The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-04
RESERVNG FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SEALED VESSELS

HE housekeeper who puts up
her own fruit for winter use
has every facility for produc-
v ing a superior article. Deal
ers understand this and ask higher
prices for homemade jams. jelies and
preserved fruits than for the factory
made product. The homemade things
are more delicate and appetizing. They
are a sort of personally conducted af-
fair In which the housekeeper applies
dainty and careful manipulation at
every stage OF the process and watches
her creation as IL IL were a work OF
fine art, which Ii is.
Let us take. for instance. peaches,
which are now I'm their prime. Some re-
sourceful woman--or was IL man, aft
er all?--discovered that the skin may be
removed from several quarts OF peach
es at once by plunging them a moment
In a boiling lye made OF wood ashes.
The lye is made by putting a pint OF
wood ashes into gallon OF water and
heating IL till IL boils. Put the peaches
into wire basket, dip the basket into
the I've a second or two-just long
enough to loosen the skins-then plunge
II into cold water, rinsing the lye OIL
The peaches must be rnsed al least
twice. The skin Will slip off like the
shell from hard boiled egg. AS the
skin is removed from the peaches cut
each In two pieces and drop into cold
water TO keep the air from discolorinS
the fruit.
Now comes the canning. The glass
Jars are filled with the fruit After
YOU have placed a part of the peaches
in the jar sprinkle sugar enough over
them To sweeten them sufficiently;
then put more peaches, then more sug-
ar. according 10 your taste. A good
rule is To take "A quarter OF a pound OF
sugar 10 one pound of fruit. FIJI the
jars quite full. pour a little water into
them, then put on the top, leaving the
rubber band off
Have vessel containing cold water
on top OF the stove or range Put the
jars OF peaches into II, resting them
upon Stats OF wood or muffin rings so
they will not touch the bottom DO
not let them touch eacn other. An eX-
perienced housekeeper has found Ions
wash boiler best adapted to this pur-
pose. as she can pack more Jars into II
side by side than into any kind of round
vessel The cold water should reach to
the necks OF the jars. Cook until the
1rult Is SOil, Out not uHAli the iiSNSS
break.
Meantime. while your peaches are
simmerng cook IN another vessel a few
peaches with sugar sirup. This is TO
pour into the top of the jars when they
are ready 10 be sealed. in order that
they may be quite full. so as TO exclude
the air. The peaches in the Jars will
have fallen somewhat by escape OF air
and moisture. When they are done. lift
the Jars out with cloth one after an
other. fill in with the fruit and sirup.
clap on the rubber and fasten down the
glass top firmly.
After the fruit is done cooking il is
necessary TO remove the Jars from the
boiler as rapidly as possible lest the
later ones he cooked too much Sharp:
the word at this point. When the Jars
are filled and sealed set them away in
a dry place until they are cold Then
examine carefully to see that they do
not leak when turned on the side and
put away I'm cool, dark place. After
a week or two examine them again 70
see II any shows sign of fermentins.
You will know this by the fruit swell
ing and showing air bubbles at the top.
" these appear. cppty out the fruit,