The Pulaskian., 1916-01-07
III. SOME RULES FOR CANNING

III. SOME RULES FOR CANNING. By Miss Emma Archer, in Charge
 Girls Club Work for Arkansas.
 The first step in canning is steriIt zation. All new glass jars, tops, rub. bers, tin cans and caps should be boiled at least five minutes. Old glass l jars should be boiled at least fifteen minutes. Never use old rubbers. ii old tops are corroded or battered out of shape new ones should be purchas- ed, but if the old ones are in perfect condition sterilize for fifteen minutes and they will be ready for use.
 Asserting Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables should be as. sorted according to size, color and degree of ripeness. Each variety of fruits and vegetables should be canned by itself. It is no more profit able to can over-ripe fruits than 1t la green ones.
 Preparing Fruits and Vegetables TOT the Can: All fruits and vegetables have to be prepared for the can first by thorough washing. Those from which the skins are to be removed should be peeled or rcalded.
 Blanching: Blanching consists of plunging the vegetable or fruit into boiling water for short tune. Use wire basket or cheese cloth square for this. The blanch gives more thor <rt, oJ1 .yva1r 41A otx odor and flavor from certain kinds of vegetables, improves the texture and gives clearer liquor It also shrinks the fruit or vegetable and makes 1t more flexible. A full pack Is then more easily made. The time required for blanching varies with the state of maturity. Beans should be blanched until tender enough to bend without breaking. Peaches will pack better Il blanched for an instant in water be- low boiling (about 1S0 degrees t.) lowering peaches into it for 15 sec onds. The same blanch will make the hard varieties of pears pack bet ter and give them more transpars ent appearance; and used for cher. ries will prevent splitting and crack ing. Spraying fruit with cold water after blanching will make 1t firmer. Frequently 1t is well to put the vege. table into cold water for an instant after blanching to make more crisp In blanching asparagus, tie 8 few stalks in each bundle, lower bundle m. to water, tips up, blanching the lower ends one or two minutes before I'm mersing the tips. Blanch the tips on Iy two or three minutes.
 Packing: The Federal laws require the cans to be filled as full of food as Is practicable for processing and 10 contain only enough liquor to fill the spaces and cover the contents Weigh sufficient number of cans before and after filling to obtain an accurate idea of average net weight. On account of expansion in processing, corn can be packed less full than other vege. tables. These instructions do nCe cover the canning of corn for market. Mark cans with pencil or knife 10 show contents. Plan in advance and
 
 packing and another attend to tha weighing. Do not allow filled cans to stand before adding liquor and ex- hausting.
 Seasoning: Adding brine, syrup or water After adding to with A inch of top, shake can gently to displaces all air within the can.
 Exhausting After placing the rub Der on the tops of glass jars, the tops should be screwed on to the last turn thereby leaving space through which the air can pass out. When exhaust. ing tin cans the opening in the top of the cap is left open for the same purpose.
 Processing: After p4acing jars tn the hot water the time is not kept uu- til after the boiling is started. Tiia boiling should be kept up until the 'equired length of time is up. whfc1 liffers, of course, with the fruits and vegetables. The tops of the jars ara fastened tight immediately upon re. moval from the boiling water.
 Labelling: After eight to ten days, or immediately before selling. label all cans. Place the sealed end down 10 that the opposite end will appear 1t the top when placed on the shele. Use rather dry paste, and put it ,nly on the label at the end so that 10 paste will touch tHe tin Label Ill glass jars about one-half inch from .hn b0tt0m If fha jar