Evening star., 1902-08-30
G A N N I N G. FRUITS
SIMPLE DIRECTIONS HOW TO
PROCEED.
Recipes for Vegetables, Also What
Will Bring About Good
Results
Written for The Evening Star.

LOT Inc fVenlnS star
The housekeeper who puts up" her own
fruit for winter use has every facility for
producing a superior article. Dealers I'M
derstand this and ask higher prices for
homemade jams, jellies and preserved
fruits than for the factory made product.
The homemade things are more delicate
and appetizing. They are a sort of per-
sonally conducted affair, in which the
housekeeper applies dainty and careful
manipulation at every stage of the process
and watches her creation II 1t were a
work of fine art, which 1t Is.
Let us take, for instance, peaches, which
are now in their prime Some resourceful
Woman-or was 1t a man, after aH?-dis-
covered that the skin may be removed from
several quarts of peaches at once by plung-
Ing 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 it till it boils. Put the peaches
into wire basket, dip the basket into the
1ye a second or two-just long enough to
loosen the skins-then plunge into cold
water, rinsing the lye off. The peaches
must be rinsed at least twice. The skin
will slip off like the shell from a 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 discol-
oring 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 cut more peaches,
then more sugar, according to your taste.
A good rule is to take quarter of a pound
of sugar to pound of fruit. Fill the
jars quite full, pour little water into
them, then put on the top, leaving the rub
Der band off.
Have vessel containing cold water on
top of the stove or range Put the jars of
peaches into it. resting them upon Stats Of
wood muffin rings thew will tOurh
the bottom. Do not let them touch each
other. An experienced houSekeeper has
found a long wash boiler best adapted to
this purpose. as she can pack more jars
into 1t side by side than into any kind of
round vessel. The cold water should reach
to the necks of the jars. Cook until the
fruit Is soft, but not until the pieces break
For the Sirup.
Meantime while your peaches are sim
mering, cook in another vessel a few
peaches with a sugar sirup. This is to pour
into the top of the jars when they are ready
to be sealed. in order that they may be
quite full as to exclude the air. The
peaches in the jars will have fallen some
what by escape of air and moisture When
they are done, lift the jars out with cloth
one after another fill in with the fruit and
sirup, clap the rubber and fasten down
the glass top firmly.
After the fruit is done cooking it Is nee
essary to remove the jars from the boiler
as rapidly as possible lest the later ones be
cooked too much. Sharps the word at
this point. When the jars are filled anu
sealed, set them away in dry place until
they cold. Then examine carefully to
see that they do not leak when turned on
the side and put away in COOL dark place.
After a week or two examine them again
to see if any shows sign of fermenting.
You will know this by the fruit swelling
and showing air bubbles at the top. If
these appear, empty out the fruit, scald it
tInc NF
and use 1t Immediately.
In precisely the same way apples and
pears may be preserved. Cut ounces into
round rings and use with them half a pound
of sugar to a pound of fruit. A mixture OF
half apples and half ounces is even better
than ounces alone on account of their
strong, rich flavor. Berries should be
sugared down hour two before can
ming. Canned pineapple Is delicious. Many
housekeepers pick its pulp to pieces with
silver fork before cooking it, which process
only requires ten minutes. 1t may also be
canned in slices. Pineapple needs three
quarters of pound Of sugar to one Of fruit.
Canning Lima Beans.
Lima beans can be preserved in cans II
care be taken. Here is the process:
First, gather the beans on warm, dry
day, so they will not be moist and sticky,
for they decay easily. AS you shell them
take out the blighted, withered or very
jars, put the lids and then place the
jars In a boiler containing cold water upon
the stove. Let the water come nearly to
the top Of the jars, which must not touch
the bottom of the boiler or each other 1t
is a good plan to wrap a cloth around each
jar to make sure 1t will not touch its neigh
Dor. More care in this respect must be
taken with the beans, for they require
longer to cook than the peaches After
the water boils draw the vessel containing
the jars off the hottest part of the fire and
let the water simmer at the boiling point
two hours more.
The boiler must be kept covered while
the beans are cooking After they are done
lift the boiler off the stove and let it stand
till the water is cold without disturbing the
jars. It is important that these be not
shaken till quite cold. Then lift them out,
dry each carefully, put the rubber band
under the stopper, fasten 1t down tight and
set your canned limas away with your other
edibles for winter. If the task has been
we'll done there will be no trouble as to
their keeping till you want them.
Vegetables are rather more difficult to
can than fruits though it Is hard to say
why. With care and practice, however, ex-
perimenting with small quantity at a
time, 1t can be accomplished, and canned
corn, pumpkin, lima beans and squash will
give variety to the winter menu. Grocers
offer even canned beets for sale. 1t is well
to put some sugar into the corn when you
can 1t, as this gives it better flavor.
Making Preserves.
For preserves the fruit is usually cooked
in a separate vessel and put into the jars
afterward. Aluminium preserving kettles
are clean and beautiful. Weigh your fruit
and then take three-quarters it's weight of
sugar. Put little water into the kettle
first SO the sugar will not burn to the bot
tom, then put In the sugar and melt and
cook 1t to sirup. Skim off any scum that
rises, then put in the fruit carefully and
COOK ttl IL fS soft enough t0 a uv