BETTER GARDENS ~^ 11 



THE HOME CANNING OF VEGETABLES FOR WINTER USE— Continued. 



TO ^AN MUSHROOMS. Stem, wash and peel the mushrooms. Pack them in glass 

 jus with glass tops; adjust the rubbers, put the lids on loosely, and stand the jars in a 

 wash-boiler, the bottom of which has beer protected with a racK. Surround them half 

 way up with cold water. Cover the boiler; bring to boiling-point and boil continuously 

 for one and a half hours. Lift three jars from the boiler; take the lids off and drop them 

 in a kettle of boiling water. Fill two jars from a third. Lift the lids with a skimmer, 

 touching them only on the edge; put them back on the jars and fasten. Stand the jars 

 back in the boiler. When you have filled the last jar, cover the boiler, bring the water 

 again to boiling-point and boil rapidly for twenty minutes. Lift the jars when they are 

 cool, examining them to see that the tops are firmly fastened. 



TO CAN PEAS. Select perfectly fresh green peas; shell and pack at once into clean 

 jars. Fill the jars with cold water; adjust the rubbers, lay on the tops, and finish pre- 

 cisely the same as with com, cooking the sam« length of time. The last boiling must be 

 done with the jars covered with boiling water. 



TO CAN STEWED TOMATOES. Scald solid and perfectly sound tomatoes and 

 remove the skins. Cut the tomatoes into halves and press each half to remove the seeds. 

 Cut the halves into quarters, and lay in a porcelain-lined kettle; bring to boiling-point, 

 add salt and pepper to make them palatable, and boil thirty minutes. Have ready the 

 jars, rubbers and lids. The rubbers should be in a dish of very hot water, the lids in a 

 pan of boiling water, and the jars should be washed and scalded. Take an ordinary dinner 

 or pie plate, put in the centre a piece of folded cheese-cloth or an ordinary napkin, and 

 stand on it a jar. Take it to the fire; fill it to overflowing with tomatoes; stand the plate 

 on the table or at the side of the stove; adjust the rubber and screw on the lid, taking 

 it directly from the boiling water. Do not put the lid on the table, nor touch it on the 

 inside. Stand the jars aside until cool. Wipe them and place in a clean, dry closet. 



HOME DRIED VEGETABLES FOR WINTER USE 



TO DRY SWEET CORN. Select perfectly fresh corn, score each row of kernels down 

 through the centre. Press out the pulp with a dull knife; spread the pulp on wooden, 

 granite or china plates and dry either in the hot sun or a moderate oven. When partly 

 dry it may be transferred to boards. In this way a larger quantity may be put into a 

 given space. When perfectly dry put into jars or tin boxes and keep in a dry, cool place. 



TO DRY OKRA. The young pods constitute the edible portion of this plant, and 

 are used principally for soups. Okra may be preserved for winier use by cutting the pods 

 into rings, stringing them on cords and drying in the hot air; or they may be canned the 

 same as other vegetables. 



TO DRY YOUNG GREEN PEAS. Shell the peas; throw into a kettle of boiling 

 water; boil rapidly two minutes; drain; spread in a thin layer in tin pans. Stand in a 

 warm oven: shake frequently until thoroughly dry. Put these into bags or boxes that 

 have been lined with waxed paper and keep in a dry place. Soak one hour before cooking. 



TO DRY PARSLEY. Pick the parsley when full grown, before flowering; wash thor- 

 oughly; shake dry, tie in loose bunches, hang in the air in the sun, or put on a board to 

 dry in a moderately warm oven. When dry, rub the leaves to a powder, and put them 

 through a fine sieve, bottle, cork and keep in a dry, cold closet. 



TO DRY PUMPKIN AND WINTER SQUASH. Pare, cut into thin strips, then into 

 pieces. Spread on boards and dry in the sun or warm oven. Keep in tin boxes or in 

 glass jars in a dry closet. 



To cook — soak over night in cold water. 



TO DRY HERBS. During the summer, when herbs are in their highest state of per- 

 fection, full of juice, just before the flowering, they should be gathered for drying. Gather 

 them just before flowering, on a very dry dav, about ten or eleven o'clock, and make sure 

 they arc quite free from dew. Shake, remove each leof carefully from the stems, and 

 place them on soft brown paper on a board in the hot sun; or tie in bunches and han^ 

 in the air in the hot sun; or place them in a moderately hot oven. Xo matter which 

 method is selected, the herbs must be dried quickly, to retain color and flavor. When 

 dry, rub the leaves to a powder, sift, ami put them at once into bottles. Cork and keep 

 in a dry closet. Mark the jars plainly on the outside to avoid confusion. 



FEB 26 1918 



