The Nevada County picayune., 1910-08-23
PUTTING UP FRUIT
SOME POINTS WORTH KEEPING
 IN THE MEMORY.
Saving May Be Effected Through the Proper Care of Cans-SteriItza- tion a Nest important Part
 of the Process.

The annually recurring problem in all we'll regulated households is how, when, what and how much fruit to put up-little or much-and whether to preserve or can it. The first expense of cans is considerable, but they last for years with ordinary care. With fruit in the market all the year around, the work required i'll the preparation of the fruit sometimes seems to cost more than it comes to.
 But even with the best of markets there is a distinct place for canned fruits and preserves, especially for those who can raise their own Der ries. The canned fruits are excellent for pies, buildings and such things. and as but little sugar is required for them the expense seems small. If pre- serves are used to take the place of pies and buildings and other confec- tious for desserts and are more highly appreciated than what they displace, no one will want to do without them.
 The art in preserving and canning is connected both with the cooking
 
 ton cannot be attained unless the fruit is chosen with the most minute care. It must be at the right stage of ripeness or unripeness-just before it Is perfectly ripe Is best. since in all soft fruits the fermentation stage fol lows closely upon the perfectly ripe stage-and particularly at the right stage of preservation. Decay and blem- ishes disqualify fruit for either pre- serving or canning
 The subject of sterilization of cans complete, effective and unquestionably thorough-has received so much atten- tion and so much has been written upon the subject that housewife has only herself to blame if her fruits fer ment or mold. Heat Is the sterilizer and 1t must be applied in sufficient amounts and at the beginning of the process of canning. The surest meth cd of sterilizing all utensils is to put them in cold water. bring it to boil and let 1t boil for 15 minutes.
 Corks and cans and rubbers must be perfect as we'll as perfectly ster- iliZed. If anything is to go in bottles and be corked it Is poor economy to buy cheap corks. No paraffine or any thing but the densest wax will keep what Is put up from fermentjng from "spouting through the rotten corks." Often not an inch Of liquid will be left in quart bottle when this happens.
 To keep the air out of jars it Is best to fill them to the running over line. Every destrucGve agent has presumably been killed by heat and no space should be left for others to get in.
 Sugar increases the nutritive value of fruit, but too large a quantity spells the flavor and makes it less easily di- gested, so that the rule of pound for pound' needs to be applied with vari- nations from canning with no sugar at alias when berries are to be used for cooking purposes-or about one fourth sugar-to preserving with half and half or something short of that. Miss Parloa says: Tn the case of most fruits canning with little sugar is to be preferred to preserving with a large quantity of sugar There are, however. some fruits that are good only when preserved with a good deal of sugar. Of course such prepara- tions of fruit are desirable only for occasional use"