PRESERVING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 136, 30 January 1942, Page 22

PRESERVING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

RESERVING fruit and vege‘tables is not difficult, and need not be very expensivefor it can be done without sugar and without expensive equipment. There are only two essential points to be remembered. First: The fruit or vegetables must be’ properly stérilised, in order to I:ill all the Spores (or seeds) of the yeasts and moulds which attack fruits, and the bacteria which .attack . vegetables, especially peas and» beans and sweet corn. Second: After sterilising, the fruit or vegetables must be sealed absolutely airtight immediately. before any air (containing more spores) can reach it. The bacterial spores which attack vegetables: are much harder to kill than the yeasts and mouids which spoil fruits, and which can be eliminated by a fairly short exposure to a temperature of 160 degrees F. Bacteria require boiling heat (212 degrees F.) for a long time; in the case of peas, for instance, they need three hours altogether, two hours on one day, and then another hour after 24 hours cooling. That is because morc bacteria may germinate after the first cooling, and even one live bacterium will spoil a batch, for each can produce twenty millions in 24 hours! (What a family!) Bacteria dé not thrive, however, in any fruits or vegetables which contain acid, such as tomatoes or rhubarb; and it is therefore wise to add a little vinegar or lemonjuice to each preserving jar of peas and beans-about a dessertspoorful to a quart jar. To Sterilise 1. The Oven.-Fruit may be done in the oven, just a few jars at a time, perhaps after cooking the dinner, while the oven is still hot, or by taking a special day for it. You may use a sconé-tray ic stand the jars on, but have it covered with a thick layer of paper, and leave a space between each jar, and plenty cf space between the sides and back of the oven, so that the heat can circulate freely. Most people, however, like to stand the jars in a large meat dish, in order to catch any juice which bubbles out, thus saving much oven cleaniz¢. Sct the regulo at.1 in a gas oven, or to low (bottom element only) in an electric oven. Peas azd beans cannct be satisfactorily sterilised in the oven. %. Zhe Water-bath.---This is the other method of sterilising. Use a large saucepan, or a kerosene tin cut lengthwise, or the copper. Do not stand the bottles

directly on the bottom of the pan, or they may break. Stand them on folded cloths, or even paper, or the rack from your grilling pan, or a home made wooden rack. Also see that the bottles do not touch each other, but are sepa-

rated by wedgés of cloth or paper. The job can be done more quickly if you cover the water-bath with a lid, and some folded sugar bags on top of that if it is not tight fitting, in order to keep in the steam. In that case you will not take long to bring the water to the boil, because you need only one-third fill the vessel. The lids are just placed loosely on the jars; if you have jars without lids, just cover them with saucers or anything handy, to keep in the heat. Count the time of sterilising from the tine the water begins to boil-not from tc time you put in the jars. If you find it inconvenient to cover the water-baih_ you must have the water right up tc the necks of the jars, and it will take more fuel to keep it boiling. However, it would not make very much difference when doing fruit, which takes cnly a short time -until the fruit is cooked, but not broken-probably 36 to 40 minutes, according to the size ahd kind, but peas and beans take so much longer. Preserving Peas It is not advisable to try any " shortcuts" or easy methods when preserving peas. We sometimes hear of people who

fs a are successful by just excluding the air (sealing them down in cold water) or by just cooking them as for dinner, putting them into jars, and covering with the boiling liquid, and then sealing. While such methods may happen to turn out all right, it is really just a lucky accident, and hot to be relied on. As explained above, the bacteria will germinatc even after cooking and cooling; and the only safe and sure method for peas is to sterilise them twice, 2 hours the first day, and one hour the second day; and to add a little vinegar or lemon-juice to each jar. Tighten the lids after the first sterilising, loosen them for the second boiling, and finally tighten them thoroughly afterwards. The Method. — Select tender, young peas, shell them, then cook for five minutes in boiling water. If tied in a piece of muslin or cheese cloth, they are easy to lift out. Plunge into" cold water, then pack into jars, and fill up with cool boiled water, to which one teaspoon of sugar has been added to every pint. It is better to omit the salt as it has a tendency to harden the peas. Add also about a dessertspoon of vinegar or lemon-juice to each quart jar. Adjust the rubbers and screw on the lids loosely. In the case of a spring top jar, adjust the clamp, but do not fasten it down. Pack the jars in the boiler and sterilise for two hours at boiling point. Tighten the covers of the jars and leave to cool in the boiler for 24 hours. The following day, sterilise again for one hour, taking care to loosen the lids in order to let out the steam, otherwise the jars might crack. Then screw down the lids tightly, or fasten down the clamps of the spring top jars and put away in a cool dry place. French Beans Choose tender beans, string and cut to the desired size, or even leave them whole. Blanch them by plunging them into boiling water for eight minutes, then into cold water for one minute, the same as for the peas. If tied in a piece of muslin they are easy to lift out, Then pack into jars. If left whole they will look, nice in an upright position. Fill up the jars with boiled and cooled water (containing an ounce of sugar and lZoz. of salt to each quart), Add a dessettspoon of vinegar or lemon-juice to each quart jar. Place the lid on lightly and put the jars in the water bath with water _up ‘to the necks of the jars, if there is no cover; or only one-third way up if the steam can be kept in. Proceed as for peas, keeping the water at boiling heat for two hours the first day and one hour the second day. Sweet Corn This also requires sterilising for 3 hours-two hours the first day, and one hour the second. The cobs must be young.

. --_ They can be preserved whole, or with the grains scraped off. If whole, boil them first for ten minutes, then plunge into cold water for one minute, Then pack into jars, fill up with the boiled and cooled water, put the lids on lightly, place in water-bath, and sterilise exactly as for peas. Green Maize Pick maize while still in milky stage, before grains have hardened. Remove the husks and silk, and with a sharp knife scrape the grains off the cobs, pressing out the juice, then pack into clean jars. There should be at least 2 inches of juice. If not sufficient add a little water to which a little sugar has been added, Salt has a tendency to harden, and is better omitted. Adjust the rubber rings and screw the lids on loosely. If a spring. top jar, adjust, but do not fasten down.-. Pack the jars in the boiler and sterilise for two hours. Tighten the covers of the jars and leave to cool in the boiler for 24 hours. The following day sterilise again for an hour, first loosening the lids. Broad Beans Shell the beans and blanch in hot water for ten minutes, then plunge into cold water for one minute. Pack into jars, fill up with the usual cold boiled water, add one dessertspoon of vinegar or lemonjuice to each quart jar, place in waterbath and sterilise at boiling point for two hours the first day, and one the second. Preserving Fruit Fruit may be preserved either with or without sugar. The sugar improves the flavour of the bottled fruit, but it may be necessary sometimes to get the fruit cooked when it is impossible to procure sufficient sugar. In that case the fruit must be heated with sugar when it is being eaten. When preserved in syrup, it is of course, just ready for serving. Without Sugar Pack the fruit carefully into jars, fill up with boiled and cooled water, put the lid on loosely, and sterilise either in the oven or in the water-bath, until the fruit is cooked, but not broken. Then screw down tightly at once; or if not screwtop jars, ~cover with melted wax, and then paste 2 or 3 thicknesses of paper over the top. The jars must be sealed while still boiling, so that when cold, and the steam has condensed, a vacuum will be: formed between the fruit and the lid. With Sugar This may be done in either of two ways. 1. Make a syrup by boiling sugar and water together for 10 minutes, and then let it cool. The proportion varies, according to whether you want a heavy (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) or a light syrup; a fair thing is 6 ounces of sugar to a pint of water. If the syrup is very strong the fruit is apt to rise to the top of the jar, Pack the fruit into the jars, put in the cooled syrup, put on the lids lightly, and sterilise in the usual manner, either in the oven or in the water-bath. Soft fruits, such as raspberries or red currants, need less syrup in the jars than the harder fruits, as they contain so much moisture themselves, It is a safe plan to overflow the jars with boiling water, or boiling syrup, when screwing or pasting down, to make sure that no air can get in. 2. Fill the jars with fruit and then put a dessertspoon, or a tablespoon of sugar on top of each jar. Fill up nearly to the top with sterilised water (boiled and cooled) and put the lids loosely on as usual, then sterilise the fruit till it is soft, but not broken, This is an easy way, recommended by many experienced housewives, who find that the sugar dissolves quite properly and flavours the fruit. (More' preserving next week.)