copper or iron, squeeze out enough
Juice TO wet the bottom of the kettle, and thus
prevent their scorchlng, but no water should
be added to them; there is enough of the juice !
boil briskly for five or six minutes until they
are thoroughly heated, and sealed in tin cans,
A bushel of good tomatoes will make about
sixteen quart cans when cooked.
The can securely sealed with the prepar-
ed sealing.wax found at the drug stores,
is by most preferred to solder 1t can be saw
ed when the can is opened and used the sec.
ond or third time. To open can sealei with
wax, strike the wax with tack hammer un.
Ill 1t starts. pry the lid with the claw OF the
hammer, and the rest will loosen SO that it.
can all be picked off and the can brushed be-
fore removing the lid. This keeps the par.
ticles from the fruit. and is much nicer than
melting the wax with a hot iron.
When fruit cans have been sealed and ready
10 put away, turn them top downward on a.
table and let them stanu until the next morn
ing, examine carefully, and if no juice has.
worked its way out you may be sure they al e
well sealed Place them on shelves in cool,
dry cellar, and keep them there until ready
for use. If tin cans are used, paste labels on
while the wax is hot, that you may know
what they contain when you wish to open
them.