Evening star., 1916-09-17

will improve the dressing. This should
, be added just before mixing with the
cabbage.
Peaches, Plums and Grapes.
Peaches, plums and grapes are pre-
served at the time when proper kitchen
sanitation has become a matter of
prime Importance. If jars are allowed
to stand without sealing for even a
minute the contents may cool sufficient
ly that bacteria carried by the wind or
by insects will live and later cause fer
mentation. Kitchens free from flies
are certainly worth striving for, and the
actual sealing should take place as far
as possible in room free from drafts
Any cloth used in handling the jars
and preserving kettle Cor other uten-
sils) should be new, as old, dirty cloths
provide almost ideal breeding places
for the bacteria that cause fruit to
spoil. For the same reason new rubbers
and perfect covers are important.
The modern glass jars also have de-
cided advantages over those of tin.
Glass jars are also much more easily
cleaned and sterilized. Then, too, they
are superior in that they are very easily
sealed.
Peaches have the best flavor, in what
ever form they may be preserved, if
allowed to become fully ripe before
picking. The freestone varieties are
generally considered best for canning
purposes. The ciingstone varieties,
however, have a superior favor, and as
the troublesome seed may be allowed to
remain in making pickles, "clings" are
without a rival for this particular use.
! Housewives often have considera BILE
trouble in removing the fuzz from
peaches, as it persistently refuses to
wash off; it can readily be removed.
however, by wiping the fruit with
damp cloth. Boiling ruins the flavor
of the delicate fruits, but peaches re-
tain their natural flavor when oolled
better than almost any other fruit:
Plums. like peaches. are at their pest
when allowed to ripen fully before
picking. Their rather tart mayor may
small amount of soda while they are
boiling. Almost any of the numerous
varieties may be successfully preserved
in various ways, but the damson plum
is distinctly superior for making sauces
with fine flavor.
Grapes are at their best for most
purposes when fully ripened. For max
ing jelly, however, they should be
slightly underripe on account of the
larger amount of pectin at that time.
In fact, delicious green jelly is made
from grapes that have. just begun to
turn color. Grapes can be washed most
easily and most thoroughly by holding
the separate punches in running water.
The steaming method of canning most
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fruit and requires little labor
The following recipes contain all
necessary directions for canning these
fruits successfully, and in addition tell
how to make the standard productions
and some novel products.
Canned Plums.
Wash the plums thoroughly. Meas
ure out pint of water and pint of
sugar for each quart of plums and
make a sirup. Drop the whole plums
into the boiling sirup and boil them
eight minutes. Then seal them in jars
with the hot sirup.
Peach Butter,
Wash the peaches and remove the |
fuzz. but do not peel them. Place them
in a granite kettle with a little water I
and stew them until they are very ten
der: then run them through a colander
to remove the seed and skins. Put /
the pulp into clean preserving kettle |
and sweeten 1t to suit the taste. Boil /
Il until It Is very thick and of a rich
color; during this process constant and