Rural School Leaflet 



1059 



Manner of testing 



6. Cover and seal at once. Be careful not to handle the inside of the cover. 



7. Invert can and let it stand until cool. 



Jars, or cans. — Use pint jars for two reasons: 



first, if you all use the same size, your jars can 

 be judged more fairly; second, you will be more 

 sure of success, because it is much easier to put 

 up a pint than a quart. A quart jar should be 

 heated more than twice as long (Method I) as a 

 pint jar, and a two-quart jar at least five or six 

 times as long. 



Rubbers. — Use new can-rubbers and be sure to 

 have good ones. They should not be stiff, inelastic, 

 nor hard, for they must fit snugly in order to keep 

 out the tiny plant organisms. 



Testing a jar. — Before canning, test your jar 

 by filling it partly full of water, placing on the 

 rubber and the cover, sealing, and then inverting 

 the jar. If it leaks, find out whether it is because 

 of a poor rubber or an imperfect jar. If the 

 rubber is at fault, throw it away; if the leaking 



is due to the jar, use it for something that does not need to be sealed. 

 Other utensils. — If you try Method II in your canning, be sure to use 



an agateware or aluminum saucepan or kettle for cooking. Use wooden 



spoons or silver spoons, never tin nor iron. If you have occasion to use 



anything for dipping, an alu- 

 minum cup or an earthenware 



cup should be used. If you try 



Method I, which is newer and 



better, use a saucepan or a 



kettle that is large enough for 



all the jars. Ask your brother 



or your father to make a little 



wooden rack to put in the 



bottom of this kettle, on which 



to set the jars while they are 



being heated . All that is needed 



is a few flat strips fastened by 



two or three cross-pieces, near 



enough together so that the jars 



will not fall through. In the illustration on this page is shown one large 



enough for a boiler. If you are handy with a hammer, make the rack 



yourself. Put the jars in so as not to touch one another, as touching 



might cause them to crack. 



Sterilizer, showing false bottom as a rack 



