MORE PRESERVING

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 137, 6 February 1942, Page 22

MORE PRESERVING

Screw Top Jars Not Indispensable

of jars and bottles in which to store our preserved fruits and vegetables, as well as jam, jelly, and pickles, has caused a little anxiety this year; especiaily if we are looking for © tuxury " bottles with clamp tops. There is no need at all to worry; for any jars at all, and even golden syrup tins, may be used quite successfully. provided that they are clean and not bent, or chipped or ‘cracked; that you sterilise the fruit properly; and that you make the jars perfectly airtight. A very safe way to'do this is to pour about half an inch of hot wax (any one of the special things sold for this purpose) over the boiling hot preserve; and then make assurance doubly sufe by pasting two or three thicknesses of thick paper over this again, letting the paper come well down the outside of the jar. Flour and water paste is quite satisfactory. If you have the screw lid jars, without rubbers, often sold with sweets or jam in them, you may run some of the wax round the inside of this sterilised screw lid bofore putting it over the jam or preserve. Wien the wax on the lid has set, screw it on tightly, and you will find that the heat of the jar will again melt the wax, and make a perfect seal round the screw. question of obtaining supplies

Paste over with paper, as an extra precaution. If you are using corks to seal pickle jars, or even bcer-bottles which you have filled with syrups or sauces, boil the corks to sterilise them, then drop into melted wax, and press them firmly into your filled bottles, Even then, it is safer to paste paper over the tops; or dip the top of the bottle,-cork and all, into more wax. Preserved Mushrooms Wipe the myshrooms, takeoff the stems, and peel them. Sprinkle with salt, and pack carefully into clean jars -no water. Put on the rubber rings, and put on the lids loosely. Put the jars in a saucepan of water, and make sure that they are standing on a cloth, and that there are wedges of paper or cloth between each bottle, so that they do not touch each other, or the sides of the pan. Put water in the pan to within an inch of the necks of the jars, and sterilise an hour. By this time, they will have shrunk, and have a lot of juice. Fill up the jars one from another, and sterilise again another hour. Screw down airtight immediately. _ Dried Mushrooms Mushrooms may also'be dried. Spread them on paper and dry in a cool oven, or in the shade on a hot day. Put into

paper bags. When using, soak beforehand, Tomato Puree with Honey Put as many tomatoes as you intend to use into a saucepan. Add honey in the proportion of two tablespoons honey to each pound of fruit. No salt and no water. Let it boil for twenty minutes, and then fill the preserving jars to overflowing, and screw them down tightly. This is very handy for soups. Preserved Whole Tomatoes Boil 20z. salt with two quarts of water for 15 minutes. Let it get qu'te cold, then pour over the tomatoes previously packed in screw top jars, Put in the oven, first shelf from the bottom, on a piece of sugar bag, and have an ovenslide in on top, to cover. Sterilise until the skin shows signs of cracking, then put on new sterilised rubber rings, and screw the lids on tightly. Invert the bottles to make sure that the seal is perfect. Preserved Whole Tomatoes, Uncooked Wipe the tomatoes clean and dry, and place in a layer in a large crock. Sprinkle with brown sugat, and a few. cloves. Continue so, until the crock is almost filled. Boil equal quantities of vinegar and water. Lét get really cold; pour over the tomatoes. Take a piece of flannel, put over the top of the jart, allowing it to dip well into the liquid. This collects any mildew that forms. Cover over with strong brown paper, and tie up with "

string. Tomatoes are lovely this way, and can be used whenever needed, provided the flannel is kept dipped in the liquid, to collect the mildew. Bottled Tomato Juice Wash good tomatoes, cut up coarsely, and simmer gently until tender. Strain, Add salt to taste, bring to boiling point, and turn into sterilised jars, filling to within half an inch of the top. Adjust rubbers and lids, and sterilise in waterbath for five to eight minutes. Screw down tight immediately. To Preserve Berries Fill the jars with firm berries, and put into the oven until they are well heated. They will have settled down, so fill the jars from another one. Fill to the top then with boiling water, and shake the bottle, or put a spoon handle down to let out the air bubbles. Then screw down tightly, and put away. To Preserve Berry Juices Crush the fruits and allow to stand a little. Add a very little water, cover, and place on a warm part of the stove to make the juices flow. Remove, and strain through a cloth. Bring to the boil, add 341b. sugar to cach 1lb. juice. Boil five minutes steadily, and strain through muslin. Bottle while hot. Put one teaspoon of olive oil on top of each bottle -this can be drawn off with cotton wool when needed; but it excludes the air. The second straining may be omitted, if special clearness is not desired. 3 | Spiced Fruits To 2ib, of fruits allow 3lb. of sugar, 20z. of cloves, loz. mustard seed, 2o0z. mace, and one gallon of malt vinegar. Simmer all slowly, keeping the fruit whole, for 20 minutes, or until tender. Put into glass jars, and seal. To Preserve Beetroot Select small, perfect beets, wash them carefujly, and cook in boiling water till tender. Drain, and cover with cold water. Rub off the skin, and pack them into jars, and fill up with fresh water, to which a little salt, sugar and vinegar has been added. Adjust the rubbers, screw down the lids slightly, and sterilise for 1142 hours. Screw tight, and keep in @ cool place. Pickled Nasturtium Seeds (1) These are just like capers. Put the green seeds in salt and water for two days. Then put in cold fresh water for one day. Pack into jars, and cover with boiling vinegar, seasoned with mace, peppercorns, and sugar. Cork down. (2) Another method is to spread the seeds in the sun for two or three days to dry. ~ Then put them in jars, sprinkle with salt, and fill up with boiled vinegar. Seal when cold, and do not use for two months, Picked Cucumbers (Jewish Method) There. are two Jewish methods-here is the first. one: Cut off a wee bit of (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) each end of the cucumbers, and place in a good brine of salted water. Change the brine after two days and stand another two days in the fresh brine. Drain the cucumbers well. Make the spiced vinegar fairly strong-say, two tablespoons of whole mixed spice and a few chillies, and a tablespoon of sugar to a pint of vinegar. Boil a few minutes, and when cold cover the cucumbers with this mixture. They are soon ready for eating-the skins and all. Do not put metal tops on. Here is the other method: In the bottom of a barrel, or stone jar, put a thin layer of salt, sugar and grape leaves. Then put in the cucumbers, and repeat until the jar is full. ‘Do not cut or skin the cucumbers, and small ones are bet- | ter. Seal well, and they will be ready in about two months. Some people bury the jar in the garden. Sweet Pickled Cucumber Use full-grown, large cucumbers. Peel and scrape out the inside. Cut into suitable pieces, sprinkle salt over, and let stand all night. To 4lb. of cucumber add one quart of boiling vinegar. Strain the cucumber before pouring on the vinegar. Let stand one day, pour off the vinegar, and boil it with 14lb. sugar and some cloves, ginger, and cinnamon to taste. When cool, pour over the pickle. Put into screw top jars. In a fortnight’s time, pour off the vinegar,, boil again, and return to the pickle when cold. Make airtight. Preserved Cucumbers (African) Peel and slice some good cucumbers, which must not be too old. Put them into salt water overnight. Drain well, then pack into jars, and fill up with cold boiled water, to which some vinegar has been added. Adjust the rubber rings, screw the lids on lightly, sterilise for one hour, and finally tighten the lids,