(Material adapted from U. S. Food Administration and N. Y. State Department of Agriculture.)

General Directions

Test all jars for leakage before using. To do this, fill with water, put on rubber and cover, seal and invert.

Sterilize all utensils, jars, covers, etc., by covering with cold water, and boil for 10 minutes. Use only new rubbers and dip in boiling water just before using.

Use a wide-mouthed funnel when filling jars to avoid loss of material and keep jar rim clean.

Invert all jars after filling and sealing.

Fruit should be sound, firm and not overripe. All fruit should be carefully prepared.

Clean fruit, clean hands, clean utensils, and a clean kitchen free from flies, are essential for safety and success.

Keep products in a cool place. Avoid freezing in winter.

Canning

Canning is the operation of preparing sterilized food so that it will keep indefinitely.

The custom of canning fruit in syrup is based on the improvement in flavor and texture which sugar gives to fruit. Sugar is not necessary for its preservation. Success depends upon thorough sterilization—that is, killing the organisms which cause food to spoil, and then sealing carefully to prevent their entrance. Fruit may be canned in water, in fruit juice and in syrup.

Preserving

The only difference between preserving and canning fruit is that sugar is always used in preserving, while in canning it is used in smaller quantity or not at all. In preserving the old rule of equal weights of sugar and fruit may be followed.

Directions for Canning by Open-Kettle Method

By this method which is generally used, for preserves, jams and marmalades, food is completely cooked and poured boiling hot into sterilized jars.

Prepare fruit, which may or may not be peeled, and cut into pieces depending on the variety. Blanch or scald peaches and similar fruits to loosen skin and chill by plunging into cold water. Cook slowly in as little water as possible or in fruit juice or fruit syrup until done. Fill the sterilized jars, seal and invert.

Directions for Canning by Can-Cooked Method

By this method uncooked or partly cooked food is packed in can or jar, covered with liquid and both jar and contents sterilized.

Pare fruit if desired or blanch or scald in boiling water a small quantity of the fruit at a time. (See time table.) Do not blanch cherries, sour cherries excepted, berries or plums.

Chill outside of the blanched fruit by immersing it for a few minutes in a vessel of cold water. Remove skin from such fruits as peaches.

Pack firmly in clean, tested jars to within one-half inch of top.

Fill jars to within 1/4 inch of top with boiling water, fruit juice, or syrup.

Place a new rubber on each jar, adjust cover and partly seal.

Place jars on false bottom of water bath and sterilize for required time. (See time-table.) If the hot-water bath is used, jars should be immersed in sufficient boiling water to cover tops to depth of about 1 inch. Do not begin to time the sterilizing until water boils. Keep water boiling during sterilizing period.

Remove jars from sterilizer. Seal them and invert to cool. Avoid a draft on jars, but cool as rapidly as possible.

Wash and label jars. Wrap in paper or store in a dark place to prevent loss of color of red fruit.

Vegetables may also be canned by this method.

A Time-Table for Canning Fruits by the Can-Cooked Method

Use of Sugar in Canning Fruit

Sugar is used in canning fruit for the purpose of improving flavor and is not necessary for preservation.

Thin syrup—1 part sugar to 2 parts water for sweet fruits.

Medium Syrup—1 part sugar to 1 part water for berries and medium sweet fruits.

Thick Syrup—2 parts sugar to 1 part water for sour fruits.

To make syrup add sugar to boiling water. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, then boil 2 or 3 minutes.

Canned Peaches

Scald sound, firm freestone peaches, a small number at a time, in boiling water just long enough to loosen skins; dip them quickly into cold water and slip off skins. Cut peaches in halves, and remove stones. Have ready a syrup made by boiling sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to each cup water. Allow about 1 cup syrup for each quart jar of peaches. Put in 1 cracked peach pit for every quart of syrup.

Can-cooked Method.—Pack peaches in overlapping layers with rounded side uppermost and blossom end facing glass. Fill each jar with hot syrup and adjust rubber, cover and upper clamp, thus partly sealing jar. Place jars on a rack in hot water to cover tops to a depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boiling point, and boil pint jars 16 minutes, quart jars 20 minutes. Remove jars, seal and invert to cool.

Open-kettle Method.—Cook peaches in syrup until tender; then with sterilized spoon slip them carefully into sterilized jar; fill jar to overflowing with syrup. Adjust rubber, cover, seal immediately, and invert to cool.

Canned Cherries

Wash. Cherries should be pitted before being canned in order to conserve space. Can sweet cherries as berries. Blanch sour cherries 1/2 minute, in boiling water. Dip in cold water; drain and pack closely into hot sterilized jars. Cover with boiling water or boiling medium syrup. Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water bath. Remove jars at once, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Canned Pears

Wash and peel fruit and follow directions for canned peaches.

Canned Berries

Blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, raspberries, loganberries, gooseberries and strawberries should be canned as soon as possible after picking. Hull or stem; place in strainer and wash by lifting up and down in pan of cold water.

Pack into hot sterilized glass jars, using care not to crush fruit. To insure a close pack, put a 2 or 3 inch layer of berries on the bottom of jar and press down gently with spoon. Continue in this manner until jar is filled. Boiling water or boiling thin or medium syrup should be poured over the fruit at once. Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Asparagus

Asparagus for canning must be fresh and tender. Select tips of uniform size and maturity and wash. Cut into lengths according to containers to be used. Scrape off scales, tough outer skins and hard ends and tie in bundles large enough for one jar.

Immerse the lower ends in boiling water and leave them immersed for 5 minutes, then the entire stalks, leaving them in 1 to 3 minutes longer.

Cold dip, drain, pack neatly, tips up, in hot sterilized jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal, sterilize two hours in boiling water bath. Remove as soon as time is up. Tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Beans

Green String Beans and Wax Beans.—The beans should be tender and fresh, and graded according to size and washed. Leave whole or break in uniform pieces. Blanch 5 to 10 minutes until the pod will bend without breaking. Cold dip, drain well and pack into hot jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal and sterilize two hours in boiling water. Remove when time is up, tighten covers, and invert to test seal.

Corn

Make careful selection of tender, juicy sweet corn, at best stage for table use. Can as soon as possible after gathering. Remove husks and silk; blanch tender ears 5 minutes, older ears 10 minutes. Cold dip and cut from cob but not too close. Pack at once into hot sterilized jars. As corn swells during sterilization, leave space of 1 inch at top. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Be sure that water penetrates through corn to the bottom of jar. Loosely seal and sterilize three hours in boiling water. Remove when time is up, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Jams

Jams are usually made with small fruits or with chopped large fruits. Cook slowly with an equal weight of sugar until thick; put into sterilized tumblers or jars and seal.

Raspberry Jam

Pick over berries. Mash a few in bottom of preserving kettle; continue until fruit is used. Heat slowly to boiling point and add equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook slowly 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars.

Blackberry, gooseberry or other berry jam may be made in this way.

Plum Conserve

4 pounds plums
1 cup seeded raisins
2 oranges
sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 pound walnuts

Wash plums; remove stones; add raisins and oranges which have been sliced very fine. Measure and add 3/4 cup sugar to each cup fruit and juice. Put into kettle, cook slowly about 45 minutes or until thick like jam, stirring to keep from burning. Add lemon juice and chopped nuts. Pour into sterilized jars.

Spiced Currants

3 lbs. white sugar
5 lbs. ripe currants
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 pint vinegar

Boil currants one hour, then add sugar, spices and one-half pint vinegar, boil one-half hour longer. Pour into jars and store.

Jellies

Heat and mash fruit until juice runs readily. If fruit is not entirely broken up rub through coarse sieve. Pour into sterilized jelly bags of unbleached muslin or doubled cheesecloth and drain thoroughly but do not squeeze. Take 7/8 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Boil juice 8 to 20 minutes (berries and currants less than other fruits); add sugar which has been heated in oven; stir until sugar is dissolved and boil about 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized tumblers. Hard fruits like apples and quinces should be cut up, covered with cold water and cooked until tender before turning into jelly bags.

Pickles

Pickled Peaches

2 pounds brown sugar
2 cups vinegar
1 ounce stick cinnamon
1/2 ounce whole cloves
4 quarts peaches

Boil sugar, vinegar and spices 20 minutes. Dip peaches quickly in hot water; then rub off the fuzz with a cloth. Place a few peaches at a time in syrup and cook until tender. Pack into sterilized jars. Adjust sterilized rubbers, and fill each jar to overflowing with hot strained syrup. Put on sterilized covers and seal jars immediately.

Chow Chow

1 quart small white onions
1 quart small cucumbers
2 heads cauliflower
3 green peppers
1 quart vinegar
6 tablespoons mustard
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon turmeric

Peel onions and add cucumbers, cauliflower cut into small pieces, and sliced peppers. Soak over night in brine (1 cup salt to 1 quart water). Drain and cook in fresh brine until vegetables are tender, and drain again. Boil vinegar in kettle and add paste made with mustard, flour, sugar, turmeric and a little cold vinegar, stirring until mixture thickens; add vegetables and cook slowly 10 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars.

Sweet Tomato Pickles

1/2 peck green tomatoes
4 onions
4 green peppers
1 cup salt
1/2 cup white mustard seed
2 teaspoons pepper
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons allspice
3 teaspoons cloves
2 quarts vinegar
1 pound brown sugar

Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers; cover with salt and allow to stand over night. Drain, and add to vinegar, spices and sugar which have been heated to boiling. Cook 15 minutes and seal in sterilized jars.

Chili Sauce

12 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 onion
2 cups vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons nutmeg

Peel and slice tomatoes; add chopped pepper and onion; put into kettle with remaining ingredients. Cook slowly for 2-1/2 hours. Seal in sterilized jars.

Tomato Catsup

4 quarts tomatoes (strained)
6 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon cloves
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons allspice
1-1/2 pints vinegar

Put all together in kettle and boil down one-half. Pour into sterilized jars.