238 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



June, 1918 



and fills the jars in cooking so ta 



give it about one-half inch in a 

 quart jar. I have often been 

 asked why corn, peas and 

 lima beans took so long to 

 sterilize. I give them three to 

 four hours because the heat 

 has to penetrate to the centre 

 of the jar and hurst the starch 

 grains in the middle as well as 

 on the outside of each grain. 

 Corn can be cut from the cob 

 and cooked before sterilizing 

 if preferred. Boil for fifteen 

 minutes; then sterilize. 



Mixed or Combinations. 

 Corn with tomatoes does not 

 take as long to sterilize as corn 

 alone because the acid of the 

 tomato helps to "digest" the 

 starch. Other groups of vege- 

 tables can be canned, such as 

 carrots (diced) and peas, which 

 are a favorite dish with many 

 people; onions and peas; corn 

 and green peppers; succotash; 

 and mixed vegetables for soup. 



Tomatoes. These are about the easiest of all vegetables to 

 can. They seem to keep whichever way they are put up. 

 Wash, blanch and cold dip, skin and take out the hard stem end. 

 Pack whole in the jars, add water and salt or a juice made from 

 left over or broken tomatoes stewed till soft and strained. 

 Sterilize. 



Another way is to blanch five to ten minutes, cold 

 dip, skin, pack tightly in jars, add salt and boiling water and seal 

 tightly at once. Put into boiling water to cover. Do not boil — 

 but let stand till quite cold. The fruits will he quite firm and 

 fit for slicing and serving as "fresh" salad all winter! 



Winter Squash and Pumpkin should be peeled and the 

 seeds and stringy centre removed. Slice small, boil till thick, 

 and sterilize as usual. 



Young Root Crops 



It is folly to can old, mature roots and they are not worth the 

 trouble. But the young succulent root is a toothsome morsel 

 and, in fact, is canned economically. 



Beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, celeriac, 

 kohl-rabi, and such vegetables are all handled alike. Blanch, 

 cold dip (skin when necessary), and either slice or pack whole as 

 preferred. 



Fruits 



The Single-period Cold-pack method is also the best for fresh 

 fruits. Use a silver knife for all fruit paring to prevent dis- 

 coloration. Fruits can be canned with or without sugar. If 

 to be used for the table with cream or custard, can them in 

 syrup,^ honey, or corn syrup. The proportion is ij syrup 

 equals I cup sugar. Syrups are either thin, medium, or thick. 

 Thin syrup is made with one part of sugar to four parts of water. 

 Medium syrup is made with one part of sugar to two parts of 

 water. Thick syrup is made with one part of sugar to one part 

 of water. Thin syrup is used with sweet fruits; medium 

 syrup with sour fruits; and thick syrup for candying and pre- 

 serving. Corn syrup and sugar in equal volume will be found 

 quite satisfactory. If you are canning fruit for pies or to use in 

 other cooking, use plain boiling water and they will keep just 

 as well. Always keep in mind that for perfect sterilization you 

 need perfect rubbers, perfect jars and perfect sealing; pre- 

 servatives are not essential. 



Sour Fruits, rhubarb, sour cherries, and gooseberries, all of 

 which are good pie fruits, may be preserved with cold water 

 without cooking. Wash and prepare the fruit, fill the jars, and 

 run cold water from the faucet gently on the fruit for half an 

 hour, then seal tightly. 



Blanch apples, apricots, gooseberries, oranges, pears, peaches, 

 quinces, pineapples and rhu- 

 barb. _ 



Do not blanch small fruits 

 such as blackberries, dewber- 

 ries, currants, raspberries and 

 strawberries. Wash all small 

 fruits, pick them over carefully, 

 discarding any that are unripe 

 or over ripe. Pack them 

 closely, pressing them down 

 gently with a wooden spoon, 

 and cover with medium syrup. 

 Sterilize, etc., according to 

 accompanying time table. 



Apples. Wash, peel, and 

 quarter or slice. Drop into 

 slightly salted cold water to 

 keep them from turning 

 brown. Blanch I J minutes 

 only; cold dip; pack in jars 

 and cover with boiling water 

 or thin syrup. Finish the 

 jars and sterilize. Apples 

 can also be made into sauce 

 and then canned. Quinces 

 are canned the same way as 

 apples. 



Apricots. Blanch, cold 

 dip, cut in half and remove 

 pit. Pack in jars, the cut 

 sides down; fill jars with me- 

 dium syrup; sterilize. 



Pears. Peel and drop in 

 slightly salt water to hold the 

 color. Blanch and cold dip; 

 pack in jars whole or halved; 

 add thin boiling syrup to fill; 

 add a slice of lemon, two or 

 three cloves, or a small bit of 

 ginger to each jar to give 

 flavor. 



These are reliable canning jars of many types. It is desirable to have glass or porcelain covers so that no metal can touch 



the contents at any point. 



A water jacket oven such as this is a real help in any home. 

 It may be used for canning or drying 



Peaches should be blanched long enough to remove their 

 skins; cold dip; skin; remove the stones. Pack whole or 

 cut in halves, or slices. Crack some of the stones and add 

 two or three kernels to each jar of fruit which greatly im- 

 proves the flavor. 



Plums. Pack into jars after washing without peeling or 

 pitting. Add medium syrup. Sterilize and cool as usual. 

 Another way, and one I use myself, is to blanch, cold dip'and 

 skin the plums. Pack in the jars, fill with medium syrup and 

 sterilize. The bitter flavor of the plum is removed with the 

 skin. 



Pineapples. Peel and take out the eyes. Either grate, 

 cut into slices, or into small pieces; pack in jars; cover with 

 medium syrup; sterilize. 



TIME TABLE FOR BLANCHING AND STERILIZING 



(Adapted from National War Garden Commission Table.) 



Vegetables 



Asparagus 



Beets 



Brussels Sprouts .... 



Cabbage 



Cauliflower 



Carrots 



Corn 



Greens 



Lima Beans 



Okra 



Parsnips 



Peppers 



Peas 



Pumpkin 



Salsify 



String Beans 



Squash 



Tomatoes 



Fruits 



Apples 



Apricots 



Small Fruits 



Gooseberries 



Oranges 



Pears 



Peaches 



Plums 



Pineapples 



Quinces 



Rhubarb 



. Fruits without sugar 



Blanching 



Hot Water 



Water Seal 



Minutes 



Minutes 



Minutes 



10-15 



120 



90 



5 



90- 



80 



5-10 



120 



90 



5-10 



120 



90 



3 



60 



40 



5 



90 



80 



5-10 



240 



160 



15 



120 



90 



5-10 



180-240 



120-160 



5-10 



120 



90 



5 



90 



80 



5-10 



120 



90 



5-10 



180-240 



160 



See directions. 



120 



90 



5 



90 



80 



5-10 



120 



90 



See directions. 



120 



90 



To loosen skins. 



22 



18 



i_ 



20 



12 



1-2 



16 



12 



None 



16 



12 



1-2 



16 



12 



1-2 



12 



8 



U 



20 



12 



To loosen skins. 



16 



12 



None 



16 



12 



3-5 



30 



15 



H 



20 



12 



1-3 



20 



15 





30 



30 



Min. 



If You Don't Want to 

 Can, Will You Dry? 



JURYING or dehy- 

 *~* dration of garden 

 produce is not to take 

 the place of canning, 

 but to supplement it. 

 Much of the garden 

 produce matures at 

 one time, possibly 

 more than can be 

 put up in all the 

 glass jars or tin cans 

 procurable before it 

 becomes stale. 



Of course you will 

 have a sterilizer for 

 the top of your stove, 

 so get a drier that you can use in your oven or 

 hang from the ceiling or use outdoors on fine 

 days, sunny, and breezy, but not windy. Much 

 heat is notnecessary,eitherto keepthesterilizer 

 boiling or for the things that are in the oven 

 to dry. The temperature in ordinary lati- 

 tudes should never go above 150°. 



Practically all vegetables and fruits can be 

 dehydrated or dried — it is simply extracting 

 the moisture, leaving them shrivelled and 

 greatly reduced in bulk. These dried articles 

 can be kept in paper bags, cardboard boxes, 

 baking powder cans, paraffin boxes — like the 

 ones oysters come in — and other receptacles 

 than canning jars. They take up little room 

 in storage, and are easy to transport. For 

 years I have dried mushrooms, parsley, celery 

 leaves, and different herbs and kept them 

 tied in paper bags hung up in the kitchen. 

 The one thing essential for drying, except 

 in the sun, is an oven thermometer. Guess- 

 work will not do. If the oven is too cold the 

 food won't dry at all, and if it is too hot, you 

 will hake instead of dry. For sun drying, 

 spread out the prepared vegetables and cover 

 so as to keep out insects and dust. Test by 

 squeezing a handful and if it separates when 

 the hand is opened it is dry enough. Dry 

 until all moisture has been extracted, but not 

 until it is brittle and will powder when touched. 

 If drying in the house, there are two ways 

 to do it. By artificial heat, that is, in the 

 oven or over boiling water, or by air blast (an 

 electric fan). There are several good driers 

 on the market now. 

 Here again the Na- 

 tional War Garden 

 ___________________ Commission will help 



you. The ' Commis- 

 sion does not sell any- 

 thing but it lists ar- 

 ticles needed in the 

 work and will answer 

 inquiries. -An ordi- 

 nary kitchen knife 

 very clean and sharp, 

 will do for preparing 

 small quantities of 

 vegetables but for 

 large amounts use a 

 rotary knife machine 

 for peeling, a cherry 

 pitter, and a slicing 

 machine. Before 

 storing the dried 

 goods must be "condi- 

 tioned," i. e., poured 

 back and forth from 

 one container to 

 another every day 

 for about a week. 

 You can then see if 

 any part is too moist. 



Steam Pressure in Pounds 



5-10 lbs. 

 60 

 60 

 60 

 60 

 30 

 60 

 90 

 60 

 90 

 60 

 60 

 60 

 90 

 60 

 60 

 60 

 60 

 15 



10 



10 



10 



6 



8 



10 



10 



10 



8 



15 



12 



Min. 10-15 lbs. 

 40 

 40 

 40 

 40 

 20 

 40 

 80 

 40 

 80 

 40 

 40 

 40 

 80 

 40 

 40 

 40 

 40 

 10 



