NISCELLANEOUS RULES AND SUGGESTIONS Rules for Preserving Frnit.—Cer tain rules are necessary to be observed in every branch of confectionery. Thus, in making sirups, the sugar should always be well dissolved before it is placed on the fire. If this is not done the scum will not rise well, nor the fruit reta,in its fine color. When stone fruit is preserved, it is well to cover with rendered mutton suet to exclude the air. Any air admitted is sure to ruin the fruit. It will cause putrefaction at once.
All wet sweetmeats must be kept dry and cool to preserve them from moldiness and damp. One of the best hints to observe is to dip a piece of tissue paper in brandy, lay it close to the sweetmeats and cover tightly with paper. Thus they will keep for any length of time. This precaution is fowad advisable not only in sweet meats, but in preserves and jellies of every kind.
To Prevent Nold. — Often when ready to put away preserves, jars will be lacking, or a Mason jar will be without a top. Even if preserves are put up in stone jars, there must be some way to cover them. In such case, cover the preserves with cotton batting, which is impervious to all life germs. There is nothing better. Draw tightly across a full jar of preserved fruit and tie with a stout cord. Then paste a sheet of note paper around the jar over the string. This will prevent mold and fermen tation as perfectly as if the jar was hermetically sealed. Cotton batting is thus used by many old and expe rienced preserve-makers.
Canker in. Preserves. — In olden times every housekeeper was careful to have a brass kettle devoted en tirely to preserve-making. Many still prefer such a kettle to anything else. But there is danger in brass kettles. A busy housekeeper is often called away from the kitchen and may of necessity remain away a considerable time, while the preserves stand in the kettle. Thus canker, from the brass, or acetate of copper an active poison, may get into the preserves. Never allow preserves to stand or cool in a brass kettle, but turn them out instantly upon removing from the stove.
How to Detect Brass Canker.—To detect canker in preserves that have stood too long in a brass kettle, put a teaspoonful of the preserves in a cup, over which pour 30 drops of vinegar. Stir well with a bright, clean knitting or darning needle. If there is any canker present, the nee dle where it has touched the pre serves, will become red. If this color
does not show at once, let the needle stand in the preserves six or eight hours. If, at the end of that time it is not red, the preserves are wholesome. Homemade Fruit Jars.—Select from your old bottles the largest ones. Wash them in coal ashes and soapy water and dry them thoroughly. Dip in coal oil a piece of tarred rope or other large soft cord and tie it about the bottle an inch or so below the neck. Make a small knot and cut the ends close to the knot. Wipe off carefully all the oil that you may have spilled upon the bottle. Touch a lighted match to the string and the top of the bottle will be removed at once. The break will occur where the string is placed, therefore take care in deciding upon a spot which will make the bottle sufficiently wide at the top. Thus can be made, without cost, excellent pint tumblers for jelly and preserves. Use brandied papers or cotton batting as before men tioned for the covers.
Blotting-Pad Rings.—As a substi tute for rubber rings, cut out of fresh clean blotting pads rings to fit fruit jars, putting two rings on each. Fruit will keep as well and as long packed with these improvised rings as with the nicest new rubber ones. They can be used even with strawber ries, which are among the most diffi cult fruits to preserve.
Covering for Jars. — There is waterproof paper on the market which is used for covering fruit jars. Or you can make your own water proof paper by brushing over paper with linseed oil. Then suspend it over a line until dry. This is as good. a waterproof paper as can be pur chased.
Use for Old Prait-Jar Rubber Rings.—Discarded rubber rings for fruit jars may be again utilized by placing them in the usual way between cover and jar and ffiling around with bottle or sealing wax. The fruit will keep perfectly, as this substance makes an air-tight cover impervious to the germs of decay.
Black Bottle Wax.—Melt together with gentle heat 61 ounces of black rosin, 1 an ounce of beeswax, 11 ounces of fine ivory black.
Or 2 ounces of common rosin, 5 ounces of tallow, 4 ounces of lamp black.
Red Bottle Wax.—Melt together 1 ounce of yellow wax, 3 ounces of ver milion, 5 ounces of shellac, 16 ounces of rosin.
Or 6i ounces of yellow rosin, 1 an ounce of beeswax, 11 ounces of Vene tian red or red lead.