1860 .J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
915 
fruit will sink down into it when boiling. Care¬ 
fully cook the berries in the syrup for 12 to 20 
minutes, so that all shall be scalded through. Too 
much cooking destroys the form of the fruit, and 
dissipates the fine aroma. Heat it through, but 
do not stew it down. Have the bottles ready 
heated by the stove, or in water (setting them in, 
when it is cold, and heating it up), and pour in 
the fruit with the syrup. This can best be done 
through a wide-necked funnel, or from a pitcher, 
to avoid getting the syrup upon the top of the 
bottle, which would prevent the union of the wax 
with the glass—a very common error. Fill the 
bottles not quite to the top of the neck. Let them 
stand a few minutes, occasionally jarring them a 
little, to facilitate the escape of any air bubbles 
left on pouring in the fruit. This, with the partial 
cooling, will cause the fruit to shrink a little. 
Now pour in enough more syrup to fill the bottles 
as high as where the bottom of the cork will sink . 
to. Carefully wipe off any chance drops of syrup 
that may have been carelessly left upon the 
neck or top of the bottle, and press in the 
corks. The corks should be large, and be soften¬ 
ed in hot water, so that they will press in easily. 
Press the corks down upon the syrup. If any 
syrup oozes through, carefully wipe it all off with 
a towel dipped in hot water, so as to leave the 
glass clean for the wax. As soon as the water 
dries off, dip on the melted cement with a spoon, 
until the top is well covered. Pour a little of the 
cement into the “ patty pans,” turn the waxed 
neck into it, and add enough more cement to 
perfectly close the rim of the bottle neck. Re¬ 
member that water or grease on the neck of the 
bottle will prevent the firm union of the wax. 
(We make a long story of these particulars, but 
they are essential, and easily and quickly attend¬ 
ed to, requiring less time and trouble, than to 
watch the cooking in the old method of pre¬ 
serving.) 
For Cement, the best we have found is about 
1 ounce of tallow to 14 ounces of common resin. 
This is a cheap compound, the resin costing on¬ 
ly 4 to 6 cents per pound at retail. We make up 
a dozen pounds or so at a time, and keep it on 
hand, melting it as often as needed. 
Peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, pears, quinces, 
etc., may all be put up in the same manner, and 
with but very moderate cooking. Apples and 
quinces of course require paring and coring. 
They may be cut into pieces of any desired size 
and form. If in very large pieces, a little longer 
boiling may be needed to have them heated 
through, but not cooked soft on the outside. The 
pits should be removed from peaches; cher¬ 
ries are all the better for being first stoned, and 
more of them can thus be got into the bottles. 
Apples may be.stewed into sauce ready for the 
table, and then be bottled up for use, with¬ 
out further cooking, three, six, nine, or twelve 
months afterwards. We always put up a large 
quantity thus, at different periods of the year—in 
the Winter taking cans that had previously been 
used for the same purpose or for other fruits. 
Any kind of slewed sauce may be seasoned, then 
bottled and sealed, and be always ready for use. 
Tomatoes we put up largely every year, and 
have now (in June) a fair supply, as good as if 
just gathered and cooked. These we skin, cut, 
and boil down one half, and then bottle up. Pre¬ 
pared in this way they are so convenient, and of 
so good and fresh quality, that we make no spe¬ 
cial effort to secure early new tomatoes. 
Rhubarb, stewed soft, sweetened as for pies, 
and bottled, comes out nice and fresh in mid-win¬ 
ter or Spring. 
Currants and gooseberries are also similarly 
kept, but these should be mature, if notripe, and 
be well cooked and sweetened with a strong 
syrup. 
Green peas, leans, and corn may also be kept, 
but they need to be thoroughly cooked before 
bottling, or they are liable to spoil. 
We repeat in closing, that though we have 
made a long chapter in giving particulars, the 
process of putting up in bottles and cans, we find 
to be less trouble and labor, than the old fashion¬ 
ed mode of “ preserving ” in sugar, while less 
sugar is required, and a sweetmeat or sauce is 
thus obtained, far superior in appearance, in 
taste, and especially in healthfulness. 
---«o — - 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Working Butter—Practical Suggestion. 
After the butter is removed from the churn, put 
water in the working bowl, to rinse off the butter¬ 
milk. In another dish have cold water and a 
linen cloth free from lint. Wring the cloth out 
dry, spread the butter out with the ladle 
and press the cloth gently on the butter and 
remove all the drops of moisture. Continue this 
process until the butter is ready for salting—keep 
the water clean for rinsing the cloth often. Any 
one trying this, will be surprised to find how much 
it facilitates the preparation of butter to salt. 
Mrs. H. Jessup. 
Chautauque Co., iV. Y. 
- ■ * « mW ^B b i 1 1 1 >- ♦ » 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Why Saleratus is Used. 
But comparatively few bakers understand the 
chemistry of saleratus, and it is reasonable to 
suppose that many persons who use it less fre¬ 
quently are equally ignorant why they do so. 
When bread is made with yeast, the fermen¬ 
tation that takes place, creates a gas known as 
carbonic acid. As this forms gradually, and in 
an increasing quantity, it expands or raises the 
dough—and this continues until the tenacity of 
the dough is overcome; when the gas begins to 
escape the sponge or dough will gradually 
shrink or fall. This gas expands still more and 
quicker, if heated, consequently when set in the 
oven, the loaf of bread becomes larger. If bread 
be cut, the effect of this gas may be seen in the 
fine, regular pores or cells. The beauty and per¬ 
fectness of these cells, will depend upon the ex¬ 
tent and completeness of the fermentation, the 
amount of kneading, and the tenacious quality of 
that part of the flour called gluten. This is the 
only gas that is practically made use of in rais¬ 
ing bread, cakes, etc., and, as obtaining it by fer¬ 
mentation is a slow, and at times, very incon¬ 
venient process, some quicker mode has been 
found necessary ; hence, we use saleratus, for 
this substance contains the same gas—carbonic 
acid—combined with soda or potash, and by using 
some other acid with it, to take the place of the 
carbonic acid, or by simply heating it, or any 
mixture which contains it, the gas escapes and 
thus “raises” the mixture. The gas, therefore, 
is all that is wanted, and to obtain it, is the only 
purpose for which saleratus is used.* The soda 
[* Soda or saleratus is very often used simply to neu¬ 
tralize the vegetable acids formed during fermentation. 
When bread dough stands too long, and gets soured, a 
little soda worked in will sweeten it. So, also, soda or 
saleratus is added to batter for griddle cakes to sweeten 
them, that is, to neutralize the acid. The goodness of 
“buckwheats” depends upon the skill of the cook in add¬ 
ing just enough alkali to make them sweet. If too much 
be added, it can be neutralized by adding a little cream 
of tartar. When the batter is not sufficiently light, the 
cakes are improved by adding both soda and cream of 
tartar.— Ed.] 
or potash remains in the mixture, and physicians 
generally consider it unhealthy: but “doctor’s 
will differ.” There is, comparatively, but little 
saleratus made from potash, most of it is from 
soda, and its chemical name is bi-carbonate of 
soda, or potash, as the case maybe. That which 
is made from potash, supposing it to be a pure ar¬ 
ticle, will contain in 91 parts, or ounces—44 ozs. 
of the gas, and 47 of potash. If o-ne ounce is used, 
more than half remains in, and is eaten with the 
food in which it was placed. 
That made from soda is the best to use, on 
one account at least; for while the same amount 
of gas is obtained, only about 41 per cent is left 
in the mixture. But, although it has this advan¬ 
tage, it might be unwise to buy the article— 
labeled “soda saleratus”—generally packed in 
papers and largely adulterated with common salt. 
Don’t be deceived, therefore, by the name “ sal¬ 
eratus," but purchase the “Bicarb., or Baking 
Soda,” whenever you wish “ the best the market 
affords.” 
In using saleratus—it should always, if possi¬ 
ble, be dissolved in milk, or water. But not in 
hot water, or that above 100° Fall, for the heat of 
the water, would act the same as the heat of the 
oven or stove to drive off a portion of the gas. 
Neither should it be dissolved in sour milk, for 
the acid of the milk, drives off the gas before it 
is put in with the mixture. Heat, alone, does not 
drive off all the gas contained in the soda ; con¬ 
sequently acids have been used with it. With 
such additions, if the proper quantity is used, the 
whole of the gas is liberated ; but that which is 
left in the mixture, is, perhaps, none the health¬ 
ier. There is, therefore, an advantage in using 
sour milk, but the saleratus should be dissolved 
in a little water, and the saleratus and milk, 
brought together in the mixture. A large portion 
of the gas will even then escape, if not soon 
placed in the stove and a crust formed. 
Tartaric acid, and cream of tartar (the latter 
containing tartaric acid) are used. Ground cream 
of tartar is very rarely found pure at the drug¬ 
stores ; and when pure, its use only leaves so 
much more useless matter in the mixture, after 
being baked. Tartaric acid is to be prefered ; if 
pure, it attracts moisture with great avidity—a 
wet spoon or knife must not come in contact with 
it; it requires to be kept in a dry place. [We 
think cream of tartar preferable to tartaric acid 
for general use ; 1st, because the former unites 
less rapidly, and not fully until heat is applied, 
so that more of the escaping gas is thus retained 
within the dough ; and 2d, because the double 
salt (New-Rochelle salt) which is formed by the 
union of cream of tartar and soda, is less offen¬ 
sive to the system than the tartrate of soda pro¬ 
duced by tartaric acid and soda.— Ed.] 
About equal portions of tartaric acid and bak¬ 
ing soda are used, a little more of the soda 
than acid, by weight. They should be dissolved 
separately. Considering the loss of gas which 
usually occurs when any acid is used with sale¬ 
ratus, and the small amount which may not be 
driven off by the heat of the stove, when used 
alone, there can be no great advantage in using 
either tartaric acid or cream of tartar. Though 
there may be both economy and convenience in 
using sour milk. In mixtures containing molas¬ 
ses, bakers generally use about J of an ounce 
saleratus to each quart of molasses. J. C. 
Collecting a Debt.— “ Here, take your money. 
But why did your master write me eighteen let¬ 
ters for it V’ Ans.—" I suppose because seven¬ 
teen did not bring it.” 
