Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-24
HOMEMADE FRUIT surTERs.
Surplus Fruits May be Conserved in
This Economical Way.

This Economical Way.
Washington, Sept. 24.-As a final
drive on fruit preserving the United
States department Of agriculture urges
the making Of homemade fruit buffers.
This Is recommended not only to those
who grow the fruit, but to those in
city who may take advantage of large
supplies and cheap prices. In a great
many cases it will be possible for city
people to get from outlying farms fruit
which might otherwise be wasted.
Various fruit buffers recommended
are apple butter with cider, apple but
ter without cider, apple butter with
grape juice, apple butter with lemons,
pear butter, peach butter, plum butter,
and Garfield butter made with plums
and peaches. With the exception Of a
good preserving kettle very little
equipment is needed for the prepara-
ton of such buffers.
APPLE BUTTER.
There is no better way to use good
apples, says the department than to
make them into butter. The sound lDr-
lions OF windfalls, wormy, and bruis-
ed apples may also be used. The better
the apple the better the butter will be.
In apple butter with cider either fresh
sweet cider. or commercial sterilized
cider should be used, after being boil
ed down to about half it's original
quantity. The peeled and sliced apples
may be cooked in the boiled cider or
they may be first made into apple
sauce which is then cooked in cider. 1t
usually takes about equal quantities Of
sweet cider and sliced apples to make
butter Of the right consistency. In
other words. 2 gallons Of sweet cider
should be boiled down to gallon, and
gallons of the prepared apples should
be added to 1t either uncooked or as
apple sauce. The two essentials OF
good apple butter are long, slow cook
ing-from to s hours-and frequent
stirring. Il sugar is used, it should BE
added after the cooking is about two
thirds done. About pound Of sugar
is the usual proportion for each GAL
lon Of apple butter but more or less
may be used to suit the taste. The
butter may be spiced with cinnamon,
cloves Ind allspice, or with any OF
the three the spices being stirred in
when the cooking is finished.
While still boiling hot the butter
should be packed in sterilized glass
receptacles, or In stone jars. with
thorough precautions against spelling
as with any other preserves.
WITHOUT CIDER.
Good apple butter may be made
without cider. In this case enough
water is added to make a thin apple
sauce. Brown sugar rather than white
sugar Is ordinarily used. II grape
flavor Is desired. it may be obtained
by the use of grape juice in the pro-
portion of / pound to each gallon Of
the peeled and sliced apple. There
should also be added cup of brown
sugar and Y teaspoonful salt. When
the desired thickness is obtained, I
teaspooTful cinnamon Is stirred in.
Pear butter is made like apple but
ter without the cider.
In making peach butter 1t Is desir-
able TO put the peaches into a wire
basket and dip them in boiling water
for a few seconds until the skin slips,
then dip the peaches into cold water.
peel them. and pit them. Well-ripened
free-stone peaches are best. They
should be mashed and cooked In their
own juice without adding water. and
il butter Of q dne texture is wanted
the pulp should be put through a col
ander or coarse wire sieve. To each
measure Of pulp add a half measure
OF sugar. Peach butter can be made
also from dried or canned peaches.
Lemon juice in the proportion Of l
lemon to IL pounds Of peaches may be
added to give tArtness.
Plum butter Is made like peach
butter except that the skins and pits
are separated by rubbing the pulp
through colander or wire sieve after
the plums have been cooked. Free
stone plums however may be treated
exactly like peaches.
The Garfield butter is made Of two
thirds plums and one-third peaches
and neefis rather more sugar than the
plain peach butter.