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They should be sealed from the air unless preserved with a large 

 quantity of sugar, and all of them, preserves, jellies, jams or mar- 

 malade should be protected from molds. In canning fruits the 

 product is better if heated gradually to the boiling point and then 

 cooked the given time. 



Utensils Needed for Canning and Preserving. In preserving, 

 canning, and jelly making iron or tin utensils should never be used. 

 The fruit acids attack these metals and so give a bad color and me- 

 tallic taste to the products. The preserving kettles should be por- 

 celain lined, enameled, or of a metal that will not form trouble- 

 some chemical combinations with fruit juices. The kettles should 

 be broad rather than deep, as the fruit should not be cooked in 

 deep layers. A list of the most essential articles follows: 



Two preserving kettles, 1 colander, 1 fine strainer, 1 skimmer, 

 1 ladle, 1 large-mouthed funnel, 1 wire frying basket, 1 wire sieve, 

 4 long-handled wooden spoons, 1 wooden masher, a few large pans, 

 knives for paring fruit (plated if possible), flat-bottomed clothes 

 boiler, wooden or willow rack to put in the bottom of the boiler, 

 iron tripod or ring, squares of cheese-cloth. In addition, it would 

 be well to have a flannel straining bag, a frame on which to hang 

 the bag, a sirup gauge and a glass cylinder, a fruit pricker, and 

 plenty of clean towels. 



The regular kitchen pans will answer for holding and wash- 

 ing the fruit. Mixing bowls and stone crocks can be used for hold- 

 ing the fruit juice and pared fruit. When fruit is to be plunged 

 into boiling water for a few minutes before paring, the ordinary 

 stewpans may be employed for this purpose. 



Scales are a desirable article in every kitchen, as weighing is 

 much more accurate than the ordinary measuring. 



If canning is done by the oven process, a large sheet of asbes- 

 tos, for the bottom of the oven, will prevent the cracking of jars. 



The wire basket is a saver of time and strength. The fruit 

 to be peeled is put into the basket, which is lowered into a deep 

 kettle partially filled with boiling water. After a few minutes the 

 basket is lifted from the boiling water, plunged for a moment into 

 cold water, and the fruit is ready to have the skin drawn off. A 

 strong wire sieve is a necessity when purees of fruit are to be made. 

 These sieves are known as puree sieves. They are made of strong 

 wire and in addition have supports of still stronger wire. A fruit 

 pricker is easily made and saves time. Cut a piece half an inch 

 deep from a broad cork ; press through this a dozen or more coarse 

 darning needles; tack the cork on a piece of board. Strike the 

 fruit on the bed of needles, and you have a dozen holes at once. 

 A little oil on the needles will prevent rusting. 



A wooden vegetable masher is indispensable when making 

 jellies and purees. A sirup gauge and glass cylinder are valuable 

 aids in getting the right proportion of sugar for fruit or jelly. The 

 sirup gauge costs about 50 cents and the cylinder about 25 cents. 

 A lipped cylinder that holds a little over a gill is the best size. 

 Small iron rings, such as some times come off the hub of cart 



