The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-07-23
THE EARLY FRUITS.
Directions for Successfully Preserving
Them.

Them.
The coming of spring with the first
fruits of season draws attention tn the
preserving season. Strawberries and
pineapples are the frst fruits to be pre-
served. No fruit requires more delicate
handling In preserving than the straw
berry. 1t is difficult to keep and exceed
ingly difficult to prepare so the frag-
rance and flavor of the berry are re-
tanned. Old-fashioned housekeepers
always imbedded their bottles of straw
berry preserves in boxes of clean sand,
Keeping them in dark close uplace
This insured their being kept at cold
dry temperature during the long months
of summer. Though this method is
troublesome, it is the safest method, and
strawberry preserve, properly pre-
pared, is so delicious that it pays to take
some trouble with them. The French
makers OF preserves take special care
with their Strawberries, SO that they
retain the flavor and almost the firm
ness of the fresh berry.
Select perfectly round ripe fruit. pick
ing them in the latitude of New York,
between the first week in June and the
last week. The later berries that ripen
when the strength of the vine is ex-
hausted, are not as good for preserving.
Weigh the berries before they are
hulled, as they should not be handle any
more than possible after they are hulled.
Allow three-quarters of pound of sug-
ar to every pound of berries. To seven
pounds of granulated sugar add five
pints of cold water. Put the water and
sugar in a porcelain-lined preserving
kettle. Set the kettle over the fire and
stir its contents till melted to sirup,
though it should not boil. Add tea
spoonful of lemon-juice to the sirup.
When the sirupisprepared have the cans
ready and bring out the Strawberries.
which should be standing in some cool
place, not in the hot kitchen, while you
are making the sirup. Begin to hull
the Strawberries, putting them into the
cans as you hull them. AS soon as can
is full, set it in pan of hot water and
cover it with the boiling hot sirup. Put
the cover of the jar on without the rub
Der, or if it is one of the new patent
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cover as tightly as possible.
Set the jars as soon as they are filed
on the table and when sufficient num-
Der are filled set them in large boiler
in which wooden rack has been placed
for the purpose. Put kitchen towels or
wisps of hay between the jars so as to
prevent them knocking together and
fill the boiler with lukewarm water up
to the neck of the jars. The moment
the water begins to boil, keep watch Of
the clock and do not allow the straw
berries to cook over five minutes in the
boiling water. Lift the jars out of the
water one by one, unscrew the covers,
put on the rubbers and screw them up
as tight as you possibly can. When
they are cold, screw them up again.
Wipe each one off carefully, and wrap
it in paper to exclude the light. If it
is to be packed in sand, this should be
done when the jar is thoroughly cold.
1t not, it should be set away as soon as
it is cold in the preserve closet. This
should be cool, dark closet, where the
temperature will never range above
seventy degrees and where there is no
danger of dampness. Damp closets
cause preserves to mold. Pineapples
may be preserved in exactly the same
way as Strawberries, except that they
should be cooked twenty minutes in
stead of five.-N. Y. Tribune.