Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-13


your nerves out cooking when you can buy cooked
food at the corner delcatessen and why can
food when you can buy canned goods at any gro
Gerry! and so every year tons OF fresh vegetables
and fruits nave rotted on the ground.
Now the war has changed all this. 1t is as
if we were suddenly plunged back to the time of
our ancestors when the feeding of every family
members The modern woman now sandsN in
the same position as her grandmother, who baked
her bread carefully planned the meals ald canned
eveyy leftover product, because food was scarce
and the chance OF winter want was always in the
background. There is this difference, however.
Our grandmothers were trained for It, while the
great majority OF modern women are not
OF all the mcthods>of conserving perishable
food, canning is the most satisfactory. Through
the efforts of the Department Of Agriculture thou
sands of women and children have been taught
how to can fruits, vegetables and soups during
the last flve years. so that part OF the feminine
population is well able to meet the emergency.
For the rest of the women the department is
now establishing community canning kitchens,
where representatives from the bureau OF farm
extension work demonstrate the best methods of
canning
Our grandmothers used to sterze their fruits
and vegetables three or four times before they
packed them and even then lost great deal Of
housewife puts neT 1rut or NeRetdDleS
in pan and blanches them in boiling water Then
she quickly dips them into cold water. removes
tbe skins and cuts them into the proper sizes
for glass jars or cans. She next puts them in the
jars or containers, pours hot syrup OH the fruit
and hot water and little salt on the vegetables
and partially seals the jars. Qn the case Of tin
cans they are soldered) The products are ster-
ilized after they in the jars or the containers.
The boiling or sterilizing of the jars may be
done in an ordinary homemade outfit such as
pail. If fitted with false bottom, lifting handles
and a tight-httng cover such an outfit is much
more convenient. Then there are manufactured
outfits, costing anywhere from SIS to SIS, which,
like the vacuum cleaner, are not necessary to do
the work, but are much more efficient. One of
these is the steam pressure cooker and the water
seal outfit is another.
The steam pressure cooker is large kettle
with rack in the middle to hold the jars and
lid that screws tightly on, supporting pressure
gauge, a safety valve and a steam pecock. Be-
fore putting in the jars the kettle should be filled
with water half way up to the rack. The lid
is then screwed on and as soon as the water boils
steam pressure is created the amount of which
may be gagged by the thermometer on the lid.
From five to thirty pounds OF steam pressure may
be generated by this steam-tight sterilized kettle.
but it works on the same princple-steam
-
lheSc OuthtS are NOT necessary. MS point
the Department of Agriculture takes great trouble
to emphasizey no woman should forego canning
this year simply because she has not manuac-
tured outfit. Jars may be sterilized in a dish
PAN The chief advantage OF the manufactured
outfits is the shorter time required to sterilize
the product and therefore in cases where gas
stoves are used saving in gas In canning straw
berries for instance the homemade outfit takes
eight minutes to sterilize the fruit, while under
a steam pressure Of fifteen pounds in the steam
pressure kettle only four minutes is necessary.
The next question is the type of jars to be
used. There are three of these which the De-
the screw top or Mason, jar, the suction top and
the spring clamp Great care should be taken in
sealing the Jars, as pooriycsealea jar Is one
OF the most frequent causes or spoilage' before
packing food IN the Jars they should be tested 10
be sure they are not defective. In the hrst place
put the top on the jar without the ruoDer screw
it on tight. Then see II you can insert thumb
nail between the top and the glass. II you can,
the top is usually detective In the case OF glass
tops the glass top should trst be placed on the
jar without the rubber. linen tap around the
edge OF the top with pencil or the hnger. II the
top rocks you will know it is detective; Be
sure that the wire bail is tight enough to hold the
Jars and containers OF all kinds this year are
more expensive than ever before, hence no pre-
caution is too elaborate to prevent breakages Do
not overpack them. Corn, pumpkin, lima beans,
peas and sweet potatoes particularly have tend
ency Il to expand in processing and should be
| packed accordingly. Then be sure not to put
cold jars into boiling water or boiling water on
water should M not come ali the way g up s to the the,