The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-07-28
Useful Things to Know in the Can
ming Season

In canning fruit remember that it is
hard and disagreeable work at best,
and unless you can come within sight
of its highest possibilities ''the game Is
not worth the candle" Whether il IL
good, bad or Indifferent depends upon
your own knowledge and skill Ex-
cluding the air to prevent fermentation
is only A B c Of success. Fruit must
look as well as taste delicious, and, in
order TO do this, it must retain its
natural flavor and appearance and be
sweetened with granulated sugar.
Fruit for canning must be freshly
picked and a little under rather than
over-ripe.
All berries except strawberries should
be large and firm. With these the
smaller the better. Blackberries, no
matter how fine or what kind, are
never satisfactory and palatable.
Cherry pits add much to the flavor,
aud when removed from the fruit
handful should be tied in a piece of
net and put in the centre of each jar.
Pear seeds should be used in the same
WAY if the core IS removed. Cherries
are richer and handsOmer eOlOred II
the syrup is made of half eurrant
juice.
The skin of green gage plums should
be left on and pierced with fork be-
fore they are cooked. The skin of all
other common varieties should be re-
moved. If plums and peaches are
immersed in boiling water to loosen
the skin only few should be treated
at once and these should be put in
wire basket or sieve. After remaining
two minutes or so dip in cold water
and gently rub off the skins
A silver knife should be used to shred
pineapple and to pare pears and
ounces.
Peaches should be put in syrup as
soon as pared, and pears and ounces
in cold water to prevent diseOlOratiOn.
Peaches are firmer and richer ifallOwed
to remain over night in the syrup be-
fore they are cooked. Five or six pits
should be distributed through each
quart jar.
The most delicious and natural flavor
is obtained by cooking the fruit in the
jars. This method always does away
with the breakage from handling, and
adds greatly to its appearance. Pears
and ounces are no exception to this
rule, but, as both are more quickly
cooked tender in clear water, it is more
convenient to do so before they are put
in syrup.
All old Jars should be thoroughly
cleansed with soda and boiling water,
and the air-tightness of every jar should
be tested with water before they are
filed with fruit, which should be
placed in the jar as fast as it is prepared,
and the jar filled to the neck with
syrup.
A fiat-bottomed kettle or an ordinary
| clothes boiler is convenient for cook
ing, and board fitted to the bottom
loosely and closely filled with inch
auger holes obviates all danger Of
breakage. Put the rubber and cover
in position, leaving the latter loose;
ill the boiler with warm water tO the
neck of the jars and boil gently until
the fruit can be easily pierced with n
fork. No definite rule for cooking can
be given. Ten minutes is usually long
enough for berries, while the time re-
quired for larger and more solid fruits
depends upon their ripeness. Ex-
perience soon makes one expert Take
each Jar out onto hot plate, fill to
overflowing with boiling water, and
screw down the top. Tighten rs it
cooks, and invert to be sure that it is
alright
The lars should be wrapped in paper
to exclude the light, which is more in
furious than one is apt to think, and
keep in a cool, dry place. The flavor
of fruit is much improved ifthe oxygen
is restored by removing the cover an
hour or two before it is needed.
Ifrich fruit is desired, the following
quantities of sugar for each pint jar
will be satisfactory, but as the sugar is
not the keeping power" much less,
or even none, may be used; Straw
berries, ounces; cherries, ounces;
peaches, ) ounces; Bartlett pears, 6
ounces; sour pears, 5 ounces; ounces,
& ounces.-E Elizabeth Moreton in New