No. 6. EKBPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 513 



The history of the rise and fall of the home preservation of fruits, 

 and, later, of the tendency to again increase in our own country, 

 closely follows that of the Old Country. In England to-day there 

 is a decided tendency toward the revival of this very important home 

 industry. 



Vicar W. Wilks, the Honorable Secretary of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society of England, and Vicar of Shirley, last June wrote as 

 follows, in the ''Introduction" to ''The Book of Fruit Bottling," by 

 Edith Bradley and May Cooke (John Lane Company, New York. 

 Publishers): "Well, I have seen the art (of the home preservation 

 of fruits) as practiced in our country die out amongst us — the lowest 

 depths being reached about 1885, when I doubt whether there were 

 a dozen ladies in the land who did their own bottling and preserv- 

 ing. Of late years that has revived somewhat, owing chiefly, I think, 

 to the influence of the Royal Horticultural Society among public 

 bodies," 



Fruits are ordinarily preserved, or kept for home use in four ways: 

 First, by canning; second, by preserving; third, by making into jams 

 and jellies, and fourth, by drying. 



In the preservation of foods by canning, preserving, etc., the most 

 essential processes are the thorough sterilization of the food, and all 

 the utensils, and sealing the sterilized food to exclude all air thai 

 might contain germs to re-infect it. 



A few words concerning methods may be helpful. In preserving, 

 canning or jelly-making, iron or tin utensils should never be used. 

 Use only porcelain-lined, enameled, brass, copper or aluminum cook- 

 ing utensils. For paring fruits a silver or plated knife should be 

 used, to avoid the discoloration of the fruit. It is well to remember 

 that results are more satisfactory if fruit be heated to the boiling 

 point gradually, and then cooked the required time. 



The selection of fruit is one of the first steps in obtaining success 

 ful results. Fruit is at its best for all purposes, just before it is 

 perfectly ripe. All soft fruits ferment very rapidly if over-ripe. 

 Most fruits should be freshly picked, and all should be kept dry. 

 In selecting small-seeded fruits it is not wise to select those which 

 have a large proportion of seeds to pulp, unless the seeds be removed 

 by straining or otherwise. 



In preparing apples, quinces or pears, the fruit, after peeling and 

 coring, should be dropped at once into cold water, to which a few 

 drops of lemon juice have been added, to keep the fruit white. Use 

 the juice of one lemon in two quarts of water, or add salt to cold 

 water, an ounce of salt in a gallon of water. 



If berries must be mashed, it is best to put a small quantity at 

 a time in a colander, pour over them cold water, then put it on a sieve 

 to drain, but it is better to keep them clean and dry from the time 

 of picking. 



The easiest and quickest way to peel peaches is to fill a wire frying 

 basket with the fruit, plunge it into boiling water for three minutes 

 then remove and plunge for a moment into cold water, when the 

 skins will slip of easily. Plums and tomatoes may be prepared in 

 the same way. 



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