When preparing cherries, plums, or crab apples for canning or preserving, the stem or a part of it may be left on the fruit.
When preparing to make jelly have ready the cheese-cloth strainer, enameled colander, wooden spoons, vegetable masher, measures, tumblers, preserving kettles, and sugar.
If currant jelly is to be made, free the fruit from leaves and large stems. If the jelly is to be made from any of the other small fruits, the stems and hulls must be removed.
When the jelly is to be made from any of the large fruits the important part of the preparation is to have the fruit washed clean, then to remove the stem and the blossom end. Nearly all the large fruits are better for having the skin left on. Apples and pears need not be cored.
There is so much gummy substance in the cores of quinces that it is best not to use this portion in making fine jelly.
MAKING SIRUP FOR USE IN CANNING AND PRESERVING.
Such sirups as are used in canning and preserving are made with varying proportions of water and sugar. When the proportion of sugar is large and that of the water small the sirup is said to be heavy. When the water predominates the sirup is light.
There are several methods of measuring the proportion of sugar in a sirup. The most scientific and accurate is with the sirup gauge. Careful measurement or weighing is, however, quite satisfactory for all ordinary work if the sirup need not be boiled a long time. In boiling the water evaporates and the sirup grows thicker and richer. The amount of evaporation depends upon the surface exposed and the pressure of the atmosphere. For example, if a large quant.i.ty of sirup is boiled in a deep kettle the evaporation will not be rapid. If the same quant.i.ty of sirup were boiled the same length of time in a broad, shallow kettle the water would evaporate more rapidly and the sirup would be thicker and heavier. If a given quant.i.ty of sirup were boiled the same length of time in a high alt.i.tude, Colorado for example, and at the sea level, it would be found that the sirup boiled at the sea level would be thicker and less in volume than that boiled in Colorado. From this it will be seen that it is difficult to say what proportion of sugar a sirup will contain after it has been boiling ten or more minutes. Of course by the use of the sirup gauge the proportion of sugar in a sirup may be ascertained at any stage of the boiling. After all, however, it is possible to measure sugar and water so that you can know the percentage of sugar when the sirup begins to boil. The following statement gives the percentage of sugar at the time when the sirup has been boiling one minute and also what kind of sirup is suitable for the various kinds of fruit:
One pint sugar and 1 gill of water gives sirup of 40 density: Use for preserved strawberries and cherries.
One pint sugar and one-half pint water gives sirup of 32 density.
One pint sugar and 3 gills water gives sirup of 28 density: Use either this or the preceding for preserved peaches, plums, quinces, currants, etc.
One pint sugar and 1 pint water gives sirup of 24 density: Use for canned acid fruits.
One pint sugar and 1 pints water gives sirup of 17 density.
One pint sugar and 2 pints water gives sirup of 14 density: Use either of these two light sirups for canned pears, peaches, sweet plums, and cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
The lightest sirups may be used for filling up the jars after they are taken from the oven or boiler. The process of making a sirup is very simple, but there are a few points that must be observed if sirup and fruit are to be perfect. Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and stir on the stove until all the sugar is dissolved. Heat slowly to the boiling point and boil gently without stirring. The length of time that the sirup should boil will depend upon how rich it is to be. All sirups are better for boiling from ten to thirty minutes. If rich sirups are boiled hard, jarred, or stirred they are apt to crystallize. The sirup may be made a day or two in advance of canning time. The light sirups will not keep long unless sealed, but the heavy sirups keep well if covered well.
USE OF THE SIRUP GAUGE.
The sirup gauge is a graduated gla.s.s tube, with a weighted bulb, that registers from 0 to 50, and that is employed to determine the quant.i.ty of sugar contained in a sirup.
If this gauge is placed in pure water the bulb will rest on the bottom of the cylinder or other container. If sugar be dissolved in the water the gauge will begin to float. The more sugar there is dissolved in the water the higher the gauge will rise. In making tests it is essential that the sirup should be deep enough to reach the zero point of the gauge. If a gla.s.s cylinder holding about half a gill is filled to about two-thirds its height, and the gauge is then placed in the cylinder, the quant.i.ty of sugar in the sirup will be registered on the gauge.
Experiments have demonstrated that when sugar is dissolved and heated in fruit juice, if the sirup gauge registers 25, the proportion of sugar is exactly right for combining with the pectin bodies to make jelly. The sirup gauge and the gla.s.s cylinder must both be heated gradually that the hot sirup may not break them. If the gauge registers more than 25, add a little more fruit juice. If, on the other hand, it registers less than 25, add more sugar. In making sirups for canning and preserving fruits, the exact amount of sugar in a sirup may be ascertained at any stage of boiling, and the sirup be made heavier by adding sugar, or lighter by adding water, as the case demands.
CANNING FRUIT.
This method of preserving fruit for home use is from all points the most desirable. It is the easiest and commonly considered the most economical and the best, because the fruit is kept in a soft and juicy condition in which it is believed to be easily digested. The wise housekeeper will can her princ.i.p.al fruit supply, making only enough rich preserves to serve for variety and for special occasions.
The success of canning depends upon absolute sterilization. If the proper care is exercised there need be no failure, except in rare cases, when a spore has developed in the can. There are several methods of canning; and while the principle is the same in all methods, the conditions under which the housekeeper must do her work may, in her case, make one method more convenient than another. For this reason three will be given which are considered the best and easiest. These are: Cooking the fruit in the jars in an oven; cooking the fruit in the jars in boiling water; and stewing the fruit before it is put in the jars. The quant.i.ty of sugar may be increased if the fruit is liked sweet.
It is most important that the jars, covers, and rubber rings be in perfect condition. Examine each jar and cover to see that there is no defect in it. Use only fresh rubber rings, for if the rubber is not soft and elastic the sealing will not be perfect. Each year numbers of jars of fruit are lost because of the false economy in using an old ring that has lost its softness and elasticity. Having the jars, covers, and rings in perfect condition, the next thing is to wash and sterilize them.
Have two pans partially filled with cold water. Put some jars in one, laying them on their sides, and some covers in the other. Place the pans on the stove where the water will heat to the boiling point. The water should boil at least ten or fifteen minutes. Have on the stove a shallow milk pan in which there is about 2 inches of boiling water. Sterilize the cups, spoons, and funnel, if you use one, by immersing in boiling water for a few minutes. When ready to put the prepared fruit in the jars slip a broad skimmer under a jar and lift it and drain free of water. Set the jar in the shallow milk pan and fill to overflowing with the boiling fruit. Slip a silver-plated knife or the handle of a spoon around the inside of the jar, that the fruit and juice may be packed solidly. Wipe the rim of the jar, dip the rubber ring in boiling water and put it smoothly on the jar, then put on the cover and fasten. Place the jar on a board and out of a draft of cold air. The work of filling and sealing must be done rapidly, and the fruit must be boiling hot when it is put into the jars. If screw covers are used, it will be necessary to tighten them after the gla.s.s has cooled and contracted. When the fruit is cold wipe the jars with a wet cloth. Paste on the labels, if any, and put the jars on shelves in a cool, dark closet.
In canning, any proportion of sugar may be used, or fruit may be canned without the addition of any sugar. However, that which is designed to be served as a sauce should have the sugar cooked with it. Fruit intended for cooking purposes need not have the sugar added to it.
Juicy fruits, such as berries and cherries, require little or no water.
Strawberries are better not to have water added to them. The only exception to this is when they are cooked in a heavy sirup.
RASPBERRIES.
12 quarts of raspberries.
2 quarts of sugar.
Put 2 quarts of the fruit in the preserving kettle; heat slowly on the stove; crush with a wooden vegetable masher; spread a square of cheese cloth over a bowl, and turn the crushed berries and juice into it. Press out the juice, which turn into the preserving kettle. Add the sugar and put on the stove; stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the sirup begins to boil, add the remaining 10 quarts of berries. Let them heat slowly. Boil ten minutes, counting from the time they begin to bubble.
Skim well while boiling. Put in cans and seal as directed.
RASPBERRIES AND CURRANTS.
10 quarts of raspberries.
3 quarts of currants.
2 quarts of sugar.
Heat, crush, and press the juice from the currants and proceed as directed for raspberries.
BLACKBERRIES.
The same as for raspberries.
CURRANTS.
12 quarts of currants.
4 quarts of sugar.
Treat the same as for raspberries.
GOOSEBERRIES.
6 quarts of berries.
1 quarts of sugar.
1 pint of water.