8o THE BOOK OF PEARS AND PLUMS 



and at once screw the outer ring as tightly as possible. 

 Leave bottles until cold. Next day examine by un- 

 screwing the outer ring, and try whether the disc is 

 firmly fastened down. If so, replace the ring, screw 

 down tightly and store away in a cool place, standing 

 them upright. The bottles by having new discs and 

 indiarubber rings may be frequently used." 



The Rev. W. Wilks, secretary of the R.H.S., recom- 

 mends pears, especially Pitmaston D., as suitable for 

 bottling. "Bottled it is delicious." He thinks fifteen 

 minutes from the time the water boils sufficient for 

 plums. Messrs De Luca mention an hour as the time 

 for pears. 



Messrs Lee & Co. of 19 Knightrider St., Maidstone, 

 have received medals from the R.H.S. and others for 

 their fruit bottling apparatus and bottled fruit. 



They supply a patent economic fruit bottling apparatus 

 at 2 Is. A thermometer at the side records the tempera- 

 ture of the bottles and of their contents. The following 

 is the method given in the Journal of the R.H.S. 



/'The fruit must, of course, be fresh and good and 

 the bottles clean. The fruit is first packed into the 

 bottles, which are then filled up to the neck with cold 

 water, or if preferred, with thin syrup made by dis- 

 solving J Ib. of loaf-sugar in hot water and leaving it 

 to cool. The bottles are then put into the cooking pot 

 where they must remain for certainly not less than two 

 hours at a temperature of between a minimum of 145 

 degrees and a maximum of 1 60 degrees. This low 

 sterilising temperature being maintained for two, three, 

 or four hours will destroy all germs without cooking 

 the fruit, and is the great secret of successful bottling. 

 No actual harm is done by the heat rising above 1 60 

 degrees, but if it does the fruit will probably burst, 

 lose its shape, and not look so nice. Vegetables may 

 be preserved in exactly the same way, but they must 



