Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1912-03-25
COOKING DRIED FRUIT
FIRELEss METHOD MAKES IT AS
GOOD AS PRESERVES.
Dried and Canned Vegetables May Be
Treated in the Same Way With
the Most Satisfactory
Results.

Very few women really know how
to get the best out of dried fruit and
vegetables. They have become &C.
customed to thinking that these arti-
cles of food are at best unpalatable.
No greater mistake could be made.
The truth is that they are not usually
cooked long enough or slow enough to
bring out the flavor.
FTes' fruit just now Is 30 expen-
sive that most families cannot AFFORD
to have much OF 1t. Dried and evap-
grated fruits may be obtained reason
ably at all seasons.
The fireless method is the best way
to cook them. You need not buy a
hreless cooker for the purpose unless
you wish to. Make one yourself Sim
Fly get small dry goods box. or
large pail, or any receptacle that can
be made alright Line with asbestos
paper, and then stuff tightly all around
the top, bottom and sides with layers
OF newspapers to the depth OF three or
Tour inches. What you must remem-
Der Is that II must be absolutely air
tight Another thing to remember is
that your receptacle must be nearly
full. If you cook small quantity You
must have small receptacle, as the
fruit is not as likely to cool of before
thoroughly done as 1t would II placed
IL half-filled pail.
wash your fruit thoroughly first,
and to one pound of same add one
half pound Of sugar; put water enough
In to cover by about one inch. Boil
seven minutes over a flame, and then
as quickly as possible place in your
hreless cooker and allow to remain in
there about eight hours Place cush-
Ion on top Of the cooker and weigh
that down with something that Is
heavy.
When taken out one will find the
fruit will rival the best preserves In
appearance and flavor, in no respect
suggesting that usually served, or the
insipid canned product. Each shriv-
eled piece will swell to its original
size. unbroken, distended with Juicy,
aromatic liquor, and charged with the
favors which characterize fruit in its
prime state. Tapioca and sage are de-
licious with these fruit juices, in max
ing tempting desserts.
Dried vegetables, such as lima
beans, peas. etc., gould be treated in
the same way and given about the
same time to cook. Canned vege-
tables which have been bought In the
stores are also much improved by this
additional process.
These fireless cookers are also ex-
cellent for doing home canning OF
vegetables and fruits. BY canning
them In this. way the house is kept
cool. fuel is saved and the housewife
IL free from the fear Of water boil
ing way Clean and prepar. the
same as for any canning process. Dip
the jars In boiling water, f1ll with veg
etables or fruit, pour In cold water
until 1t overflows the Jar, dip the caps
In boiling water. place them on the
jars. but do not seal tightly; allow for
expansion. Put perforated rest in
the bottom Of your kettle, plaza the
prepared jars on the rest, Ali the ket-
tie with cold water up to the necks
OF the Jars Place the cover on the
kettle, put on the stove and boil Is
minutes. At the end OF that time place
at once into the cooker and cover
tightly. Allow the Jars to remain In
the cooker from two to three hours.
then remove and tighten the caps.