Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-10
Can Surplus Food but Use
Jars and Cans Wisely, Spe-
CiaIiStS Advise = Produce
Food That Can Be Kept

''SNh SSAll w lNSPN
1t is moro 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 winter, not only for it
self but for the allies Home-canned
products may never leave the house in
which they are made, but their con-
sumption at home will mean so much
more food available elsewhere for those
the canning be done carefully as well
as theoretically in order to preserve
the more perishable products.
In the method taught by the special
lists in the United States department
of agriculture to the members of the
canning clubs iE the south, the first
step is to see that all the necessary
preparations are made before the vege-
tables or fruits are picked. "One hour
from the field to the can" Is motto
that every Gamer should have in mind.
This is impossible IL 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 deter
mining 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.
PREPARING PRODUCT FOR CAN.
In case of tomatoes the fruits should
first be graded and all defective ones
rejected. They should be lowered into
hni mil 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 cut into the seed
cells
The neSt step for nearly all fruits
and vegetables is blanching. This con-
sists of plunging the product into boil
ing water in which 1T is allowed TO
remain for time that varies with the
state of maturity. Branching gives a
more thorough cleaning than ordinary
washing, removes the strong odor ana
flavor from certain kinds of vegetables.
improves the texture. insures clearer
LIQUOR. shrinks the article and makes
it more flexible, and in this way ia
ciIitates the putting up Of full pack.
A wire basket or chessecloth square
should be used for the purpose. After
blanchng. spraying fruit with cold wa
ter will make It firmer and it is also
sometimes desirable to put vegetables
into cold water for an instant in order
to make them crisper.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
Since the federal laws governing the
Interstate shipment of food require
cans to be filled as full of food as Is
practicable for processing, and to con-
tain only enough liquor to fill the
spaces and cover the contents II Is
necessary to see that all the cans are
filled to a maximum capacity. num-
Der of containers should be weighed
before and after filling in order that
an accurate idea of the average net
weight-in other words, the weight of
the contents exclusive of the can-may
be obtained. 1t should also be remem-
bered that corn expands in processing to
such an extent that containers filled
with il cannot be packed as full as
with other vegetables. The cans should
be marked with a pencil or knife to
show the contents. The necessity for
this work should be foreseen so that
there may be no delay and that the
filled cans do not stand for any length
Of time before the air is exhausted
from them.
After the fruit or vegetable is in the
can. brine, strip or water should be
added 20 within Ia inch of the top
and the can shaken gently to displace
ell air within it. The groove around the
opening is then cleaned and wiped and
the cap slipped on. In order to make
sure that contents of the can have the
required weight the container 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 a piece of
clean white cloth around the end of a
small stick Great care must be taken
to see that none of the flux enters
the can. The clean, hot Gaping steel
is then applied the cap being held in
place with the center rod AS the steel is
lowered it should he turned steadily
until the solder flows. Hold the rod
firmly and lift the steel with a sudden
twist to swing the melted solder even
ly around the groove.
EXHAUSTING AND STERILIzING.
The next step is to exhaust the air
from the cans. To do this they should
be placed I'm trays and lowered 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 the boiling point before the cans are
taken out. A temperature of 180 de-
grees F. is frequently sufficient for ex-
hausting Failure to exhaust results
in the air which is left in the can ex-
panding. This causes the can to bulge
and gives the appearance of swell"
which not only will prevent the sale
of that can. but prejudices customers in
the future. The leaders in the govern
ment canning work insist that where