ENLISTING SOLDIERS OF THE SOIL 



339 



Island have organized the Long Island Food Reserve Bat- 

 talion to interest the women of that section in organizing 

 clubs for canning, preserving and storing surplus vegetables 

 and other food supplies. The scale on which the work is 

 being conducted is shown by the action of the Long Island 

 Railroad in sending a special instruction train over its lines 

 for a week during the latter part of May. The train 

 ran on a schedule announced in advance, allowing stops 

 of an hour each at stations throughout Long Island. At 

 each stop lectures were given by Mrs. H. B. Fullerton, 

 Mrs. A. Louise Andrea and other experts, and an oppor- 

 tunity given 

 to inspect 

 the exhibits, 

 which includ- 

 ed complete 

 outfits of can- 

 ning imple- 

 ments, jars 

 and crocks. 

 Reports indi- 

 cate that the 

 train was in- 

 strumental in 

 arousing in- 

 tense interest 

 and enthusi- 

 asm among 

 Long Island 

 women. 



In no field 

 has there been 

 greater prog- 

 ress than in 

 the home can- 

 ning of fruits 

 and vege- 

 tables. The 

 old-fashioned 

 me th od of 

 canning, used 

 a generation 

 ago, involved 

 cooking food- 

 stuffs in an 

 open kettle 

 into sealed 

 and it was 



READY FOR THE SHELF 



This cauliflower has been through the routine by which it 

 is prepared for the winter. Notice the firmness of the 

 product and the perfect retention of form made possible 

 by the cold pack method of canning vegetables and fruits. 



over a hot fire and then putting them 



cans. This was laborious and expensive, 



actually cheaper to buy canned goods from the grocer 



than to put them up at home. 



The modern method is by means of sterilization. Sci- 

 ence has proved that the decay of food is caused by yeast 

 ferment and other forms of bacteria and germ life. Fruits 

 and vegetables cooked in the old open kettle were of course 

 sterilized by the hours of boiling. Too frequently, though, 

 the food products thus prepared would not keep, for the 

 reason that they were placed in cans which had not been 

 sterilized. The loss thus brought about was no inconsider- 

 able item. 



Sterilization, under the modern process, does away with 



this loss. The foodstuffs are placed in cans and sealed 

 before being subjected to heat. The cans are then placed 

 in boiling water or in live steam and kept there until the 

 heat has destroyed all germ life within holders or con- 

 tents. This may or may not cook the contents of the cans. 

 Whether it cooks them or not does not matter. Partially 

 cooked fruits or vegetables prepared by this process will 

 keep as well as those thoroughly cooked. 



This meth- 

 od saves time, 

 labor and ex- 

 pense. The 

 foods are 

 placed in the 

 canswhencold 

 and can there- 

 fore be han- 

 dled quickly 

 and easily. 

 The sterili- 

 zation period 

 is frequently 

 short, and 

 with this sav- 

 ing of time 

 is combined 

 the economy 

 made possible 

 by dispensing 

 with thick 

 syrups and 

 preservative 

 spices. Fruits 

 can be pre- 

 served in thin 

 syrup, and 

 vegetab le s 

 require only 

 water and salt 

 as a flavoring 

 solution. A 

 distinct ad- 

 vantage is the 

 ease with 

 which the 



APPLES CANNED WHOLE 



If all housewives realized what may be done with apples 

 there would be none of the prodigious waste of this fruit 

 that takes place every year. Why let apples decay in the 

 orchards when they may be canned like this, during the 

 season of abundance, and saved for the lean months of 

 winter ? 



process can be applied, making it practicable to put up 

 small quantities to as good advantage as larger quantities. 

 The thrifty housewife can thus preserve a single can of 

 surplus foodstuff. This makes possible true household 

 efficiency, as it enables her to save for the winter 

 any small surplus of a garden crop, or an excess 

 left over from her grocer's order. Recognizing the 

 importance of food-canning, the National Emergency 

 Food Garden Commission has issued a special bulletin 

 of instructions which will make it possible for every 

 housewife to preserve food products of the highest 

 standard at slight cost of money, time and labor. 

 Copies of this bulletin may be had without cost on 

 application to the office of the Commission at 1410 H 

 street, N. W., Washington, U. C. 



