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requires a certain outlay of capital which is suggestive of the fact 

 that whoever goes in extensively for it must previously have made 

 himself familiar with the modus operandi of the business. 



In every household, however, it is not only quite possible but 

 very easy to preserve, in seasons of abundance, all the fruit likely to 

 be required during the off-season ; and for this purpose all the outfit 

 that is required merely consists of suitable jars or cans, and of the 

 ordinary cooking utensils. Soldered tin cans are not to be recom- 

 mended, as it may happen that the acid of the fruit will react on 

 the solder and generate a toxic soluble substance injurious to health. 

 Special canning glass jars, hermetically sealed, are, however, easily 

 obtainable at a reasonable rate, and last indefinitely, until broken. 

 One of the best is Mason's or " lightning" jars, which are made to 

 hold a pint, a quart, or two quarts of fruit. 



The fruit for canning must be of suitable kind ; it must not be 

 under ripe, over-ripe, or bruised; it must be graded according to size. 

 Always keep the fruit in water, which cleanses it, prevents bruising, 

 and, when cut open, preserves the natural colour. 



In order to execute the filling neatly, a tin funnel with a very 

 wide tube, slightly smaller than the diameter of the neck of the jar, 

 into which it fits easily, is found very convenient, but is not 

 indispensable. 



Only the very best fruit is worth the trouble of canning ; and 

 all over-ripe, specked, or blemished fruit should be rejected or 

 turned into jam. The fruit should be canned as soon as possible 

 after gathering, and while still fresh, different fruit requiring 

 different preparation. 



Pears, peaches, and apricots are halved for convenience in 

 cooking, although, whenever possible, a whole fruit will, as a rule, be 

 more attractive to the look. A better method than paring peaches 

 is to put a dozen or more at a time in a netting bag, and dip them 

 for a few seconds into a kettle of boiling, weak lye. The fur is by 

 this method easily rubbed off by wiping with a towel. 



A little sugar having been added to the fruit and water, the 

 operation of cooking begins, and varies according to the sort of 

 fruit. The following table, taken from a paper by Mr. E. Shelton, 

 Instructor in Agriculture, Queensland, will prove useful : 



Pears (halved) ... 

 Peaches (halved) 

 Peaches (whole) 

 Apricots... 

 Quinces (sliced,) 

 Gooseberries 

 Plums 

 Cherries ... 

 Tomatoes 



Time of Cooking. 



20 minutes 



8 

 15 

 15 

 15 



8 

 10 



5 

 20 



Quantity of Sugar 

 to 1 Quart. 



G ounces 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 10 

 8 

 8 

 6 

 None 



