Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1916-08-18
|CANNING-PRESERVING
FRUITS VEGETABLES

In this article on home canning
and preserving we wish to cal
attention to general principles
involved rather than to specia'
recipes, and the very first and
most vital point to be emphasized
is the necessity Of perfect sterili.
cation. for with that properly
done fruits or vegetables will
keep. Canning powders Of
various kinds are on the market
and all seem to serve their pur-
pose, but as their effect on the
health of those making use OF
them is questionable we will
pass them without further con-
siderderation, and speak only Of
such methods as are based on alb
solute cleanliness. and steriliza-
ton.
Sterilization Of fruits and veg
etables may be perfect but un-
less cans and rubbers are in a
perfect condition all work goes
for nothing so as a first step,
these must be considered from
several standpoints. That of
cost for one. First cost is i'm
portant if canning for the mar
ket and will lead to the use of tin
cans. The fact however that
one year ends the usefulness of
the tin can makes the glass ones
the more economical proposition
even after allowing for breakage
when buying for the home use.
The glass can having a metal
top with porcelain lining was
for many years the most COM
mon one on the market and is
still largely used; this is good
for the first year or two but
after a time germs develop be-
tween the metal and porcelain
that are almost impossible to
kill. Another is in the glass top
with the metal screw band, and
the third t a glass cone held
in place by a heavy wire
spring, either of these are bet
ter than the first because there
is no double part. All of these
types require rubber, and it may
be said here that the rubber is
the key to the whole situation,
for unless it is perfect and pre-
vents the entrance of germ.
laden air all previous work is un-
availing. 1t is poor economy
to purchase cheap rubbers or to
use rubberS q second time. the
very best is none too good. In
purchasing cans always give
preference to wide mouth ones,
as much of the appearance of
the finished product depends on
being able to put whole fruit, or
large pieces into the cans with
out crushing. The color of the
glass is essential to nothing but
the looks. But fruits in clear
white glass cans are far more
attractive than in the greenish |
ones.
There are several methods of |
sterilization. The old time
methods used by our grand
mothers, that of cooking fruit
and vegetables and filling cans
while hot, has been replaced by
the cold pack method, which
consists of cooking in the cans
with tops and rubbers in place,
the insures absolute sterilization
and no after exposure to germs
while being dipped from kettle to
IAN. A few years ago exhaus-
live list tests were made by the
government which proved that
,ome spores developed only to a
certain stage were not.killed by a
irst cooking no matter how long
,r to what degree the heat was
'aised. AS a results the frac-
,ional sterilization or the so call
ID three days process was evolv-
ID and found to be a success,
specially with vegetables, such
Is corn, beans, peas, squash,
spinach, pumpkin, etc. These
ire prepared, packed and pro-
.essed for a certain length of
ime to kill all active bacteria,
lsually one hour for three sue
,essive days, this is usually ac-
accomplished in one cooking but
he spores from which bacteria
|evelop are not destroyed when
he can is set aside. These
noroc davalnn ipto active