Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-08-27
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
New Canning Process Preserves Nat.
ura Color and Flavor.
Prepared by James Dryden, Oregon Agriculture
College, Corvallis.

Certain fruits and vegetables may
be preserved in such way that they
will retain indefinitely their original
favor, color and structure. This is in
the nature of a discovery, made by
Prof. r. f. Pernot, of the Oregon Ag-
ricultural college. A report of Prof.
fernot's Investigations is given in
iulletin No. 81 Of the Experiment sta
tAon, Corvallis, and for the benefit Of
the housekeeper who is wrestling with
the canning problem we give the sa-
lent points of the bulletin
Successful canning is a question OF
s-erilizing. If can of fruit spols it
means that it was not properly steril-
lied to start with, or there was leak
age in the can. Spelling Of the fruit
is due to germs which were in the
fruit when it was canned or entered
the can later. Sterilization kills the
germs, and the fruit may be sterilized
by cooking or heating. We quote the
following paragraph from the bulletin ::
"Micro-organisms, not unlike all
other plants, possess the power Of self
preservation and of perpetuating their
kinds; one is by means of producing
spores, or seeds, which are very resist
ant; while others which do not produce
spores have a resisting power nearly
equal to that of spores" "
Heating the fruit to 160 degrees foi
ten minutes will kill the germs with
out injuring the good qualities of the
fruit, but the spores, which are "un-
incubated" germs will not be injured
at that temperature and will become
"germs" in another day, when the heat
should again be applied. A few spores
may escape the second heating, making
third steaming necessary.
How 1t Should Be Done.
First-Clean the fruit jars or cans
by means of a brush, using hot water
to which washing powder has been
added After washing thoroughly
steam the jars to remove any dirt that
may remain.
Second-After washing the vegeta.
bles or fruit place them in jars, COM
pletely filling them. Then add water
to fill the interstices, and put on lid.
Don't screw it on tight or the jar will
burst when heat is applied.
Third - Procure a wooden steam
chest, the wash boiler will do, and put
some water in the bottom of it. Put
stats in the bottom on which to set the
jars.
Fourth-To get the proper tempera-
ture, put thermometer in the center
of an extra jar of fruit or water and
steam the fruit at temperature Of
100 to l65 for ten minutes. Do not let
temperature get above 165. Then
remove Jars and screw lids on tight
Immediately. Repeat the steaming a
second and a third time at intervals Of
"a to AZ hours. The jars are then
sterile. Cans may be used instead Of
Jars. If the latter are used the vent
in the top Of the can will have to be
soldered after the first steaming.
Boiled but not boiling water should be
used for filling the jars, or syrup
sterilized water or syrup may contain
about ten million germs in quart jar,
and it is just as we'll to nip them in
the bud" by sterilizing the water. 1t
is important that the fruit or vegeta-
bles be neither under-ripe nor over
ripe. The same good jundgment
used in selecting material for the table
should be exercised in the matter OF
canning.
1t was found in the tests made al
the experiment station that a temper
ature of l65 degrees was sufficient tC
sterilize the fruit when treated as
above, and this temperature did not
impair the flavor or structure of the
fruit. Where only one heating is
given, as is the case at the canneries,
it is necessary to heat the fruit as
high as 240 degrees in order to kill
both spores and germs.
1t should be stated that this method
of canning was not successful with
sweet peas and corn, as they have a
germ normally that is not killed at a
temperature Of l65.
This method would probably not be
practicable at canneries, where fruit
is sold at low prices, owing to the ad-
ditional expense of treating the cans
three times but for first class high
priced goods the additional expense
would be warranted. In the case of
home canning, however, it is a more
desirable method Of putting up fruit
and vegetables than the methods usu-
ally in vogue.