Year: 1865

ssteaming-bOx.-bestwhen made through
out of wood-the bottles rest on q false
bottom of narrow Stats, covering the
steam-pipe-cold water is then let into
the box until the bottles are two thirds
covered, the fruit is then gradually
heated to the boiling point by letting
steam into the water, through a pipe
leading from the engine room in another
portion Of the building. It requires
from ffty-fve to sixty minutes tOprOperly
heat or cook most kinds of fruits. They
are commonly allowed to boil five minutes,
but in some instances are taken out Of
the steam-bOx before they reach the
boiling point.


"Corks are made sufficiently flexible
by steaming them twenty minutes with
the fruit. They should be large enough
to Eli the neck Of the bottle tightly, and
require some force to crowd them in
Formerly one cork, as procured of deal
ers, was made to stop two bottles, but it
is now considered better to use a whole
cork for each bottle.


"Until last year the Community used
for sealing wax compound of the fol-
lowing proportions l lb. of rOsin, II

OF. tallow, 8 OF. beeswax; but common
boat-pitch is now used, and is found to
answer quite as we'll, and is much cheap
er. It is prepared by first being boiled
few minutes, and then heating every
time a batch of fruit is to be sealed.


The fruit being sufficiently heated,
the corks steamed, and the boat-pitch
ready, the bottles are taken successfully
to a table and quickly cOrked. The
corks may be forced in by blow from
a mallet or better by q small lever ar
raugement, or best by such a machine as
that used here, and in other fruit estab-
lishments, which, worked by hand and
foot, performs this operation easily and
rapidly. The portion of cork remaining
above the bottle is pared off with a sharp
knife, and left in convex form.


Some fruit preservers, at this stage,
pack their fruit away, laying the bottles
down on the side and trusting to the
cork, thus kept moist, to exclude the
air; and sealing the bottles when they
FIJI orders for the market, and when they
are less hurried; but the Community
have always sealed their fruit immediate
iy after it is corked, which is done by
dipping the mouth of the bottle in the
melted-sealing wax, so as to cover the
bulb. Then transfer it to a basin Of
cold water, dipping to the same depth,
to cool the wax. If the dipping is car
ried below the bulb or rim at the mouth
of the bottle, there is danger of cracking
the glass. Now examine the sealed part
to see ifthe wax has formed blisters.-
If there are blisters, rub them away with
the finger, using a little tallOw or oil to
prevent sticking. It was formerly
thought necessary to repeat the dipping
operation in wax and water but it il
now only done when the FIRST dipping
leaves the cork imperfectly covered.


"The operation is now completed, and
the fruit ready to be packed away on
shelves or in chests in 3 cool, dry cellar
II placed on shelves q cloth should be
hung before them to exclude the light
In few days after packing away, inspect
the bottles to see if any show signs Of
fermentation, which may be detected by
a foamy appearance of the fruit. If this
is observed in any bottle, it denotes either
a crack in the glass or that the sealing
was imperfect. The bottle should be
opened and examined, the contents scald-
ed, and tho process Of sealing repeated
as before. In some cases during the
season, little vegetable mould may be
seen to gather on the surface Ofthe fruit
in the bottles but this is not to be re.
garded, as it can be readily separated on
opening the bottles, leaving the mass oil
fruit uninjured.


"There is variety Of methods prso.
ticed in preserving tomatoes. Our peo'
pie soald and peal them, and then place
them in a steam boiler, where they are
boiled from twenty minutes to half an
hour. The bottles are filed directly
from the boiler-having been previously
heated in the steam-bOx, SO as to avoid
the danger of bursting-snd are ther
ready for sealing.


" The steam.boiler is worthy Of sepa
rate mention. It is made of copper
timed on the inner surface, and cost
about sixty dollars. It has a double
bottom for one-third of its height; and
steam being passed between the tWOlOwe,
surfaces, anything placed in the bOils
will be speedily cooked. Apple sauce il
here properly cooked in fifteen minutes
Vegetables, pudding, ETC., may thus b.
prepared for the table in much shorte,
time than in ordinary kettles placed Ovel