The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-05-16
prepared by the United States Depart
menr of AgriclIltnre

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture
A shelf filled with canned fish and
meat is the best means known to fill
a housewife with confidence when AN
emergency arises. With the main dish
ready except for reheating. meals for
unexpected guests lose their terror.
Fruit was for many years the only
food product canned by housewives,
but vegetables, meat, soup, and fish as
well have been canned with success
the last few years in thousands of
homes.
Canning Fish and Other Sea Foods.
Do not attempt to can fish unless
sure they are absolutely fresh As
soon as fish are caught it is well to
kill them with knife and let the
blood run out. Scale the fish. Re
move entraiis and the dark menfhrane
that in some fish covers the abdomi-
nal cavity. For small fish the back
bone may be left in. For the larger
| fish remove the backbone and utilize
| ii with what meat adheres to 1t for
| making fish chowdcr. In order to
draw out all blood before canning,
place the fish in brine made in the
| proportion of one ounce of salt to
quart of water Let il soak from ten
| minutes to one hour. according to
thickness of the fish. DO not use the
brine more than once. If fish meat Is
loose or soft. II can be hardened by
soaking in brine strong enough to
float potato. Time viii vary ac-
cording to thickness of fish. from
few minutes to one hour.
For plain canning remove the fish
from the brine, drain well, and cut
| into can lengths. Pack closely in the
can to within one-half inch from top.
Add small amount of salt (ahout
one-third to one-half teaspoon). DO
not fll the can with boiling water to
within one-half inch of top. Cap,
place the cans in the steam pressure
canner and exhaust for ten minutes at
ten pounds of steam pressure. Open
the petcock and let steam escape, re-
move the cover and take out the cans.
| Wipe the tops of the cans and tip.
| Return to the Gamer and process:
No. cans. sixty minutes at $50 de-
|
steam pressure.
For fun directions on the canning
of fish write the United States de-
partment of agriculture for circular
on Canning of Meats and Sea Foods
with Steam-Prcssure Gamer
Canning Fried Fish.
Clean the fish and remove entrails.
Split along the back and remove the
| backbone Place in salt water strong
enough to float an Irish potato. Leave
in this brine, according To the thick
ness of the meat. from ten minutes to
one hour to draw out the blood and
harden the meat. Drain, wipe, dry.
and cut in pieces that can pass through
can openings. Dip into beaten egg or
cornmeal (may be nmitted) and put
into frying basket Fry in deep fat
until nicely Drowned. Drain well and
place the pieces on coarse paper to
| absorb excess of fat. Pack into No. :
rans (insde-lacquered cans besD to
within one-half inch from top of can.
Dc not add any liquid. Cap and ex-
haust eight minures. tip, and process :
No. . cans, one hour and thirty min
] nteS al -'io degrees fHilI'Hntlt, VI
fifteen pounds of steam pressure.
Fish Chowder in Cans.
The backbones cut out of large fish.
with what meat adheres to them, the
cleaned heads. and other fish scraps
may be used for fish chowder.
Put over the fire in cold water-iust
enough to cOver-and cook until the
meat can easily he removed from the
bones Take up the fish and remove
the bones strain the fish soup. and
return II with the picked fish meat to
kettle. Add diced onions. diced pota-
toes, butter, and white pepper to taste.
Simmer until the vegetables are half
done. Salt to taste. Pack hot in cans,
cap, tip and process: No. cans, 40
minutes at $50 degrees Fahrenheit. or
fifteen pounds of steam pressure.
Oysters in Containers.
In canning oysters be sure they are
absolutely fresh, have not "soured''
and contain none that are spoiled. 1t
Is therefore best to open the oysters
by hand and reject any oysters where
the shell is partly open. as this is a
sign that the oyster in this particular
the oysters to be sure no pieces OF
shell or grit are put into the cans.
Pack sixteen ounces of oyster meat
in No. can and fill with boiling
| brine (made in the proportion Of one
| quarter pound of salt to five quarts
| - Wit fnrh