The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-08-08
Cookery
polnts
4 Preserving Day Don'ts.

bOu aIICupt W put ny uhy lhiuS
by guesswork. Preserves. jellies and
pickles all require exact measurements
to be perfect. Every fruit needs it's
own time for cooking. Get preserv-
ing and picking book and follow the
directions to a "t," or, better still, ask
the good housekeepers you know for
their recipes and write them down
word for word.
Don't think that you can put up a
large quantity Of fruit as easily as you
can a small one, however experienced
you are. There is deal of standing
to do, and interest flags when the body
is weary. Much good fruit is spoiled
on preserving and canning day because
it was put up when the housekeeper
had reached the listless and exhausted
stage.
Don't think that you can be econom-
ical with sugar when preserves and
jellies are in hand, for you will find
this a great mistake. In the first
place, fruit stinted of sweetness sell
dom keeps, and, in the second place, it
has no taste. Jelly will not "jell' If
the fruit juice and sugar are not meas
ured exactly according to directions.
But sometimes the jellying process is
delayed for some reason or other even
when there is enough sugar. In this
event put the jelly in the sunshine for
little while, where the action Of the
bright light will produce the desired
change.
Don't think that you can be entirely
successful in all your canning, pre-
serving and picking If you have only
makeshift tools. Proper implements
save time, and they are more likely to
bring success. The utensils needed for
a good batch Of work are preserving
kettle, we'll cleaned and dried jars,
several jelly bags (half Of cheesecloth
and half of flanneD, two or more
square pieces Of flannel, long handled
spoon, colander, PURGE sieve, two or
three large bowls, ladle, pair of
scales, a quart, pint and gill measure
and perhaps Gamer.
Don't think If your family is small
that you must use quart jars. As all
of the fruit cannot be eaten up at once,
it is deal more sensible to put it into
pint jars. Jelly and jam tumblers do
not need to match, and for sealing
these up paraffin candles can be melted
down and the hot wax poured over the
fruit. But this is only a makeshift de-
vice for the amateur practicing with a
little fruit, for the paraffin sold by the
pound is better for the purpose. Wash
the candles off If they are to be used
and strain the melted wax. Have
about quarter Of an inch Of the wax
at the top of the fruit and seal up the
practice" tumblers with letter paper
put on with white of egg.
Don't think that because you haven't
got a regulation boiler for your fruit
jars your nice things will spoil in the
making. Any wash boiler can be used,
but the water must never come up to
the top of the jars, and they must
stand on something while the boiling
is going on or they will break. Spread
the bottom of the wash boiler with
hay or straw or cover it with four or
five layers Of newspaper; then put over
the covering some weight or other to
keep 1t down. The jars should be at
least two inches under water, and If
bottles are boiled the water should
reach one inch below the cork. After
the jars are in the wash boiler pour the
water in-cold-and place the boiler on
the stove, where it will come to slow
boil.
Don't forget that the time for boiling
depends entirely upon the fruit, and If
you have lost the recipes pin this men,
orandum up in the kitchen: Peaches
should boil from twenty to thirty min
utes; ripe pears (Bartlett), about thirty
five minutes; plums, fifteen minutes;
apricots, twenty minutes; pineapples,
forty-five minutes; berries Of all sorts,
five minutes; cherries, FIVE or ten min
utes; ounces, about twenty-five min
utes.
Don't forget that when the time for
boiling is up the jars should be re-
moved from the water and set upside
down to cool; also see that they are set
on a dry table and not on q wet one,
for the least drop Of cold water will
crack the jars.
Don't forget to fill up the slack Jars
with hot strip as soon as they are
taken from the bath; then close them
at once. turning each one upside down
when the top is tight.
Don't forget when canning vegeta-
bles that the same filing up Of slack
jars is made with boiling water, but
that the Jar must be at once sealed and
boiled again for five or ten minutes.
Don't forget when the jars are cold
to examine each one and to see II It Is
air tight; then, II all is well, wipe the
jars of with clean wet cloth and set
them at once in a cold, dry place.
Don't forget that the good grocery
stores pay fancy price for first class
homemade products Of any sort. The
labels must be written out by hand on
neatly cut slips Of letter paper. This
gives the home look, and II the real
home taste Is inside the jar the grocer
will take the batch, however small or
big It is.
Er;.d currnosr c1uash