To Test Fruit Jars.—Several jars of fruit may be saved in the course of a season by testing the jars before using. To this end, fill them vvith warm water, put on the new rubber rings that are to be used, seal them and stand them upside down on a large sheet of blotting paper. Or butcher's brown paper, or an ordi nary folded newspaper, will answer. If there is the slightest leak, the water will trickle out and be seen on the absorbent paper. Thus, defective rubber rings, or uneven, nicked, or cracked jar tops can be discarded and assurance can be had that no valuable material and labor will be wasted. Similarly it is a good plan to turn the filled jars of fruit upside down on absorbent paper and let them stand overnight before storing them away. Thus, if by chance a de fective ring or jar has been used it will be detected and the contents can be transferred to another jar.
To Sterilize Fruit Zars.—The first step is to place in the special boiler above mentioned, or in a preserving kettle, the fruit jars that are to be used vvith about one tablespoonful of borax to twelve quarts of cold water and bring them to a boil over a slow fire. The tops and rubber rings should be put in place and boiled with the jars themselves, as they are unfit for use if they will not stand this process. Jars having glass tops should invariably be given the pref erence. This will effectually kill all germs, free the jars from dust and dirt, and also toughen them so that if properly handled they will not crack in the process of boiling the fruit or sirup. After they have boiled fifteen minutes or so, pour off the borax water and pour over them hot water to rinse them. Care must of course be taken not to pour cold water over them, or expose them to a draught of cold air while hot, or otherwise they will be cracked and broken.
Canning Fruit.— After the jars have been thus rinsed and sterilized, replace them on the stove in the above-mentioned boiler or other suit able receptacle, surround them with hot water, and pack in the fruit, either without sugar, or with sugar sprinkled among the layers of fruit at the rate of one tablespoonful to a pound of fruit up to a teacupful to each can, more or less, as desired. Boil antil the fruit is soft enough so that a straw can be run through it. The time required will vary accord ing to the fruit, from a few minutes in the case of small fruits, as rasp berries, strawberries and others, to an hoar or more in the case of hard pears, quinces, and the like. But ob serve that the latter cannot be cooked properly in the cans. They must be done up in the preserving kettle in the old-fashioned way. And there is the less objection as their firmer tex ture protects them from being in jured by handling.
Berries and small fruits of soft and delicate texture, undoubtedly prisent a better appearance and have a finer flavor and color if cooked in the can.
These include cherries, strawberries, raspberries, huckleberries or blueber ries, ripe peaches, summer pears, and ripe plums.
Some fruits cooked in the can with sugar, shrink and leave the can only partly full. Do not attempt to crowd the cans when first filled as this will crush the fruit and injure its appear ance, but remove one can and gently pour its contents into the tops of the others until all are full. Finally, when sufficiently boiled, remove the jars one by one, wrapping a towel about each; pour boiling sirup on top until it runs over and instantly seal before the contents cool, and air is adraitted. Place the jars in as warm place and out of a draught, as otherwise they may crack in the proc ess of cooling.
Sirup for Canning and Preserving. —The strength of the sirup to be used in filling jars after the fruit has been cooked in them is a matter of individual preference. It also de pends upon the amount of sugar, if any, that has been sprinkled in the fruit while cooking.
The old time pound-for-pound rule called for a pint of water, more or less, for each pound of sugar and pound of fruit, according to the amount of juice in the fruit. But a larger amount of water is more com monly used at present. To prepare this sirup, place the sugar in a small preserving kettle, pour the required amount of cold water over it and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved be fore placing on the fire. The sirup will be clarified and improved by the addition of a little gum arabic or the white of egg. The scum, as fast as it rises, may then be removed with a skimmer, taking all impurities with it. This sirup may be poured over the fruit after it has been cooked in the can.
Or according to the earlier method, the fruit may be dropped into the clarified sirup while at a boiling point, cooked until it is tender, re moved vvith a skimmer, packed in the jars and the boiling sirup added until they' are filled to overflowing. This last method is still in general use and is contemplated in most of the following recipes.
Canning Berries. — Strawberries, blackberries, and red and black rasp berries may be put up in their own juices. When picking over the ber ries, lay aside only the finest speci mens to be canned whole, mash up the small and less perfect berries, add just enough water to prevent their burning and boil. Strain out the juice, add to it the required quantity of sugar sirup, and pour it boiling hot over the fruit to fill the cans. Using only the most perfect berries of nearly uniform size gives the fruit a fine appearance and the addition of the juice of the less per fect specimens improves the quality 100 per cent.