Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
CANNING BY FIRELEss COOKER

Last Idll ndu SO llIlle time IOr CALL
ming that I should have had to forego
home canned fruits to a large extent
the past winter had I been obliged to
depend on the usual methods-kettle
cooking and processing in boiler or
steamer. So I impressed my fireless
cooker into service for this purpose,
and it did its work thoroughly well.
Most of my canning had to be done
in the evening; so after supper 1 would
put one of the radiators which go into
the largest compartment of the cooker
to heating over the gas blaze, while 1
peeled the fruit and packed it into the
cans. My largest fireless cooker ket-
tie (aluminum), an eight quart size,
holds three of the quart and one of the
pint cans. When 1 had these packed
full of fruit poured hot syrup in until
all the crevices were filled and the cans
brimful, then 1 put on the covers.
Where the cans were the screw-on-
cover kind, I turned the covers down
only rather loosely, to permit steam to
escape during the cooking, and thus
avoid bursting the cans, or else 1 did
not fill these cans so full, leaving
about an inch for steam forming, and
screwing the covers down as tightly as
possible.
But mostly I used a can whose COW
covers are fastened in place by metal
clamp, which is removed when the fruit
has cooled after cooking. The vacuum
formed in the can by condensation of
the steam during cooling enables the
outside air pressure to keep the cover
fitted absolutely air tight, provided the
rubber cushion about the edge of the
cover is perfect, and I have very sell
dom found an imperfect one.
When the ranful of fruit is cooled
the metal clamp is removed and, If the
can is air tight, you cannot pull off the
cover try hard as you may; the fifteen
pounds of air pressure to the square
inch holds it on securely. The only
way you can get 1t off is by punctur-
ing the lid with tiny awl, to let the
air in; then it can be lifted off. Some
times the syrup will make it stick
little around the edge. but it can be
pried off much more readily and easily
than the screw-on covers usually come
off These tiny holes are soldered. and
the covers used as long as the rubber
cushion about the edge lasts. One
should be careful. when removing the
covers, not to impair this so that 1t
cannot be successfully smoothed down
to make a perfect fit.
When the cans are thus filled with
fruit and hot syrup, and the covers
are on as above directed, l set them
in my cooker kettle on wire rack
which raises them about one-fourth
inch off the bottom of the kettle and
fill to the neck of the small can with
warm water. Then I clamp on the
kettle cover, set the kettle over the
blaze, and heat until the water be-
gins to gurgle, which takes about five
minutes If the water poured about the
cans is quite warm I then put the
heated radiator in the fireless cooker
compartment, set the kettleful of cans
on it, slide in the compartment cover,
shut down the outside lid and leave
the fruit to cook until morning.
Then I remove the cans from the
kettle In the case of the screw COW
ers 1 tighten them more, If possible.
The suction-cover cans are left with
the cover clamps on until thoroughly
cool; then the clamps are removed and
the covers tried to see whether they
are "sure-on." leave them standing
in the kitchen for four days, in order
to test the covers daily. If there are
any ferments which the cooking did
not destroy, they will develop during
this time and make their presence
known by producing gas enough to
loosen the suction covers.
I have not yet canned any vegetables
thus with the f1reless cooker, but I
shall use it for this purpose this sum-
mer. Successful canning of vegetables
IS much more difficult than fruit can
ling; hence, if my cooker does as sat
sfactory work with these as with
'ruit, it will indeed prove remark
lble servant.
Making use thus of the cooker in