Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-08-02
Canning.

Yes ma'am; we know that the
canning season is at hand, and that
the inexperienced ones are trettlng
themselves sick through fear that
the fruit will not keep and that
it is our duty to give these young
bousekeepers the benefit OF the
wisdom that we have gained by
several centuries of experience in
canning, picking. preserving etc.
In the first place perfect cans
are among the indispensables TO
success in canning. Salt- sealing
GLASS cans are the ones that you
trust under all circumstances
Frui; properly put up will |. keep in
tin cans, and doubtless if the tin
cans are we'll made OF honest tin,
as thew sometimes are, they would
answer just as well as glass; but
in these days when much of our
tin ware is not coated with tin at
all but with lead, no woman who
values the health Ct her family
should think of putting up any
thing in tin cans. unless she is sure
of her article. Tie glazed earthen
ware cans are "a delusion aud a
snare" Sometimes fruit will keep
in them, and sometimes it will not
generally not. Glass cans cost
more to begin with, but like good
many other expensive articles they
are the cheapest in the end. Fruit
properly put up in seli-sealing g asS
cans will last as long as you will.
All fruit ard berries used Tor can
ing should be fresh and ripe but
not oyerripe. B,rrles should be
firm, and peaches and pears must
be canned before they get mellow
1t is not absolutely necessary TO
Us, sngr when canning, but as
most fruits and berries need the
sugar, sometime, you might as wen
put a considerable in to begin with
t,ranulated sugar is undonbt Oily
the best Tor canning. 1t costs a
cent more a pound Than the best
brown sugar, but then one pound OF
granulated sugar will sweeten con
sldelably more than pound of the
best brown sugar that you can get,
Nearly all the brown sugar that we
buy is adulterated with sand and
glucose. Our rule is a quarter oil
pound of a granulatcd sugar Tor
every pound OF iruit or berries. but
sor currents and cherries we use a
tile more, and for peaches a little
> ms $. Pit your iIult and sugar
" osneg ether III a porcelain kettle, ad-
.ng a little water If necessary,
Cook until the fruit is boiling bot
clear though, fill the calls full
while the iruit is hot; wipe the top
dry and put on the cover; screw
down firmly, and as the fruit cools
tighten the cover until it can be
moved no further. If you notice
apv air bubbles in the can lun a
spoon down to them and let the air
escape before YOU put the top on.
10 prevent breaking the cans, fill
them with quite warm water until
they ale warmed through then
Dour out the water, set the cans in
a pan containing little hot water
and put in The the fruit Berries,
and fruit that ale apt to mush up
by much hadliDg, will look better
if cooked in the cans. Fill the cans
with fruit, pour over syrup made
by melting tic sugar that you in
ted 10 use IN some water-say
from half a pound to a pound OF
sugar to quart OF wateI-put on
the glass tops loosely, set the cans
IN the wash boiler with cold water
enough TO cone within three inches
OF the top OF tic Calls. Heat until
tbe frnit is boiling hot, and then
boil fifteen minutes longer. The
fruit will settle down 10 the cans.
but take the contents Of one or two
cans to fill up the rest, and then
seal up Immediately. Do not set
the cans on the bottom OF the boil
er. Get the 'worser half 10 shape
a board a little smaller than the in-
side OF the toiier, bore it tull Of
holes an inch apart, and nail three
strips an inch thick across the un-
der sides to rest on the bottom oil
the boiler. Set the cans Oh this
board and they will be all right.
Fruit put up this way will keep
because it cannot do otherwise.
Canned fruit Should be kept in a
cellar ifyou have one. TIE next
best place is a cool milk house, but
If you have neither, put III a dark
closet, in The coolest place at com
mand. Mind you, this is not writ
ten for the old hOusekeepers, but
Tor tie experienced ones. Ii we nave
failed to make the whole process
clear do not hesitate to call Tor lntor
nation.