Directions for Processing Asparagus 245 



lid must be wiped perfectly dry and clean and then wet 

 with a little of the acid flux. Touch the hot copper to a 

 bit of solder and then place the melted drop over the hole 

 and the job is done. Tipping is not done until after the 

 air in the cans has been exhausted by a preliminary boil- 

 ing. 



As soon as the cans are filled with the produce they are 

 to contain they are capped and placed in the upper part of 

 the process tank submerged two-thirds their depth in 

 water. Here they are maintained for a sufficient length of 

 time to thoroughly heat the contents to near the boil- 

 ing point and expel most of the air in the can. There 

 should be an air space of a quarter or half an inch 

 in each of the cans to allow for the expansion of the 

 produce as it is being processed and to prevent the con- 

 tents touching the top and making trouble with the solder- 

 ing that must be done. As soon as the cans are removed 

 from the exhaust they are tipped and are ready for the pro- 

 cessing operation. In this the cans are immersed com- 

 pletely in the boiling water, and if the tipping or capping 

 has not been thoroughly done, there will be a little stream 

 of bubbles rise through the lid. Those cans which leak 

 must be removed immediately and the hole effectually 

 closed before the processing can be done satisfactorily. 

 If the cans are perfectly air-tight the ends will be some- 

 what bulged after the processing is finished, on account of 

 the expansion of the contents, but as soon as cooled down 

 the ends will be flat. 



Blanching is necessary in the canning of some kinds oi 

 vegetables and consists in doing what the housewife calls 

 "par boiling." Where this is necessary the blanching should 

 be done in a separate tank from that used for processing. 

 In a small factory or the home canning plant a large new 

 wash boiler makes the best sort of vessel for this purpose. 



Directions for Processing Asparagus 



This is the first vegetable of the season to be canned. 

 Cut it as for the market, having the stalks just a little 



