182 



GARDEN GUIDE 



In canning, we use two terms: scalding and blanching. Scalding 

 means merely dipping fruit into boiling water, while blanching carries 

 with it the meaning of allowing the fruit to remain for some tune in 

 this hot water. We find scalding and blanching very beneficial because 

 it removes the dirt and organisms from our fruit, and it serves to take 

 off certain slimy or sticky substances which are found on some vege- 

 tables and when canned mars their beauty. In Peaches and Tomatoes 

 it is a method of removing the skins; with some other fruits it reduces 

 their bulk somewhat, and avoids too great shrinkage in the jars. 



STERILIZATION means the eliminating of all the live molds, yeasts 

 and bacteria. With some fruits and vegetables it is merely a short 

 boiling. In canning such tender fruits as Raspberries, which should 

 have a minimum amount of handling, and some of the vegetables, such 

 as Peas, Beans, Corn and Tomatoes, which are only canned with diffi- 

 culty, the fruits should be placed in the can and so arranged that they 

 can be brought to a boiling point on from one to three successive days. 

 This practice is based on the fact that, as previously mentioned, many 

 of the bacteria produce hard shell spores which are not killed during 

 the first boiling. 



From the Ontario Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 236, 

 we derive a very useful time table for the canning of fruits and vege- 

 tables: 



TIME TABLE FOR FRUITS 



By this method of intermittent boiling the fruit is kept in good 

 texture and shape, and the natural beauty is not lost. An ordinary wash 

 boiler can be converted into the ideal home canning outfit by fixing 

 a false bottom of so^me sort in it upon which the cans can be placed; 



