Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-08-24
COLLEGE INVESTIGATES
CANNING TROUBLES
Experts Ascertain Cause of Failure
to Seal and Give Remedies

Failures in canning fruits, meats,
vegetables, or fish have, since the
| opening of the canning schools for
the training OF demonstrators, on
July goth, become so numerous that
the canning specialists of the State
| College have made minute inquiries
and investigations concerning these
difficulties
Director ThornbeT, of the college
extension service, states that a pro-
life source of failure lies in the lids
and top edges of the Mason jars. The
Mason jars form -rly sealed"
through the pressure of the lid-rim
into the rubber band fitted around
the shoulder of the Mason jar;
and sealed also in the top of the lid
where the smoothly finished jar tops
came in contact with the smoothly
finished porcelain caps fitted in the
tops of the Mason lids.
Lately. however, a top sealing"
lid has appeared on the market This
top-sealing lid seals by contact of a
sealing ring in the top of the lid,
which, as the top is screwed on
comes in contact with the top edge of
the Mason jar-which, for the sue
cess of this top sealing, must be
smooth.
Direutof Thornber states that ac-
cording to evidence in hand, it APP
pears that the makers of the Mason
jars are now making their jar tops
rough, instead of smooth. This does
not vitality affect the sealing of the
Mason jars and lids, since the main
reliance in this jar is the pressure of
the lower rim of the lid into the rub
Der band on the shoulder of the lar.
But it nullifies the usefulness of the
new top-seal lids on the Mason Jars,
since the top-sealers will not seal on
a rough edged jar.
To avoid this difficulty housewives
are warned by the State College to
use smooth Mason jar tops on the
top sealers, or to dispense with top
sealing lids, if their Mason jars are
rough edged.
Reports from many points indicate
that this year the market is flooded
with bad, cheap rubbers, many sell
ing as low as five cents a dozen
These are thin. narrow, without
body" and can be picked to pieces
almost as easily as dough. They are
unreliable. Director Thornber de-
scribes good rubbers as being elastic,
Of good body, and when stretched to
about twice its length, returning to
normal position without having a
stretched OUT appearance.
Writing in from the field, Mrs.
Elizabeth Jones, assistant club lead
er and canning demonstration. states
that the wax composition of the
sealing ring of the Economy lid is
inferior to that of last year. To meet
this difficulty she now is working by
this plan:
Follow directions in preparing
fruit and vegetables, according to the
Cold Pack Method Fill jars with
cold fruit or vegetables, pour over
cold syrup or cold water (instead of
hot water or syrup, and place in
warm water mot boiling), sufficient
to come to the hip of the jars. Do
not immerse the jars in hot water.
For m eat and vegetables that require
long period of sterilization, put old
tops on; then, five minutes before
finishing the sterilization, put new
lids on and sterilize five minutes"
A precautionary measure to pro.
tect the canned product against spoil
ing due to faulty sealing, which now
is giving good results in the canning
demonstrations is to dip the sealed
jar top above the sealing line, into
boiling paraffine.