Fruit Canning Suggestions by LORA E. CLEMENT

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 17, 1915

Fruit Canning Suggestions

By LORA E. CLEMENT

LORA E. CLEMENT

Only the best-flavored fruit, such as is fresh, firm, and not overripe, should be selected for canning. If possible, use cooking utensils of aluminum, granite, or earthenware. Thorough sterilization of the glass jars and covers is very important, and must be done with painstaking care. They should be washed in hot soapsuds and rinsed with clear boiling water just before using. Be careful to clean the covers well; scrape them with a knife if necessary, to remove hardened sediment; see that they are perfect in shape, and neither dented nor bent. Use new rubbers if possible. Dip them in hot water before using, but do not allow them to lie in it. When you are ready to fill your can, place it on a thick cloth wrung out of hot water. Be sure the fruit is boiling, and fill the jar to overflowing. If there are air bubbles in evidence, run a silver knife down the edge of the can until they disappear. Screw the covers on tightly enough so there will be no leaking when the cans are turned on end. They may be tightened, and the edges pressed down, when the contents of the cans have cooled..

Canned fruit should be wrapped in paper, and kept in a cool, dark place until needed for use.

Save the Fruit Juice

Very often in canning season you will have more juice than is desirable if the fruit is to be used for sauce. In this case some jars may be filled with juice alone. This will serve for flavoring sherbets, cold drinks, etc. The juice of fruit too ripe for successful canning or preserving also may be utilized in this way.

Blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and other small fruit may be canned after the manner of strawberries, except that they are usually put to cook in a small quantity of water, unless prepared sirup is used.

Strawberry Time

June is the month for strawberries. These may be served fresh in a variety of ways, and make an especially pleasing dessert when garnished with their own leaves. For serving in this way, the berries should be large and evenly colored. They are then picked up by the stem with the fingers, and dipped into powdered sugar before eating. The flavors of pineapple and strawberry blend well, and sugared strawberries served with sliced pineapple are delicious.

Strawberries for canning should be picked over, placed in a colander, and washed in cold water; then carefully hulled. Put a layer of berries into an earthenware or granite dish, then sprinkle with sugar, cover with another layer of berries, and so on, using from three fourths to a cup of sugar for each quart of berries. Place in the refrigerator or cool cellar overnight, or at least for several hours. Never allow strawberries to stand in water; their own juice is sufficient. When ready to can, drain off the juice, heat it to boiling, and then carefully drop the berries in and let them boil gently for about fifteen minutes. Keep the berries well under the sirup with a granite or aluminum spoon, and remove all scum. Letting the berries stand in sugar and then dropping them into boiling sirup hardens them and helps them to keep their shape. Some housewives hold that if the cans, when filled with berries, are laid on the side, and turned frequently while cooling, the fruit will be evenly distributed in the sirup and never rise to the top. The ideal way is to prepare just enough fruit to fill one jar at a time, but of course this is not necessary.

It is hard to preserve strawberries so that they will retain their flavor and color. The berries often shrink, and it is said they can be most successfully preserved in the sun. Pick over the berries and wash them carefully before hulling. Put them into sterilized jars, filling them nearly full. Make a thick sirup, using as many pounds of sugar as there are pounds of fruit, and half as much water as sugar. Boil this for fifteen minutes, and then pour over the berries, filling the can to overflowing. Cover the jars with glass covers, and place them in the hot sun for three successive days, being careful to take them indoors as soon as the sun goes down.