246 City Homes on Country 



place, the top does not fit, and should not be used on the 

 jar. 



3. The Vacuum seal jars may be tested in the same 

 way as the glass-top jars. See if the tops rock if 

 tapped, when placed on the jar without fastening. 



Buy new rubbers every year, as rubbers deteriorate 

 from one season to another. A good rubber for cold- 

 pack canning must be such as to stand four hours of 

 continuous boiling, or one hour under 10 pounds of 

 steam pressure. The combination of moist heat plus 

 acids and mineral matter in vegetables and fruits tends 

 to break down the rubbers during sterilization. Rub- 

 bers kept in a hot or very warm place, as for example 

 on a shelf near the kitchen range, will deteriorate in 

 quality. Be very particular about the rubbers used. 

 Spoilage of canned goods has been traced frequently to 

 the use of poor rubbers. 



It is always well to test rubbers when buying. A 

 good rubber will return to its original size when 

 stretched. It will not crease when bent double and 

 pinched. It should fit the neck of the jar snugly. It 

 is cheaper to discard a doubtful rubber than to lose a 

 jar of canned goods. 



Vegetables and fruits should be sorted according to 

 color, size and ripeness. This is called grading. It 

 insures the best pack and uniformity of flavor and 

 texture to the canned product, which is always desir- 

 able. 



The most important steps in canning are the pre- 

 liminary steps of blanching, cold-dipping, packing in 

 hot, clean containers, adding hot water at once, then 

 immediately half -sealing jars and putting into the 



