66 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, [1 Jan., 1900. | 
preserver is added to fill the can. The top is then soldered on, a vent-holé 
being left in the middle. The cans are then arranged ina tray, which is plung ot 
into boiling water until the cans are reaching the boiling point. The tray i 
then lifted, and the vent-holes are rapidly soldered, and the tray again lowe 
into the boiling vat until the fruit is cooked. The process is simplicity itse 
except in judging how much cooking is required. This varies from 1 or 
minutes to perhaps 15 minutes, with the variety, size, and ripeness of the fruit, 
and is a matter of experience, because, unless the cans are plunged into cold 
water as soon as they come out of the vat, the cooking process goes on for 4 
long time. 
2. Hom Mzruops.—(a) One home method is to follow as nearly as 
possible the cannery system. 
(6) Fill the cans or jars with fruit and syrup, and put them in a preserving” 
pan with a thin perforated board, a few thicknesses of thick brown paper, a layel 
of matting or similar material to keep the jars from direct contact with the pan. 
Fill the pan with water, so that it will stand three parts of the way up the 
outside of the jars. Boil until the fruit is partly cooked, and take out and 
solder or otherwise fasten down while quite hot. If the cans stand in a warm 
place, the cooking goes on for some hours. If, therefore, the fruit is full 
cooked when it is taken off, itis found to be overcooked, or may be “mushy” 
when opened’ The essential factor in success by this method, which is the one) 
generally adopted when patent topped tins and patent jars are used, is to see 
that the tins or jars are hermetically sealed while hot. They will not keep 
otherwise. 
(c) A third plan is to cook the fruit in the tins or bottles, as in plan (0); 
and then add the syrup boiling hot, when the jars are taken out, sealing 
immediately as before. 
(¢) A fourth plan is to cook the fruit in syrup in an enamel or copper). 
stew pan, which, to preserve the fruit unbroken, should be double—zi.e., one pan 
within another with a wetter space between ; and when it is ready, ladle it into 
the cans or jars and seal up as before. When this process is followed, it is not 
wise to let it be cooked too much before filling. On the other hand, it should 
be ladled in before it begins to break, because the cooking goes on while the 
Jars are cooling, especially if they are packed together. 
) 
Syruv.—This should be made to suit the taste of the maker. Some use a 
much as 21b, of sugar to 1 quart of water, others 1 1b. to 1 gallon of water: 
We prefer a weak syrup, and add sugar when using if tastedemands. The sugat 
should be best crystal, and be boiled in the water. 
Searryc.— When tins are to be soldered the only precaution is to see that 
the soldering is properly done. When Simpson’s or other patent topped cans 
are used, a percentage is apt to prove not perfectly airtight or the tops are 
mixed and not properly put on. To make sure of the results, most house 
keepers find it advisable to run in a mixture of tallow and whiting, wax, o 
resin and wax. 
Last year we published the following method, and asked readers to give it 
a trial. Several did so, and reported complete success. We, therefore, feel that 
we are safe in recommending its adoption. By it fruit can be readily preserved 
in any wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a neck, which will enable the cover to bé 
tightly tied on. The following is the plan :— 
Put the fruit into a preserving pan with syrup. Heat the fruit in the 
syrup just long enough to scald it through. ‘Vhe fruit should be in good 
condition—ripe, but not oyer-ripe. The jars or bottles are properly cleaned and 
heated either in the oven or by putting them into a copper of warm water, ape 
raising it to the required heat. When the fruit is scalded through, it is ladle 
into the bottles very carefully, so as not to smash the fruit ; fill the bottle full 
