Canned Fruit and Vegetables

Select fruit carefully and reject all that is imperfect.

Pare large fruit such as peaches and pears, and can it when not quite fully ripe.

Use the best sugar, in the proportion of half a pound to a pound of fruit, varying with the sweetness of the fruit.

Test the cans thoroughly for leaks or cracks before use.

Clarify sugar by breaking a pound of loaf sugar into small pieces, putting it into a two-quart copper pan with half a pint of water and the white of one egg, and stirring well with a whisk.

Throw in a little cold water when the sugar begins to rise in the pan, letting it rise three times and skimming until clear.

Strain the clarified sugar through a flannel bag, and bottle it when cool.

Place two jars in a dish with a folded towel saturated with cold water under them, and put a silver spoon in each jar.

Fill the jar full with fruit, move the spoon around to let out the air, remove it, then fill the jar to overflowing with juice.

Screw on the top as speedily as possible, give the tops an additional turn as the glass cools, then turn the jars upside down overnight.

Label the jars and store them in a cool, dark closet.

To pare peaches, drop them into scalding hot strong lye for two or three seconds, skim them into cold water, and rub the skins off by hand.

To can peaches by the cold process, pare and halve them, pack them closely in a can without sugar, fill with cold water, let stand about six hours, then top up with water and seal.

Wrap canned fruit in brown wrapping paper unless the fruit closet is very dark, and keep the closet cool and dry.

Examine cans two or three days after filling and unseal any that leak, using the fruit for jam and jelly.