4. When filling the jars, place them on a folded cloth wrung out of warm water, then seal, and invert until cool.
PREPARATION OF FRUIT
Use fresh, sound fruit, not too ripe.
1. Berries.--Pick over, wash in a strainer, and hull.
2. Currants, gooseberries.--Pick over, wash, remove ends and stems.
3. Cherries.--Pick over, wash, remove stones and stems.
4. Plums.--Pick over, wash, remove stems, and p.r.i.c.k three or four times with a silver fork, in order to prevent the steam bursting the skin.
5. Pears, apples.--Pick over, wash, pare, and, to prevent discoloration, keep in cold water until used.
6. Peaches.--Pick over, plunge into boiling water a few seconds (using a wire basket), then into cold water; peel; drop into cold water to prevent discoloration.
SYRUP FOR CANNING
Use about 1 cup of water for each pint can.
No. 1 Syrup.--Equal parts of sugar and water, or 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.
No. 2 Syrup.--1 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
1. Use No. 1 syrup for watery fruits and acid fruits.
2. Use No. 2 syrup for pears, peaches, sweet plums, sweet cherries, etc.
METHODS OF CANNING
1. Fruit cooked in a steamer:
Fill the sterilized jars with prepared fruit, with or without syrup. Place the covers, but do not fasten them down. Stand the jars in a steamer over cold water. Cover the steamer and heat to the boiling point. Steam at least fifteen minutes, or until the fruit is tender.
Remove from the steamer, fill to overflowing with boiling syrup, and seal at once. Invert.
2. Fruit cooked in a boiler:
Put a false bottom in the boiler, to prevent the jars from being broken. Fill the jars with fruit, and add syrup if desired. Cover and place the jars in the boiler without touching one another. Pour in tepid water to within an inch of the top of the jars and bring gradually to boiling heat. Cook and finish as directed in 1, above.
3. Fruit cooked in an oven:
Fill sterilized, hot jars with prepared raw fruit and cover with hot syrup. Place the jars in a moderate oven, in a baking dish containing about an inch or two of hot water. Cook and finish as in 1, above.
4. Fruit cooked in a kettle:
Make a syrup in a fairly deep kettle. Put the prepared fruit into it and cook gently until tender. When the fruit is cooked, lift carefully into hot, sterilized jars, and fill to overflowing with boiling syrup. Seal at once and invert.
NOTE.--By Methods 1, 2, and 3 the fruit is kept more perfect in shape and loses less flavour than by Method 4. Methods 2 and 4 are best to choose for cla.s.s practice.
After the lesson in Canning, it may not be wise to take the school time for further practice in the preservation of fruit. When such is the case, the theory of jam and jelly making may be discussed in cla.s.s for home practice. The notes of these lessons may appear as follows:
JAMS AND PRESERVES
POINTS IN MAKING JAM
1. In this method sugar is the preservative, therefore the amount used must be large.
2. The quant.i.ty of sugar used is from three quarters to one pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. Little or no water is used.
3. The natural shape and appearance of the fruit is not kept.
4. The flavour of the fruit is not so natural, on account of the excessive sweetness.
5. The jar need not be sealed, but merely covered.
JELLY
COMPOSITION OF JELLY
1. Jelly is made from certain fruit juices and sugar.
2. The fruit juice must contain a certain amount of _pectin_, or jellying principle, and also a certain amount of acid.
PARTS OF FRUIT CONTAINING MOST PECTIN
(1) Skin, (2) core, (3) pits and seeds.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Utensils used in making jelly]
FRUITS CONTAINING MOST PECTIN
1. Currants
2. Crab-apples, apples
3. Quinces
4. Cranberries, blackberries, raspberries
5. Grapes, if rather green.