Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
AUGUST IA, 1910.
CANNING VEGETABLES

comes a time about the holiday season
when we long for the summer veg
etables and are obliged to be content
with much the same as our eastern Sis
ters, except that we at all times have
plenty of salad material, and green
peas never forsake us entirely, but the
summer vegetables are not obtainable,
and until the last few years it was sup
posed to be impossible to keep them.
Not only have the canning factories,
even under the restrictions imposed by
the pure food laws, made great sue
cess in preserving summer vegetables
for winters use, but the housewife, too,
is coming to understand that the can
ming of vegetables can be done per-
fectly in the home.
Absolute sanitary cleanliness and the
best materials procurable are the first
essentials for success in canning. The
vegetables should be as fresh from the
garden as possible. They are better
picked in the early morning with the
dew still on them. AS a general rule
young vegetables are superior in flavor
and texture to the more mature ones.
Corn and beans should be canned as
soon as possible after gathering, as
sweetness and flavor are absorbed by
their pods and huskS. If, for any rea-
sun, lIlG CdiIllilS VI SpilldOil VI OliCi
greens, string beans, asparagus or okra
cannot be attended to at once, place in
cold water or a cold, damp place until
ready to attend to them.
All root vegetables and green's must
be thoroughly washed. Have the
kitchen well swept and clean before be-
ginning canning, and the towels and
aprons of the workers beyond suspicion.
Even if the cans to be used were clean
when put away, sterlize them afresh,
together with all the other utensils
used in the work. The best way to do
this is to put cans and covers, together
with any other glass that is to be used,
into a kettle of cold water and bring
gradually to the boiling point. Then
boil fifteen minutes. Leave the cans
in this hot bath until ready to use, then
take out one at a time and fill. Be sure
tops and cans are perfect fit and that
the can rubbers are new.
Glass is the most satisfactory jar to
use in canning. Not only will good
class can last indefinitely with intelli-
gent care, but tin is more or less
soluble in the acids or juices of fruits
and vegetables. While there are many
kinds of glass jars, the preference
should usually be given to those with
the wide mouths.
Although there are several varieties
of patent steamers and cookers on the
same results can be obtained, with
little more labor to be sure, by utiliz-
ing a common wash boiler. This must,
however, be furnished with a tight
cover. An extra bottom must be pro-
vided for the boiler as the cans would
break if set fiat on the bottom. A
wooden rack composed of narrow Stats,
twists of straw or hay, or piece of
wire netting cut to fit the container,
with coils of rope or rolls of cloth to
keep the cans from touching each other
are also essentials A square of white
table oilcloth to set jars and utensils
upon is an aid to cleanliness.
The spelling of vegetables is due
primarily to bacteria. To this end
vegetables must be thoroughly steril-
lied. Some vegetables spoil more read
lily than others, especially those rich in
starchy constituents.
To defeat this propensity of the
parent bacteria to reproduce itself there
must be not only the initial boiling,
which disposes of the parent, but later
bolings to kill the seeds, which retain
their vitality even in boiling water and
germinate as soon as cooled. To make
way with parent and evil brood alike
there must be successive boilings, pre-
ferably day or two apart, or at least
for five hours at a stretch. The process
of boiling upon successive days, accord
ing to The governments expert, is the
one usually employed in scientific work.
"The boiling on the first day." quot
ing literally "kills all the molds and
practically all of the bacteria, but does
not kill the spores or seeds. AS soon
as the jar cools these seeds germinate
and a fresh crop of bacteria begin work
upon the vegetables. The boiling on