Preserving Trouble

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 820, 15 April 1955, Page 23

Preserving Trouble

Dear Aunt Daisy, About the woman who had trouble with the lids lifting off her preserves, I had the same trouble with beans. I sctewed the bands on the jars while the liquid was boiling, but still after doing them twice, a few days after, the lias lifted. So 1 tried the water-bath method and they are perfect. This is my method: Pack the beans in the jars after blanching, add little salt and vinegar, fill up to within 4% inch from the top, seal and screw down not too firmly. Put in cold water-bath (I use my copper), see that the water ¢overs the jars by a good inch. Heat slowly for: at least an hour and a half until bubbles come to surface. Take out the fire and leave jars until cool. Lift out jars, unscrew bands and leave upside down a few hours before storing. I always do my fruit this way, too, and instead of making a syrup first, I just pour the sugar dry over the fruit in the jars and add cold water, etc., as with the beans. Half a cup of sugar for peaches, nectarines, a little less for pears, and a little more for plums and apricots. etc. Hoping the above will be .

of use.

Pamela

Kaikoura.

Very good, Pamela. The _ heating slowly and holding for a lang time is a safe method; in fact, a well-commended way is to take an hour or 112 hours to bring the water-bath to the boil, and then to hold it there for half an hour for pears and tomatoes--a little less for other fruits. Peas should be held at boiling point for 2 hours. 2