PROVISIONS, etc. Much variety is comprehended under these terms: the first is generally understood to mean fruits preserved with sugar or brandy; and the latter, such articles of animal or vegetable food as are used ordinarily, but which are preserved by any means fot the convenience of carriage, and for use beyond the time they would remain uninjured by ordinary keeping. Fruits intended for con fectionery are preserved in four different ways: First, They may be preserved in the form of jam, in which the fruit is simply boiled with from one-half to equal its weight of sugar. By this method, the fruit becomes broken, and the juice set free; but all is preserved, as the latter forms a thick syrup With sugar. Such preserves can be kept, if well made, for several years, but are best used during the first winter. A second plan is to preserve only the juice, which, when carefully strained from the solid portions of the fruit, and boiled with a third or half its weight of refined sug:ir, constitutes the fruit jellies of the cooks and confectioners. Another method is called candying, and consists in taking fruits whole or in pieces, and boiling them in a clear syrup previously prepared. In this way they absorb the syrup, and are then dried by a gentle heat, which causes the sugar of the syrup to crystallize on the surface and through the substance of the preserved fruits, which retain their form, and much if not all of their color. The remaining method is to carefully stew them in a weak syrup of refined sugar and water, so that they are rendered soft but are not broken. They are then transferred, with the syrup, to jars with well-prepared 'covers, to prevent evaporation; and pale brandy, equal in quantity to the syrup, is added. As a rule, only stone-fruits, such as peaches. plums, and cherries, are preserved in this way. Several fruits and vegetables, such as olives, cucumbers, cabbage, etc., are preserved for food in a saturated solution of salt and water poured in hot; others, in vinegar, See PICKLES.
But the most approved methods of preservidg vegetable and animal substances for food purposes, so as to be used as nearly as possible as if they were in the fresh state, is either to desiccate them or to seal them in air-tight cases. The first method was intro duced by M. Chollet of Paris in 1852, and patented in England in 1854. It was, and still is, chiefly applied to vegetables, and a few kinds of fruit, such as apples and pears, which have a small amount of juice. By this method, M. Chollet entirely removes all moisture from the vegetables, by drying either in a vacuum or by the aid of heated air, which reduces their bulk more than one-half. They are then compressed under power ful presses, which, beside rendering them extremely portable, also makes them less liable to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, which is very desirable. ns they are very absorb ent. In this way, both the color and distinctive flavor of the vegetables are completely preserved, and mere soaking in water restores them almost precisely to their original condition. The introduction of this process has been of great benefit to voyagers, as it enables ships to carry a complete supply of vegetable provisions on the longest voyage.
The method of sealing cooked provisions in air-tight metallic cases, which is now so largely in use, is of comparatively recent invention, and has only been brought into use during the present century. In 1810 Augustus de Heine took out a patent in this country for preserving food in tin or other metal cases, by simply exhausting the air by means of an air-pump; but it was unsuccessful. It was followed by a number of others by various per sons, all of which were more or less failures, until Wertheimer's patents, which were three in number, from 1839 to 1841. By his plan, the provisions of whatever kind are put into the metal cases, and closely packed, and the interstices filled in with water or other appropriate liquid, such as gravy in the case of flesh food. The lids are then soldered on very securely; two small perforations are made in each lid, and the cases are set in a water-bath, in which muriate of lime is dissolved, and heat is applied until the whole boils, and the air is expelled through the small openings in the lids of the cases When this is complete, the small holes are quickly soldered up, and the tins are removed from the bath. The muriate of lime is used because its solution can easily be maintained at a
`treat of 270° to 280° F., without material evaporation. Other plans have been patented similar in principle, but varying in the mode of applying it. A large business of this / • kind has for several years been successfully carried on by John Gaon & Co., Leith, and by, Moir, Aberdeen, whose cases of preserved meats and soups are well known as an article of commerce. The imports of tinned meat from Australia and New Zealand are now extensive, and are yearly increasing. A very ingenious and scientific plan for preserving meat fresh was invested by prof. George Hamilton of Cheshire. It consists in cutting the meat small, and putting it into jars of binoxide of nitrogen, which perfectly pre Serves its sweetness and ordinary appearance. This plan has been tried with success on a small-scale, and was shown in the Paris exhibition of 1855. as a French discovery, although prof. Hamilton's paper was in Paris in 1854. The fresh meat of late so largely imported from America may be said to be preserved. as it is kelit fresh—not frozen—by being packed in chambers cooled by the presence of large quantities of ice. In addition, we have to notice here some recent efforts to preserve animal food. As yet the most successtui method is by placing it when boiled in tins of convenient size for household Consumption, hermetica113' sealed from the air. The waste of animal food in Australia and America had long been a cause of regret, and the sending of it to Europe in a dried state was only partially attempted, when the plain of preserving it in a boiled condition was first tried. on any scale, in 1566 or 1867. Since then, the quantity of Australian and American mutton and beef from Australia and the United States consumed in Great Britain has increased very rapidly. In 1572 the total value of the imports of unsalted meat was not far short of a million sterling. In 1877 the value of the imports of meat, salted and fresh. was over three millions sterling. Of this a value of £1,204,000 was for beef. fresh or slightly salted, from the United States.
The eminent chemist Liebig suggested the manufacture of a concentrated extract of meat; and this is now carried on very extensively both at home and abroad. It is chiefly used by invalids, and for quickly making soups. Only the lean ir muscular part is used, and this is boiled until all but the fibrin is dissolved out; the liquid is then concen trated until it is brought to the state of a thick pasie, in which state it is easily preserved. Much controversy has of late taken place concerning the nourishing properties, not only of Liebig's, but of all meat extracts. Still those physiologists who have least to say in their favor do not deny that they have some useful properties as food, and their use is e2.cidedly on the increase. The Liebig extract of meat company is said to have slaugh tered, in the year 1872, 150,000 head of cattle.
A few years ago, prof. Redwood patented a method of preserving fresh meat by a coating of paraffin; but this substacce, from its brittleness, is apt to crack, and we are not aware that it is now in use. Mariotti has patented a rather peculiar plan, which consists in carbonizing the whole surface of the meat by taking advantage of the high temperature of boiling fat into which if is dipped. No way of preserving animal food fresh, however, excels the simple one of storing it in chambers or cabins at a tem perature as little as possible above the freezing-point. By this method large sup•lies of fresh meat have been corn eyed to this country front the United States and Canada in steamers fitted up for that purpose. The value of the beef alone thus imported amounted in 1877 to E1,656,892.
Two large companies, an English and a Swiss, have been lately formed for the supply of condensed milk, and also coffee and cocoa mixed with it and sugar, in such a way as to be ready for use with the addition of boiling water. Coffee so prepared is at present very much in demand.