MAKING AND PRESERVING GRAPE JUICE IN BOTTLES. 



Ontario. — From reports received, about 

 35 % of an average crop, with all winter 

 varieties short, except Northern Spies, which 

 appear to be in many sections quite up to the 



produce a large quantity of apples, yet the 

 sections yielding best are in the West, which 

 usually are n )t extensively expjited, but it is 

 quite possible this season a considerable quan- 

 tity may be exp )rted from the Western States. 

 It is quite apparent our reliable market this 

 season, will be (Ireat Hritain, and we are of 

 the opinion that for choice apples, properly 

 packed, at reasonable pi ices, the outlook is 

 encouraging. 



We, however, would warn intending ship- 

 pers, that great care should be exercised m 

 handling only good apples, and only such 

 quantity as you yourselt, or .some other one 

 or ones of experience, in whom you have con- 

 fidence, can personally oversee. 



It is reported, buyers in some localities, 

 owing to undue excitement, have offered 

 astonishing prices, but it is the misfortune 

 of the apple trade, that prices paid by buyers 

 are often not justified, as the custom is that 

 the apples are purchased before any large 

 percentage is marketed. 



W'e do not care to suggest the proper price 

 to be paid, as so much depends upon the 

 quality and varieties hj,nilled, but there is a 

 limit to the price to be paid, which may be 

 discovered when too late. 



Buyers should bear in mind that buying 

 orchards by the lump early in the season is a 

 dangerous practice, as a wind or hail storm 

 might easily mutilate the apples as to make 

 them unmarketable. 



M. H. Pbter-SON, Toronto. 



Making- and PFesepving Grape 

 Juice in Bottles. 



I notice in -Inly number of Fruit Grower 

 a request for instructions in detail for ex- 

 pressing and preserving unfermented grape 

 juice in bottles, by some person who has 

 had actual personal experience in the |)ro- 

 cess, and as I have been doing more or less 

 of it every year for over fifteen years, for my 

 famdy use, and ia evidence of my success in 

 the simple process, can show sample bottles 

 of that age and of later bottling, that we test 

 one of occasionally, and find them "fit nectar 

 for men or gods. ' 



In proceeding, use only clean, well ripened 

 grapes. I prefer expressing the juice in an 

 ordinary hand cider-mill (same as making 

 cider), by grinding the grapes ; the advan- 

 tage is, you get the juice at once, that which 

 is expressed by grinding is clear and retains 

 so little foreign matter or pumice. It may, 

 by careful straining through double thickness 

 light llannel, be immeiliately bottled, while 

 that obtained from pressing the skins, pulp, 

 seeds, etc., will rei|uire, beside straining, a 

 little time to precipitate a sediment resultin.; 

 from ])ressiug. I sometimes filter through a 

 few inches of clean, washed river or creek 

 sand. The sooner, however, it can be bottled 

 and corked, the less fermentation and the 



more of the peculiar grape aioma may be 

 retained. Whereas, if the grapes are crushed 

 in a tub or barrel, I find it ditticult or impos- 

 sible to express the juice until fermentation 

 dissolves the pulp, thereby losing much of 

 the grape Hivor: but the fermentation cuts 

 no figure in the keeping ijualilies," as I some- 

 times, for variety, let some ferment to a cer- 

 tain llivor, wheu I heat aud seal it with the 

 assurance that, when opeaed in the months 

 or years following, the same flavor will pre- 

 vail. 



I use the ordinary wine and beer bottles — 

 carefully wash a.id drain them, fill to within 

 about three inches of the top. Set an ordi- 

 nary wash-boiler on the stove ; put an inch 

 of sand on the bottom, or fit a thin board 

 over the l;)otton^ to prevent the liottom of 

 bottler over-heating, to break or give the 

 juice a cooked Havor ; fill the boiler with bot 

 ties as close as they will stand without crowd- 

 ing, and fill the boiler with cold water within 

 about four inches of the top of the bottles. 

 Lay on the lid and start the fire ; bring the 

 water slowly to a distinct sinmier, but in no 

 instance allow it to come to a boil, as this, 

 too, will cook the juice. Have your corks 

 steanung. I use a one-quart fruit can ; fill 

 half full of water and put in the corks, lay on 

 the cap, set alongside the boiler to heat and 

 steam while bottles are heating. As soon as 

 the juice gets pretty well heated the air will 

 be thrown off in a volume of minute bubbles 

 rising to the surface, which eventually brings 

 to the top a thick scum or pumice in propor- 

 tion to the amount of impurities in the juice ; 

 this scum increases and pours over the tops 

 of the bottles, which suggest the air is surti- 

 cieutly driven off to proceed with corking. 

 Lift out a bottle, place on a low table, blow 

 off this pumice, pour off any surplus juice in 

 excess of tj fill to two inches of top of bottles, 

 else the cork will not go down; insert a cork, 

 giving it a twistmg pressure with the fingers, 

 pushing it down a little below the mouth of 

 the bottle, or can use a cork diiver, to be had 

 ,at any hardware store. Wipe the bottles 

 with a damp cloth and set aside ; proceed till 

 all are corked ; in refilling the boiler, take 

 out part of the water and fill with cold to a 

 tepid temperature ; fill up as before and re- 

 sume the fire, then proceed to seal those 

 already corked. I use the ordinary canning 

 wax or cement. When melted, add a tea- 

 spoonful of linseed oil to each stick of cement, 

 which renders it more adhesive, it should 

 then be well stirred and applied ipiite hot. I 

 experience no dilhculty in the juice keeping 

 with the bottles in any position, bnt if up 

 right, if any sediment has precipitated, the 

 juice will pour off clear of the sediment. I 

 keep the bottles in my cellar, which is cold, 

 dry and frost-proof. .Seldom indeed that a 

 bottle bursts, and then only by defective 

 sealing. I do not jiut hot juice in the bottles 

 nor bottles in hot water : have never used a 

 thermometer to test the temperature of the 

 water, but had I one, would not let the water 

 exceed a temperature of 1!1(1 to :J00 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, as water boils at 'J 12 degrees. 

 The same treatment applies to apple juice or 

 cider. — (Jreen's Fruit Grower. 



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