618 EVERYDAY SCIENCE 



Glass jars are much to be preferred to metal cans for home canning. 

 Soft, elastic rubbers of the best grade should be used. Never use 

 old or cheap rubbers. The best are the most economical. 



After washing and rinsing the jars carefully, submerge them in 

 a vessel of cold water. Submerge the lids and rubbers in cold water 

 in a separate vessel. Heat the water in these vessels slowly and 

 allow it to boil for fifteen minutes. Allow the jars, rubbers, and 

 covers to remain in the hot water until you are ready to use them. 

 Do not touch the insides of jars or covers with your fingers in the 

 process of paqking. Sterilize in the same way all spoons, cups, and 

 other utensils used for packing the tomatoes. 



Wash the tomatoes carefully in cold water. 



Place them in a cheesecloth bag or dipping basket, and dip them 

 in boiling water. Allow them to remain for 1| minutes. A shorter 

 period of scalding may loosen the skins ; but unless sufficient time 

 is given for scalding, the tomatoes may shrink after packing. 



Lift the bag or basket of tomatoes from the boiling water and 

 plunge them into cold water. 



Slip off the skins ; and if you wish, remove the cores of the larger 

 tomatoes, though the removal of cores is not necessary. 



Pack the tomatoes directly into the sterilized jars. Press them 

 down with a sterilized silver tablespoon, but do not crush them. 

 Do not add water. The jar may be filled, however, with the juice 

 of the soft or broken tomatoes. 



Add a level teaspoonful of salt for each quart of tomatoes. 



Now adjust the rubbers and covers but do not seal them. In the 

 case of jars of the Ball-Mason type, screw the cover on only as far 

 as you can easily screw it with your thumb and little finger. In 

 the case of jars of the " Economy" or vacuum sealing type, place 

 the cover on and clamp it down with the spring. In the case of 

 clamp top jars, put on the cover, lift the wire into place, but do 

 not shut down the clamp. This is to allow for the escape of steam 

 and expanded air during the process of sterilization. 



Place in a clean wash boiler a false bottom of wood or metal 

 grating in order to keep the jars off the bottom of the boiler. Better 

 than this, wire cages may be bought at very moderate expense, 



