THE GAl^DEN AND FIELD. 



Februftiy, 1914 



to pack hay or straw between 

 them, as they will not be likely to 

 (lance about and strike on^ an- 

 otlior in the temperatures we are 

 .il)out to use, as they would when 

 water is brought to'boilinji i^oint 

 (212 deo-. Fahr.) or over. 



The bottles of fruit beinjj now 

 prepared and packed in the hasket, 

 watch the thermometer until the 

 water reaches a temperature of i^o 

 den-. Fahr., not more, and not less 

 except in cold weather, which rare- 

 ly prevails when fruit is to be ]ire- 

 served. Then take the basket 

 and place it with the bottles into 

 the bath, and liottles beinjr entire- 

 ly submerc;^ed one or two inches 

 below the surface of the water. 

 Tt may be imagined, the covers be- 

 insf loose, that either the syrup 

 will Q-et out and mix with ' the 

 water or the water will wt into 

 the bottle and mix with the 

 svrup ; but neither will happen, 

 as when the bottles are submerofed 

 in cold water (which I do not re- 

 commend, although it is an old- 

 fashioned method sometimes em- 

 ployed). It mav also be itnaeined 

 that the bottles will break, but 

 this is not at all probable if thev 

 are wroperly annealed as thev 

 should be. Also, it is often 

 thousfht that the indiarubber rines 

 may not withstand the , heat if 

 fitted into the bottles and sub- 

 iected to the necessary heat in 

 nreservinr. These are suitably 

 carbouispd for the purpose, and no 

 fear need be entertained on this 

 account. 



Now, watch the temperature of 

 the water continue to rise xintil it 

 reaches t6o dee. Fahr., and at 

 this point it is necessary to note 

 the time carefully, and to count 

 from this the nimiber of minutes 

 usually reouired for the preservin<T 

 process. The action of the fire 

 must be looked at and regulated, 

 so that when the required heat is 

 obtained it can be kent steady at 

 this, instead of srettinsr much too 

 hot or not hot enouo-h. This may 

 be done bv reeulatino- the iqnantity 

 nf fuel and bv openine or closinp; 

 the door or damwr as mav be 

 necessary. 



-As previously state-d, no hard- 

 and-fast times and temperatures 

 can be laid down ; but the follow- 

 insT tablp is as near as can be, if 

 the fruit is of correct ^'aTiety and 

 condition, as recommended — 



Immerse the bottles at 11,6 Atg. 

 Fahr. 



Tount the time from ifio deg^- 

 Fahr., and preserve : — 



Apricots at 180 to 185 de^. for 

 13 to 15 minutes. 



I'ears at U)o to 195 for 13 to 20 

 minutes. 



Teachs at 140 to 195 for is to 

 -'0 minutes. 



riuiiis at i(Ss to for 15 to 



17 minutes. 



Raspberries at 17s to iSn for is 

 minutes. 



Strawberries at 1 7.S to iSu for 

 i,s minutes. 



Goo.seberries at 180 to i'8,s for 13 

 minutes. 



Cherries at 19s to 200 for is to 

 17 minutes. 



Quinces at 193 to 200 for 15 

 minutes. 



Ap])les at 1S5 to 190 for 12 to 

 IS minutes. 



Currants at 180 to 185, Tor lo to 

 10 to 15 minutes. 



— An Important Point. — 



As a practical guide the fore- 

 .^oing table will be found reliable, 

 but it will be necessary in some 

 cases to regulate the period and 

 temperature according- to the vari- 

 ety and cond tion of the fruit. For 

 instance, there are man^^ excellent! 

 apples which at 180 deg. will be- 

 come pulp in eight or nine min- 

 utes : it is obvious that tbe.se are 

 not suitable varieties for preserv- 

 ing. On the other hand, there are 

 others which will renuire cooking 

 for twenty to twentv-five minutes 

 before they will be sufficientlv 

 cooked. Then, again, a variety 

 grown raoi'dlv in a warm climate 

 will not reauire so much heat, 

 but a lonp-er titnc in preserving 

 than the Sfime variety p-rown m.ore 

 slowly under less forcing condi- 

 tions. Therefore I recommend an 

 experiment to he made with two 

 or three bottles, so that the time 

 and temperature suitable to the 

 particular -i-arietv or condition of 

 aPole or other fruit to be ore- 

 served may be precispfv deter- 

 mined. The many details which 

 it is necessary to bring to the 

 preserver's notice mav aopear 

 very comDiicated, but there .should 

 not be the le^st disconra-^ement on 

 this account, for a v^erv little prac- 

 tical experience will make all 

 thing-s quite nlain and nrovem^nv 

 tii^nes morp instrii,."ti->'e than 

 ^•olunips of theorv. '^t the same 

 time, the mle that the softer the 

 condition of the fruit the less the 

 heat and the Ion oner the nrocess 

 will be a safe jruide to success. ' 



— Coolino-. — 



Having preserved the fruit ac- 

 cording to instructions, lift the 

 basket from the bath, and with 

 some pieces of sacking m.ade to fit 



403 



the hands, tai e each bottle while 

 hot and screw down the cover 

 without any delay. Stand the 

 l)ottlcs on a wooden floor or a 

 piece of board (not on stone, ce- 

 ment, or dami) earth), and cover 

 them with a i)iece of sacking or 

 cloth to j)rotect them from a 

 draught of cold air, which might 

 cause the bottles to crack or 

 lireak, and leave them thus until 

 the next day. Then exarnine and 

 test them, and if necessary give 

 the co\-ers a further screw down 

 (exce])t when Mason jars or jars 

 in which the rubber is likely to be 

 di.sturbed are used). Clean the 

 ijottles, label them, wrap each in 

 paper, which again label outside, 

 and store in a cool place in an 

 upright iK).sition. The paper wrap- 

 per prevents the action of light 

 deteriorating the colour of the 

 fruits. 



The fruit when cooled gnd fin- 

 ished should he quite firm in the 

 bottles, the syrup clear and of a 

 creamy texture. If the fruit ap- 

 pears extra firm before it cools 

 this need not cause much concern, 

 because the heat of the syrup will 

 continue to act in cooking the 



