The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1917-06-12
FILL EVERY CAN
AND BOTTLE AIM

EWb bVt 49, HtW
IL is more important than ever
this year that none Of the surplus
products Of the garden should go
TO waste. The country needs food
now and it will need food next win
ter, not only for itself but for the
Allies. Home canned products may
never leave the home in which they
are made, but their consumption
at homc viii mean so much more
food available elsewhere for those
who need it. 1t is imperative also
that the canning be done carefully
as well as energetically in order to
preserve the more perishable prod
ucts.
"One hour from the field to the
can" is a motto that every Gamer
should have in mind. This is inn
possible if one has to prepare
utensils and wash and scald cans
after the fruits and vegetables have
been brought into the house. The
condition of these is a prime factor
in determining the quality Of the
finished product. Unless they are
absolutely fresh, crisp, and clean
when they are put into the cans, a
high grade article is impossible.
In case of tomatoes the fruits
should first be graded and all de-
fective ones rejected. They should
be lowered into boiling water for
one minute; then plunged into cold
water and peeled promptly. A
slender, pointed knife should be used
to cut out the core, care being taken
not to cot into the seed cells.
The next step for nearly all
fruits and vegetables is blanching.
This consists of plunging the prod
uct into boiling water in which it is
allowed to remain for time that
varies with the state of maturity.
Blanching gives a more thorough
cleaning than ordinary washing, re-
moves the strong odor and flavor
from certain kinds of vegetables,
improves the textures, insures a
cleaner liquor, shrinks the article
land makes it more flexible, and in
this way facilitates the putting up
of full pack. A wire basket or
cheesecloth square should be used
for the purpose. After blanching.
spraying fruit with cold water will
make it firmer and it is also some
times desirable to put vegetables
into cold water for an instant in
order to make them crisper.
After the fruit or vegetable is in
the can. brine, sirup, or water
should be added to within one
fourth of an inch of the top and the
can shaken gently to displace all
air within it. In order to make
sure that the contents of the can
have the required weight, the con-
tainer should be weighed carefully
before sealing.
If the weight is satisfactory, flux
should be applied carefully around
the groove with a small brush or
cord, or a little mop made by tying
piece of clean white cloth around
the end of a small stick. Great
care must be taken to see that none
of the fux enters the can. The
clean, hot Gaping steel is then ap-
piled, the cap being held in place
with the center rod. AS the steel
is lowered it should be turned stead
lily until the solder flows. Hold the
rod firmly and lift the steel with a
sudden twist to swing the melted
solder evenly around the groove.
The next step is to exhaust the
air from the cans. To do this they
should be placed in trays and low
cred into boiling water to within
one inch of the top. Ordinarily
three minutes is long enough for
the cans to remain in the water,
which need not be brought again to