The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-11
Brining Preserves Food

LII llthtS Il OOCl NCS OOO
 One of the oldest methods of preserving food is by salting or fermenting it. Wher the rush of late summer work finds th' housekeeper with more garden products on hand than she can can or dry, brin. ing is the solution of her difficulties. A bucket of brine will keep the extra vege tables until a less busy season wher more time is available to prepare then for use.
 All that is necessary for brining is g scalded crock or bucket, brine made oi two pounds of salt to one gallon of water cloth ard plate or board, and a heavy weight. For best results vegetables should be blanched in hot water five minutes before brining. For some vege- tables a weaker brine will do. With string beans and few other vegetables a weaker brine with a little vinegar add ed will give satisfactory. results.
 Wash the product, if it Is not blanched, and put it in the container; add the brine, put the cloth over the top and place the weighted board or plate on the material being brined to hold it below the surface of the liquid Brine of this strength will act as a preservat tive Q table.
 When the vegetable preserved in this way are desired for use they may be brought back by soaking few hours in fresh water. They are then ready to prepare for table use. Beet tops, turnip tops, spinach chard, kale, cabbage. string beans and green peas and corn are vege- tables which may be satisfactorily pre- served by this method.
 When vegetables are hacked dry With two or three pounds of salt to every hum dred pounds of material, as in the mak- ing of sauerkraut, Sor are covered with a brine, as in the preparation of dill pickles, the sugar in the vegetables is ex- trActed from them and fermented by the bacteria that are present After this ac- tion has gone on to a certain point. enough tactic acid is formed to Kill the bacteria and to prevent any further change in the material, provided certain precautions are taken to prevent the growth of mould The latic acid gives the fermented material a characteristic flavor which is relished by many and 1t has no harmful effect. It is the, same acid which is in sour milk.
 If vegetables are covered with very strong brine Or packed with a fairly large amount of salt there is no lactic-acid fer mentation and the growth of other forms of bacteria and moulds are prevented.
 In vinegar pickling the acetic acid of the vinegar acts like the tactic acid and prevents the growth of bacteria or moulds.
 The essential points in making sauer- kraut are the use of~oniy mature, sound cabbage, scrupulous cleanliness through out the process, and proper care of the surface of the brine after fermentation is completed.
 In making sauerkraut for home pur- b. bage should be removed. just as in pre- pairing the head for boiling. In addition all decayed or bruised leaves should be discarded and the core removed II an instrument for this purpose is not avail able, it is advisable to quarter the heads and slice off the part of the core remain. ing on each quarter The cabbage should be shredded by one of the hand-shred- ding machines sold for such purposes or if one is not available the heads may be cut into thin slices with slaw cut ter or large knife.
 The shredded cabbage should be packed immediately into a perfectly clean, water tight receptacle, such as cider or wine barrel. keg or tub. As it is packed into the receptacle add salt in the proportion of 1 pound of salt to 40 pounds of cab bage, distributing it evenly throughout the cabbage Experiments have shown that approximately 21a pounds of salt to each 100 pounds of shredded cabbage give the best flavor to kraut.
 When the barrel or crock is nearly 1ull the cabbage should be pressed down as firmly as possible and covered with a clean board cover. It is advisable but not essential that clean cloth be placed over the cabbage before the cover IS nut into place. The salt soon extracts considerable amount of the cabbage juice from the cabbage and sufficient weight of clean brick or stone should be added to cause the brine to rise up to the wood- en cover Set the container aside untl! fermentation is complete, skim off any scum that forms and protect the sur face by pouring over it layer of par Affn.
 If paraffin is not added, the scum de- velops very rapidly in warm weather ana soon destroys the acid of the brine ana the sauerkraut beneath. If the sauer- kraut is made in the fall and stored i'll a cool place there is no absolute neces- sity of layer of paraffin. since low temperature will prevent the growth Of the organism which destroys tactic acid and causes decomposition. No doubt the popular idea that sauerkraut made from early cabbage will not keep is based upon the fact that the fermentation of sauer- kraut made from such cabbage occurs in warm weather and the rapid growth Of scum soon destroys both brine and kraut if the surface Is not properly protected.