Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-06-22
For the Preserve Closet.

Fruits and vegetables must be put up
In such . way that bacterial action 10
prevented. This IL accomplished first
BY boiling, which kills all the living
bacteria. Not only must the fruit be
rendered sterile, but the glasses and
covers must be boiled, too. The second
mode of preventing bacterial action 10
the addition OF sugar, vinegar or spice.
Neither of these methods need be det-
riment to the fruit favors, but too much
boiling, especially when acid 10 present,
changes the fruit flavor, and too much
sugar or spice hides 1t. II the processes
are carefully followed in good recipe
the results will seldom be failures.
When planning to refill the preserve
closet, add rhubarb, put up in number
Of ways, to the list.
CANNED RHUBARB.
The easiest way to can rhubarb Is to
cut 1t in inch lengths, fill jars with 1t,
cover with cold water and seal. This
keeps nicely for months, and Is excel
lent for pies in December and January.
RHUBARB JELLY.
Cut cleaned stalks In short pieces, put
into preserving kettle, allowing . cup OF
water to two pounds of rhubsrb. Boil
till it is a soft pulp, put into jelly bag
and drip without pressing. Return juice
to kettle, allowing one pound OF sugar to
one pint of juice, stir till the sugar dis
solves, and boil rapidly until 1t jellies
when tried on a cold saucer; skim when
necessary. While hot turn into tum-
blers; when firm and cold cover with pa
per or parafin.
RHUBARB MARMALADE.
Allow three quarters of pound OF
sugar to every pound of rhubarb. Cut
in short lengths without peeling, mix
sugar and rhubarb, put in preserving
kettle and bring slowly to the boiling
point. Boil carefully, stirring frequent
ly to keep from sticking or burning, for
an hour. Put in jars the usual way {;
when cold cover with hot paraffin.
RHUBARB MARMALADE.
Boil for twenty minutes four pounds
of rhubarb, cut into small pieces, leav-
ing the skin on. Add the Juice of FIVE
lemons and the rind, which has been
sliced off thinly, boiled in little water
for about twenty minutes, or until soft,
then chopped fine. To this add six
pounds Of graduated sugar, one pound
Of blanched almonds, chopped or cut,
and one wineglass of Jamaica ginger.
Boil all together until thick. The al.
mOnds may be omitted, II desired, and
still leave delicious marmalade.
STRAWBERRIES PRESERVED WHOLE
The most attractive-looking preserves
are put up this way. Crush two quarts
Of berries and simmer gently for twenty
minutes. Strain. For q pint OF juice
allow pound of sugar. Heat the sugar
and add to the juice as soon as strained.
Return to stove and boil until thick,
skimming when necessary. Fill hot
glasses with hulled, clean, whole berries,
cover over with the boiling hot syrup,
and put on sterilized covers.
STRAWBERRIES AND PINEAPPLE.
Strawberries and pineapple mixed
make a delightful change for q few
meals, particularly az a sauce for plain
steamed pudding. Cut one pineapple In
small dice. and stew until tender. Cool
and measure and add to 1t twice AS
much Strawberries. Fill jars with this
mixture. Cover to overlooking with a
syrup made of twice as much sugar as
water, put on covers, put in boiler with
water coming two-thirds up the jars, and
let cook half an hour. Remove jars,
screw on tops, and cool slowly.
PINEAPPLE PRESERVES
Wash clean fine ripe pineapples. Put
them in large kettle or boiler full Of
cold water, boil until they can be pene-
trated between the sections with broom
straw. Take them out; when cool, cut
them In slices one-half inch thick, pare
off the rind and extract the cores. Weigh
them, and to each pound allow one
pound of sugar. Cover pan with q
layer of sugar and then layer of fruit.
Let stand twelve hours, then drain the
slices and put the syrup on to boil. Boil
syrup and skim until scum ceases to
rise, then drop fruit in syrup and cook
slowly about fifteen or twenty minutes.
Put into hot jars, cover with syrup until
OVERLOOKING, and put on the sterilized
covers. Ounces prepared in this way
arc much improved.
PICKLED CHERRIES.
Pit the cherries, just cover with cider
vinegar, and let stand over night. In
the morning, drain (the vinegar may be
saved for other use) and measure the
cherries. Use equal parts sugar and
fruit. Allow the mixture to stand two
days, stirring frequently until the sugar
is dissolved, and then put into cans.
ASPARAGUS CANNED WITHOUT ACID.
Buy the large kind, big as a mans
thumb and white as milk. Peel each
stalk to near the point, take twenty. four
stalks for each jar, tie 10 bundles, lay on
fiat surface and cut off the stem end so
that the bundles are one and one-half
inches shorter than the jar. Lay the
bundles for five jars in saucepan large
enough to accommodate them easily, and
put the pieces you cut from the bottom
in also. Boil till they begin to be ten
der, but not done. Take out, unite one
bundle at time, and put the stalks into
jars, with the stem end at the bottom Of
the jar. Set each jar as filled into pan
of hot water on the stove. When the
five jars are filled with the long stems,
divide up the small pieces among them,
placing on top of the tips till the jar Is
we'll filled. Now add five teaspoons Of
salt to the liquor they were boiled in
and divide that over the five jars, filling
up with boiling water till quite full.
Screw on lids, but no rubber, put them
10 flat-bottomed kettle large enough to
hold them with clean hot water up to
the neck of the jar. Bring quickly to q
boil, and then, with less heat, boil
twenty minutes steadily. Then raise
one jar at q time, take of the top, put
on new rubbers, reseal and set aside
until all are done. Then 20 over each
again and make the lid alright, set up
side down in paper bags, and when cold
put in dark cellar. Always stand the jar
on its head, and shake as little as posi-
ble.-Good Housekeeping.