HOME ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION 599 



diminution of the amount of juice entails a corresponding loss of 

 nutrients. In the canning of tomatoes it is sometimes customary 

 to allow the juice to drain from the solids, with the object of se- 

 curing a more concentrated product. In order to determine the 

 losses by this method of preservation, two cans were prepared, one 

 with and one without the juice. An unnecessary loss of 22 per 

 cent of the total sugar of the tomato resulted from the exclusion 

 of the juices. 



Others, Beets, okra, or gumbo, peas, asparagus, cauliflower, 

 carrots, parsnips, kohl-rabi, lima beans, pumpkins, winter squash 

 and succotash have all been successfully canned. 



VEGETABLE ROAST. 



A rather unusual dish for the winter may be made by canning 

 a mixture of vegetables. Prepare corn, lima beans, tomatoes, string 

 beans, okra, squash, and eggplant as you would for canning sepa- 

 rately. Mix these in varying proportions, letting the corn and lima 

 beans predominate. Add two or three medium-sized onions to each 

 quart of this mixture and run all through a food chopper in order 

 to mix it thoroughly. Pack into jars and sterilize. In preparing 

 for the table mix with an equal volume of bread crumbs, a piece 

 of butter the size of a walnut, and one egg; season to taste with 

 pepper and salt, and bake in a round baking dish until brown. 

 Cut into slices as you would a cake and serve hot with a drawn 

 butter sauce. Corn, okra, and tomatoes, mixed in equal propor- 

 tions, may be canned in this way as a soup stock. 



Freshness of Flavor and Color. Vegetables when canned prop- 

 erly should retain their attractive color and lose very little of their 

 flavor. The volatile oils which give flavor to most vegetables are 

 not lost during this process of sterilization. Cooking for three short 

 periods in a closed container at a comparatively low temperature 

 instead of cooking for one short period at a high temperature or 

 for one long period in an open vessel makes the vital difference 

 and insures freshness of flavor and color. After the jars have been 

 sterilized and tested, they should be kept in the dark, as the sun- 

 light will soon destroy the color of the vegetable. 



How to Open a Jar. Jars of vegetables are sometimes hard to 

 open, unless it is done in just the right way. Run a thin knife 

 blade under the rubber, next to the jar, and press against it firmly. 

 This will usually let in enough air to release the pressure on the 

 top. In case it does not, place the jar in a deep saucepan of cold 

 water, bring to a boil, and keep it boiling for a few minutes. The 

 jar will then open easily. 



Cautions. These directions for canning apply only to pint 

 and quart jars. If half-gallon jars are used, always increase the 

 time of boiling, making it an hour and a half instead of an hour. 

 Do not go into canning too deeply at first. Experiment with a 

 few jars in the early part of the season and see if they keep well. 

 If you follow the directions here given carefully, you will have no 

 difficulty whatever. If you should happen to fail in the first trial, 

 rest assured that you have done something wrong or left something 



