CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3637, 9 March 1883, Page 4

CANNING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

The American housekeeper accepts canning as a part of tho regular household routine, and it in a great measure takes the place of the old "preserving" time. To successfully put up fi-uits ttiad vegetables, the great essential is glass jars, or cans, that are readily made air-tight. These are now supplied by manufacturers, several patterns of them, in a form so complete that there is little practical difference among them. The jars of the leading makers of tho present day are well nigh perfect, and wo do not know of any choice between them. Having the cans, or jars, the operation is simple. The fruit, whatever it may be, in a syrup just strong enough to properly sweeten it, is brought to the boiling point, and when the air has all been expelled, from it, it is at onco placed in the jars, previously warmed with hot water, and when these are well-filled the cover is screwed down tight. Good jars, well filled with boiling fruit, and promptly covered by screwing down the caps, will ensure success. Many years ago, when canning was not so general as it is now, wo showed how any common widemouthed bottle could be used, but at present, jars made for the purpooe aro so cheap, that it is not necessary to resort to any makeshifts. Among the first things to be put up in this manner is Rhubarb. This can be readily canned, and green Gooseberries may be treated in the same manner. Strawberries and Raspberries come next, and aro better preserved in the same manner than by any other, but these, especially the Strawberry, while vastly better when preserved thus than in any other manner, come far short of retaining their original flavour. Peaches are easily preserved thus, and are nearly perfect, as are pears, especially, and Bartlett, apples and quinces. One who has put up the quince in this manner, will never preserve it according to the old pound Impound method. All the highly flavoured apples, preserved by canning, make a liner apple sauce than can be produced in any other manner. Tho usual process is, to cook the fruit, of whatever kind, in a syrup made with four ounces of sugar, to a pint of water. When the fruit is cooked tender, transfer it at once to the jar, add the syrup to fill up every crevice, if there are bubbles of air, aid them to escape by the use of a spoon ; see that the jar is solid f idl of fruit and syrup, and up to the top, before the cap is screwed on. While fruits are easily preserved in the family, vegetables are more difficult. Wo have many inquiries about preserving green peas, green corn, and tomatoes. Those who make a business of canning, find green peus and green corn among the most difficult things to preserve. They can only be put up in tin cans by long boiling processes, not practicable in families. If any of our readers have found a method by which either corn or peas can be preserved by any process practicable in the family, we ask them to communicate it, for the benefit of others. Last autumn we made an experiment with tomatoes. Thoroughly ripe fruit was cooked for the table, omitting butter and all other seasoning, and put up in ordinary fruit jars. About 3 out of 12 failed, but those which succeeded were vastly better than the tomatoes purchased in tin cans.—American Agriculturist.