Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-13

Now that the home canning season
is at hand and already under way IN
the homes of many gardeners. a little
advice about fruit jars may not De
amiss.
Spoilage of canned goods has been
1mQe frequently traced to the use OF
pQ rubber rings than to any other
OF cause. The fruit or Veeetaoie
canned may be fresh from the garden.
the jars and tops may be perfect and
absolutely clean, the processing may
be done in the right way for the right
length of time. but if the rubber
rings are not reliable much OF the
good work goes for naught.
The very best quality of rubber ring
is needed by the housekeeper VINO
uses any method Of canning in which
the ring is heated with the jar and
its contents. If the rubber ring de-
,velops imperfections after 1t has been
heated the required time. it is neces-
sary to replace it and again process
the jar. Canning demonstrators OF
the Department of Agriculture have
been studying the requirements Of a
good rubber ring in order to eliminate
this cause of canning trouble.
Tests of thousands of rings dis
closed that color, notwithstanding
nothing to do with the quality or
strength of the ring.
A ring should be able to support
weight of thirteen pounds without
breaking, and an easy way to test
them is to lift that weight by ring
If scales are available, place a pail
on them and pour in water until the
pail and contents weigh exactly thir-
teen pounds; or the thirteen pounds
may be Appropriated by putting one
and one-half gallons of water in an
ordinary twe1ve-quart tin pail.
Adjust the ring on the wooden han
die and. by using a wooden spoon,
slowly lift the pail from the table. A
good ring will support the pail with
out breaking.
To make a perfect seal rubber rings
should possess elasticity enough to
cover, and be strong enough to resist
cutting when the seal is made. A ring
which cannot be folded and pinched
without breaking is useless for cam
ming by methods in which the ring is
heated (processed) with the jar and
contents.
A. section of good rubber ring can
be stretched to two and one-half
times its original length. Take a sec
ton of ring about four inches long,
and. using either a pair of mechanical
clothes pins or the thumbs and index
at points four inches apart. Slowly
stretch it. A four-inch section of a
good ring will stretch to ten inches
without breaking. Elasticity is even
more important than thickness in
taking up the unevenness of the jar
and cover. A ring which has the
requisite elasticity can be stretched
considerably and it will return imme-
diately to its original length.
Rings must be Of sufficient thick
ness to indent without cutting. The
tests show that one-twelfth OF an
inch is sufficient-that is, twelve
rings stacked should measure an inch
The width of the ring or the flange
may vary from one-quarter to three
eighths OF an inch. The tests have
shown that fewest 'blow-outs" oc-
CURED with rings five-sixteenths of an
inch wide. For standard jars the in
side diameter of the ring should be
two and one-quarter inches. 1t should
fit closely. requiring a little stretch
ing to get it around the neck of the
jar.
A few minutes spent in testing your
rubber rings before you begin can
ming may save hours of work and
perhaps much disappointmcn t later on.