191 1.] Fruit Bottling. 981 



than 165 0 F. is quite unreliable, and a higher than 190 0 F. 

 or 200 0 F. is unnecessary. 



Immediately the highest temperature has been attained the 

 kettle may be partly withdrawn from the fire, and the screw- 

 caps should be screwed down as far as they will safely go. 

 The temperature should then be maintained for fifteen or 

 twenty minutes at about 165 0 F. in the case of small fruits 

 such as gooseberries, currants, cherries, and raspberries, and 

 at any temperature between 165 0 F. and 190 0 F. for plums, 

 apricots, peaches, and pears. In the case of the latter, forty 

 minutes at a temperature of about 165 0 F. to 170 0 F. will 

 answer. 



Screwing down the Caps. — When screw-caps are used it 

 is most important to keep screwing them down tightly as the 

 bottles cool and contract; the slightest access of air to the 

 interior of the bottle may nullify the work, therefore this kind 

 of bottle requires constant attention during the cooling pro- 

 cess, and the tops must be constantly screwed down until 

 contraction is completed. 



Experiments. — As a result of experiments with plums 

 sterilised in screw-top bottles in 1908, at various tempera- 

 tures, it was found that sterilisation at 165 0 F. to 170 0 F. for 

 ten minutes produced more satisfactory results than sterilisa- 

 tion at 190 to 200 0 F. and 212 0 F. respectively; and the samples 

 are as beautiful in December, 1910, as they were immediately 

 after bottling. 



In these trials the largest varieties of plums have been most 

 admired, the best of those sterilised at 165 0 to 170 0 F. being 

 Belle de Louvain, Grand Duke, Monarch, Pond's Seedling, 

 Washington, White Magnum Bonum, Coe's Golden Drop, 

 Curlew, Diamond, Pershore, Sultan, and Abricotee de 

 Braunau. Of those sterilised at 190 to 200° F. the following, 

 out of ten varieties, were preferred : Belle de Louvain, Reine 

 Claude de Bavay, and Red Magnum Bonum. Of seven 

 varieties sterilised at 212 0 F. one bottle only kept its good 

 appearance, viz., Red Magnum Bonum. The whole of the 

 bottles were kept at the different temperatures for the same 

 length of time, viz., ten minutes, after which they were taken 

 from the fire and lifted out of the hot water a few minutes 

 after. Fruit in bottles filled with water kept as well as fruit 

 bottled in thin syrup. 



