The Portland daily press., 1893-09-11
THE HOME.
CANNING PEACHES.


ripest fruAas, but those without brulse
or .speck. To give the best result they
should be canned from the tree or but
a few hours after they are picked-al-
though very fair canned peach may be
put up from the prime fruit OF the mar
ket Begin by making thin syrup. al
lowing two cups of water and one cup OF
sugar to every quart can of peaches. Let
the syrup melt slowly over the fire and
boil about three or four minutes; some
Gamers prefer merely to bring it to the
boiling point without cooking it further.
AS soon as the syrup is ready, set it at
the back of the stove, where it will SIM
ply keep warm Then peel the peaches,
tearing them apart as you peel them,
leaving the pit in one side, and dropping
peaches and,pits into can. AS soon
as each can is filled cover the contents
with syrup and screw on the cover. leav-
ing off the rubber; or, in case 1.-THE new
patent cans, leave the vent open. When
all the cans are ready, put a large, fiat
bottomed boiler with wooden rack in
the bottom) over the fire.. This boiler
and rack should be a part of the canning
outfit of every family where much work
of this kind is undertaken. The fiat
copper-bottomed boiler, such as is used
for boiling clothes, answers every pur-
pose. An open rack to fit in the boiler
can be made by. CARPENTER or by any
person who can handle tools with ordi-
nary skill. The boiler should be large
enough to hold 10 cans, with space enough
between them for wisps OF hay or kltch-
en- towels, which prevent the cans from
knocking together and cracking in the
boiling Let the peaches cook, in the
cans in this way for 20 minutes. If you
wish to make the peaches especially nice
strain the syrup, using pointed strain
purpose. A jar litter is very convenient
forsremoving the hot cans from the water
but it is not strictly necessary. AS soon
as the Jars are taken out of the water
open them, and you will see that the
fruit has absorbed a considerable quanti-
ty of the syrup Fill the cans up to the
brim again with little of the syrup,
which is always left over after the first
filing. This syrup should be boiling
hot when it is added. Do one can at a
time, in order to leave it open as short a
time as possible. Put on the rubbers and
screw it up instantly. as tight as possible.
Let the cans rest until they are cold,
then tighten them again, wipe them off,
and set them away in dark preserve
cIOSeG.- CulGlVaUOf.
JELLY POINTS.
The time required for boiling jelly is
the point on which it is more easy to
make mistake than on any other. Hard
fruit, such as apples and ounces, must
be boiled with little water to draw out
the jules. The juice should be allowed
to drip into basin or eathern bowl,
never into tin vessel, FOR the action of
tin would be injurious. to color and
flavor.
Currants and small. soft fruits intended
for jelly making should not be gathered
Immediately after rain, for the juice is
then less rich and full of flavor.
Only the best sugar should be used for
making jelly There is no economy in
using cheap sugar; it contains impurities
which must either be yemovd in the form
of scum or which will.spoil the jelly.
Jelly is spoiled as much when ov.r
boiled as when under boiled. II under
boiled it becomes mouldy or softens, or
will not turn out in a Snaps; yet if over
boiled it candies in tim., 8; darkens ard
loses its flavor.
Fruit that is dusty is not injured by
being rinsed quickly in and out OF cold
water, but if il is gathered during rain
it will be impoverished.
Fruit juice that. is to be converted into
superior jelly should not he squeezed or
pressed but simply allowed to drip.
Tine cloth or bsg used fsr straining may
be mede of flannel or of coarse linen
towelling; either will do SO long as per-
feet cleanliness is secured.
The reason why fruit juices jelly is be-
cause they contain gelatinous sub
stance, but until the fruit becomes ripe
this is of little or no value; with each
day of over-ripeness 1t grows weaker.
Boil the juice rapidly twenty minutes,
been heated in the oven in fiat dishes
until so hot that the hand cannot be
borne in 1t; stir rapidly until it dissolves,
withdraw the spoon, and as soon as it
boils up once, pour into glasses.
Fruits yielding thick juice will need
only three-quarters OF pound of sugar
to a pint of juice while for the thinner
Green grapes require pound and half
to pint.
The fruits most commonly used in
making jelly are currants, apples, crar-
berries, straw berries, raspberries and
grapes. Of these strawberries and grapes
are the most difficult 10 manage. Cher
ries are rarely attempted; they are not
quite suitable for either purpose, being
too watery.
The best test of jelly is the following;
When jelly begins 10 boil skim off the
froth as it rises. When it has boiled with
the sugar about ten minutes (having
been boiled without the sugar OF course
for 20 minutes) dip the skinner in and
out, holding it sideways over the jelly.
If it runs off in only one place it is NOT
cooked enough; but if it runs round the
edge of the skinner and drips off in two
or three places in wide, thick drops, it is
done.-N. E. Farmer.
RECEIPTS FROM THE HoUsEKEEpRE.