The fullest measure of benefit from the garden has not been obtained unless one has preserved for future use the more succulent forms of vegetables that are not susceptible to preservation through winter in the usual form of cold storage.

Those early vegetables which are so keen an incentive to the planting of a garden—young beets, spinach greens, string beans, limas, peas, tomatoes and the like must be preserved in a cooked form, hermetically sealed from the air to preserve them from spoiling. This the commercial canners have done for years and we have been content to let them do this work for us at a price that has added materially to the high cost of living, while our own garden product, often of a far better quality, has gone to waste. Market gardeners who supply the canneries grow vegetables with a keen eye to their productiveness. If one vegetable will produce a half or a third more to an acre than another variety somewhat better, it is only human to grow that one, but the private garden is not, as a rule, grown with a sole idea of profit; it is quality and the enjoyment of the product that is looked for and only those vegetables that will produce a high grade product will be grown.

The home canning of vegetables has been neglected owing to the uncertainty of results. Occasionally one found a housekeeper who could can corn successfully, but the results usually were unsatisfactory, all this, however, is changed since the government experts of the Agricultural Department have, by careful experiments along the lines of all sorts of vegetable products, worked out canning schedules that only require careful following to insure success.

The government bulletins give explicit instructions as to necessary equipment, method of handling each separate vegetable and try, in all possible ways, to insure success for the worker.

At first glance the amount of equipment seems burdensome and some of the requirements unnecessary, but I have found that it is not safe to slight any one of them, but that there are short cuts in the work that materially lessen the labor. It will not always be convenient to supply oneself with a canning outfit involving much expense; especially will this be the case in the small family where only a moderate amount of canning is to be done, though the regular canning outfits greatly simplify and ease up the work. A home-made outfit will, however, take care of all the surplus from the small home garden, especially where there are but two or three cans to be handled at one time. There are always vegetables that mature their fruits sparingly—too many for immediate use, but not enough to sell. However, in order that the vines or plants should continue to bear heavily, all such products as string and lima beans, tomatoes, green corn and the like should be gathered as each reaches its most perfect stage. This often involves some waste unless it can be utilized in some way and here is where the canning is effective, as the continual canning of only one or two cans at a time results in the course of a summer in a well-filled cupboard that will insure one against any serious food shortage that may arise during the winter.

There are five types of canning outfits: Homemade outfits, constructed of such utensils as wash boilers, tin pails, milk cans, metal wash tubs and lard pails. The lard pails are especially usable and cream pails are excellent where only a few cans are to be processed at once; even a teakettle can be made to do duty where only one or two pint cans are to be cooked. Any metal vessel that will allow the water to come at least an inch above the tops of the cans will do.

Hot-Water-Bath Commercial Outfits are constructed usually for outdoor work, with a sterilizing vat, lifting-trays, firebox, and smokepipe, combined in one piece. They are light and convenient. They may be moved about as desired, even carried to the orchard or garden where apples and corn are to be canned in quantity, but are more adapted to clubs and neighborhood cooperative work than to the needs of a small family.

Water-Seal Outfits consist of a double-walled bath and cover which projects down into the water between the outer and inner walls, thus making three metal walls and two water-jackets between the sterilizing vat and the outside of the canner. A high temperature can be maintained more uniformly than with the hot-water-bath outfit, since the escape of steam is prevented and a slight steam pressure is maintained.

Steam-Pressure Outfits are made to carry from five to thirty pounds' pressure and are equipped with steam-tight sterilizer, lifting crate, thermometer, or pressure gauge, safety valve and steam petcock; they are, of course, the most perfect equipment and economical of labor and fuel.

Aluminum Pressure Cookers are combination outfits for cooking and canning and have the advantage of being useful all the year around. They are light in construction, economical of heat and will carry as high as thirty pounds steam pressure; they are equipped the same as steam-pressure outfits.

The purpose of this chapter, however, is not to go into the methods necessary for caring for large quantities of vegetables at one time nor the expenditure of any considerable sum in effecting the conservation of garden food; rather it is intended to help the housewife to save, cheaply and easily, her garden surplus as it accumulates day by day. Fuller details than are in the scope of this chapter can be gained through the canning and food preservation bulletins sent out by the Department of Agriculture at Washington and by the various states.

The same general principles pertain to all fruits and vegetables to be canned, only the time of processing varying in individual cases.

The vegetables to be canned should always be perfect of their kind and absolutely fresh; indeed, it is better to have everything ready for canning before they are gathered, then dress, sterilize and blanch and get into the cans as rapidly as possible. The Cold Pack Process calls for, first, the sterilizing of the product by plunging for five or six minutes in boiling water. This is best accomplished by either a wire basket, lined with cheese-cloth, if the vegetable is small, like peas or string beans, or alone for such things as tomatoes, peppers or corn on cob, or by a large piece of cheese-cloth a yard square at least. After blanching the vegetables must be plunged at once in cold water, to set the color and firm the surface. They are then packed at once in the cans, a teaspoon of salt added to each quart and the can filled with boiling water, rubber and top put in place, but not screwed tight, and the cans placed in the container, the water of which must come at least an inch above the top of the cans, and cooked, or processed, for the time indicated for each product. Before using the cans they should be sterilized by boiling, or at least thoroughly heating to obviate danger of cracking when plunged into the hot container.

The government directions state quite emphatically that the cans should be boiled but after putting up several hundred cans of vegetables of all sorts, without this precaution, all of which kept perfectly, I have come to the conclusion that it cuts out a lot of unnecessary time and equipment, for the necessity of having one large container to sterilize cans, another to sterilize the vegetables, a kettle of boiling water to fill up the cans, and the container for processing, entails a large amount of working space and an unnecessary amount of fuel. If any short cuts can be achieved it is certainly that much to the good, so I have been able to shorten the work so that much of my own canning has been done on a one-burner oil stove with one vessel of boiling water for processing, blanching, sterilizing jars, etc., and one pail of cold water for blanching and a good, big table for handling the vegetables. In handling the work I have everything ready before gathering the vegetables. For a few pint or quart cans I use a cream-pail which will hold four pints or three quarts. In this I have boiling plenty of water. I place the cans in a pan adding a little hot water, turning them carefully until warm through and then fill up and cover. Put the vegetables in the wire basket or cheese-cloth, dip them in the boiling water the specified time, plunge into cold water for an instant, take out cans, one at a time, being careful not to touch the tops with the hands, place rubbers, first dipped in the hot water, fill cans with vegetables, with a teaspoon of salt for the quart size, half a teaspoonful for pints, fill with the boiling water from the container, place caps—which have also been sterilized—on, screw down, but not tight and place in container, being sure that there is abundance of water, for the long cooking lowers the water materially and unless there is another kettle of boiling water available for filling up the water may go below the top of the can and the result will be blown out rubbers which will have to be replaced. This is one of the serious handicaps of canning by the cold-pack method. The remedy, however, is simple. Remove the can, remove the cap and put a fresh rubber in place, replace the cap and plunge again in the container and boil for five minutes longer. The changing of the rubber should be done as quickly as possible and care should be taken to avoid touching the edge of the top of the can or the inside of the cap while doing so. If there is any delay in replacing the rubber it will be better to boil ten instead of five minutes.

When the canning is done on the kitchen range or on a three-burner gas or oil stove it will be better to fill the cans with water from the teakettle and to sterilize the cans in a dishpan, allowing them to heat on the stove until required, but excellent results will follow the shorter method. Pint cans are most desirable for such vegetables as string beans, peas, lima beans and the like—things which are used alone and not combined with other foods as tomatoes and corn. Pint cans, however, have about disappeared from the market and even quarts have been at a premium. And one should take unusual care in cleansing cans and tops as soon as emptied, and placing them in a dry place until wanted for another year's canning. A cellar is not a suitable place to store cans, it is far too damp and conducive to mould. If cans are properly cleansed and dried and the tops adjusted and stored in a dry upstairs closet they will need far less sterilizing when required for use.

Often in canning vegetables it will be found that there is an uneven quantity—that is, there will be a quantity of one kind left after filling the cans, but not enough for another full can; if desired this can be put in a can and cooked with the rest for the family dinner, or it may be put away with the canned goods, for I have found the partially filled cans keep quite as well as the full ones and there are often times when the lesser quantity will be all that is needed for the meal, or it may be just enough for a salad or to combine with some other vegetable in a soup or entrÉe.

In placing the cans in the container there must always be a rack of some sort to keep the cans from direct contact with the bottom of the vessel. This should, if possible, be in the form of a wire rack. The wire trivets to set hot dishes on, which may be obtained at the ten cent counter of any department store, are excellent for use in cream cans; they just fill the bottom and as they rest on little half-inch feet they allow the water to circulate freely beneath the cans, which is very important and failure to provide for which is sometimes a cause of blown out rubbers. For canning with large cans—quarts and two quarts—the twenty-five pound lard-cans are excellent. They are tall enough to insure plenty of water over the top of the cans and will accommodate four or five two quart and five or six one quart cans and seven pints, though some recommend placing two tiers of pints in the container, but I have always thought that rather risky. The lard-cans are very light to handle and the lids fit closely, retaining the steam. Whenever there is an imperfect closing of the lid it will be well to place a towel over the top of the can before adjusting the lid to insure the retention of the steam. If this is done the water will not evaporate so rapidly.

The following schedule of time for processing vegetables is that suggested by the Department of Agriculture and is authoritative. In every instance the time for processing must be counted from the time the water commences to boil after the cans are put in the container, and the boiling must be continuous.

CANNING DIRECTIONS FOR VEGETABLES

Asparagus—The green grasses grown in the home garden do not, as a rule, can well. They are too tender and delicate and break down under the long cooking suggested. It might be well to experiment with this, cooking only a short time and if the asparagus keeps two weeks or more, open a can and test the flavor and if found acceptable more can be canned. It requires the tough white asparagus like the Bonvillet or Argenteuil for canning and those are the kinds used in commercial canning. Possibly if the green grasses were cut below the ground as is done with the French grasses it would stand up better under cooking. The directions follow.

Asparagus—Gather and clean at once, scraping off the scales on the sides, and cut to equal length. It takes about three bunches for a pint can as they shrink in blanching. Blanch five minutes, plunge at once in cold water. Pack in cans, sliding the stalks in carefully, butts down, fill with hot water, add one teaspoonful of salt to a quart, place rubber and cap in position but do not screw down tight. Place in container as fast as filled and boil 90 minutes. Remove and stand can on cap to cool.

Beets—Select young beets about an inch and a quarter in diameter as the small beets retain their color better than larger ones. About an inch of the top may be left on. Wash very carefully but do not break the skin or remove the tap-root. Blanch four to five minutes, plunge at once in cold water. Remove skins by slipping them off with the hand, avoid the use of knife if possible and pack at once in cans. Fill with hot water adding one teaspoonful of salt to the can and place rubber and cap in place, place in container and boil 90 minutes.

Beans, String—String or hull, blanch in hot water from five to ten minutes, or cut in half inch lengths and steam for five minutes—for small quantities a wire flour sieve over a teakettle will answer admirably—dip quickly in cold water, pack in cans. Fill with hot water, adding one teaspoonful of salt to the quart. Place rubbers and caps in position, cook for 120 minutes, remove and invert to cool and test the joint.

Beans, Lima—Shell and plunge in boiling water for five to ten minutes, plunge immediately in cold water. Pack at once in cans, handling very carefully. Put rubbers and cap in position but not tight. Place in container and cook 180 minutes.

Cauliflower—Lay the heads in salted water half an hour to free from any insects that may have lodgment in the head. Break the head into convenient sized pieces and blanch in boiling water five minutes, plunge at once into cold water, pack in cans, fill with boiling water, add one teaspoonful of salt to the quart and place rubber and cap in position but not tight, place in container and cook 60 minutes. This is the government time but I have found it overcooks the cauliflower.

Corn—This seems to give home canners more trouble than any other vegetable. This is probably caused by delay in the operation. The canning of corn involves more labor than any other vegetable and it is difficult for one person alone to handle it successfully. Two working together, one cutting the corn from the ear and the other packing it in the can, will insure a better result. The corn to be canned should be of the sweetest variety—Golden Bantam or Bantam Evergreen being excellent sorts. It should be picked at just the right stage—between the milk and the dough stage, or when the milk that flows when the grain is broken with the thumb nail looks milky and not watery. It is better to do one can at a time, blanching and dipping in cold water and packing the corn in the can, allowing a half inch at the top for the swelling of the corn, adding a teaspoonful of sugar and one of salt for every quart and filling with hot water, capping and placing in the container before going on with the next canful. The first can put in will not be injured by the extra cooking. Waterlogged or soaked corn is an indication of slowness in packing. If it is desired to can corn on the ear, blanch, plunge into cold water and pack at once in cans large enough to hold several ears. The two quart economy jars are excellent for canning corn on the ears. Whole corn is a little difficult to pack economically, but it can be packed closely if the jar is laid on the side when packing and the corn slid in, the first row being put in butt down and the second tip down. Add a tablespoonful of sugar to each quart can and do not fill more than one-third full with boiling water. When the can is filled with water the flavor of the corn is impaired, and it is more or less water-soaked. The big Stowell's Evergreen Corn is beautiful when canned whole; indeed so fine is its appearance that it is almost worth while to can it just for its appearance on the shelves of the fruit cupboard. Dipping the tops of the cans in paraffin aids in preserving the contents. When heating for use in winter, place in oven instead of hot water as this will render it more dry.

Okra—Gather the pods while still tender, wipe clean, plunge into boiling water five minutes, plunge immediately in cold water, remove and cut into half-inch rings. Pack in can, adding one teaspoonful of salt to the quart. Fill with boiling water, place rubber and cap in position, tighten and put at once in container and cook 120 minutes. Remove, tighten cap and reverse to cool and test seal.

Peas—Should always be freshly gathered, shell and steam over boiling water for ten minutes, blanch and pack at once into cans, adding one teaspoon of salt and one of sugar to each quart. Put rubber and cap in position, but do not tighten. Place in container and sterilize 180 minutes. Peas should be very carefully handled. A cloudy appearance of the water is an indication of rough handling or broken peas.

Tomatoes—Scald until skin loosens sufficiently to remove easily, cold dip, empty the seed cavities and cut in small pieces. Pack at once in cans, pressing the tomato down full. Add one teaspoonful of salt to the quart but no water. Place rubber and cap and put in container and cook 22 minutes. Remove, reverse to cool and test seal. Tomatoes cooked in the open-pan method so long customary are so satisfactory that it is scarcely worth while to change the method, unless one finds the cold-pack way more convenient and agreeable. If preferred tomatoes may be canned whole or simply cut in two and the seed cavities emptied. Smaller or broken tomatoes may be cooked and passed through a sieve to remove the seeds and the purÉe thus formed used to fill in between the slices in the can; this makes a very fine product.

It is not advisable to can vegetables that can be stored successfully in cellar or store rooms; such products should not deplete the already scanty store of cans; but in the case of people living in flats or apartments where there are no storage facilities squash and pumpkins for pies may be utilized in this way to advantage.

Squash and Pumpkins—Prepare and cut into convenient sections, blanch three minutes, cold dip. Pack closely in hot jars or cans. Fill with boiling water, add teaspoonful of salt to each quart. Put rubbers and caps of jars into position but do not tighten. Put in container and sterilize 120 minutes. Remove, tighten caps and reverse to cool and test seal.[4]

Soups—Odds and ends of vegetables that occur during the summer may be utilized for vegetable soups. It often happens that tomatoes are picked by the chickens so that they are unsalable, but otherwise sound, or they may be spotted in a way that does not preclude the use of the uninjured portion; such tomatoes may be used for canning if the injured portion is carefully removed. Okra that is getting too large to be left ungathered, a few string or lima beans, carrots that are crowded—anything in the vegetable line that lends itself to the concoction of a palatable soup may be utilized and so make the garden just that much more remunerative. If possible the amount of tomato should nearly or quite equal that of the other vegetables combined. The tomatoes should be scalded, cold dipped, the seed cavities emptied and the pulp cooked until it will pass through a wire sieve to free it from the seeds. The other vegetables should be blanched, plunged into cold water and put through the meat chopper and added to the tomato and the cans filled, but no water added, the juice of the vegetables, and especially of the tomato, being sufficient. The following combination makes an excellent soup: When the cans are opened for use in winter beef stock to give the proper consistency should be added, or one bouillon cube to each portion to be served and sufficient water may be substituted or a cream soup may be prepared by using milk and adding rolled crackers.

Vegetable Soup—½ bushel tomatoes, three stalks of celery or one teaspoonful of celery seed, one head cabbage, six carrots, three turnips, six ears corn cut down through each row of kernels and the kernels sliced off the ear, ½ peck string beans, two quarts shelled lima beans, one dozen onions, three red peppers, six salsify roots, one pint of okra pods (sliced) one cup salt, one tablespoon black pepper.

Prepare tomatoes as suggested above, cut all the other vegetables fine and add to the tomatoes. Separate into two parts. To one part add one cup of rice, cooked till tender, to the remainder an equal amount of cooked barley. Fill in cans and process two hours. Soups can scarcely be cooked too much, as unless the vegetables are thoroughly softened the product is unsatisfactory. The cabbage and turnips may be omitted if their flavor is not liked.

The government bulletins give a number of formulas for soups and camp rations which are worth considering when conserving one's garden supplies, if one already has cans and tops. (The pint cans are best as the soup is in solid form and a pint is sufficient for a family, when reduced with broth, water or milk.) The cost of the soup per can will not exceed two or three cents as against ten for the much smaller cans purchased at the grocery.

Sweet Corn Dried—As corn is more trouble to can than any of the other vegetables and more uncertain in its results, many housekeepers prefer to dry it, and a way that is very highly recommended is as follows: The corn is gathered when still in the milk stage, somewhat younger than for canning. It is necessary for two to handle the product as it must all be finished in one operation—that is, it is a one-day job, and a rather strenuous and busy one, too. As in canning, the corn is blanched, plunged in cold water, the grains scored through the center and sliced from the cob, care being given that no part of the cob is included. It is then placed on plates or tins with a small amount of butter or butter substitute added—just enough to prevent the corn sticking to the plates—and placed in the oven and on top of the stove to dry. It must be stirred almost continuously to prevent burning or sticking. Only as much corn must be prepared at one time as can be accommodated on the stove or in the oven and one person must prepare and cut the corn while the other stirs and dries it. The dry corn is then stored in paper bags or paper cartons until wanted, and is said to be a very delicious product, much better liked than canned corn.

Bulletins for Drying Fruit and Vegetables are sent out by the Department of Agriculture on request and should be very helpful to the housewife.