1909. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
743 
Canning-Time Gossip. 
Before the canning-season is on in 
full force, the wary housewife goes over 
her supply of empty cans and makes 
sure that all are perfectly cleaned, that 
a well-fitted cover and a good rubber is 
ready for each one, and fitted to the one 
it belongs on. The edges of many 
"Mason” tops are bent up when open¬ 
ing the cans and these should be 
pounded down. When cleaning the 
cans, fill them part full of water; fit 
rubbers and tops on and then turn bot¬ 
tom side up. If a leak is found press, 
with the back of a knife or other blunt 
edge, until the edge of the can fits 
tightly against the rubber and stops the 
leak. After this is done dry the cans 
and tops and keep them mated up. 
This work takes but a few moments if 
one “makes a job of it,” and saves a 
great deal of time and fussing with im¬ 
perfectly fitting tops when the actual 
work of canning is in progress. A lit¬ 
tle money expended for new tops and 
rubbers, to have them ready for an 
emergency, will probably save both fruit 
and trouble before the season ends. 
Another time-saving and fruit-saving 
scheme is to have a supply of bottles 
and a bag of new corks (assorted sizes) 
ready for use. All through the canning 
season there will be bits of syrups left 
from this or that fruit. If there is but 
half a pint put it (hot) into a bottle; 
close with a tight-fitting cork, and when 
cool seal with paraffin, or other wax. 
These fruit juices may be boiled down a 
little more if desired, and make fine 
syrups for use in preparing Summer 
beverages, but as simple sweetened 
juices they come handy for making pud¬ 
ding sauces; will take the place of cider 
in mincemeats, or will color and flavor 
apple jelly when one wants to make a 
variety in late Fall or Winter. Of 
course, these juices might be used up 
in various ways, but when so much of 
it is around all the time it is not rel¬ 
ished as it will be later on. I recom¬ 
mend the use of bottles simply because 
there is, usually, any number of them 
around the house serving no purpose, 
while all the available cans may be 
needed for other uses. 
Fruits that need long cooking (as 
pears, quinces and other solid fruits) 
are much finer if parti)'- cooked in clear 
water (or steamed) and then put into 
the boiling syrup. Long cooking in 
syrup tends to toughen the fruit and 
make the color dark. 
If a quantity of fruit is to be canned 
for shipment there is nothing in the way 
of cans that can equal the square tin 
syrup cans,' with screw caps—and the 
larger these tops are the better. It 
goes without saying that large fruits 
cannot be put into them, but cherries 
and plums (with pits removed) may be, 
and all kinds of butters, marmalades 
and similar preparations. These cans, 
being square, pack closely, and, being 
of heavy tin, are not liable to break¬ 
age. When opened the entire top of the 
can is cut out, with can-opener, and all 
the fruit removed at once. If desired, 
the fruit may be heated and part of it 
filled into cans or glasses for future 
use. This is a fine method for the peo¬ 
ple who go to the country for the Sum¬ 
mer and can fruit to take home to the 
city, or for the mother or sister on the 
farm, who “puts up” fruit to send to 
the dear ones in the city. After the top 
is cut from the cans they serve a thou- 
sand-and-one purposes in the work of 
the household. 
I he following method of canning has 
not been tested by the writer, but h s 
been secured from good authority for 
use the coming season, and, as it seems 
to be a very valuable bit of knowledge 
it is passed on promptly, for the benefit 
( >f others. The method is recommended 
for all fruits usually canned while boil¬ 
ing hot, and for tomatoes, pumpkin and 
squash, but not for corn, peas, beans 
an d other hard-to-keep vegetables. 
Sterilize, by thorough scalding, stone 
jars of any size. Prepare a cover for 
each by cutting a thickness of cotton 
batting (the thickness of the layer as it 
lies in the roll). Cut this in a circle 
enough larger than the top of the crock 
to allow bringing it down, around the 
outside far enough to be tied down 
finn y. Over the batting put two lav- 
ers of paper (without printer's ink) 
and one of cloth. Have these tops pre¬ 
pared and when the fruit is ready pour 
it boiling hot into the crocks, filling 
them to within an inch of the top, then 
as quickly as possible put on the cov¬ 
ers, batting side down, and tie down 
closely. The action of the steam on the 
batting makes a perfect seal. One 
woman who has used the method for 
years says she has never lost a jar of 
fruit or had any mould. Certainly, it is 
a cheap method, and a vast saving of 
labor as compared with using small 
cans. In a large family, where much 
fruit must be put up for pies and pud¬ 
dings, as well as for sauce, it must 
prove valuable in many ways, if it 
proves what is claimed for it. Test 
it and know. eya ryman-gaillard. 
Three Fruit Cakes. 
I am a subscriber to your paper, and 
have got most of my best recipes from it. 
Will you give me an excellent recipe for 
rich fruit cake and plain fruit cake? 
MRS. d. D. • 
The following is a tested recipe one 
of our friends first found in the Ohio 
Farmer; the directions are so good that 
they are worth reprinting: 
To make a really good fruit cake de¬ 
mands the leisure of two days On 
the first day seed the raisins, slice the 
citron, brown the flour and measure the 
spices. On the second day, mix and 
bake the fragrant compound. Be very 
careful to beat the eggs thoroughly, 
whites and yokes separately. The oven 
must be well considered. Fruit cake 
should be put in a slow oven, as it re¬ 
quires long baking to induce a richness 
of flavor. Keep the heat as regular as 
possible, and do not open the oven door 
for at least 10 minutes after it has been 
put in. When opening the oven, be 
careful that no cold draft of air from 
an open window or door strikes in. Do 
not slam the oven door shut or jar the 
pan by moving it unnecessarily. Meas¬ 
ure everything carefully, using a cup 
holding half a pint. This cake is com¬ 
paratively inexpensive and it improves 
with age. Take four cups white flour, 
place on a baking pan and set in an 
open oven to dry and slightly brown. 
St'r it occasionally and cool before 
using. Measure one cup butter and one 
cup of sugar. Mix them to a smooth 
cream, add one cup each of molasses 
and sweet milk. Beat four eggs sep¬ 
arately, the yolks until thick and the' 
whites to a stiff snow. Add the yolks 
to the butter and sugar. Sift the flour 
with a level teaspoonful of soda (do 
not use any cream of tartar) ; seed and 
chop one pound raisins, and slice one- 
quarter pound citron. Mix the fruit to¬ 
gether, and stir it into the flour. Mix 
one teaspoonful each of cinnamon and 
cloves, and a whole nutmeg grated. Add 
the spices to the butter and sugar mix¬ 
ture. then add the flour and lastly the 
whites of the eggs. Have ready a pan 
lined with three layers of light brown 
paper. Pour in the mixture and bake 
at least four hours. Should it be in¬ 
clined to burn on top, cover with several 
layers of paper and place a small pan 
of cold water in the oven. When done 
frost it, wrap it in waxed paper and 
keep in an earthen jar with a close 
cover. It will keep for a year and is 
excellent for a standby, not too rich, 
yet of perfect and exquisite flavor. 
Hardenburg fruit cake is an old- 
fashioned Dutch recipe, wh’ch makes a 
richer cake; Cream together V/z 
pound of butter, and two pounds of 
granulated sugar. Add one-half pint 
New Orleans molasses, the beaten yolxs 
of 12 eggs, two ounces of mixed spices 
•—mace, cinnamon and cloves—two 
grated nutmegs, one-half pound sliced 
candied peel, two pounds cleaned and 
dried currants, four pounds stoned and 
cut raisins, one-half pint syrup from 
pickled fruit or boiled-down cider, and 
flour enough to make the ingredients 
hang together; about 1^4 pound will be 
required; sifted with a dessertspoonful 
of baking powder. Lastly, fold in the 
beaten whites of the eggs. Bake three 
or four hours in a moderate oven, tak¬ 
ing care not to disturb it. 
Poor man’s fruit cake will be found 
a very good plain cake. Seed and chop 
one-fourth pound of dates; mix with 
them one cup of seeded raisins, and dust 
them with one-half cup of flour. Dis¬ 
solve a level teaspoon ful of baking soda 
in two tablespoonfuls of warm water; 
add to it half a pint of very thick sour 
cream; stir a moment and add one cup¬ 
ful of brown sugar, half a tumbler of 
blackberry or currant jelly, a table¬ 
spoonful of cinnamon, a teaspoon ful of 
allspice and 2 1 /> cupfuls of flour. Beat 
thoroughly, add the fruit, and turn into 
a square pan, well greased. Bake in a 
slow oven 1 hours. Let stand a week 
before cutting; if the cream is verv 
thick it is quite equal to any plain fruit 
cake. 
Peppers Scalloped with Fish.—Open, 
empty and scald the peppers, and fill 
the halves, when cold, with a mince 
of fish, well seasoned and mixed with 
a tablespoonful of fine crumbs for each 
cupful. Wet with rich tomato sauce 
and fill the peppers. Strew with fine 
crumbs, arrange in a deep dish, pour 
more tomato sauce about them and 
bake. 
Stuffed Red Peppers.—Cut large red 
mild peppers in half lengthwise and 
scrape out all the seeds. Crumble stale 
bread fine, moisten with cream un¬ 
til quite soft, season highly with salt, 
pepper, a few drops of onion juice, and 
grated cheese. Several chopped fresh 
mushrooms improve the flavor. Stuff 
the peppers with this mixture, put in 
the oven with bits of butter on the top 
of each shell and bake until a delicate 
brown. Serve very hot. 
Creole Rice.—Cook a cupful of rice 
in two quarts of salted boiling water 
for twenty minutes, or until tender, 
but not broken. Drain and set in the 
colander at the back of the range to 
dry. Have ready two sweet green pep¬ 
pers, which have been carefully seeded, 
scalded and left in the hot water until 
cold. Chop them fine. In a saucepan 
stew three raw tomatoes, cut up small, 
and seasoned with a great spoonful of 
butter: salt and sugar to taste. Cook 
for fifteen minutes, turn in the rice, 
bring to a boil and serve. 
When you write advertisers mention Tub 
I t. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
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There’s a Victor dealer near you. He’ll 
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Go see him today. And write us for the 
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Box 56, Camden, N. J., U.S. A. 
Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreal, Canadian Distrihntore 
To get best results, use only Victor Needles on 
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rOVWOiD 184* 
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If your dealer hasn’t Simpson- 
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(ipiiii a 39 „ kins Prairie Dogs, 
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FUMA 
Test 
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Any reasonable test, and many that 
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mu mm 
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The same guarantee goes with Keen Kutter 
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Sold for over 40 years under this mark and motto: 
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—E. C. Simmons. 
Trademark Registered. 
SIMMONS HARDWARE COMPANY (Inc.), SI. Louis and New York, U. S. A. 
Jr 
