The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1947-08-07
College NutritiOnist
Gives Canning Advice

| WIFI d record crop In prospect,
the peach outlook also indicates a
new high in home-canned pantry
stores.
And that outlook for quantity
canning makes quality even more
important in the opinion of Inez
Eckblad, extension nutritionist of
! the State College of Washington.
Too many home-canned peaches
are still tough, dark, and tasteless
she declares.
HOme-canned peaches can be a
delightful dish. And they will be,
Miss Eckblad says, if home can
ners faithfully follow such point
ers as careful selection, gentle
handling, precooking and carefully
timed processing. She urges home
makers to keep "cull'' products
off their pantry shelves by follow
ing these peach-canning directions
recommended by the State College
of Washington:
Have the containers and other
equipment ready ahead of time so
you can work with speed. That
means having tested, containers
clean and hot, having the hot-wa-
ter bath kettle ready and waiting
and the water hot. You'll want
to be sure, of course, that you have
the latest information on using
the containers you have selected
whether glass jars or tin cans.
Make the syrup before you start
peeling the peaches. Bring it
back to the boiling point while
you're peeling the peaches. Allow
three-fourths to one cup of liquid
for each quart of fruit To make
a medium syrup, boil one cup of
sugar and two cups of water-or
juice. Some people prefer a thin
syrup. Make that by using one
cup of sugar to three cups of wa
ter-or juice. A very thick, sweet
syrup is not especially desirable
as it takes away some of the nat
ural flavor of the peaches.
| Select top quality peaches free
from bruises or other blemishes
Ripe peaches picked right off the
tree and canned Immediately are
usually tops in quality and pro-
duce top quality canned pro-
duct. If you've just picked up
your canning peaches at the mar
ket, 60 over them carefully. Don't
can those with bruises and blem-
ishes. One 18-pound box or flat
should yield Z to 8 quarts of can
ned fruit.
Work with small quantities at a
time. This is especially important
in keeping the fruit from turning
dark.
To make peeling easier, dip the
peaches into boiling water for a
minute or two to loosen the skins.
CA wire basket or cheesecloth bag
makes this easier). Then dip the
peaches Immediately into cold wa
ter, cut in half, slip out the pit,
and slip off the skins. Drop quick
| ly into gallon Of cold water con-
tanning two tablespoonfuls each of
salt and vinegar. Chats also to
help keep the peaches from turn
ing dark.
Drain enough for one jar or can
and put Immediately into boiling
hot syrup. Just heat through-al-
Icing enough room in the kettle
so you can easily and carefully
turn over the peach halves or
slices. The quick heating drives
off air and helps prevent vitamin
A losses.
Pack into hot jars and cover
with hot strip. Leave one-half
inch headspace in glass jars and
one-fourth inch headspace in No.
2 cans. Adjust lid following di-
rection that came with the con-
tainerS.
! Process in hot-water bath. Pro-
cess quart jars and No. 2 tins for
20 minutes-pints for Is minutes.
Begin counting time when the wa
ter has reached rolling boil. Be
sure, of course, that the water
comes at least one inch over the
Il