The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-09-04
HINTS ON FRUIT CANNING.
Few Things That the Housewife
ShOuld Remembers.

Should Rene mber.
-=In canning fruit, remember that it is
srd and disagreeable work at best,
ID unless you can come within sight
4 its highest possibilities, "the game is
Cot worth the CANDLE" Whether it is
--ood, bad or Indifferent depends upon
8our own knowledge and skill. Exclud-
yng the air to prevent fermentation is
billy the A b C of success. Fruit must
took as well as taste delicious, and, in
Jrder to do this, it must retain its nat
lural flavor and appearance, and be
,weetened with graduated sugar.
Fruit for canning must be freshly
picked, and 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 of what kind, are
never satisfactory and palatable.
Cherry pits add much to the flavor,
and when removed from the fruit
handful should be tied In piece of net
and put In the center of each jar. Pear
seeds should be used in the same way
il the core Is removed. Cherries are
richer and handsomer colored if the sir
up is made of half currant juice.
The skins of green gage plums should
be left on and pierced with fork be-
fore they are cooked. The skins of all
other common varieties should be re-
moved. If plums and peaches are i'm
mersed in boiling water to loosen the
skins, only few should be treated at
once, and those should first be put in
wire basket or sieve. After remain
ing two minutes or so dip in cold wa
ter and gently rub off the skins.
A silver knife should be used to shred
pineapple and pare pears and ounces.
Peaches should be put in strip as
soon as pared, and pears and ounces
into cold water, to prevent discolora-
ton. Peaches are firmer and richer if
allowed to remain over night in the
strip before they are cooked. Five or
six pits should be distributed through
each quart jar.
The most delicate and natural fla
vor is obtained by cooking the fruit
In the Jars. This method also 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 quick
ly cooked tender in clear water, it is
more convenient to do so before they
are put in strip.
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 far filed to the neck
with strip.
A fat-bottomed kettle or an ortli.
nary clothes boiler are convenient fol
cooking, and board fitted to the bot.
tom loosely and closely filled with inch
nugerholes obviates all danger of break
age. Put the rubber and cover in po-
sition, leaving the latter loose; fill the
boiler in warm water to the neck oil
the jars and boil gently until the fruit
can be easily pierced with a fork. Nc
definite rule for cooking can be given
Ten minutes is usually long enough
for berries, while the time required fol
larger and more solid fruits depends
upon their ripeness. Experience soor
makes one expert. Take each jar out
onto hot plate, fill to overiowins
with boiling water, and screw dowr
the top. Tighten as 1t cooks, and in
vert to be sure that it is air-tight.
The jars should be wrapped in papel
to exclude the light. which is more in
furious than one is apt to think, ant
kept in cool, dry place. The fiavo
of fruit is more improved if the Oxygen
Is restored by removing the cover al
hour or two before it is needed.
II rich fruit is desired, the following
quantities of sugar for each pint, ia
will be satisfactory, but as sugar is no
the keeping power, much less, o
even none, may be used: Strawberries
seven ounces; raspberries, four ounces
whortleberries, four ounces; cherries
six ounces; peaches, five ounces; Bart
lett pears, six ounces; sour pears, eigh
ounces; plums, eight ounces; ounces
eight ounces-N. Y Times.
Pretty Faat.