FRUIT-PRESERVING GENERALLY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 492, 27 April 1909, Page 3

FRUIT-PRESERVING GENERALLY.

GOVERNMENT-EXPERT'S VIEWS. The othir. • day•. a correspondent; wrote • asking "Dominica" to givo a recipe for pr<?&orv-. or in slices,, pnd r : Joiskihgl wliati;-were:.!thebest' kinds . of tomatoes' £ for. the purpose. One such I rncipo had already boa-gppd idea'to : get'a new-one, and as Mr.. Jaques, the, Government'canning expert, was in- town, ho was .interviewed' on the matter. . Mr..., Jaques lives up'at thp very tip-top ;v>!Viiih'6?\Cust»m;yHpuseJ^M!a'' : little:iro6m;we]l; ' furnished .with such ; fascinating things ; -j as' i i peasj-' peaohes," atid so en,' with various/appliances* for canning; and bottling, and'pamphlots telling how while Mr. Jaques.'. travels . all about the ; ;'',;distncts; ; yand': ba'ck- ; 'jtliOj-ibest; ?/.ways,.-ef;-.preser.ying;<frui^^^^ , has not given a lecture in/Wellington; There must ;■ bo numbers'- of. • women:.in■. .Wellington:, who would bo slad to hear.alccturo on'fruit .preserving,^with :demonstrations and warn- ; lugs, ..and.'ono. hopo3: 'Mr.rJaques . = will : bo jaskM.' some day. -lecture.^herei, : ['x '• Naturo' abhors 'avacuum,-:':Mr.- : ' Jaques adores it. : There.-can ,bo "no satisfactory. ;-.;m6thdd)of;.pr«semngi"ih6.; , .not" producc ;a •pprfeot; vacuum,, for it is by the oi : d .of a\ vacuum that.'is imperfect that do-! composition'-: sets in, and, thp fruit. waxes \ - jar, |vpirelse;fjwithout:;■pr«ecding:\te...sucKvex- ■ trerae3 l , .. jt l>econie3r. fusty, , - - , or - fermented, and iutogothcr: disagreeable.. Many: women never . havo •' an' y'oppartunity; of-. finding. ..out ~ hoiv. ;. badly' .they ."have! :-<lono • their preserving, . because,/ft ag?hungry.. family-peats';'-,up* all'jth-e.j had a chanco of goiiig-had. -But fruit ;id^nyv:pr6sery^5 s : Jaques's. specimen jara, showing, any / sign, of - wear.,- ' As to, tho- methads of : preserving all kinds or- fruit, a pamphlet on tho.subject.has-beeii prepared by Mr. Jaques,' housckeeper can .want; aridrthis can .bo.'dbtaiued t-ho proserving of .tomatoes ; Mr. Jaques was : very .explicit- in-jlusi iristrictioasjiwhich should vb^pboyed;in l dofail,'<for'ut/is tho:-littlo-errors that bring failure. ;... -. The bestrWdjof/tpmatpes for presorring are tho round,. smooth-. piles, and 'in doing• ■ them par©, should,fbe,.tabonitb-;grade ?,them; so' as to have all.in .uno* jar-as much as: possiblo but: not ,over-rii«, and a scrow .down'jar is.best fc them.-'Mason: jars will serve, but they are .not be great-aim •and. theiiidiarubber ring / round ■ the,'neck of the Masoit 'jar makes'this difficult, as'it. is' ' 'ambunt/of : airi to.'fincl entrance—-a //ecrtaiuraniount of ; ; vacuum-;.to' 'escapd^-isVan: iHiiiscieirfcifio/V-jirayV l ot " -expressing;; itir-V \ t; r - : -_ G ' stop . iii .tho.:process is ■to steriliso: the/ aM/tais; : is.;done; byfSubjecting them! •'9! enough/heat fortablo .to; hold /in the': hand./:; They, can bp . heated in tho .oven.- -..Then when' tho jar has cooled,' : tako' ..the'-, graded- tomatoes,' and ; pafik the / into tho.- jar' • until' it: looks' as- full 'as. possible. . , Then place ;, a t-c----iftb. on : top,'' and, covering it -with the' hand,', press it gently and .tap the .botto.m:':of- the'jai*..''gontly; against tie. tablo, Dnd, strango to say, tlie tomato wil lmako its .way into the : bottle, : and - so' v.-i 11 ■ another, -and,. perhaps] : anothor.' - AVhen 'the jar/is ab- : tomato- pressing', very . J}Ehtliy ; ; against'lthei; others,, 'pour over it f . a. ;''Sht'brine that has-been'.previously'prepared. : (lo do this,.you boil .the.witer,i'and.add just enough salt to. tasto it, and let it get quite' cold.) 'Pill 'tho' bottle to tho top : with' thi3 'brine, .and then'-fitithe .cover and ring on tho • bottle;i then'.slightly, loosen' .;it, so,that . the' air • may be'.driven out'.': The, bettlelis'.theh'r'eady : for preserving Placo it in water at 130 degrees. Fahrenheit). ! (It is to bo supposed ■ .way thp' one has ah ordinary'brewer's - :or :bath .thermometer.) . Watch the temperarisb till; it is nt ISO which is. the right degreo' for ■' tomatoes. •• From the .time tho water.;reaches this:temperature count' from fifteen to twenty ininutes for 'prcservsiblo ta 200, degrees, at' wbicli tempcratnro' to/-keep- it^for'those :few -iniiiutes." At_tho end of that time tho" bottler tight; was - the;, expression iisedj meinirig 'that .'lt was desirable; : t.o; call;:in';.'th'e. strongest- . man one knows .' to screw, the 'covors down'" .with, vice-likfe -.' vHp .might : lvrehch tho.top oft a'bottle, and the strength of tho .Ryerage hand is allithat:is' required, , : . stand r tho- bottles 'ori'; a' wooden floor; • -Pvt • t tlicm :cool, v protecting; theni '•witli-.a cJ "5h thrown over- them ' from', a draught, . .which; might'- pool : ; thefti 'so - 'quickly as to -. crack the •bottlesrv-WhM .thej,are,quite cold, : .say,, next' day,'pxaniino the bottles for .vacuum,■which, may .be; done (though ;this docs ; ;by; gently "tapping I tho lids, with a knife handle.: A hollow.souiid, willindicate that the - vacuum is imperfect; while.,a';;ringing .sound.iwill. indicato'that -it : has b'esn properly obtained; . i V a rSo r a nd;yeiy : ripo .tomatoes niay b'o utilised for tomato pulp,-which is very useful for ' £oup3 and home-made: sauces. To prepare it,' .Bc'ald .the,, tomato£s?.witli .hot^water^'-.which'-w'ilii ipartly.,cook-'them, .then p'reSsVthroughv.a.sieyo or; colander/to- remoyd. l the. skins.;.'. The' resicluo should, bo' strained'to. get rid' of somo of tho' wafer, and, the'remaindcr? placal-,in';bottte3 preserved..in:.th6: same >yay:'•;:ln;thi 3 way^'. a ;.very ■. escplleht tlimato. puree , can 'be ob--tamed, ; v : ■•'■: .•.