THE SCIENCE OF THE KITCHEN 109 



HOME PROJECT 12 



Purpose. To dry fruits and vegetables at home. 



Directions. Send to the Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C., for Farmers' Bulletin 841 on Drying Fruits and 

 Vegetables in the Home. Dry some fruits or vegetables at home, 

 following the directions given in this bulletin. 



Preservatives. Some foods are preserved by the use of 

 salt or sugar. Oftentimes preservatives are used in con- 

 nection with the process of drying, salt with meats, and 

 sugar with fruits and berries, such as raisins and prunes. 

 Smoking of meats such as hams is often accompanied by 

 two other processes, drying and salting. Another harmless 

 preservative that may be used is vinegar, the acid quality 

 of which prevents the growth of bacteria that produce decay. 

 Sometimes spices are used to help preserve foods, as in mince 

 meat and sausages. 



Canning. One of the most recent and widely used methods 

 of preserving foods is canning. This is now such an im- 

 portant industry that most of our common fruits and vege- 

 tables can be bought canned. Canning has proved a great 

 blessing to mankind, since foods which keep for only a short 

 time in the fresh state can now be obtained at any season of 

 the year. It is also a means of economy in the home. Vege- 

 tables can be raised in the garden and then canned for winter 

 use. This may be done at slight cost and one is sure of the 

 quality of the products canned. 



The decay of fruits and vegetables is due to the action of 

 small plants : yeasts, molds, and bacteria. In canning, two 

 principles are involved : first, all these plants present in the 

 fruits and jars must be killed ; and second, the cans must be 

 sealed in such a way that no others can enter. 



Killing the bacteria. The most difficult plants to kill are 

 bacteria. The method usually employed in the home to 



