202 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
August, 1917 
Salt Method for Preserving’ 
Vegetables 
The following paragraphs from 
the Chicago Tribune speak for 
themselves. A letter from Dr. 
George Leininger, manager of the 
Dunning infirmary, brings to mind 
a third method that is practicable 
and convenient. While he has ap- 
plied it to Swiss chard only, it is 
just as feasible in the preservation 
of any succulent green. We quote 
from his note as follows: “I have 
successfully put up Swiss chard 
for winter use by salting it down 
like kraut. It does not ferment 
like kraut, but remains .fresh as if 
it came out of the garden. Any 
jar or keg may be used for salting 
it down with an ordinary loose 
cover and weight on it.” 
Mr. Joseph J. Budling, who has 
experimented with beans and most 
other vegetables by salting in this 
manner, advises pounding enough, 
while filling, to create a liquid to 
cover, testing 15 to 20 degrees salo- 
meter test. However, these tech- 
nicalities are important only to 
large producers. The salient point 
is that the vegetable must be kept 
under its own brine and weighted 
down with a heavy stone or other 
weight. Many housewives prefer 
beans salted to those canned. One 
recently told of finding a crock 
full of salted string beans which 
had been misplaced three years be- 
fore in her cellar, they were found 
in perfect condition and eaten with 
satisfaction by the family. For 
the instruction sheets issued at the 
lectures in Conservation of Foods 
given at the University of Wiscon- 
sin for the delegates from the 
county defense committees instruc- 
tions for packing beans and corn 
in salt were as follows: 
“Corn should be blanched (3 
min.) and then cut from the cob. 
Beans should be left whole, but 
prepared for cooking and blanched 
3 min. Sprinkle a layer of salt, in 
the bottom of the jar, then a layer 
of beans or corn, then salt and re- 
peat until the jar is full. The top 
layer should be salt. Place a plate 
over the top of the beans or corn, 
and press down well. It is not 
necessary that the jar should be 
filled at one time. More may be 
added from time to time as the 
foods ripen or are available. 
When ready to use, soak the beans 
or corn over night and then pre- 
pare as if fresh.” 
Cucumbers for pickle s — My 
grandmother’s way. Summer be- 
ing a busy time, my grandmother 
left the making up of pickles until 
winter and prepared for it as fol- 
lows: The small cucumbers were 
gathered daily and packed in lay- 
ers of salt in a stone crock. As 
brine formed a plate was placed 
over them and weighted with a 
small bag about four or five inches 
square of salt so that the edges of 
the bag reached the brine and 
moistened the salt enough to re- 
place the salt dissolved by the juice 
of the cucumbers. When wanted, 
freshen the cucumbers, and using 
a little alum to make them brittle, 
finish them according to any fa- 
vored recipe. In the case of very 
small tender cucumbers the brine 
should be weaker — use less salt. 
Cucumber Salad for Winter 
Pare and slice cucumbers as for 
use at the table. Pare and slice 
also one fourth as much of tender 
onions. Sprinkle layers of cucum- 
bers and onions with salt. Let 
drain over night. If too much 
salt has been used rinse quickly 
in fresh water in the morning. 
Pack in a freshly scalded crock, 
and pour over enough vinegar 
which has been diluted to taste, 
scalded and cooled, to cover the 
cucumbers. Seal with olive or cot- 
ton seed oil. 
Home Canning 
(Mrs, N. A. Rasmussen, Oshkosh.) 
(Editor's Note: This excellent 
article on home canning was un- 
fortunately mislaid and could not 
be found in time for an earlier is- 
sue. ) 
There are three important fea- 
tures to be taken into considera- 
tion when canning fruits and vege- 
tables, viz. cooking utensils, fruit 
or vegetables and receptacles for 
the finished product. 
As to utensils, one may have as 
elaborate an outfit as the pocket 
book will afford or as there may 
be room for in the cupboard but a 
simple, inexpensive and economical 
supply will suffice for the average 
family canning, pickling and jelly 
making. This should consist of at 
least two granite dishes of about 
Hi quart capacity either pans or 
kettles as one desires, a colander, 
a wire strainer, a sieve of some de- 
scription, a masher or ricer, can 
funnel, several large spoons, a 
slieer, a wire basket, a cherry pit- 
ter, a food chopper, an apple corer, 
a paring knife, a bottle brush and 
a jelly bag. This may seem rather 
an extensive list but the actual cost 
of the whole outfit is not more than 
$6.00 and most of these articles 
may be used in performing many 
other household duties. 
Now about the fruit : First it 
must be in good condition if good 
results are expected. This does 
not necessarily imply that nothing 
but fancy fruit can be used for all 
sorts and grades may be utilized to 
excellent advantage if good judg- 
ment is generously administered. 
The various stages of maturity 
should be considered. Fruit some- 
what green is best for jellies, fruit 
perfectly ripe tho firm is ideal for 
canning and fruit which is very 
ripe or past its prime makes jams 
and butters creditable to any re- 
past. 
