Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-09

changes that go on inside Of them,
and also because they become con-
taminated from without. To preserve
the foods properly, these processes
must be stopped. Ripening, for in
stance, should not be permitted to go
beyond a certain stage If the fruit
is to be used at its best. Any food
takes up bacteria, nolds and other
organisms from the air, the earth and
almost everything with which IT
comes in contact. These organisms
cause changes in the food that make
It decay or turn sour, or spoil In some
other way.
Canning stops all that. It ends the
ripening process, Of course. It kills the
organisms, and so sterilizes the food.
The food Is further kept sterile, by
sealing it away in air-tight containers,
so that no other organisms can get
at 1t after it is canned.
THERE is some difference between
the canning Of fruits and the
canning of most vegetables. In fact,
the bureau divides foods into two
classes for canning purposes: The
acid foods, including fruits and toma-
toes, and the non-acid foods, such
as corn, beans, peas, the rest OF the
vegetables. and all of the meats. The
reason for this is that the fruits and
tomatoes need only be placed at boil
ing point to be sure of killing all the
organisms that might cause them to
spoil, whereas, much higher tempera-
ture is necessary to kill such organ
isms as are found in corn, beans, peas
or any Of the non-acid foods.
This matter is so important that
you cannot be sure of.getting the high
temperatures which, you need to
sterilize the non-acid foods properly
unless you have steam pressure
cooker.
The canning job Immediately before
us is, therefore, an easier one, for just
now we are only concerned with such
acid fruits as berries and, very soon,
cherries, plumes. peaches and pears.
All of these are in the acid class, and
so do not need the steam pressure
cooker.
X X X X
TOR containers, you may use either
either glass or tin, whichever you
personally prefer. Glass jars cost more
to begin with, but they are economical
in the long run because they can be
used over again year after year. Tin
cans are less expensive, providing you
have hand sealing machine. They
do not break in handling, and, in case
you 90 away for the last few months
of the Summer and need to take a
few extras along, that is something to
be considered.
However, it is a fact that the "red'
fruits change in color in ordinary tin
cans. The pigment Is affected by the
metal of the can, and the result is
that the fruit fades and loses its
pristine blush. This, of course, has
nothing to do with the wholesomeness
of the fruit, but it does mar its looks.
This sad development may be avoided
by using a special kind of enameled
tin cantor the "red" fruits use
''R-enameI' or sanitary enamel
cans.
The fred" fruits include. naturally,
those which are red on the outside,
and also those that are blue-black, or
purple, on the outside, like black rasp-
berries, blackberries, huckleberries,
loganberries and blue plunis. For all
of these use either glass jars or the
specifically named enameled cans
mentioned above. Strawberries are
an exception, says the Bureau of Home
Economics, in that they will probably
fade and lose most Of their ruddi-
ness, no matter what containers you
use for them. With this idea I per-
sonally am inclined to disagree a bit.
for my mother used to put up the