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them on a sieve to drain. Work quickly that the fruit may not ab- 

 sorb much water. Do not use the fingers for hulling strawberries. A 

 simple huller can be bought for five cents. 



If practicable pare fruit with a silver knife, so as not to stain or 

 darken the product. The quickest and easiest way to peel peaches 

 is to drop them into boiling water for three minutes in a wire bas- 

 ket. Then plunge the basket into a pan of cold water, drain a min- 

 ute, then peel. Plums and tomatoes may be peeled in the same 

 manner. If the peaches are to be canned in sirup, put them at once 

 into the sterilized jars. They may be canned whole or in halves. 

 If in halves, remove nearly all the stones or pits. For the sake of 

 the flavor, a few stones would be put in each jar. When preparing 

 cherries, plums, or crab apples for canning or preserving, the stem 

 or a part of it may be left on the fruit. 



When preparing to make jelly have ready the cheese-cloth 

 strainer, enameled colander, wooden spoons, vegetable masher, meas- 

 ures, tumblers, preserving kettles, and sugar. If currant jelly is to 

 be made, free the fruit from leaves and large stems. If the jelly is 

 to be made from any of the other small fruits, the stems and hulls 

 must be removed. 



When the jelly is to be made from any of the large fruits have 

 the fruit washed clean, then remove the stem and the blossom end. 

 Nearly all the large fruits are better for having the skin left on. 

 Apples and pears need no.t be cored. There is so much gummy sub- 

 stance in the cores of quinces that it is best not to use this portion 

 in making fine jelly. 



Making Sirup for Use in Canning and Preserving. Such 

 sirups as are used in canning and preserving are made with varying 

 proportions of water and sugar. When the proportion of sugar is 

 large and that of the water small the sirup is said to be heavy. 

 When the water predominates the sirup is light. There are several 

 methods of measuring the proportion of sugar in a sirup. The 

 most scientific and accurate is with the sirup gauge. 



One pint sugar and 1 gill of water gives sirup of 40 density : 

 Use for preserved strawberries and cherries. 



One pint sugar and one-half pint water gives sirup of 32 

 density. 



One pint sugar and 3 gills water gives sirup of 28 density: 

 Use either this or the preceding for preserved peaches, plums, 

 quinces, currants, etc. 



One pint sugar and 1 pint water gives sirup of 24 density: 

 Use for canned acid fruits. 



One pint sugar and l 1 /^ pints water gives sirup of 17 density. 



One pint sugar and 2 pints water gives sirup of 14 density: 

 Use either of these two light sirups for canned pears, peaches, sweet 

 plums, and cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. 



The lightest sirups may be used for filling up the jars after 

 they are taken from the oven or boiler. The process of making a 

 sirup is very simple. Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and 

 stir on the stove until all the sugar is dissolved. Heat slowly to 



