VARIOUS DISHES. 507 



Quinces, A Pew When Canning Apples.— "When quinces arc 

 scarce I have known a lady with whom I have boarded to put a few with her 

 apples in canning, which, for my taste, at least, made both better. Cooking 

 together, cf course, till tender, using sugar to suit the tartness of the apples. 



CANiaNG FRUITS, CORN, ETC.— How to Avoid Breaking 

 the Cans— General Remarks and Directions.— It is a conceded fact 

 that if fruit is properly put up in air-tight cans and kept in a dry, cool place, it 

 is safe from fermentation; much difliculty, however, has been experienced by 

 breaking cans when putting in the hot fruit. This difficulty has been entirely 

 overcome by a cousin of mine, Mrs, Joseph Sanders, living near Bear Lake, 

 Manistee county, Michigan, by wringing a large towel out of cold water, rinsing 

 or wetting the can with cold water also, then wrapping the can with the cold, 

 wet towel, being also careful to have the can sit on the towel, and every part 

 covered with two or three thicknesses, and immediately filling with the hot fruit. 

 I have seen her doing it; and a recent letter from a daughter of hers assures me 

 that her mother "has put up her fruit in this way for ten years without break- 

 ing a can." Have no fears in adopting it. After the fruit is canned, and stood 

 an hour or two to cool, re-tighten the tops, as the cooling sometimes leaves them 

 loose enough to admit air; then it is well to turn the cans bottom up over night 

 or long enough to see they do not leak, for, if the juice leaks out, air would 

 leak in and spoil it. It is not necessary to put in sugar when canning, unless 

 you choose to do so. Use enough to make it palatable for the table when used. 

 One-fourth to % lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of fruit, according to its sourness, will be 

 found plenty to suit most tastes. For apples, pears, etc., which are not juicy, 

 a syrup made with 1 lb. sugar to 1 qt. of water does well to heat them in and to 

 fill the crevices among the fruit. Observe well these points and no trouble will 

 arise. Rhubarb, it will be observed below, can be put up in jugs; tomatoes I 

 have known to be put up in jugs and keep well; so may other things, also, no 

 doubt, when cans can not be obtained in quantities sufficient. Small cans for 

 small families, however, are best, as the fruits do not keep long after being 

 opened. If a dark room is prepared in the cellar for canned fruit, strawberries 

 and some others will not lose so much of their bright colors as they do in a 

 room where the light is not shutout. With these general directions I need give 

 but few recipes for samples of those out of the general lines of fruit. 



Canning Strawberries.— A lady says she uses % lb. of sugar to 1 lb. 

 of the fruit sprinkling it on over night, then brings to a boil in the morning,— 

 in porcelain or brass,— and keeping it in a dark, cool place, as the light discolors 

 them, although it does not hurt the flavor. 



Remarks.— This, corroborates the author in points that she refers to. 



Canning Grapes.— Take fully ripe and sound grapes (Concords and Isa- 

 bellas are very nice for this purpose), pick from the stems and pulp them, by 

 pressing slightly with thumb and finger upon each one. Put the skins in a sep- 

 arate dish; then heat the pulp and press through a coarse cloth, or sieve, to 

 remove the seeds; then put juice and skins together in your kettle, and when 

 thej come to a boil they are ready for the cans (see ]\Irs. Sanders' plan in the 

 general remarks and directions above, to avoid breaking cans), and secure weU 



