Gardening for Amateurs 



1017 



it is rare that either one fruit or another 

 does not give more than an average yield. 

 Undoubtedly, the best thing to do with them 

 (is to bottle them, and so preserve them for 

 use when fruits are scarce. As the following 



Showing the kind of bottle used, together with lid and 

 spring clip. 



practical notes will show, the process of 

 bottling fruits is comparatively easy. The 

 apparatus is simple and inexpensive, con- 

 sisting of a round metal vessel, with cover 

 the steriliser in which the bottles filled 

 with fruit are placed ; a kettle from which 

 steam is boiled into the steriliser, and a 

 paraffir^ lamp for boiling the 

 kettle. The bottles found of 

 most use are of two sizes, 

 40 oz. and 27 oz. so called, 

 holding approximately 2 !b. 

 and 1J Ib. respectively. The 

 necks are grooved to hold 

 rubber rings, and the lids are 

 of metal. 



Supposing we are dealing 

 with Green Gooseberries, the 

 following is the process : 

 Having carefully washed the 

 fruits, fill the bottle to about 

 \ inch from the top. making 

 the most of your space as 

 you proceed by gently dump- 

 ing the bottom on to the 

 wooden bench, and by press- 

 ing the individual fruits into 

 spaces with finger or stick. 

 Fill the bottle with clean 

 water until the top fruit is 

 just covered. Then fit the 

 rubber ring round the groove 

 on the neck, being careful 

 not to twist it in so doing, 



and fit the lid loosely in position. Having 

 prepared the bottles necessary for one boil- 

 ing (a convenient size of steriliser is one 

 to hold seven 40 oz. or nine 27 oz. bottles), 

 place them in the steriliser so that they 

 touch neither each other nor 

 ,, the side of the vessel, and 

 close the lid ; no water is 

 poured into the steriliser. 



Practical Hints. We will 

 suppose that the kettle, two- 

 thirds filled with water, has 

 been started on the oil stove 

 in order to have it boiling 

 by the time we are ready 

 with filled bottles. Now fit 

 the connecting flexible tube 

 from the spout to the hole 

 in the side of the steriliser, 

 by which means steam is introduced round 

 the bottles and heating begins. This pro- 

 ceeds somewhat slowly about 1 a minute 

 is the usual rate so it takes about ninety 

 minutes to reach a temperature of 155, as 

 shown by a thermometer which will fit into 

 an opening in the steriliser. 



The apparatus necessary for bottling fruitsc In the steriliser 



(on the left) the bottles of fruit are placed and steam is 



introduced from the kettle-spout by the tube. 



