No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 515 



CANNING IN THE OVEN. 



This is an ■excellent method, all danger from scorching or burning 

 being avoided. Cover the bottom of the oven with a sheet of as- 

 bestos, or place the fruit in shallow pans containing about two 

 inches of boiling water. Sterilize; prepare fruit and syrup as pre- 

 viously directed. Fill the hot jars with fruit and syrup and place in 

 the moderately hot oven. Cooli ten minutes ( a little longer for pears 

 and quinces), remove from the oven; fill to overflowing with hot 

 syrup and seal. Large fruits require about one pint syrup to each 

 quart jar; small fruits about half a pint of syrup. 



CANNED FRUIT IN WATER BATH. 



Prepare fruit and syrup as for cooking in oven. Fill the sterilized 

 jars and put on covers loosely. Place a wooden rack on bottom of 

 boiler. Put in enough warm water to come about four inches above 

 the rack. Place the jars in boiler, and be careful not to let them 

 touch each other. Cover boiler and cook for ten minutes. Draw 

 back on the stove, and when the steam passes of, remove each can 

 to a pan of hot water; fill with boiling syrup and seal. (I have varied 

 this method by putting covers on tightly, filling the boiler full 

 enough so that the water covers up just to the rubber ring. This 

 does away with exposing the contents to the air even for one mo- 

 ment,) after cooking. 



Khubarb may be canned by cold process in this way; cut rhubarb 

 when young and tender; wash thoroughly and pare; cut in pieces 

 about two inches long. Pack in sterilized jars; fill to overflowing 

 with cold water and let stand ten minutes; drain and fill again; seal 

 with sterilized rings and covers. Gooseberries may be canned in the 

 same manner. 



PRESERVING FRUITS. 



Some fruits are good only when preserved. Strawberries, sour 

 cherries, sour plums and quinces belong to this class. In preserving, 

 if one wishes to keep the preserves in jars or glasses, equal weights 

 of sugar and fruit should be used. 



For strawberries, currants, cherries, etc., use equal weights of 

 fruit and sugar. Place a layer of fruit, then a layer of sugar in a 

 kettle to a depth of about four inches. Heat slowly to draw out the 

 juice; when it begins to boil, skim and boil for ten minutes. Pour 

 the cooked fruit into platters, having it about two inches deep; place 

 in a sunny window for four days. The fruit will grow plump and 

 firm, and the syrup will thicken into jelly. 



Also preserve by immersing the fruit in honey. 



JELLY MAKING. 



It has been demonstrated that when sugar is dissolved and heated 

 in fruit juice, of the syrup gauge registers 2.5 degrees, the proportion 

 of sugar is exactly right for combining with the pectin bodies to 

 make jelly. If the gauge register more than 25 degrees add more 

 juice; if less, add more sugar. 



One source of trouble in jelly making is too rapid boiling. Another 

 source is an incorrect proportion of sugar. It is not generally 

 known, perhaps, that fruit ripened in a hot season with plenty of 



