The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-13

table, but surplus for canning an
 A PATRIOTIC CONJUGATION
 I can We can l You can You can He can They can l Upon the women and girls. and boys, 1 too, in the homes of America rests the large and important responsibility
 of making sure that the surplus Of
 vegetables. berries and fruits grown l this year is not wasted even in part.
 1t will be a patriotic service to can, 1 dry or otherwise conserve the large l surplus of vegetables expected from the extraordinary efforts everywhere l in America to increase production. In every community in the country 1 food is being produced in backyards
 and vacant lots that never before were used for this purpose. Last year,
 according to the United States Secre- l tary of Agriculture, the homes gar l den movement was estimated to have
 stimulated the planting of from 200 l to 300 per cent more gardens than :; ever before had produced food in tne 1 United States. This year. it is eX- pected, even last years record will be 1 surpassed Every family with availa- ble ground has been urged to plant l Eat all the vegetables and fruits you 1 need, use them to the utmost to les l sen your demand for other foodstuffs. 1 But canv dry. brine or otherwise con- i serve all the surplus.
 1 By conserving the surplus the home l women and girls in the country and in | the cities and towns will be doing 1 their part to lessen the national de- mand for wheat and meat and the other foods that are needed in increas- 1 ing quantities by our armies and the l allies.
 DECREASE FOOD COSTS l Not only is there national re- ! sponsibility calling for the conserving 1 of food. but there is an obvious per- 1 sonal advantage. Every housewife | knows the cuts that can be made in l table expenses by larder well stocked with jars and cans of home preserved 1 fruits and vegetables. Furthermore l the use of an abundant supply of l fruits and vegetables is at all times l essential to health. The problem of I furnishing an adequate supply of food | often is to be solved only by such l conservation. The need for variety I in the diet is met most easily and l economically by the surplus of the l time of scarcity.
 l The following berries, fruit and vegetables are ready to can and c-y now:
 BERRIES
 l For dewberries, blackberries, logan l berries, huckleberries, raspberries
 and entrants practically the same
 methods of canning may be used. The l condition of the fruit will have much 1 to do with the quality of the product. Berries should be gathered in shallow 1 trays and baskets and not in deep Tcs- 1 sells which allow them to be bruised
 and crushed. They should be uniform ! ly ripe, and as large as possible. After the berries have been sorted carefully and washed lightly by plac- I ing in a colander and pouring water 1 over them. instead of immersing them | in water, pack as closely as possible without crushing. This can be done | better by putting a few berries into l the jar, pressing them gently into l place. and proceeding layer by layer, ] than by nearly filling the jar loosely and then trying to press them down. | Fill jars full of ruit and cover with 1 hot syrup. Boiling berry juice or oth- | CT syrups can be used instead of sugar I syrup Partially seal jars. Boil (pro- | cess) pints 10 minutes and quarts I2 minutes. Seal When cold test for | leaks and store in cool, dark, dry place. | The use of sugar syrup, made by 1 boiling three pounds and nine ounces | of sugar to one gallon of water and | straining, adds to the flavor of the canned berries. The use of berry juice expressed from extra berries instead Of 1 water in making the syrup will give 1 richer color and flavor
 STRING BENAS
 | String beans for canning should be
 tender and fresh. When the beans
 within the pod have grown to any l size canning is more difficult and the ] finished procuct is of poorer quality.
 The Refugee is a good variety for l canning Use only well-sorted, small, tender beans. Wash and pick over l the beans and cut them into two-fnch | lengths. Cutting diagonally or Ion 1 the bias" gives pretty product. If | desired they can be canned whole and packed 1og-cabin fashion in square 1 jars.
 | After the beans are prepared, blanch | by placing in a cheesecloth bag in l boiling water for three to eight min utes, according to the age and size | of the beans. Blanch only until the pods will bend without breaking, then | plunge the hot beans into cold salt
 water q tablespoonful salt to 1 quart
 of water) for an instant Drain well,
 pack quickly and cover with hot brine 1 (2k ounces of salt to 1 gallon of boil 1 ing water). Partially seal jars Processing with steam under pres | sure is recommended Process pints l 45 minutes under pressure of 10
 pounds Seal immediately. cool in a | draft-free place. When cold, test for leaks, and store in a cool. dark dry | place.
 If the intermittent boiling process l is used. boil for 90 minutes on the first I day, and 60 minutes on the second and third days. Before each subse- | ouent boiling the covers must be | loosened and after each boiling the 1 covers must be frightened to mako 1 sealing complete. Cool. test, and | store.
 If single period boiling process is used. place the jars in the canner and l bojl for at least three hours. Seal, l cool. test. and store.
 Lima beans are treated the same as string beans. except that a seasoning | (one-third level teaspoonful sugar. is | added after the jar is packed with beans. When the jar is filled with beans. cover them with clear hot water. Paddle with a wooden paddle to re- lmove air bubbles and partially seal lids. Process as with string beans.
 PLUMS
 Select sound. uniform plums. Prick each with a needle to pevent burst ing. Pack as firmly in jars as possi- ble without crushing. Fill jar with hot lsyrup made by boiling five pounds and eight ounces of sugar and one gallon