The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-16
THE HOME.
Black and Red Ants.

ptAo oCdoOh VIGIL AdfS DCCl cCCu 1Ol iiAehi'y
years; and great trouble the housekeepel
has in getting rid of them. A letter has
been received in regard to those pests
the red and black ants, the former being
particularly exasperating on account Of
it's minute size:
Will some reader of the PRESS kindly
inform me through it's columns What
will drive from cupboard and milk room
those tiny red ants, also large black ants,
and greatly oblige reader OF the
PRESS? E. ID. =.
Wash the shelves with strong bora2
water and sprinkle them With cayenne
pepper. This remedy has often been
tried, and always with success.
Canning Fruit.
1t would certainly seem that the very
general use of the canned vegetables Of
the market and the wholesome, natural
flavor that characterizes even the cheaper
grades would have made the prime cause
of their excellence, namely, cooki ng in
the cans so that none of their delicate
flavor is lost in escaping steam, an open
secret to the majority of housewives be
fore now. If 1t has, there never was a
more ,rcible illustration of the truth OF
the old adage that None are so blind as
those who will not see'' than the persis-
tency with which housewives cling to the
inferior method of cooking fruit in an
open vessel and afterwards dipping it in
to jars and sealing. Probably the incor-
rect belief that it is more work to cook
fruit in the jars than out, and that the
operation has done much to keep the old
met bod in favor.
Away with these and all other bug
bears. One method is not harder or more
difficult and risky than the other, and
other things being equal, fruit that is
cooked in the jars is greatly superior in
appearance and flavor. In other words,
canning fruit is sticky, hard and disa-
greeable work at best, and only that
which at least comes within sight of its
possibilities ever pays any dividends on
the investment. Every step of the work
from A to z, from selecting the fresh
fruit to opening it for use, must be prop
erly done.
All 1rulG SnOulu Dc well grown, 1rtSu-
ly picked and little under, rather than
over, ripe.
Ali berries except strawberries, should
be firm and large. With these, the small
Ter fruit towards the last yield is best.
Making the syrup one-third currant
juice gives an appetizing tartness to
canned red raspberries, and adds richness
to cherries.
The pits of cherries and peaches and
the cores and seeds of pears improve the
flavor of their respective fruits. If re-
moved, distribute five or six peach pits
through every quart. jar, and put little
net or muslin bag filed with pits or cores
in the center of cherry or pear jars.
Prunes and most varieties of plums
should have the skins removed. Soald
only few at one time, and put these IN
wire basket or sieve first, and be careful
not to over scald them.
Pears should be pared and halved with
a silver knife and dropped into cold wa
ter to prevent their turning dark.
Prepare peaches in the same way, rather
than risk softening them by scalding.
Lemon, green ginger or other favoring
should only be added to insipid pears
watermelon rinds, citron and the like.
Granulated sugar should always be
used. 1t costs but a trif1e more than
coffee sugar and has far more delicate
flavor.
Cleanse and sweeten old jars with
boiling water, to which soda, borax OF
ammonia has been added. Test with
water to be sure they are air tight before
filling.
Put the fruit into the jars as fast as il
is prepared, and ill the jars to the neck
with syrup. Adjust the rubber and Gov
er, but do not screw down the latter
Wire racks to fit different sized kettles, OF
i, I<,sJ 1r, h. IL
but one of narrow wood Stats answers the
purpose nearly as well, and can be easily
made at home.
Fill the vessel with warm water to the
necks of the jars, and boil until the fruit
can be easily pierced with fork. Der
ries will cook in ten minutes, cherries in
fifteen or twenty, and larger fruits pro
portionately longer. No definite rule car
be given. but experience soon enables one
to judge closely. Before screwing dowr
the cover. fill to OVERLOOKING with boiling
water.
Raspberries, whortleberries and peache:
require five ounces of sugar for min,
straw berries, cherries and pears, sew
en- ounces, and ounces, nine ounces. L
this seems too rich, less can be used. The
color of canned fruit is quickly injured
by the cation of light. No matter if it is
kept in dark closet every jar should bt
WIdppOo LII paper.
If fruit is opened an hour or two before
it is needed to restore the oxygen the fla
vor is much improved. -Correspondenct
American Cultivator.
Olive Oil.
Nothing is better for the delicate thar
olive oil as an article of diet. Encourage
the semi invalid who finds ood-liver OF
distasteful to use freely mayonnaise dress
ing, for which taste Is easily acquired in
the very exceptional cases where it Is not
natural. Here in palatable form, are
obtained all the properties of the offensive
ood-liver oil. For fragile children moth
ers will find free use of the nutritious
olive oil Invaluable. Not only should il
be taken as tonic in the form of attrac-
tive dressings, but if there is any ten.
dency to weakness of the lungs it should
frequently be rubbed into the chest. The
pores of the skin will absorb 1t greedily
and 1t is found to contain both healing
and Strengthening properties. Gospel
Banner.
Table Mustard,
Dad 10 h1o Se 10