PRESERVING—Without Rubber Rings

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 184, 31 December 1942, Page 15

PRESERVING—Without Rubber Rings

have rubber rings for their preserving jars-either new or once used, which are not perished (be careful of this)-a majority will have to do their preserving without them. This is quite simple, and merely means returning to the methods of the pioneer settlers, whose fruit preserves were beautiful, both in colour and in flavour. LTHOUGH some people may still The two essential points in preserving are (1), to sterilise the fruit or vegetables properly, and (2), to see that a perfectly air-tight seal is applied immediately. A perfect seal is made by having ready a saucepan full of very hot and clean melted fat-half mutton and half beef. When you take your jars of hot and sterilised fruit and syrup, one by

one, from the oven or the water-bath, you must immediately pour on at least half an inch of the hot fat. Some people put the fat in with a tablespoon and when it has cooled, they make assurance doubly sure by adding another spoonful or two of cool, melted fat, just in case it may have shrunk at all in setting. Actually, this fat does not shrink away from the sides of the jar as prepared waxes often do. Then cover the top of the jars with kitchen paper or notepaper well coated with ordinary flour and water paste, which helps to keep the paper air-tight. Let the paper come well down the sides of the jar. One of the best known Links in our Daisy Chain has always remained true to this method of sealing preserved fruit, instead of changing over to the screwtop and rubber-ring. She found it so simple and so safe. As a test, she refrained from opening a bottle of peaches for five years, then staged a little "opening ceremony" for a modern friend who used only the most up-to-date jars. The friend had to admit the perfection of the preserve. The fat lifts off in a clean and solid piece, and the fruit is in perfect condition. : Tins Golden syrup tins (or any tins with press-in lids) are used successfully for preserving fruit, provided they are not bent or cracked, and are perfectly clean. In this case, you need not use the hot fat for sealing; just overflow with boiling water or syrup, press in the lid hard and then pour hot fat or hot water over the whole top of the tin. See that the

seam round the bottom of the tin is not leaking at all-some golden syrup tins do. Put fat round this seam if at all doubtful. Without Sugar Pack the fruit carefully into jars, and put a tablespoon of sugar on top of the fruit. Fill up with boiled and cooled water. If you have no sugar at the moment, this small amount can be quite well omitted, but it does add to the flavour of the fruit. Put the lids loosely on (just to keep in the steam), and cook either in a cool oven (Regulo 1, or 250 degrees), or in a vessel of water-the water need only come half way up the jars if the vessel has a cover,. either fitting or improvised. Cook until the fruit is soft, but not broken. Take out jars one by one sealing each immediately, while boiling hot, with three-quarters of an inch of hot beef and mutton fat (half and half) as described above. Paste over at once with 2 thicknesses of paper covered well with flour and water paste.