118 



THE CA.NADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



HOW TO CAN FRUIT AND SAVE 

 YOUR SUGAR. 



I presume all know that there are 

 several kinds of sugars. Cane sugar, 

 grape sugar or ghicose, and milk sugar 

 are the principal varieties. Of these, 

 cane sugar stands pre-eminent for its 

 sweetening properties, being rated at 

 100, while grape sugar is only rated at 

 40. In other words, it takes two and 

 one-half pounds of grape sugar to equal 

 one pound of cane sugar. I presume, 

 however, that your readei's do not all 

 know, what is known to every chemist, 

 that when cane sugar and fruit are 

 boiled together the acid of the fruit 

 causes a chemical change in the sugar 

 to take place, which changes the sugar 

 to grape sugar. 



I do not suppose they intend to 

 throw away six pounds of sugar out of 

 every ten they use in the preparation 

 of fruit. Yet such is the fact. They 

 have, as a result of the boiling, ten 

 pounds of glucose, which is only equal 

 to four pounds of sugar ; and besides 

 this loss the fruit has, to a great extent, 

 lost its true flavour, and is, of course, 

 inferior in quality to that sweetened 

 with cane sugar. How can fruit be 

 sweetened with cane sugar without 

 making this change and loss of flavour? 

 As that is the principal object of this 

 paper I will answer the question. 



Fii'st, cook your fruit until it is 

 '■done;" then, if you have time, let it 

 get cold, and then add your sugar, mix- 

 ing it well ; let it stand an hour or 

 more. The sugar by that time will be 

 absorbed by the fruit. You will then 

 have saved all your sugar and preserved 

 the flavour of the fruit at the same 

 time. If you have not time to wait 

 add your sugar when the fruit is only 

 partially cool, and you will only lose 5 

 or 6 per cent, of the sugai*. 



In the making of preserves there are 

 two ways to avoid the loss of sugar. 



One is to use only glucose and fruit in 

 equal parts, as it is much cheaper to 

 buy glucose than to make it of the 

 higher priced cane-sugar. Another 

 way is to cook your fruit as before 

 described, then add one-half a pound 

 of sugar to the pound of fruit and seal 

 up in cans, or steam the fruit wheii 

 practicable, lay it in the cans and fill 

 up with hot syrup made so as to con- 

 tain the proper proportion of sugar, 

 and seal. You will then save nearly 

 all the sugar. Preserves made in this 

 way will ferment unless sealed in air- 

 tight cans. 



In the ordinary canning of fruit no 

 sugar should be used, as a part of it 

 turns to glucose while hot, and if the 

 fruit in the can ferments through some 

 imperfection in the process, as fre- 

 quently happens, your sugar is lost 

 entirely. Open your cans an hour or 

 morn before meal time, add your sugar, 

 mix it well and let it stand ; the sugar 

 will thoroughlj^ permeate the fruit by 

 that time and no sugar is lost. 



I suppose eveiybody uses glass cans 

 to a greater or less extent. A good 

 many years ago a lady taught me how 

 to fill a cold glass can with boiling fruit 

 without the danger of breakage. I 

 have seen the plan tried often enougli 

 to have entire faith in it. 



Phice in the empty can a spoon that 

 is long enough to reach from the bottom 

 to the top of the can, pour in your boil- 

 ing fruit, remove the spoon and seal. 

 The can will not break. Please do not 

 ask me to explain the philosoi)hy of it, 

 as I dislike very much to plead ignor- 

 ance, so I hope you will ask some of 

 the knowing ones in your vicinity and 

 let me know the explanation, — Corre>i- 

 powiencp. of Indiana Farmer. 



John Pike's Catalogue of clioice 

 seeds, spring bulbs and garden requi- 

 sites, Dundas street, Woodstock, Ont. 



