The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-16
TICKLING AND PRESER VING

//N LEIGH riding would be the most delightful diversion in the
 world if we could only have 1t
 in June, remarked an old lady
 to me once. l often have been tempted to plagiarz her and declare that plckHng and preserving would be espe- c'ally pleasing occupations if they could only be accomplished in cold weather
 Since, however. circumstances oblige us 10 unoertake this kind of work when the mercury is trying to reach the top of the tube, 1t behooves us to endeavor to do all we can to lessen the discomforts of the operation The wise Marcus Aurelius as- terts we can make everything We have to pear endurable by thinking that it is either our interest or our duty to do it. and the statement applies with peculiar force to putting up our winter supply of preserves and pickles
 More than one cause contributes 10 con vert such work into valuable economy Sranted without argument that you can procure from wonan's exchange or rom first class grocery as good prod ucts as you can prepare at home. l have no desire to contradict this. But how about the price of such delicacies? l say nothing of the charge of S15o for a jar or branded peaches-they are rare treat on many tables-but how about paying % cents for a jar of conserve such as you can make fin your own kitchen for money outlay of 10 to Il cents? How do you feel when you give 35 cents for pint Of pickle which would not cost third of that sum to make? You cannot get a good fruit jelly for less than 25 cents for half pint glass. Have you ever reck- . oned how much, or how little, the price would be of that you put up at home?
 In such computations I am taking it for granted that you have to buy your fruit and vegetables for preserving-or jam ming or jellying-and pickling Even SO, you save money, but this is nothing com pared to the economy you practice when you use the surplus products of your own garden and orchard for your winter sup ply of conserved dainties. The fruit. and vegetables are there, to be had for the picking, and the work you devote to put ting them up Is well worth your while From the standpoint of wholesomeness as well as of money saving.
 For there is no doubt that many of the store bought conserves are either adul- terated or made from stale fruit which Is on the verge of decay-or over it! am not advancing this criticism against those articles put up by certain well known makers whose names are a guarantee of excellence, or sold at exchanges which vouch for the purity of their products As have said, the cost of these is greater than many of us can afford and the cheap substitutes are likely to be composed of inferior materials or to contain chemical preservatives which are in furious to the health of the consumers.
 l need not argue further to prove the goodness or cheapness of the home made conserves. Instead, let me give few words of counsel as to the choice of time. methods, and materials for picking and preserving.
 First. as to the time. Try to select cool weather for it. While jellies will not harden as well in damp weather as in dry, and so must sometimes be made when the temperature Is too high for comfort. they can be prepared when 1t is cool, and most pickles and preserves can be put up as well if 1t is wet and stormy as if fair