Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-08-28

Saving the 9dTuSH o.
One OF the many problems that con-
front the American housewife is that
concerning the supply OF vegetables
for her table during the winter months.
What can | have for dinner to-day
is a question often heard. Through
the use OF the greenhouse sAd the fore
ing of vegetables under glass, fresh
vegetables can usually be found at any
time In the markets of the large
cities; but the great cost OF forcing
vegetables or growing them out OF
season almos. prohibits their use by
people of moderate means. A health
full diet, however, must include vege-
tables and therefore the housewise
turns to canned goods as her only al
tentative. These are sometimes poor
substitutes for the fresh article, espe-
cially the cheaper commercial grades,
which necessarily lack the delicate
flavor of the fresh vegetable.
Enough vegetables usually go to
waste from the average farm gar.
den to supply the table during the
entire winter. But usually the farm
ers' wife cans her tomatoes, preserves
her fruits, and leaves her most whole
some and nutritious vegetables to de-
cay in the field, she being under the
impression that it is impossible to
keep them. This Is a great mistake.
1t is just as easy to keep corn and
string beans as 1t is to keep tomatoes,
if one knows how.
Complete Sterilization.
The success of canning or preserp
ing depends upon complete steriliza,
ton. The air we breathe; the water
we drink; all fruits and vegetables are
teeming with minute forms Of life
which we call yeasts, molds, and bac.
terra. These germs are practically the
sole cause of decomposition or rotting
Some kind of bacteria do not re-
quire air in which to work, and
cause vegetables to decompose even
when no air is present. Under
certain conditions bacteria change
into spore forms which may be COM
pared with the seeds of an ordinary
plant. These present the chief diff
Guilty in canning vegetables. While
the parent bacteria may be readily
killed at the temperature Of boiling
water, the seeds retain their vitality
for a long time at that temperature
and upon cooling will grow, and the
newly formed bacteria will begin their
destructive work. Therefore 1t is nee
essary in order 20 completely sterilize
vegetable, to either heat 1t to the
boiling point of water and keep it at
that temperature for about an hour
upon two or three successive days, OF
else to keep it at the boiling point for
a long period of time-about five hours
Even after sterilization is complete
the work is not yet done. The spores
Of bacteria are so light that they float
about in the air and settle upon al
most anything. The air is alive with
them. Therefore it is necessary after
sterilizing a jar Of vegetables to ex
clude carefully all outside air.
All this may seem new-fashioned
and unnecessary to some housekeep
ers. One often hears "My grandmoth
er never did this and she was always
successful at canning" Possibly so,
but it must be remembered that grand
mother made her preserves and can
ned her tomatoes, but did not attempt
to keep the most nutritious and most
delicately favored vegetables such as
lima beans, string beans. asparagus
and corn.
The first requisite for successful
canning is a good jar. Glass is most
satisfactory. Tin is more or less sol
uble in the juices of fruits and vege
tables. The ordinary screw-top jar is
the one in most common use. Al.
though cheap in price, these jars are
the most expensive in the long run
The top lasts only few years and be-
ing cheaply made the breakage is usu
ally greater than that Of better grade
of jar. The tops also furnish an ex.
cellent hiding place for germs, which
makes sterilization very difficult. The
most satisfactory jar that the writer
has had any experience with, Is one
that is closed with rubber ring and