724 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Dec, 1918. 



Raspberries or extremely soft berry fruits are not altogether suitable 

 for this method, as they incline to lose their shape, and are liable to 

 suffer to a certain degree when being ladled from pan to bottle. Firmer 

 fruits are more suitable. 



Preparation must be made to see that the containers are ready to 

 receive the boiling fruit the moment it is cooked. It will be necessary 

 to heat the glass jars before they are filled, in order to prevent breakage. 

 When ready, place the hot bottle on a damp folded towel in a shallow 

 dish, and using an aluminium funnel having a sufficiently wide outlet 

 to permit a ready passage for the fruit, gently fill the jar to overflowing 

 with the boiling fruit and syrup from the preserving pan, wipe the rim 

 of the jar, and make sure that the rubber ring which goes on next is 

 carefully flattened in its groove or on the shoulder of the jar, as the 

 case may be, and see that no particle of fruit or seed from the fruit 

 finds lodgment there, as this would probably cause a leak. Then firmly 

 and quickly fasten the lids by means of the wire clip, or screw tightly 

 according to jar, and allow to cool gradually. As in the sterilizing 



Jars being filled with boiUng fruit and syrup. 



method, it is necessary to work away from a draught, and to make sure 

 that the jars are airtight. 



A convenient way to sterilize the utensils and bottles for this purpose 

 is to heat them gradually in a separate pan of clean water; they may 

 be all set on a wooden rack or meat roaster, with a folded cloth over 

 the wires. Fill the bottles with water, stand them in an upright posi- 

 tion, and pack the ladles and other utensils around the jars. The rack 

 or meat roaster serves the purpose of keeping the jars from direct con- 

 tact with the bottom of the pan. The bottles should be permitted to 

 remain with the water boiling in them for a few moments, then drained 

 and filled while still hot. 



An Old Way. 



Another method which is over 100 years old, but still much used, is 

 as follows: — 



The fruit should be selected, graded, and prepared as previously 

 described, then packed into the jars, and each filled with cold syrup. 



