Every Step in Canning: The Cold-Pack Method
by Grace Viall Gray · English · Gutenberg #13775 · 419,337 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Every Step in Canning: The Cold-Pack Method
Author: Grace Viall Gray
Release date: October 17, 2004 [eBook #13775]
Most recently updated: October 28, 2024
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EVERY STEP IN CANNING: THE COLD-PACK METHOD ***
EVERY STEP IN CANNING
The Cold-Pack Method
by
GRACE VIALL GRAY, PH.B., ED.B
Formerly Associate Professor of Home Economics,
Iowa State College
1920
PREFACE
It was six years ago that I first heard of the One Period, Cold-Pack
Method of canning. A little circular was put in my hand one day at a
federated club meeting announcing the fact that in a few weeks there
would be a cold-pack demonstration about fifty miles away. Immediately
I announced that I was going to the demonstrations. So leaving my
small daughter with my mother, I went to the Normal School at DeKalb,
Illinois, and heard and saw for the first time cold-pack canning.
It is sufficient to say that those three days were so crowded full of
interest and new messages on the gospel of canning that I felt amply
repaid for going fifty miles. As a result of that trip, the first
story ever published on cold-pack canning appeared in _The Country
Gentleman_ and I had the pleasure of writing it. So enthused was I
over this new, efficient and easy way to can not only fruits but hard
vegetables, such as peas, corn and beans, that I wanted to carry the
good news into the kitchen of other busy housewives and mothers.
My mother had insisted that I take with me my younger sister, just
from college, but with no domestic science tendencies. So, much
against her wishes, preferring rather to do some settlement work, my
sister went with me. The canning was so interesting that for the first
time in her life, my sister became enthusiastic over one phase of
cooking. My mother was so pleased at this zeal that when she received
my sister's letter written from DeKalb, saying, "Mother, I am
enthused about this canning and want to can everything in sight this
summer," she hastily washed all available glass jars and tops and had
everything in readiness for young daughter's return. And we canned. We
were not content to can alone but invited all the neighbors in and
taught them how to can. Our community canned more things and more
unusual things, including the hard vegetables, that year than they had
ever attempted before.
Do not think for one minute it was all easy sailing, for there were
doubting Thomases, but it only took time and _results_ to convert even
the most skeptical ones. And here I must make a confession. It was
much easier for my sister, unversed in any phase of canning, to master
this new method than it was for me with my four years' training course
and my five years of teaching canning behind me. And this is the
reason. She had nothing to "unlearn," she knew no other method whereas
I had to "unlearn" all my previous methods.
The one period, cold-pack method is so entirely different from the old
hot pack or open kettle method that to be successful you must forget
all you ever knew and be willing to be taught anew. And right here is
where many women "fall down"--they are not willing to admit that they
know nothing about it and so do not get accurate information about it.
They are so afraid of appearing ignorant. This false feeling is the
greatest obstacle in woman's way.
I still go into small towns on my lecture trips and women will say,
"Oh, that cold-pack canning isn't new to me. I have used it for thirty
years." And when I show my surprise, they further enlighten me with,
"and my mother used it before me, too." With a little tactful
questioning I usually get these answers: "Of course, I do not hot dip
and cold dip. I never heard of that before. I pack the products into
the cold jars and for all vegetables I use a preserving powder because
there is no way on earth to keep corn and peas and such things unless
you put something into them to keep them. Fruit will keep all right.
Then I cook them in my wash boiler until they are done." And when I
ask, "How do you know when they are done," I invariably get the
answer, "Oh, I take out a jar once in a while and try it." It seems
like such a hopeless task to change all these old-fashioned,
out-of-date methods of cooking but with a great amount of patience and
much actual canning it can usually be done. Not always, of course, for
there are some women who seem to delight in sticking to the old rather
than try the new.
The present book is therefore designed for all interested in greater
efficiency in the home, including not only students of home economics
but all persons who have charge of homes and are interested in
learning new, efficient, time and labor saving methods.
In the preparation of this book I have received much help from Mr.
O.H. Benson, Agriculturist in charge of the government Boys' and
Girls' Club Work, and my first instructor in Cold-Pack Canning. I also
wish to acknowledge my appreciation to those who have helped to make
this book possible by contributing information, advice and
encouragement.
GRACE VIALL GRAY.
October, 1919.
CONTENTS
I. GETTING READY TO CAN
II. SOFT FRUITS AND BERRIES
III. HARD FRUITS
IV. VEGETABLES
V. SOUPS
VI. JELLIES, JAMS, PRESERVES, MARMALADES, FRUIT JUICES AND SIRUPS
VII. MEAT
VIII. FISH
IX. EASY METHODS OF CANNING IN TIN
X. INTERMITTENT CANNING OR FRACTIONAL STERILIZATION
XI. WHY CANNED GOODS SPOIL
XI. I GETTING READY TO DRY
XIII. HOW TO DRY FRUITS
XIV. HOW TO DRY VEGETABLES
XV. EVERY STEP IN BRINING
XVI. CURING, SMOKING AND PRESERVING MEAT
XVII. PRESERVED OR "CANNED" EGGS
XVIII. HOME STORAGE OF VEGETABLES
XIX. HOW TO MARKET HOME CANNED PRODUCE
EVERY STEP IN CANNING
CHAPTER I
GETTING READY TO CAN
Before the World War, housewives had lost the good habit of canning,
preserving and pickling. It was easier to buy California fruits by the
case and canned vegetables by the dozen or half dozen cans, according
to the size of the family. There is no doubt it was cheaper and
decidedly easier to purchase canned fruits, vegetables, greens, soups
and meats than to take time and strength in the very hottest season of
the year to do our own canning.
But what was true then is not true now. The war taught us thrift. The
crime of wasting even a few tomatoes or berries has sunk into our
minds to stay forever; scientific canning methods have been adopted by
the modern woman. Women who had never canned in days before the war
had to can during war days. Food was so scarce and so high in price
that to buy fancy or even plain canned products was a severe strain on
the average housewife's purse. The American woman, as was to be
expected, came quickly and eagerly to the front with the solution and
the slogan: "More gardens and more canning and preserving at home."
A great garden and canning movement swept the whole country. As I have
just said, women who had never canned before became vitally interested
in putting up not merely a few jars of this and that, but jars upon
jars of canned fruits, vegetables and greens; and so great was their
delight in the finished products that again and again I heard them
say: "Never again shall we depend upon the grocery to supply us with
canned goods."
If these women had been obliged to use the same methods that their
grandmothers used before them, they would have canned just the same,
because it was their patriotic duty to do so; but they would have
canned without the enthusiasm and zeal that was so apparent during the
summers of 1917 and 1918. This enthusiasm was a result of new canning
methods, methods unknown to our grandmothers. The women of to-day were
forced into a new field and learned how satisfying and well worth
while the results were. It is safe to guarantee that every
home-canning recruit will become a home-canning veteran.
The fascination of doing one's own canning after one has learned how
simple and economical it is will be lasting. No one need fear that
home canning is going to suffer because the war ended the immediate
necessity for it. Home canning has come into its own because of the
war, and it has come to stay because of its many merits.
There are four methods of canning that are employed by women all over
the United States. They are the "open-kettle," the "intermittent," the
"cold-water" and the "cold-pack" methods.
DRAWBACKS OF THE OLD METHODS
The "open-kettle," or "hot-pack," method is the oldest. It was largely
used in the pre-war days. The food is completely cooked in the
preserving kettle, and is then packed into hot, sterilized jars, after
which the jars are sealed. As the packing into the jar is done after
the sterilization has been completed, there is always a possibility of
bacteria and spores entering the jar with the cooked food and the air.
Fruits can be handled successfully in this way, but this method cannot
be used for vegetables, greens and meats. It is a very laborious, hot
and hard way to can. Modern housewives are discarding it more and more
every year and are beginning to place their trust in the newer and far
more scientific methods of canning.
The "intermittent," or fractional sterilization, method is still
beloved by some people who cling to the sure and hate to venture into
the new. Vegetables can be handled by this method as can all fruits
and meats. It is used rather extensively in the South, where they say
the conditions do not favor "cold-pack." The great objection to this
method of canning is that it requires three periods of sterilization
on three different days and three liftings of jars in and out of the
sterilizer.
What is sometimes called the "cold-water" method of canning should not
be confused with the "cold-pack" method. The "cold-water" is often
used in connection with the canning of rhubarb, green gooseberries and
a comparatively few other sour berry fruits. If the "cold-water"
method is used we would suggest that the product be thoroughly washed,
placed in a strainer, scalding water poured over it, and the product
then packed at once, in practically a fresh state, in the jars, and
clean, cold water applied until the jars are filled. If these steps
are taken carefully and quickly the method in most cases will be
successful with such acid products as I mentioned. As the products
will have to be cooked before they can be used many housewives do not
consider it any saving of time or labor to follow this method.
THE COLD-PACK METHOD
The method of to-day that came into its own during the war is known as
the "cold-pack" method of canning. It fought a long fight to prove
that it was a very efficient, economical and satisfactory process for
busy housewives to can everything that grows.
This is the method that I shall mostly refer to in this book, and if I
should omit the phrase "cold-pack" you will know that I am referring
to it. "Cold-pack" simply means that the products are packed cold in
their fresh and natural state in the glass jars or containers. To the
fruits hot sirup is applied; to the vegetables hot water and a little
salt are added. The sterilization is done in the glass jars or tin
containers after they are partly or entirely sealed, making it
practically impossible for bacteria or spores to enter after the
product has once been carefully sterilized or cooked. In following
this method vegetables should first be blanched in boiling water or
live steam, then quickly plunged into cold water and the skins
removed. The products are then packed in containers and sterilized
according to the instructions and recipes given later.
When we use the term sterilizing we simply mean cooking the product
for a certain period of time after the jar has been filled with food.
It is sometimes called processing. Sterilizing, processing, boiling
and cooking are all interchangeable terms and mean one and the same
thing.
By this "cold-pack," or cold-fill, method of canning, all food
products, including fruits, vegetables and meats, can be successfully
sterilized in a single period with but one handling of the product in
and out of the canner.
All the flavor is retained, the product is not cooked to a mushy pulp,
and the labor and time needed for the canning are less than in any
other method. The housewife's canning enemy, mold, is eliminated and
all bacteria and bacterial spores which cause vegetables and meat to
spoil are destroyed.
EXPENSIVE OUTFITS NOT ESSENTIAL
For this "cold-pack" method you can use whatever equipment you have in
the kitchen. Complicated equipment is not essential. Many of us have
purchased commercial outfits, for we know we can turn out more at the
end of a day and have found it well worth while to invest a few
dollars in equipment that enabled us to be more efficient. But if you
are a beginner and do not care to put any money in an unknown venture
use the available things at hand, just to prove to yourself and others
that it can be done.
Every type of glass jar manufactured can be used except those which
are sealed with wax. So dig into your storerooms, attics and basements
and bring forth all your old jars. If a top is in good condition and
will make a perfect seal when adjusted with a good rubber you can use
that jar.
If the tops cannot be restored to good condition it is poor economy to
use them. Imperfectly sealed jars are probably responsible for more
spoiled canned goods than any other cause. Good tops and good rubbers
are requisites for good canning.
For your canner, or sterilizer, you may use a wash boiler or a
galvanized bucket, such as is used for a garbage pail--a new one, of
course. Either is excellent where the family is small and the canning
is accordingly light. Some use the reservoir of the cookstove while
others employ a large vat. If you should have to buy the wash boiler
or pail see that it has a tight-fitting cover and be sure the pail
does not leak. Then all you have to do is to secure what we call a
false bottom, something that will keep the jars of fruit from touching
the direct bottom of the boiler or pail. This false bottom, remember,
is absolutely necessary, for without it the jars will break during the
boiling.
For this false bottom use a wire netting of half-inch mesh and cut it
to fit the bottom of the sterilizer, whether boiler, pail or bucket.
If you haven't any netting and do not care to purchase it a wooden
bottom can be made to fit the sterilizer, or if that is not available
put thin pieces of wood in the bottom--anything to keep the jars from
coming in direct contact with the bottom of the sterilizer.
If you have only a small quantity of berries or fruit to can use a
deep saucepan with a tight-fitting cover and a few slats of wood. This
rack is absolutely necessary to keep the contents of the jars from
becoming overheated. Even if they should not break there is a tendency
for part of the contents to escape under the cover and be lost. Do not
use hay, old clothes, newspapers or excelsior for a false bottom; they
are unsatisfactory because they do not allow proper circulation of
water.
Individual jar holders are very convenient and are preferred by many
women to the racks. Inexpensive racks with handles are on the market
and are worth what they cost in saved nerves and unburned fingers.
Some hold eight jars, others hold twelve. So it just lies with you,
individual housekeeper, whether you want a rack that will hold all
your jars or a set of individual holders that handles them separately.
To return to the subject of the canner, let me add that no matter what
kind you use, it must be at least three inches deeper than the tallest
jar. This will give room for the rack and an extra inch or two so that
the water will not boil over.
Besides the canners, the jars, the rubber rings and the rack you will
need one kettle for boiling water, into which the product may be put
for scalding or blanching; another kettle for water--if you haven't
running water--for the "cold dip."
If you use a homemade rack without handles you should have a jar
lifter of some kind for placing in and removing jars from the canner.
If individual holders are used this is not necessary, as they contain
an upright bail. Some women use a wire potato masher for lifting the
jars out of the canners. Other kitchen equipment, such as scales,
knives, spoons, wire basket or a piece of cheesecloth or muslin for
blanching or scalding the product, and the kitchen clock play their
part in canning.
No canning powder or any preservative is needed. If the product is
cooked in closed jars in the hot-water bath as directed the food will
be sterilized so that it will keep indefinitely. If it is desired to
add salt, sugar, sirup, vinegar or other flavor this may be done when
the product is packed in the jar.
A great many people have been led to believe through advertising
matter that it is both safe and practical to use canning compounds for
the preserving of vegetables which have proved hard to keep under the
commonly known methods of canning. The first argument against the use
of a canning compound is that it is unnecessary. It is possible to
sterilize any fruit or vegetable which grows on tree, vine, shrub or
in the ground by this cold-pack, single-period method of canning,
without the use of a compound. The second argument against it is that
many of the canning compounds are positively harmful to health. Some
of them contain as high as ninety-five per cent of boric acid.
Directors of county and state fairs should exclude from entry all
fruits and vegetables that have been preserved in any canning
compound. Perfect fruit can be produced without any chemical
preservative. The third argument is that they are expensive.
There are many modifications of the original wash boiler and garbage
pail cookers. These are all known as the hot-water-bath outfits. In
these outfits the products are all cooked in boiling water.
There are condensed-steam cookers under various names, where the
product is cooked in condensed steam. These steamers are generally
used for everyday cookery.
The water-seal outfit, the steam-pressure outfit and the aluminum
pressure cooker follow in order of efficiency as regards the time
required to sterilize food.
Following the hot-water canner in simplicity of construction and
manipulation is the water-seal cooker. The temperature of the
hot-water-seal outfit is a little higher than the homemade or
hot-water-bath outfit; so time is saved in the sterilizing.
The steam-pressure and the pressure cookers are more complicated but
more efficient. Some prefer the aluminum pressure cooker because it
can be used for everyday cooking in the home.
Pressure cookers are expensive, but they are worth their price, as
they are used daily and not just during the canning season.
Here are examples of how they rank as to time required: In a
hot-water-bath outfit soft fruits must be sterilized sixteen minutes;
in a steamer, sixteen minutes; in a water-seal outfit, twelve minutes;
in a steam-pressure-outfit under five pounds of steam, ten minutes; in
an aluminum pressure cooker outfit with ten pounds of steam, five
minutes.
It takes longest to can with a homemade or hot-water-bath outfit; the
shortest and quickest method is with the pressure cooker that has a
pressure of ten pounds or more. Each housewife has different financial
problems, different hours of working and different ways of working.
Where quick work is desired and expense is no item the pressure cooker
is advisable; where money is scarce and time is no object the homemade
outfit answers. Each one must decide which outfit is best for her own
particular case. It matters not which outfit you have--they have all
been thoroughly tested and approved by experts. Each one does the
work.
This equipment for canning should be in all kitchens: four-quart
kettle for blanching; steamer for steaming greens; colander; quart
measure; funnel; good rubber rings; sharp paring knives; jar opener;
wire basket and a piece of cheesecloth one yard square for blanching;
pineapple scissors; one large preserving spoon; one tablespoon; one
teaspoon; one set of measuring spoons; measuring cup; jar lifter;
either a rack for several jars or individual jar holders; and a clock.
The manufacturers, realizing that boys and girls must be kept busy
during the vacation months, have made some wonderful devices for
outdoor canning. Would it not be a good plan to buy one for the young
people of your family and give them something definite and worth while
to do in summer? You know little brains and hands must be kept
busy--if not usefully employed they are often inclined to mischief.
This type of cooker furnishes its own heat; so it can be used in the
back yard, in the orchard or under the trees in the front yard.
Remember that the higher the altitude the lower the degree of heat
required to boil water. Time-tables given in instructions for canning
are usually based upon the requirements of an altitude of 500 feet
above sea level. Generally speaking, for every 4000-foot increase in
altitude it will be well to add twenty per cent to the time required
as given in recipes or time schedules for the canning of all kinds of
fruits, vegetables, greens and meats.
CHAPTER II
SOFT FRUITS AND BERRIES
Having decided on your canning outfit, whether you are going to can in
boiling water, in a condensed steam cooker, or in steam under
pressure; having gathered together the necessary tools, such as
spoons, knives and a funnel; having raided the storeroom and collected
some jars, you are now ready for the actual work of canning.
It is rather unfortunate that strawberries should be one of the very
hardest products to can with good results. The canning itself is
simple--all berries are quickly and easily canned--but strawberries
always shrink, are apt to turn a little brown, and, what distresses us
most of all, they float to the top of the jar.
The berry's tendency to shrink is responsible for loss of color as
well as its floating qualities. However, if you will be exceedingly
careful to remove the berries from the canner the minute the clock
says the sterilizing period is over, you will have a fairly good
product. Two minutes too long will produce a very dark, shrunken
berry. So be careful of the cooking time. Another thing that makes a
good-looking jar is to pack a quart of berries--all kinds of berries,
not merely strawberries--into a pint jar. If you will get that many in
you will have a much better-looking jar, with very little liquid at
the bottom. It does not hurt the berries at all to gently press down
on them with a silver spoon while you are packing them into the jar.
We know we are going to get a quart of berries into every pint jar,
so we know just how many quarts of berries we will need to fill the
necessary jars for the next winter's use.
The first thing to do is to test each jar to see that there are no
cracks, no rough edges to cut the rubber, and to see whether the cover
and clamp fit tightly, if a clamp type of jar is used. The bail that
clamps down the glass tops should go down with a good spring. If it
does not, remove the bail and bend it into shape by taking it in both
hands and pressing down in the middle with both thumbs. Do not bend it
too hard, for if it goes down with too much of a snap it will break
the jar. This testing of the bails should be done every year. The
bails on new jars are sometimes too tight, in which case remove the
bail and spread it out. After the bail has been readjusted, test it
again. The chances are it will be just right. Of course all this
testing takes time, but it pays.
If you are using some old Mason jars put a rubber on each jar, fill
the jar with hot water, and then put the cover on tight and invert.
This is a sure test for leakage. Never use a Mason cap twice unless
the cover and collar are separate so that both can be completely
sterilized. Fortunately the old-fashioned Mason jar metal cover to
which a porcelain cap is fastened is going out of style.
If you still have some of these old covers it will be economy to throw
them away. You will be money ahead in the end. After these tops have
been used once it is impossible to make a fastening between the
porcelain and the metal so tight that it is not possible for the
liquid to seep through and cause the contents to spoil. This accounts
for many failures when old tops are used. For this reason never use
the old-fashioned, zinc-topped covers.
The new and safe Mason jar covers consist of two parts, the metal
collar and the porcelain cap. They are for sale at all grocery or
hardware stores.
If you are using the vacuum-seal jars which have a composition
attached to the lacquered tops, carefully examine this rubber
composition to see that it is perfect. This composition should go
entirely round the top and should not be cut or broken in any place.
If it is the top must be discarded for a perfect one.
Of course with this type of jar no rubber rings are necessary, as the
rubber composition on the lacquered top does the sealing.
It is a wise plan to go round the tops and over the inside of all new
glass jars with a heavy and dull knife to scrape off any slivers of
glass or bursted blisters that may be still clinging to the jars.
Those on the tops cut through the rubber and cause leakage. Those in
the jars may get into the product. I often find these splinters,
particularly on new straight-sided jars.
It matters not what type of jar you use. Use what you have at hand,
but if you are buying new jars consider the following things before
making your selections: No metal, unless it is enameled or lacquered,
should come in contact with the food. The jars should be of smooth,
well-finished glass. The color of the jar does not affect the keeping
qualities of the food. The top or part of the top that comes in
contact with the contents should be all in one piece, so as not to
offer a place for the accumulation of organisms and dirt. The jars
which have nearly straight sides and a wide mouth or opening are
easier to wash and facilitate better, quicker and easier packing of
the product.
Wash the jars in soap and water. Rinse in boiling water. Some people
temper new jars so they will stand the shock of hot water or hot sirup
without breaking. If you wish to take this extra precaution put the
jars in a dishpan or kettle of cold water after they have been washed
in soapy water; bring the water slowly to a boil and let it boil
fifteen minutes. After the jars are ready test the rubber rings. This
may seem a useless precaution, but it is a necessary one, for there is
no one detail in the business of canning that is more important. Even
in the best boxes of rubbers there is occasionally a black sheep, and
one black sheep may cause the loss of a jar.
Test each rubber before you use it by pressing it firmly between the
thumbs and forefingers, stretching it very slightly. If it seems soft
and spongy discard it. All rubbers fit for canning should be firm,
elastic, and should endure a stretching pull without breaking. A good
rubber ring will return promptly to place without changing the inside
diameter.
A great many women are laboring under the wrong impression that color
affects the quality of a ring. Some women insist on red, and others on
white. Color is given to rings by adding coloring matter during the
manufacturing process. The color of the ring is no index to its
usefulness in home canning.
Use only fresh, sound strawberries or other berries. There is a little
knack about preparing the strawberries that few housewives know. Hull
the berries by _twisting the berries off the hull_, instead of pulling
the hull from the berry as most women do. You will have a
better-looking berry if you will be careful about this. Place the
berries in a strainer and pour cold water over them to cleanse them.
HOW TO ADJUST THE COVERS
Never allow the berries or any fruit to stand in water, as the flavor
and color are destroyed by water-soaking. Pack in glass jars, pressing
the berries down tightly, but without crushing them. Put the rubber on
the jar if you are using a jar requiring a rubber. Pour hot sirup over
the berries. Put the top of the jar in place, but only partially
tighten it.
If using the screw-top jars, such as the Mason, screw down with the
thumb and little finger, not using force but stopping when the cover
catches.
If using vacuum-seal jars put the cover on and the spring in place.
The spring will give enough to allow the steam to escape.
In using glass-top jars with the patent wire snap, put the cover in
place, the wire over the top and leave the clamp up.
The cover on a glass jar must not be tight while the product is
cooking, because the air will expand when heated, and if the cover is
not loose enough to allow the steam to escape the pressure may blow
the rubber out or break the jar.
The product is now ready for the canner.
STERILIZING
If you are using the homemade outfit, such as wash-boiler or garbage
pail, all berries and soft fruits are sterilized sixteen minutes; in
all commercial hot-water-bath outfits and in condensed steam, sixteen
minutes; in the water-seal, twelve minutes; in the steam pressure
under five pounds of steam, ten minutes; and in the pressure cooker
under ten pounds of steam, five minutes. Do not allow the pressure to
run above ten pounds for soft fruits; fifteen pounds makes them mushy.
If you use any type of hot-water-bath outfit be sure the water is
boiling when the fruit is lowered into the canner, and _keep it
boiling_ vigorously for the entire sixteen minutes. At the end of the
sterilizing time, _immediately_ remove the jars from the canner.
In taking canned goods from boiling water care is needed to see that
they are protected from drafts. If necessary close the windows and
doors while lifting the jars out, as a sudden draft might break them.
Examine rubbers to see that they are in place. Sometimes if a cover is
screwed down too tight the pressure of the steam from the inside
causes the rubber to bulge out. Simply loosen the cover a thread or
two, push the rubber back into place and then tighten.
In case the rubber does not seem to fit well or seems to be a poor
rubber it should be replaced by a new one, and the jar returned to the
cooker for five minutes.
The jars should be sealed tight--covers screwed down, clamps put in
place--immediately after they are removed from the cooker.
Invert the jar to test the joint, then let it cool. If the seal is not
perfect correct the fault and return the jar to the cooker for five
minutes if hot, ten minutes if the jar is cold.
Do not invert vacuum-seal jars. These should be allowed to cool, and
then be tested by removing the spring or clamp and lifting the jars by
the cover only. Lift the jar only half an inch, holding it over the
table, so that in case the lid does not hold the jar and contents will
not be damaged. Or, better still, tap round the edge of the cover with
a rule. An imperfect seal will give a hollow sound.
As light injures delicately colored fruits and vegetables, it is wise
to store them in dark places, such as cupboards, or basement or attic
shelves protected from the light. Black cambric tacked to the top
shelf and suspended over the other shelves is a sufficient protection
from light. A discarded window shade can be rolled down over the
shelves and easily pulled up when you desire to take a jar from the
shelves.
Canned goods are best kept at a temperature below seventy degrees
Fahrenheit, where that is at all possible.
STEPS IN CANNING SOFT FRUITS AND BERRIES
It might be well to enumerate the steps in berry and soft-fruit
canning, or do what we called in our schooldays "review it":
1. Get the canner and all its accessories ready.
2. Test and wash jars and tops and put in water to sterilize.
3. Test rubber rings.
4. Make sirup and put in double boiler to keep hot
5. Prepare the product--hull, seed, stem.
6. Place berries or fruit in strainer or colander.
7. Rinse by pouring cold water over product.
8. Pack from strainer into hot jar.
9. Use big spoon to get a firm pack.
10. Dip rubber in hot water to cleanse it and put it in place on the
jar.
11. Pour the hot sirup over the fruit at once.
12. Put top of jar on, but not tight.
13. Ready for canner.
14. Sterilize for the necessary length of time, according to the
outfit you are using:
MINUTES
Hot-water-bath outfit 16
Condensed-steam outfit 16
Water-seal outfit 12
Steam pressure, 5 pounds, outfit 10
Pressure cooker, 10 pounds, outfit 5
15. Remove from canner.
16. Tighten cover, except vacuum-seal jar, which seals automatically.
17. Test joint.
18. Three or four days later, if perfectly air-tight, label and store
in a dark place.
These steps are followed for strawberries, blackberries, blueberries,
dewberries, huckleberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and for all soft
fruits, such as cherries, currants, grapes and figs.
The other soft fruits, such as peaches and apricots, which have a
skin, are scalded or "hot dipped" for one to two minutes in boiling
water or steam and are then plunged into cold water. These two steps
of hot-dipping and cold dipping make the removal of skins a very
simple operation. After the skins are removed the fruit is put into
the hot jars and the process continued from Step 8, as with
strawberries.
SIRUPS
Of course you are wondering about the sirups for the different fruits.
There is no set rule for making sirup. It is not necessary to use
sirup in canning fruits. The amount of sugar used in the sirup will
depend upon the individual taste. In a first-class product there
should be enough sirup to improve its flavor, but not enough to make
it take the place in the diet of a sweet preserve rather than a fresh
fruit.
The sirups are made either with varying proportions of sugar and water
or with the same proportions boiled different lengths of time. What is
known as the California sirup is made with three parts of sugar to two
parts of water, boiled gently to different concentrations.
Thin Sirup. For a thin sirup take three cups of sugar and two cups
of water. Mix sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved. This is
used for all sweet fruits not too delicate in texture and color, as
apples, cherries, pears, or for fruits in which more sugar will be
added in preparation for the table.
Medium Thin Sirup. The sugar and water should be boiled about four
minutes, or until it begins to be sirupy. This is used for
raspberries, peaches, blackberries, currants, etc.
Medium Thick Sirup. Boil the sugar and water until it will pile up
over the edge of the spoon when it is tipped. This is used for sour or
acid fruits, as plums, gooseberries, apricots, sour apples, and some
of the delicately colored fruits, as strawberries.
Thick Sirup. The sugar and water are boiled until it will form a
ball in the spoon and cannot be poured from the spoon. This is used
for preserves.
It is possible to get more, sometimes almost twice as much, sirup
into a quart jar containing large fruits, as apples and pears, than
into a quart jar containing small fruits, as currants or blackberries.
There is a little knack worth knowing about combining the sugar and
water for the sirup. If the sugar is sifted into the boiling water
just as fine-grained cereals are sifted into water, there will be no
scum formed. This is a saving of sugar.
If you wish to can strawberries for the market or to win a prize at
the county or state fairs, can them as follows:
Canned by this recipe, strawberries will not rise to the top of the
sirup. Use only fresh, ripe, firm and sound berries. Prepare them, and
add eight ounces of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of water to each
quart of berries. Boil slowly for fifteen minutes in an enameled or
acid-proof kettle. Allow the berries to cool and remain several hours
or over-night in the covered kettle. Pack the cold berries in hot
glass jars. Put rubbers and caps of jars in position, not tight.
Sterilize for the length of time given below for the type of outfit
used:
MINUTES
Water bath, homemade or commercial 8
Water seal, 214 degrees 6
5 pounds steam pressure 5
10 pounds steam pressure. Do not use.
Remove the jars, tighten the covers, invert the jars to cool and test
the joints. Wrap the jars with paper to prevent bleaching.
CHAPTER III
HARD FRUITS
PINEAPPLES
The object of canning citrus fruits is, first, to save the surplus and
by-products; second, to furnish wholesome fruits at reasonable cost to
more of our people; third, to help the producer to transform
by-products into net profits.
Almost every one likes canned pineapple, but some housewives stopped
canning this fruit because they found that when cooked in sirup it
seemed to get tough and less palatable. Vegetable and fruit fibers are
toughened when cooked with sugar for any length of time, so in all
cases where you desire to keep the product as Nature grew it avoid
this form of cooking.
When the product is put into the jars with a sirup and cooked in the
jar you will have a product superior to the one that is cooked over
the direct fire in the kettle with the sirup.
But pineapple slices or pieces are so hard they cannot be put directly
into the jars as berries are. Pineapples must undergo a preliminary
process to make them palatable and soft. This preliminary process is
known in canning as "blanching."
After the pineapple has been prepared by paring and removing the eyes,
it can be left in slices or cut into cubes. In cutting hold the
pineapple at the top and use a sharp knife. It is then placed in a
wire basket or a piece of cheesecloth for the blanching. Blanching
means to immerse the product in boiling water for a certain length of
time to reduce its bulk and soften it.
Pineapples are blanched for five minutes. We scald peaches and
apricots, which are soft fruits; but we blanch pineapples, apples and
quinces, the hard fruits.
Scalding means to immerse the product in boiling water for a very
short time--just long enough to loosen the skins. Blanching is just a
longer period of scalding.
When you blanch pineapples use only enough water to cover them. This
same blanching water can be used for making the sirup. It contains
much of the pineapple flavor and there is no reason for discarding it.
But this is absolutely the only blanching water that is ever used. All
other blanching water, particularly that in which vegetables are
blanched, is full of objectionable acids that we want to get rid of,
so under no circumstances must it be used. But with pineapples the
object of blanching is primarily to soften the hard fiber, so there is
no objection to using the blanching water.
After the pineapple has been in the covered kettle of boiling water
for five minutes, it is held under cold water until cool enough to
handle. Never let it soak in cold water, as that will impair its
delicate flavor. After this it is packed into hot sterilized jars.
Rubber rings are put on the jars, the covers are put in place--not
tight--and the jars are put in the canner.
Pineapple is sterilized for thirty minutes in a hot-water-bath outfit;
thirty minutes in a condensed steam outfit; twenty-five minutes in the
water-seal; twenty-five minutes in the steam pressure under five
pounds of steam, and eighteen minutes in the pressure cooker under ten
pounds of pressure. At the end of the sterilizing period the jars are
removed, the covers completely tightened and the joints carefully
tested for leakage.
A thin or medium-thin sirup is best for pineapples. Measure the
blanching water and to every two cups of it add three cups of sugar.
If you wish the sirup thin heat until the sugar is dissolved. If
medium-thin sirup is desired, boil it about four minutes or until it
begins to be sirupy.
STEPS IN CANNING PINEAPPLE
1. Cut the pineapple into slices of desired thickness.
2. Pare the slices. It is easier to pare the slices than to pare the
whole pineapple.
3. Remove the eyes, using pineapple scissors to facilitate the work.
4. Blanch pineapple for five minutes in a small amount of boiling
water, using a wire basket or cheesecloth.
5. Cold-dip the pineapple.
6. Make a sirup, using the blanching water. Make a thin or medium-thin
sirup.
7. Pack the pineapple into hot sterilized jars, with good rubbers on
them.
8. Pour the sirup over the pineapple.
9. Put the tops of the jars on--not tight.
10. Sterilize for 30 minutes in hot-water-bath outfit, 30 minutes in
condensed-steam outfit, 25 minutes in water-seal outfit, 25 minutes in
steam pressure (5 pounds), 18 minutes in pressure cooker (10 pounds).
11. Remove from canner, tighten covers and inspect rubber and joints.
APPLES
Here are six ways in which canned apples may be used: as a breakfast
dish, with cream and sugar; baked like fresh apples; in apple salad,
often served for lunch or supper; as a relish with roast pork--the
apples may be fried in the pork fat or the cores may be cooked with
roast pork for flavoring; and for apple dumplings, deep apple pie and
other desserts in which whole apples are desirable. The sirup of
canned whole apples can be used for pudding sauces or fruit drinks.
Apples are another hard fruit which require blanching, as it greatly
improves their texture and appearance.
Apples and some other fruits, such as pears and quinces, have a
tendency to turn brown when allowed to stand after they are cut. To
prevent their discoloring the pieces may be dropped into mild salt
water as they are pared and sliced. Let them stand for five minutes,
then wash them in clear water and pack. Use a thin sirup for canning
apples.
Summer apples are not firm enough to keep well when canned. They cook
up and lose flavor. They may, however, be canned to be used in a short
time. Windfall apples may be pared, cored and sliced, using water, and
only a small quantity of that, instead of sirup, and canned for pies.
To be able to can windfall and cull apples and thus have them for home
use through the entire year is a great advantage to all farmers who
grow them. They can be sold on the market canned when they would not
bring a cent in the fresh state.
The windfall and cull apples may be divided into two grades. The
first grade would include the whole reasonably sound fruit; the second
grade the worm-eaten, partially decayed and injured fruit. Do not can
any injured or decayed part nor allow apples to become overripe before
canning.
Canning Whole Reasonably Firm Apples. Wash the apples. Remove cores
and blemishes. Place whole apples in blanching tray or blanching cloth
and blanch in boiling hot water for one or two minutes. Remove and
plunge quickly into cold water. Pack in large glass jars. Pour over
the product a hot thin sirup. Place rubber and top in position. Seal
partially--not tight.
Sterilize jars twenty minutes in hot-water-bath outfit and in
condensed steam, fifteen minutes in water-seal, ten minutes in
steam-pressure outfit with five pounds of steam pressure, five minutes
in aluminum pressure-cooker outfit, under ten pounds of steam
pressure. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test joints.
Firm and tart apples may be cored and peeled first, then canned by the
above recipe.
Canning Apples for Pie Filling. Use second grade of windfalls or
culls. Wash, core, pare and remove all decayed spots. Slice apple
quickly into a basin containing slightly salted cold water--about one
tablespoon of salt per gallon--to prevent discoloring. Pack fresh cold
product in glass jars. Add one cupful of hot thin sirup to each quart
of fruit. Put on the rubbers and screw on tops, but do not seal
completely. Sterilize twelve minutes in hot-water bath or
condensed-steam outfit; ten minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes
under five pounds of steam pressure; four minutes in aluminum
pressure cooker. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test
joint. Store.
This filling can be used for making apple pies in the same way that
fresh apples would be used, with the exception that the sirup must be
poured off and less sugar should be used. Since the apples have
already been cooked, only enough heat is needed to cook the crust and
to warm the apples through. Pies may be baked in seven minutes. The
apple pies made with these apples are, in the opinion of many
housekeepers, as good as those made with fresh fruit, and they can be
made in less time and are less expensive.
The only difference between canning apples for pies and salads or
whole is that when wanted for pies the apples should be sliced
immediately after placing in cold slightly salted water.
Canning Quartered Apples for Fruit Salads. Select best-grade culls
of firm and rather tart varieties. Core, pare and quarter. Drop into
basin containing slightly salted cold water. Pack these quartered
pieces tightly in jars. Add a cup of hot thin sirup to each quart.
Place rubber and top in position, partially seal--not tight. Sterilize
twelve minutes in hot-water bath and condensed-steam outfits; ten
minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes under five pounds of steam
pressure; four minutes in aluminum pressure cooker. Remove jars,
tighten covers, invert to cool and test joints. Store.
ORANGES
Canning Whole Oranges and Other Citrus Fruits. Select windfall or
packing-plant culls. Use no unsound or decayed fruit. Remove skin and
white fiber on surface. Blanch fruit in boiling water one and a half
minutes. Dip quickly in cold water. Pack containers full. Add boiling
hot thin sirup. Place rubber and cap in position and partially
seal--not tight.
Sterilize twelve minutes in hot-water-bath and condensed-steam
outfits; eight minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes in
steam-pressure outfit under five pounds of steam; four minutes in
aluminum pressure-cooker outfit. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert
to cool and test joints. Wrap glass jars with paper to prevent
bleaching, and store.
Canning Sliced Oranges for Salad Purposes. The oranges may be
divided into their natural sections or sliced with a knife. Pack jars
or containers full. Pour over product hot thin sirup. Place rubber and
cap in position. Partially seal--not tight. Sterilize ten minutes in
hot-water-bath and condensed-steam outfits; six minutes in water-seal
outfit; five minutes in steam-pressure outfit with five pounds of
steam; four minutes in aluminum pressure-cooker outfit under ten
pounds of steam. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test
the joints. Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching, and store.
PEARS, QUINCES AND RHUBARB
Pears are prepared and canned just as the whole firm apples are, being
blanched a minute and a half, cold-dipped and sterilized for the same
length of time as apples.
Quinces are so very hard they must be blanched like pineapples, but
for a longer time. Six minutes' blanching is usually sufficient for
quinces. The sterilizing period can be determined by looking at the
chart.
If skins are left on rhubarb it keeps its pink color. The hot dip is
not necessary and may be omitted. It removes some of the excessive
acid in the rhubarb which makes it objectionable to some people. Be
very careful not to hot-dip the rhubarb more than one minute, for it
gets mushy. An advantage of the hot dip is that more rhubarb can be
packed in a jar after it has been hot-dipped.
WHAT A BUSHEL OF FRUIT WILL YIELD
A great many women have no conception of how many jars of fruit they
will get from a bushel or half bushel of produce. It is wise to have a
little knowledge along this line, for it aids in planning the winter's
supply of canned goods as well as at marketing time.
From one bushel of the various fruits you will get on the average the
following:
PRODUCTS, 1 BUSHEL PINT JARS QUART JARS
Windfall apples 30 20
Standard peaches 25 18
Pears 45 30
Plums 45 30
Berries 50 30
Windfall oranges--sliced 22 15
Windfall oranges--whole 35 22
CANNING WITHOUT SUGAR
Though all instructions indicate that sugar is necessary for the
canning of all kinds of fruits, it is not necessary for their proper
sterilization and preservation. Any fruit may be successfully
sterilized by simply adding boiling water instead of the hot sirup. It
is a well-known fact, however, that most fruits canned in water will
not retain so well their natural flavor, texture and color as fruit
canned in sirup. When the product is to be used for pies, salads, and
so on it is not necessary to can in sirup. When fruits canned in water
are to be used for sauces, the products should be sweetened before
use. In many instances it requires more sugar to sweeten a sauce after
canning than it does when the product is canned in the hot sirup.
However, during the World War we had a good chance to test the fruits
which we canned without sugar, when that commodity was scarce and, in
fact, impossible to get in very large quantities. We used our fruits
just as they were and considered them very good. This all goes to show
that we can easily adjust ourselves to prevailing conditions. In
canning without the sugar sirup, you would follow these directions:
Cull, stem or seed, and clean fruit by placing in a strainer and
pouring water over it until clean. Pack product thoroughly in glass
jars until full; use table knife or tablespoon for packing purposes.
Pour over the fruit boiling water from kettle, place rubbers and caps
in position, partially seal glass jars and place produce in canner.
If using hot-water-bath outfit sterilize from twenty to thirty
minutes. After sterilizing remove packs, seal glass jars, wrap in
paper to prevent bleaching, and store in a dry cool place.
When using a steam-pressure canner instead of the hot-water bath
sterilize for ten minutes with five pounds of steam pressure. Never
allow the pressure to go over ten pounds when you are canning soft
fruits.
WHEN TO CAN
Inexperienced canners may not know when certain fruits are in season
and at their prime for canning. The list below is necessarily subject
to change, as seasons vary from year to year; but in normal years this
table would hold true for the Northern States.
Apples September
Apricots August
Blackberries August
Cherries July
Currants July
Gooseberries July
Grapes September
Huckleberries July
Peaches August-September
Pears September
Pineapple June
Plums August
Quinces September
Raspberries July
Rhubarb All summer
Strawberries May-June
For your canning you will need as your guide the charts on the pages
which follow. They are very simple and will tell you how to prepare
all the various fruits, whether or not they are to be blanched, and if
so exactly how many minutes, and how long to cook or sterilize the
products, according to the outfit you are using.
CHART FOR CANNING SOFT FRUITS AND BERRIES
[A] NUMBER OF MINUTES TO BLANCH OR HOT-DIP
[B] IN HOT WATER BATH OUTFIT AT 212°F
[C] IN CONDENSED STEAM OUTFIT
[D] IN WATER-SEAL OUTFIT 214°F
[E] IN STEAM PRESSURE 5 TO 10 POUNDS
[F] IN PRESSURE COOKER 10 POUNDS
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
KIND OF | [A] |[B] |[C] |[D] |[E] |[F] |REMARKS
FRUIT/PREPARATION | | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
APRICOTS: To remove|1 to 2| 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use
skins hot-dip and | | | | | | |medium-thick
cold-dip. Can be | | | | | | |sirup
canned with the | | | | | | |
skins. Pits give a | | | | | | |
good flavor | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
BLACKBERRIES: Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
over, wash and stem| | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
BLUEBERRIES: Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
over, wash and stem| | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
CHERRIES: Wash, | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
remove stems, and | | | | | | |sirup if sour;
remove pits if | | | | | | |thin sirup if
desired. If pitted | | | | | | |sweet
save the juice | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
CURRANTS: Wash and | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
pick from stems | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
CRANBERRIES: Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
and stem | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
DEWBERRIES: Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
and stem | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
FIGS: Wash and stem| None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Figs can be
| | | | | | |hot- dipped for
| | | | | | |a minute or two
| | | | | | |if desired.
| | | | | | |Hot-dipping
| | | | | | |shrinks the
| | | | | | |figs so more
| | | | | | |can be packed
| | | | | | |in a jar
| | | | | | |
GOOSEBERRIES Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use
and snip off stems | | | | | | |medium-thick
and blossom ends | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
GRAPES Wash and | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
pick from stems | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
HUCKLEBERRIES Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
and stem | | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
PEACHES Blanch and | 1-2 | 16 | 16 | 12 |*10 | X |*Use only 5
cold-dip, then | | | | | | |pounds
remove skins. | | | | | | |pressure. If
| | | | | | |peaches are
| | | | | | |canned under
| | | | | | |more than 5
| | | | | | |pounds of
| | | | | | |pressure they
| | | | | | |become
| | | | | | |flavorless and
| | | | | | |
PLUMS Wash; stones | 1-2 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |For sweet plums
may be removed if | | | | | | |use thin or
desired. | | | | | | |medium-thin
| | | | | | |sirup; for sour
| | | | | | |plums use
| | | | | | |medium-thin
| | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
RASPBERRIES pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin
over, wash and stem| | | | | | |sirup
| | | | | | |
RHUBARB Wash, cut | 1 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Be very careful
into ½ inch pieces.| | | | | | |not to hot-dip
Use sharp knife | | | | | | |the rhubarb
| | | | | | |more than one
| | | | | | |minute, for it
| | | | | | |gets mushy
| | | | | | |
STRAWBERRIES Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use
over, wash and hull| | | | | | |medium-thick
| | | | | | |sirup
--------------------------------------------------------------------
HARD FRUITS | | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | | |
APPLES Pare, core |1½ to | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 |Use thin sirup
and cut into halves| 2 | | | | | |
or smaller pieces | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
PEARS Wash, pare or| 1½ | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 |Use thin sirup
not as desired. | | | | | | |
Small pears may be | | | | | | |
canned whole or | | | | | | |
quartered | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
PINEAPPLE Cut into | 5 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 18 |Use thin or
slices or inch | | | | | | |medium-thin
cubes. The cores | | | | | | |sirup
can be removed | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
QUINCES Remove | 6 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 25 | 20 |Apples, pears
skins and cores. | | | | | | |and quinces
Cut into convenient| | | | | | |should be
slices | | | | | | |dropped into
| | | | | | |salt water to
| | | | | | |keep fruit from
| | | | | | |turning brown.
| | | | | | |Use salt in the
| | | | | | |proportion of
| | | | | | |one
| | | | | | |tablespoonful
WINDFALL APPLES FOR| | | | | | |to one gallon
| | | | | | |of water. Use
| | | | | | |thin
| | | | | | |
PIE FILLING Cut | None | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 |Can in water
into halves | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
QUARTERED APPLES | None | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 |Can in water
FOR SALAD | | | | | | |and save the
| | | | | | |sugar for other
| | | | | | |purposes
| | | | | | |
CRAB APPLES Pare | None | 16 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 5 |Can in water or
and core | | | | | | |use thin sirup
| | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
CITRUS FRUITS | | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ORANGES, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling
Remove skins and | | | | | | |thin sirup
white fiber or | | | | | | |
surface, then | | | | | | |
blanch | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
LEMONS, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling
Remove skins and | | | | | | |thin sirup
white fiber or | | | | | | |
surface, then | | | | | | |
blanch | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
GRAPEFRUIT, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling
Remove skins and | | | | | | |thin sirup
white fiber or | | | | | | |
surface, then | | | | | | |
blanch | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
ORANGE AND OTHER | None | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 |Use thin sirup
CITRUS FRUITS, | | | | | | |
SLICED Slice with a| | | | | | |
sharp knife | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
FRUITS CANNED IN | 30 | 30 | 20 | 12 | 10 | |
WATER WITHOUT SUGAR| | | | | | |
SIRUP | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE.--When cooking products in pint or half-pint jars deduct three or
four minutes from the time given above. When cooking in two-quart jars
add 3 or 4 minutes to time. The estimates given are for quart jars.
CHAPTER IV
VEGETABLES
It is practical to can all vegetables, even such difficult ones as
corn, peas and beans, by the cold-pack method of canning without using
any preservatives, if you will follow all directions, instructions and
the time-table accurately. Vegetable canning is a little more
complicated than fruit canning.
TOMATOES
Every one likes canned tomatoes. In many homes more tomatoes are
canned than any other product. The housewife uses them for soups, for
sauces and for seasoning many meat dishes. Some women say: "I can
preserve everything but tomatoes. They always spoil. What do I do
wrong?" If the following directions are followed tomatoes will not
spoil.
Tomatoes really are the easiest vegetable to can, because the period
of sterilization is short, and many jars may be canned in a day, or if
one is very busy a few jars may be canned daily without the
expenditure of a great deal of time.
The best tomatoes for canning are those of moderate size, smooth and
uniformly ripe. When a tomato ripens unevenly or when it is misshapen,
it is difficult to peel, and the percentage of waste is high. Tomatoes
should not be picked when they are green or partly ripe, for the
flavor will not be so good as when they are allowed to remain upon
the vines until fully ripe. Care should be taken, however, not to
allow them to become overripe before canning.
In no instance should a tomato with a rotten spot be canned, even
though the spot is cut out, for the occasional spoiled jar resulting
from this attempted saving will cost more than the partly spoiled
tomatoes are worth. If the housewife will can only uniformly ripe,
sound tomatoes, saving the small, uneven but sound fruit for tomato
_purée_, she will have a much better-looking pack and greater food
value at the close of the season. Yellow tomatoes may be canned in the
same manner as are the more common red varieties, except that it is
not necessary to remove the cores.
First of all, grade for ripeness, size and quality; this is to insure
a high-grade product. We could, of course, can different sizes and
shades together, but uniform products are more pleasing to the eye and
will sterilize much more evenly. If the products are of the same
ripeness and quality, the entire pack will receive the proper degree
of cooking.
Wash the tomatoes. Have ready a kettle of boiling water. Put the
tomatoes in a wire basket, or lay them on a piece of cheesecloth or a
towel, twist the ends together to form a sack, and let this down into
the kettle. It is a good plan to slip a rubber band round the neck of
this sack to hold the ends in place. The ends should be long enough to
stand up out of the water and so avoid danger of burning the fingers
when removing the product.
Have the water boiling hard. Lower the tomatoes into the boiling
water. This is called scalding the tomatoes. We scald the tomatoes to
loosen the skin. If the tomatoes are very ripe, one minute scalding
will be sufficient. The average length of time for tomatoes, just
perfect for canning, is one and a half minutes. Do not leave the
tomatoes in the hot water until the skins break, as this gives them a
fuzzy appearance.
The scalding kettle always should be covered, to keep in all the heat
possible. Begin to time from the minute the product is immersed in the
boiling water. If you wait until the water comes back to a boil, you
will scald the product too long and have mushy tomatoes.
Lift the tomatoes out of the hot water and plunge them immediately
into cold water, or hold them under the cold-water faucet. The
cold-dip makes them easier to handle, separates the skin from the
pulp, firms the texture, and coagulates the coloring matter so it
stays near the surface, giving them a rich, red color. Then the shock
due to the sudden change from hot to cold and back to hot again seems
to help kill the spores. Do not let the product stand in the cold-dip.
The water becomes lukewarm, softens the product and allows bacteria to
develop.
Take the tomato in the left hand and with a sharp knife cut out the
core. Be careful not to cut into the fleshy portion or seed cells, for
this will scatter the seeds and pulp through the liquid, injuring the
appearance of the product. Cut out the core before removing the skin,
for the skin will protect the pulp and there will be less danger of
breaking the tomato. If the tomatoes are ripe and have been scalded
properly, the skin can be slipped off with the fingers.
The jars, rubbers and tops should be ready. Glass jars should be hot,
so there will be no danger of breakage in setting them in the hot
water, and so they will not cool the water in the cooker below the
boiling point.
Pack the tomatoes whole, pressing and shaking them well down together,
but not using force enough to crush them.
Now we come to a point where tomatoes are different from most
vegetables. Beans, carrots, peas, and so on, have hot water added to
them. But as a large part of the tomato is water, no more is needed.
Another exception where no water is needed is with the "greens
family." So with tomatoes we add no water, but add one teaspoonful of
salt and one teaspoonful of sugar, just for seasoning, to every quart
jar. I think that tomatoes always are improved by the addition of a
little sugar, but this is not necessary and can be omitted, as also
can be the salt.
The salt in canning does not act as a preservative, but as seasoning;
so if for any reason you forget the salt, do not be alarmed. Your
products will keep perfectly without the salt.
THE WAY TO SEAL
The products are in the hot jars now. The jars do not need to be full
in order to keep. If you were canning by the "open-kettle" method, the
air in the partly filled jar would not have been sterilized, and might
contain the bacteria which cause the product to ferment or mold. But
by the cold pack, the air in the can is sterilized while the product
is being sterilized; and if the can is closed immediately after
cooking, a single spoonful may be canned in a two-quart jar and the
product will keep indefinitely.
Place Rubber and Cover on Jar. Fit the rubber. Use good rubbers and
see that they lie flat and fit close up to the can. Put the covers in
place.
Do Not Seal Glass Jars Tight. If using screw-top jars screw each
cover down until it catches, then turn a quarter of a round back; or
screw down with the thumb and little finger, not using force but
stopping when the cover catches.
If using vacuum-seal jars put the cover on and the spring in place.
The spring will give enough to allow the steam to escape.
If using glass-top jars, with the patent wire snap, put the cover in
place, the wire over the top and the clamp up.
The cover on a glass jar must not be tight while processing, because
the air will expand when heated, and if the cover is not loose enough
to allow the steam to escape, the pressure may blow the rubber out or
break the jar.
When canning in tin we cap and tip the cans at once. The tin will
bulge out, but is strong enough to withstand the pressure, and when
the contents cool the can will come back into shape.
The jars are now ready for the canner. Tomatoes sterilized under
boiling water require twenty-two minutes; in condensed-steam cooker,
twenty-two minutes; in water-seal, eighteen minutes; in
steam-pressure, with five pounds, fifteen minutes, and in the pressure
cooker, at ten or fifteen pounds, ten minutes.
If you use the homemade outfit or any water-bath outfit be sure the
water is boiling when the jars of tomatoes are lowered into the
canner. Time lost in bringing the contents to the point of
sterilization softens the tomatoes and results in inferior goods. Use
the ordinary good sense with which you have been endowed in handling
the jars and you will have no breakage. At the end of the sterilizing
period, remove the jars.
In taking canned goods from boiling hot water, care is needed to see
that they are protected from drafts. If necessary close the windows
and doors while lifting the jars out, for a sudden draft might break
them.
Examine rubbers to see that they are in place. Sometimes, if the
covers are screwed down too tight, the pressure of the steam from the
inside causes the rubber to bulge out. Simply loosen the cover a
thread or two, push the rubber back into place and then tighten. In
case the rubber does not seem to fit well or seems to be a poor
rubber, it should be replaced by a new one and the jar returned to the
cooker for five minutes.
The jars should be sealed tight--covers screwed down, clamps put in
place--immediately after they are removed from the cooker.
Invert to test the joint and cool. If the seal is not perfect, correct
the fault, and return the jar to the cooker for five minutes if hot,
ten minutes if jar is cold.
Do not invert vacuum-seal jars. These should be allowed to cool and
then tested by removing the spring or clamp and lifting the jars by
the cover only. Lift the jar only a half inch, holding it over the
table so that, in case the lid does not hold, the jar and contents
will not be damaged. Or, better still, tap round the edge of the
cover with a ruler. An imperfect seal will cause a hollow sound.
Tomato Purée. Small, misshapen, unevenly ripened tomatoes may be
converted into tomato _purée_. The tomatoes should be washed, run
through a colander to remove skins and cores, concentrated by cooking
to about half the original volume, and packed in the jars. Rubbers and
tops should then be placed in position and the product sterilized for
the same length of time as for canned tomatoes. _Purée_ even may be
kept in bottles sealed with sterilized corks and dipped several times
in paraffin.
HOW OTHER VEGETABLES ARE CANNED
All other vegetables are canned exactly like tomatoes, with two
exceptions. Tomatoes are scalded. All other vegetables are blanched.
We scald tomatoes to loosen the skins and to start the flow of the
coloring matter, which is later arrested or coagulated by the
cold-dip.
Blanching is scalding, only for a longer time. Scalding is never for
more than two minutes. Blanching covers from three to thirty minutes.
We blanch beans, peas, corn, cabbage, carrots, beets, turnips, and so
on, for three to ten minutes. We blanch these vegetables to eliminate
any objectionable acids or bitter flavors which may be present, and
thus improve the flavor; to reduce the bulk so we can pack closer; to
start the flow of the coloring matter; to improve the texture of the
vegetables by making them more tender, and to improve the appearance
by helping to make clear the liquid in the jar. Blanching is what
makes for success in the cold-pack method of canning. Blanching is
_very_ important and must be carefully and accurately done.
Let me repeat about blanching: Have the kettle of blanching water
_boiling vigorously, completely immerse_ the product in the boiling
water, cover the kettle _immediately_ and begin to time the product.
Do not stand with the cover in hand and wait for the water to come
back to the boil, for, of course, it stopped boiling for a second when
you lowered into it the cold product. If you cover the kettle the
water will quickly reboil. Do not keep wondering if it is boiling and
take off the cover to see. All these may seem foolish precautions, but
it is necessary to follow directions accurately.
And remember, all things that are scalded or blanched must be followed
immediately by a cold plunge or "cold-dip." The scalding or blanching
is the "hot-dip," and this must be followed by the "cold-dip." You may
be asking, what is the point of this "cold-dip"? It is a very logical
question.
We "cold-dip" a product to harden the pulp under the skin and thus
permit the removal of the skin without injury to the pulp; to
coagulate the coloring matter and make it harder to dissolve during
the sterilization period and to make it easier to handle the products
in packing, and to subject the product to a sudden shock by quick
change in temperature.
STEPS IN CANNING VEGETABLES
If you will follow these steps for all vegetable canning you cannot
help but be successful:
1. Clean jars and test rubbers. If rubbers do not return to normal
shape after stretching, do not use.
2. Prepare material to be canned, according to directions given on
chart.
3. Hot-dip--blanch or scald--the prepared food. This process consists
of immersing the prepared product in boiling water for different
lengths of time, according to the material to be canned. See chart.
Hot-dipping shrinks the product and enables one to pack more material
in a jar.
4. Cold-dip the material. This process consists of plunging the
blanched or scalded food into cold water, which makes it more easily
handled. Be sure the water is cold; the colder the better.
Take the product out immediately and let it drain. _Don't let any food
soak in the cold water._
From this point on, speed is highly important. The blanched vegetables
which are slightly warm must not be allowed to remain out of the jars
a moment longer than is necessary.
Remove skins when required, and as each article is pared cut it into
pieces of proper size and
5. Pack directly into the clean, scalded cans or jars. Pack as solidly
as possible, being careful not to bruise or mash soft products. Pack
the product to within three-eighths of an inch of the top. Lima beans,
navy beans, peas, corn, pumpkin and sweet potatoes swell, so pack them
within only one inch of the top of the jar.
6. Add seasoning. One teaspoonful salt to every quart jar of
vegetables, and an equal amount of sugar to tomatoes, corn and peas if
desired.
7. Add boiling water to within a quarter inch of top to all
vegetables, except tomatoes and greens. Tomatoes contain ninety-four
per cent water, so none should be added. Tomato juice can be used if
desired. Greens are canned in just the water that clings to the
leaves after the cold-dip.
8. Adjust rubber rings and the covers of the jars; partially seal.
9. Sterilize--see time-table on pages following.
10. Remove from canner and completely seal. Test for leaks. Cool jars
as rapidly as possible, without drafts striking them.
Rapid cooling of the product prevents overcooking, clarifies the
liquid and preserves the shape and texture of the product.
SPECIAL DIRECTIONS FOR VARIOUS VEGETABLES
Greens. No water is added to greens. Ninety percent of greens is
water. They are high in mineral matter and we must preserve that.
Asparagus. Remove string before packing in jar. Can or dry tough ends
for soup. If asparagus is packed in jars as whole stalks, pack with
the tips up.
Tomatoes. Remove skins before packing. Tomatoes may be canned whole or
in pieces. Skin, cook and strain imperfect tomatoes. Use this for
liquid; as 94 per cent of the tomato is water, no water is needed.
Eggplants. Make slices about ½ to ¾ of an inch thick. Do not add salt,
as it causes eggplants to turn dark.
Pumpkin and squash. If you do not wish to scrape out of the shells you
can remove seeds, pare and cut into small blocks of uniform size. Then
blanch.
Sweet corn. Corn expands a little in processing, and for this reason
jars should not be filled quite full. Corn that has reached the dough
stage before being packed will have a cheesy appearance after
canning. Corn should never be allowed to remain in the cold-dip water.
Field corn. This product is commonly known as corn-club breakfast
food. The corn should be selected between the milk and the dough
stage. Wide-mouthed glass jars or tin cans should be used for canning
this product. Avoid packing container too full, as the product swells
during the sterilization period. The corn should be canned the same
day it is picked from the field if possible. After this product has
been sterilized and cooked and stored away it will form a solid,
butter-like mass which may be cut into convenient slices for toasting,
frying and baking purposes.
Mushrooms. Do not fail to blanch and cold dip. After opening
containers remove the mushrooms immediately and use them as quickly as
possible.
Sweet peppers. Place the peppers in the oven and bake them until the
skins separate from the meat. Remove the skin. Pack in hot jars. Add 1
teaspoonful of salt to a quart. Add boiling water.
Lima beans. Lima beans can be either blanched or steamed. If blanched
allow 5 minutes; if in live steam allow 10.
Wax or string beans. Beans can be canned whole or cut into uniform
pieces.
Cabbage and cauliflower. Cabbage and cauliflower should be soaked in
cold brine (½ lb. salt to 12 quarts water) for one hour before
blanching.
Brussels sprouts. Use small solid heads.
Peas. A cloudy or hazy appearance of the liquid indicates that the
product was roughly handled in blanching and cold dipping, or that
broken peas were not removed before packing.
Carrots and parsnips. Carrots can be packed whole, in slices or in
cross-section pieces. Skin of parsnips can be scraped off after
blanching and cold dipping.
Beets. Small beets that run 40 to a quart are the most suitable size
for first-class packs. Well-canned beets will show a slight loss of
color when removed from the canner, but will brighten up in a few
days.
Turnips. Scrape skin after blanching and cold dipping.
Corn and tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoonful of salt to every quart of
mixture. Mix 2 parts of tomatoes with 1 part corn. One teaspoonful of
sugar improves the flavor.
Corn, tomatoes and string beans. Use 1 part of corn, 1 part of green
string beans and 3 parts of tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoonful of salt and 1
teaspoonful of sugar to every quart jar.
CHARTS FOR CANNING ALL VEGETABLES AND GREENS
[A] SCALDING OR BLANCHING MINUTES
[B] IN BOILING WATER OR HOMEMADE OUTFIT (212°F.)
[C] IN CONDENSED STEAM OUTFIT
[D] IN WATER-SEAL OUTFIT 214°F
[E] IN STEAM PRESSURE 5 TO 10 POUNDS
[F] IN PRESSURE COOKER 10 POUNDS
VEGETABLES/ NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
PREPARATION | [A] | [B] | [C] | [D] | [E] | [F]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class 1--Greens, Domestic and Wild
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL GREENS--SPINACH, |Steam in | 120 | 120 | 90 | 60 |40, at
BEET TOPS, CHARD, |colander or | (2 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
DANDELIONS, ETC. |in steamer | | | | |
Pick over; wash in |until wilted| | | | |
several waters. |Takes about | | | | |
|15 minutes. | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class 2 --Special Vegetables
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASPARAGUS |Blanch tough| 90 | 90 | 60 | 50 |25, at
Wash, remove woody |ends 4 |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)| |10 lbs.
ends; cut to fit |minutes, tip| | | | |
jar; tie in bundles.|ends 2 | | | | |
| minutes. | | | | |
| | | | | |
TOMATOES Select | Scald 1½ | 22 | 22 | 18 | 18 |10, at
fresh, ripe, firm | | | | | |10 lbs.
tomatoes. Skins | | | | | |
will slip off after| | | | | |
scalding and cold | | | | | |
dipping. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
EGGPLANTS Remove skin| Blanch 3 | 60 | 60 | 50 | 45 |30, at
after blanching | | (1 hr)| (1 hr)| | |10 lbs.
and cold dipping. | | | | | |
Slice crosswise and| | | | | |
pack. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
PUMPKIN AND SQUASH | Blanch 5 | 120 | 120 | 90 | 60 |40, at
Cut into sections; | | (2 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
remove seeds; | | | | | |
scrape shells after| | | | | |
blanching and cold | | | | | |
dipping. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
CORN--SWEET | 5 on cob | 180 | 180 | 120 | 90 |60, at
Cut corn from cob, | | (3 hr)| (3 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)|10 lbs.
blanch immediately | | | | | |
after and cold dip.| | | | | |
| | | | | |
CORN--FIELD | 10 | 180 | 180 | 120 | 60 |50, at
Remove husk and | | (3 hr)| (3 hr)| (2 hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
silk. Cut the corn | | | | | |
from the cob after | | | | | |
it has been blanched| | | | | |
and cold dipped. | | | | | |
Feed the corn to a | | | | | |
food chopper and | | | | | |
grind to a pulp. | | | | | |
Cook this product | | | | | |
in a kettle, add | | | | | |
2/3 teaspoonful | | | | | |
sugar and 1/3 | | | | | |
teaspoonful salt to| | | | | |
each quart. Cook | | | | | |
(stir while cooking)| | | | | |
until the product | | | | | |
has assumed a | | | | | |
thickened or | | | | | |
pastelike mass. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
MUSHROOMS If small, | 5 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 50 |30, at
can them whole; if | |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)|(1-1/3 | |10 lbs.
large they may be | | | | hr) | |
cut into sections. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
SWEET PEPPERS Use | .. | 90 | 90 | 75 | 60 |40, at
either green or red| |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)|(1¾ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
peppers. | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class 3--Pod Vegetables and Other Green Products
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEANS--LIMA | 5 to 10 | 180 | 180 | 120 | 60 |40, at
Shell and wash. | | (3 hr)| (3 hr)| (2 hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
| | | | | |
BEANS--WAX OR STRING | 5 to 10 | 120 | 120 | 90 | 60 |40, at
Wash and string. | | (2 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
| | | | | |
CABBAGE Use small | 5 to 10 | 120 | 120 | 90 | 60 |40, at
solid heads of | | (2 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
cabbage. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
CAULIFLOWER Use | 3 | 60 | 60 | 40 | 30 |20, at
flowered portion of| | (1 hr)| (1 hr)| | |15 lbs.
cauliflower. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
BRUSSELS SPROUTS | 5 to 10 | 120 | 120 | 90 | 60 |40, at
Cut into sections | | (2 hr)| (2 hr)|(1½ hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
and remove core. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
PEAS | 5 to 10 | 180 | 180 | 120 | 60 |40, at
Shell and wash. Add| | (3 hr)| (3 hr)| (2 hr)| (1 hr)|10 to
1 teaspoonful of | | | | | |15 lbs.
salt and 1 tea- | | | | | |
spoonful of sugar | | | | | |
toevery quart. | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class 4--Roots and Tuber Vegetables
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARROTS, PARSNIPS, | 5 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 60 |40, at
SALSIFY | |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)| (1-1/3| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
Remove skin by | | | | hr) | |
scraping after | | | | | |
blanching and cold | | | | | |
dipping. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
BEETS | 5 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 60 |40, at
To retain the color| |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)| (1-1/3| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
of beets leave 3 or| | | | hr) | |
4 inches of the | | | | | |
stem and all the | | | | | |
root on while | | | | | |
blanching. After | | | | | |
cold dipping, the | | | | | |
skin may be removed| | | | | |
Scrape the skin. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
TURNIPS | 5 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 60 |40, at
Wash thoroughly | |(1½ hr)|(1½ hr)| (1-1/3| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
with a vegetable | | | | hr) | |
brush. | | | | | |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class 5--Vegetable Combinations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORN AND TOMATOES | | 120 | 120 | 120 | 60 |45, at
Prepare individual | | (2 hr)| (2 hr)| (2 hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
vegetables and then| | | | | |
combine and pack. | | | | | |
| | | | | |
CORN, TOMATOES AND | | | | | |
STRING BEANS | | | | | |
Corn | 3 | | | | |
Tomatoes | 1½ | 120 | 120 | 120 | 60 |45, at
String beans | 5 | (2 hr)| (2 hr)| (2 hr)| (1 hr)|10 lbs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Count from time when water begins to boil (bubbles all over). This
time schedule is for both pint and quart jars. Add 30 minutes to time
of sterilizing for 2-quart jars.
CHAPTER V
SOUPS
After one has learned how to can fruits and vegetables successfully,
the next thing to attempt is the canning of soups.
Soups may be canned with or without meat. We make one variety which is
a pure vegetable soup. We use no stock or meat, and can it in its own
juice or liquor, thus using no water.
When we wish to use it we dilute it three or four times and serve it
as a vegetable soup or, more frequently, when we have chicken bones or
any meat bones on hand, we add a can of this concentrated vegetable
mixture to the bones and make a delicious stock soup.
I will give this recipe as I have given it to many friends, all of
whom have pronounced it excellent:
1 Peck ripe tomatoes
1 Head cabbage
1 Dozen carrots
1 White turnip
3 Pounds string beans
1 Pound okra
3 Red peppers
1 Peck spinach
2 Pounds asparagus
6 Small beets
6 Ears sweet corn
Scald the tomatoes by placing them in a wire basket and plunging them
into boiling water for one and a half minutes. Cold-dip them
immediately. After removing the core and stem end of the tomato, the
skin slips right off. Save all the tomato juice. Cut the tomatoes into
quarters. Put into a large pail or bucket with the juice. Blanch the
cabbage, carrots, turnip, string beans, okra and sweet red peppers
five minutes. Cold-dip. Of course you blanch and cold-dip each product
separately. Cut each vegetable after it is blanched and cold-dipped
into small cubes and add to the tomatoes.
Spinach must be carefully washed to remove all grit and sand. All
greens must be washed through several waters to cleanse them
thoroughly.
Instead of blanching the spinach in a kettle of boiling water, as we
do the other vegetables, we steam it by placing it in a colander over
boiling water or in a regulation steamer with tightly fitting cover,
such as is used for steaming suet puddings and brown bread. If you can
with a steam-pressure canner or a pressure cooker, then steam the
spinach there. If we boiled the spinach for fifteen or twenty minutes
we would lose a quantity of the mineral salts, the very thing we aim
to get into our systems when we eat spinach, dandelion greens, Swiss
chard and other greens. After the blanching or steaming comes the cold
dip.
There is something about blanching asparagus, either for soups or when
canned alone, that is worth knowing. Instead of blanching the whole
stalk of asparagus for the same length of time, we use a little
discretion, giving the tougher, harder ends a full four minutes'
blanching, but allowing the tender tip ends only two minutes. You are
possibly wondering how that is done.
Tie the asparagus stalks in bunches and put the bunches with all the
tips standing one way on a piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cloth or snap
rubber bands round it, and then stand the asparagus in boiling water
in an upright position for two minutes; next lay the asparagus
lengthwise in the blanching water for another two minutes, and you
have accomplished your purpose. You have given the tougher parts two
minutes' more blanching than the tender parts. Use a deep enough
kettle so the asparagus will be completely covered when laid
lengthwise. After the blanching, cold-dip the asparagus.
Wash the beets. Leave two inches of the top and all the tail on the
beets while blanching. Blanch for five minutes, then cold-dip. Next
scrape off the skin, top and tail. The tops can be put right into the
soup too. Any surplus tops can be steamed with the spinach and can be
treated similarly.
Blanch corn on the cob five minutes. Cold-dip. Cut the corn from the
cob, cutting from tip to butt end. Add the corn to the other
vegetables. Add no water. Pack the mixed vegetables into clean glass
jars; add one level teaspoonful of salt to every jar; partially seal;
cook one hour and a half in wash-boiler or other homemade outfit. At
the end of that period remove jars from canner, seal tight, and the
work is done.
Of course you are interested in the cost of this soup. Most of the
ingredients came right from our garden. We had to buy the okra and the
red peppers, but I figured everything just as if I had to buy it from
the market; and on this basis, the cost of our soup would have been
only seven and a half cents a can. We canned it in tin, using size
Number Two, which is the same as pint size in glass jars.
Another vegetable soup without stock, dried beans and peas being used,
is made as follows:
Soak six pounds of Lima beans and four pounds of dry peas over night.
Boil each thirty minutes. Blanch sixteen pounds of carrots, six pounds
of cabbage, three pounds of celery, six pounds of turnips, four pounds
of okra, one pound of onions, and four pounds of parsley for three
minutes and dip in cold water quickly. Prepare the vegetables and chop
into small cubes. Chop the onions and celery extra fine. Mix all of
them thoroughly and season to taste. Pack in glass jars or tin cans.
Fill with boiling water. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin
cans. Process ninety minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or
condensed-steam outfit; sixty minutes if using water-seal outfit or
five-pound steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure
cooker.
In many homes cream of tomato soup is the favorite. To make this soup
the housewife uses a tomato pulp and combines it with milk and
seasonings. You can can a large number of jars of this pulp and have
it ready for the cream soup. To make and can this pulp follow these
directions:
Tomato Pulp. Place the tomatoes in a wire basket or piece of
cheesecloth and plunge into boiling water for one and a half minutes.
Plunge into cold water. Remove the skins and cores. Place the tomatoes
in a kettle and boil thirty minutes. Pass the tomato pulp through a
sieve. Pack in glass jars while hot and add a level teaspoonful of
salt per quart. Partially seal glass jars. Sterilize twenty minutes if
using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; eighteen
minutes if using water-seal, or five-pound steam-pressure outfit;
fifteen minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Soup Stock. To make the soup stock which is the foundation of all
the stock soups, use this recipe:
Secure twenty-five pounds of beef hocks, joints and bones containing
marrow. Strip off the fat and meat and crack bones with hatchet or
cleaver. Put the broken bones in a thin cloth sack and place this in a
large kettle containing five gallons of cold water. Simmer--do not
boil--for six or seven hours. Do not salt while simmering. Skim off
all fat. This should make about five gallons of stock. Pack hot in
glass jars, bottles or enameled or lacquered tin cans. Partially seal
glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Sterilize forty minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; thirty minutes if
using water-seal or five-pound steam-pressure outfit; twenty-five
minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Soups made with soup stock are many and varied. One can utilize the
things at hand and change the distinctive flavor from year to year. I
will give you a few good specimen recipes which if followed will give
good results:
Vegetable Soup. Soak a quarter pound dried Lima beans and one pound
unpolished rice for twelve hours. Cook a half pound pearl barley for
two hours. Blanch one pound carrots, one pound onions, one medium-size
potato and one red pepper for three minutes and cold-dip. Prepare the
vegetables and cut into small cubes. Mix thoroughly Lima beans, rice,
barley, carrots, onions, potato and red pepper. Fill glass jars or the
enameled tin cans three-fourths full of the above mixture of
vegetables and cereals. Make a smooth paste of a half pound of wheat
flour and blend in five gallons soup stock. Boil three minutes and add
four ounces salt. Pour this stock over vegetables and fill cans.
Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Sterilize ninety
minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit;
seventy-five minutes if using a water-seal or five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Cream of Pea Soup. Soak eight pounds of dried peas over night. Cook
until soft. Mash fine. Add the mashed peas to five gallons of soup
stock and bring to boil. Pass the boiling liquid through a fine sieve.
Make a smooth paste of a half pound flour and add paste, ten ounces of
sugar and three ounces of salt to the soup stock. Cook until soup
begins to thicken. Pack in glass jars or tin cans. Partially seal
glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; eighty minutes if
using water-seal outfit; seventy minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Cream of Potato Soup. Boil one and a half pounds of potatoes, sliced
thin, and five gallons of soup stock for ten minutes. Add three ounces
of salt, a quarter teaspoonful of pepper and a half pound of butter
and boil slowly for five minutes. Make three tablespoonfuls of flour
into smooth paste and add to the above. Cook three minutes and pack in
glass jars or tin cans while hot. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and
tip tin cans. Sterilize ninety minutes if using a hot-water-bath
outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes if using a
water-seal outfit; sixty-five minutes if using a five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using a pressure-cooker
outfit.
Bean Soup. Soak three pounds of dried beans twelve hours in cold
water. Cut two pounds of ham into quarter-inch cubes and place in a
small sack. Place beans, ham and four gallons of water in kettle and
boil slowly until the beans are very soft. Remove the ham and beans
from the liquor and mash the beans fine. Return ham and mashed beans
to the liquor, add five gallons of soup stock and seasoning, and bring
to boil. Pack into jars or cans while hot. Partially seal jars. Cap
and tip tin cans. Process two hours if using hot-water-bath or
condensed-steam outfit; ninety minutes if using water-seal outfit;
seventy-five minutes if using five-pound steam-pressure outfit; sixty
minutes if using pressure cooker.
Okra Soup. Slice eight pounds okra into thin slices the round way.
Blanch ten minutes and cold-dip. Boil one and a half pounds rice for
twenty-five minutes. Mix okra and rice and fill cans or jars half
full. To five gallons soup stock add five ounces salt, a quarter
teaspoonful of coriander seed and a quarter teaspoonful of powdered
cloves, and bring to boil. Fill remaining portion of jars or cans.
Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process two hours if
using hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; ninety minutes
if using water-seal outfit; seventy-five minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; sixty minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
Chicken-Soup Stock. Place thirty pounds chicken in ten gallons of
cold water and simmer for five hours. Remove meat and bones, then
strain. Add sufficient water to make ten gallons of stock. Fill glass
jars or tin cans with hot stock. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and
tip tin cans. This stock is used to make soup where the term
"chicken-soup stock" is used. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes
if using water-seal outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Chicken Broth With Rice. For each gallon of soup stock use twelve
ounces of rice. Boil rice thirty minutes. Fill jars or tin cans
two-thirds full of rice and the remainder with soup stock. Partially
seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans. Process ninety minutes if using
hot-water-bath outfit or condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes
if using water-seal outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound
steam-pressure outfit; forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker
outfit.
Chicken Gumbo. Cut two pounds ham into small cubes and boil thirty
minutes. Mince three pounds chicken and chop half a pound of onions
fine. Make a smooth paste of a half pound flour. Add above to five
gallons of chicken-soup stock. Then add a half pound butter and a
quarter pound salt and boil ten minutes. Next add three ounces
powdered okra mixed with one pint water. Pack into glass jars or tin
cans while hot. Partially seal glass jars. Cap and tip tin cans.
Process ninety minutes if using hot-water-bath outfit or
condensed-steam outfit; seventy-five minutes if using water-seal
outfit; sixty minutes if using five-pound steam-pressure outfit;
forty-five minutes if using pressure-cooker outfit.
TOMATO ACID CHECKS BACTERIA
Some women who have canned soup tell me it spoiled or tasted "sourish
and smelled sourish too." This is what we call "flat sour." It may
happen to any vegetable you can, as well as to the soups. "Flat sour"
affects peas, beans, asparagus and corn more than other vegetables. If
the vegetables have been picked for some time and the bacteria have
had a chance "to work," and you are not exceedingly careful about your
canning, you may develop "flat sour" in the soup. If you let one
little spore of this bacteria survive all is lost. Its moist growing
place is favorable to development, particularly if not much acid is
present. One little spore left in a jar will multiply in twenty hours
to some twenty millions of bacteria. This twenty million can stand on
the point of a needle, so a can could acquire quite a large population
in a short time. Bacteria do not like acids, so it is always a good
idea to have tomatoes in your soup mixture, and get the tomatoes into
the stone crock early in the game. The tomato acid will safeguard the
other vegetables which lack acid.
If you are careless about the blanching and cold-dipping--that is, not
doing these full time--if you work too slowly in getting the products
into jars and then let the full jars stand in the warm atmosphere, you
are pretty sure to develop "flat sour."
Place each jar in the canner as it is packed. The first jars in will
not be affected by the extra cooking. Have the water just below the
boiling point as you put in each jar. When you have the canner full
bring the water to the boiling point as quickly as possible and begin
to count cooking or sterilizing time from the moment it does boil.
Some women make the mistake at the end of the cooking period of
letting the jars remain in the boiling water, standing on the false
bottom of the canner until they are cool enough to handle with no
danger of burning the hands. This slow method of cooling not only
tends to create "flat sour," but it is apt to result in cloudy-looking
jars and in mushy vegetables.
For this reason you should have in your equipment a lifter with which
you can lift out the hot jars without the hands touching them. If you
use a rack with wire handles this answers the same purpose.
This "flat sour," which is not at all dangerous from the standpoint of
health, must not be confused with the botulinus bacteria, which is an
entirely different thing.
"Flat sour," perfectly harmless, appears often with inexperienced
canners. Botulinus, harmful, appears rarely. You need not be at all
alarmed about eating either "flat sour" or botulinus, because the odor
from spoiled goods is so distasteful--it really resembles rancid
cheese--that you would never get a spoon of it to your mouth.
If you are debating whether this jar or that jar of soup or vegetables
is spoiled, do not _taste_ the contents of the jar. _Smell_ it.
Tasting might poison you if you happened on the botulinus bacteria,
which is so rare it need alarm no one; whereas smelling is perfectly
safe.
TIME-TABLE FOR SOUPS
GRAY SOUP WITHOUT STOCK
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
1 Peck ripe tomatoes Scald 1½ Remove core and stem end.
1 Head cabbage 5}
1 Dozen carrots 5}
1 White turnip 5} Cut into cubes after blanching
2 Pounds string beans 5}
1 Pound okra 5}
3 Red peppers 5}
1 Peck spinach Steam 15 minutes or until
thoroughly wilted.
2 Pounds asparagus 4 Cut into small pieces after
blanching.
6 Small beets 5 Cut into slices after blanching.
6 Ears sweet corn 5 Cut from cob after blanching.
Salt
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 60.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
VEGETABLE SOUP WITHOUT STOCK, USING DRY LEGUMES
6 Pounds dried Lima beans} { Soak over night, then boil
4 Pounds dried peas } { for one half hour.
16 Pounds carrots 3}
6 Pounds cabbage 3} Cut into small cubes after
3 Pounds celery 3} blanching.
6 Pounds turnips 3}
4 Pounds okra 3 Cut into slices after blanching.
1 Pound onions 3 Chop fine after blanching.
4 Pounds parsley 3 Cut into pieces after blanching.
Salt
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 60.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
SOUP STOCK (Foundation of All Stock Soups)
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
25 Pounds beef hocks,
joints and bones Simmer for 6 or 7 hours.
5 Gallons water Should make 5 Gallons
stock.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 40.
In condensed steam outfit, 40.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 30.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 30.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 25.
VEGETABLE SOUP WITH STOCK
¼ Pounds dried Lima beans Soak 12 hours.
1 Pound rice Soak 12 hours.
¼ Pound pearl barley Cook 2 hours.
1 Pounds carrots 3}
1 Pounds onions 3} Cut into small cubes after
1 Potato 3} blanching.
1 Red Pepper 3}
½ Pound flour } { Make paste of flour and soup stock.
5 Gallons soup stock } { Boil 3 minutes and add salt
4 Ounces salt } { Pour over vegetables and fill cans.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 75.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CREAM OF PEA SOUP
8 Pounds dried peas { Soak over-night and cook until soft.
{ Mash peas fine.
5 Gallons soup stock Add stock and boil. Put through sieve.
½ Pound flour } { Make paste of flour, sugar and salt
10 Ounces sugar } { and add to stock. Cook until thick.
3 Ounces salt } { Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 80.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 70.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CREAM OF POTATO SOUP
NUMBER OF
INGREDIENTS MINUTES OTHER PREPARATION
TO BLANCH
1½ Pounds potatoes } { Boil potatoes and stock
sliced thin } { 10 minutes. Add salt,
5 Gallons soup stock } { pepper, butter and boil
3 Ounces salt } { 5 minutes. Make flour
¼ Teaspoonful pepper } { into paste and add.
½ Pound butter } { Cook 3 minutes and can.
3 Tablespoonfuls flour }
Boil potatoes and stock }
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 65.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
BEAN SOUP
3 Pounds dried beans Soak 12 hours.
2 Pounds ham Cut ham into ¼ inch cubes.
4 Gallons water } { Boil beans, ham and water
5 Gallons soup stock } { until beans are soft.
Salt } { Mash beans fine. Add
{ stock and salt. Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 120.
In condensed steam outfit, 120.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 75.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 60.
CHICKEN SOUP STOCK (Foundation of All Chicken Soups)
30 Pounds chicken }
10 Gallons cold water. }
Should make 10 gallons } Simmer 5 hours. Can.
stock when finished }
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CHICKEN GUMBO
2 Pounds ham Cut ham into small cubes
and boil 30 minutes.
3 Pounds chicken Mince chicken.
½ Pound onions Chop onions.
½ Pound flour Make paste of flour.
5 Gallons chicken soup
stock Add all this to soup stock.
½ Pound butter }
¼ Pound salt } { Add butter and salt. Boil
3 Ounces powdered okra } { 10 minutes. Then add
mixed with pint of } { okra mixed with water.
water } { Can.
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.
In condensed steam outfit, 90.
In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.
In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.
In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.
CHAPTER VI
JELLIES, JAMS, PRESERVES, MARMALADES, FRUIT JUICES AND SIRUPS
For jelly making select firm, slightly underripe fruit that is fairly
acid and contains a large amount of pectin. Fruit that is just a
little underripe contains more pectin than the mature or overripe
fruits. Pectin is the substance that makes jelly harden. This
fundamental jelly-making quality does not exist in all fruits. Such
fruits as currants, crab apples and grapes contain much pectin and
are, therefore, considered excellent jelly-making fruits.
The white inner skin of grapefruit is also a prolific source of
pectin, but as it has a bitter taste we seldom use it for jellies,
though we find it valuable in making orange, grapefruit and other
marmalades.
Rhubarb, strawberries and cherries all lack pectin, but can be made
into good jellies if we add the white skins of oranges and lemons to
them while cooking.
So the very first thing we must know about jelly making is whether or
not a fruit contains pectin. There will be no tears shed over jelly
that will not "jell" if all young housewives will learn the simple
test for pectin; to find out whether a juice contains pectin or not is
a very easy matter.
Take one tablespoonful of grain alcohol--90 to 95 per cent.--and add
to it one tablespoonful of _cooked_ juice that has been cooled. The
effect of the alcohol is to bring together the pectin in a jelly-like
mass. If a large quantity of pectin is present it will appear in one
mass or clot which may be gathered up on a spoon. You will notice I
said _cooked_ juice. It is peculiar that this pectin frequently is not
found in the juices of raw fruits, though it is very plentiful in the
cooked juices. Therefore the test must be made with cooked juice.
There is little pectin in the juice of raw apples, raw quince, raw
grapes, and yet the cooked juices are full of pectin.
This test not only indicates the amount of pectin present, but it also
gives some idea of the proper proportions of sugar to juice. If
three-fourths or more of the juice forms a gelatinous mass or clot
this indicates that you should use three-fourths as much sugar as
juice. If the pectin is slightly gelatinous or is less than
three-fourths of the whole volume of juice, use less sugar. If the
pectin is less than one-half add some form of pectin to make the
jelly, or can the juice for use as a beverage, for flavoring ice cream
or some form of cooking.
By employing this test, sugar can often be reduced, and thus the jelly
texture will be fine, less rubbery and the flavor will be better.
After the fruit has been selected and prepared as usual by washing,
stemming, and so forth, it is ready to be heated in an acid-proof
kettle. With juicy fruits use just enough water to prevent
burning--about one cup of water to every four or five quarts of fruit.
The juicy fruits are currants, raspberries, and so forth. With less
juicy fruits, as apples or quinces, use enough water to cover, or
follow the rule, half as much water as fruit. Use the cores, skins and
seeds; these improve the flavor and color of the jelly.
Berries can be mashed. Heat the fruit slowly in a covered kettle,
stirring once in a while to obtain an even cooking. When the simmering
point is reached, crush the fruit with a well-soaked wooden masher.
When the fruit is tender or has a transparent appearance, it is ready
to strain.
The jelly bag must be of closely woven material; one with a large
mouth is advisable. If cheesecloth is used double it and tie opposite
corners together. When a very clear jelly is desired use a flannel or
felt bag for straining the juice.
What drips into the dish or pan is called Extraction One. When this
Extraction One is fairly drained out, which takes about thirty
minutes, do not squeeze the pulp for a second grade jelly as so many
housewives do; instead, make another juice extraction. To do this,
empty the contents or pulp in the bag into the preserving kettle,
cover with water, and stir until thoroughly mixed; then cover, bring
slowly to a boil as before and drain again. The juice that drips out
is called Extraction Two.
The pectin-alcohol test can be used here again to find out whether
there is much or little or no pectin left. If much pectin is present,
you can repeat the operation and get Extraction Three.
Three extractions usually exhaust the pectin, but sometimes you can
get as many as five extractions.
You may say, "Why bother with extractions--why not squeeze the juice
and be done with it?" You will get clearer, better-flavored and more
glasses of jelly if you will make the extractions than if you squeeze
the jelly bag.
I always make the jelly from Extraction One by itself, but usually
combine Extraction Two and Three.
The next step in jelly making is vitally important--that is, how much
sugar to use to a given amount of fruit juice. This is where many
housewives "fall down" on jelly making. They use the same proportion
of sugar to all juices.
To make jelly that does not crystallize the right proportion of sugar
must be added to the juice. To make jelly that is not tough or
unpleasantly sour, the right proportion of sugar and juice must be
used.
Currants and unripe or partly ripened grapes are so rich in pectin
that they require equal amounts of sugar and juice--that is, to every
cup of extracted currant and grape juice we add one cup of sugar.
Red raspberries and blackberries require three-fourths of a cup of
sugar to every cup of juice. All fruits which require much water in
the cooking take three-fourths of a cup of sugar to every cup of
juice. Crab apples and cranberries are examples.
It is harder to make jellies from the fruits to which a large amount
of water is added than from the juicy fruits.
I am frequently asked, "When should you add the sugar to the fruit
juice in jelly making? Do you add it at the beginning of the boiling,
in the middle of the process, or at the end, and should the sugar be
hot when added to the juice?" It is better to add the sugar in the
middle of the jelly-making process than at the beginning or the end.
Skim the juice well before adding the sugar, so as to lose as little
sugar as possible.
If the sugar is hot when added it will not cool the juice, and thus
the cooking time will be shortened. To heat the sugar put it in a
granite dish, place in the oven, leaving the oven door ajar, and stir
occasionally. Be careful not to scorch it.
After the juice is put on, the jelly making should be done as quickly
as possible. No simmering should be allowed and no violent boiling. A
steady boiling, for as few minutes as possible, will produce good
results.
Currant, blueberry and grape jelly usually can be made in from eight
to ten minutes. The hot sugar is added at the end of four or five
minutes.
Raspberry, blackberry and apple jelly take from twenty to thirty
minutes. The sugar is added at the end of ten or fifteen minutes.
The jellying point is hard to determine. If you have a cooking
thermometer or candy thermometer always use it when making jelly. It
is the one sure, reliable test.
The temperature for jellies is 221 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want a
very soft jelly, boil it 220 degrees. If you want to use it
immediately, then boil it to 222 degrees.
If you do not have a thermometer the next best test is to pour the
boiling sirup from the side of a clean, hot spoon, held horizontally.
If the sirup is done two drops will break simultaneously from the side
of the spoon.
Another test is to take a little jelly on a cold plate and draw a path
through it with the point of a spoon; if the path stays and the juice
does not run together, the jellying point has been reached.
When the jellying point has been reached, remove the kettle from the
fire, skim the jelly and pour immediately into hot, sterilized
glasses, which have been set on a cloth wrung out of hot water to
prevent breaking. Fill the glasses not quite full.
Never attempt to make more than six to eight glasses of jelly at one
time. If new at the game make only four, because there is danger of
the juice jellying in the kettle before it can be removed.
When the jellies are well set cover them with _hot_, not merely
melted, paraffin. The paraffin if hot will kill any germs that may
fall on the surface of the jelly. Then cover with the clean tin or
aluminum covers and store the jelly in a dry, cool place after proper
labeling.
STEPS IN JELLY MAKING
1. Select firm, slightly underripe fruit that is fairly acid and
contains a large amount of pectin.
2. Prepare fruit as usual by washing, stemming, and so forth.
3. Heat slowly in acid-proof kettle until fruit is tender. Mash
berries before beginning to cook them. A little water may be added if
necessary to keep from burning. Cut hard fruits into small pieces; add
half as much water as fruit.
4. Pour into dampened bag.
5. Drain through closely woven bag.
6. Make alcohol test for pectin to determine minimum amount of sugar
to use, also the character of the fruit. The amount of pectin, the
fundamental jelly-making property, varies in different fruits. To
make the pectin test add to one tablespoonful of cold cooked fruit
juice one tablespoonful of grain alcohol. Shake gently. Allow to stand
one-half hour. If three-fourths or more of the juice forms a lump add
three-fourths as much sugar as juice in making jelly. If the
precipitate--pectin--is not held together in a lump or is less than
three-fourths of the whole volume of juice, add less sugar in
proportion to juice. If less than one-half forms a lump, add pectin to
make the jelly, or can the juice for use as a beverage, flavoring, and
so forth.
7. If fruit juice meets jelly-making test put on to cook.
8. Add required amount of sugar after juice begins to boil or midway
in the process.
9. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
10. Cook rapidly, but not hard.
11. Test to determine when jelly stage is reached by dipping a clean
spoon into boiling juice. Remove and allow juice to drip from it. If
done, two drops will break simultaneously from side of spoon. Some
prefer to wait until mass sheets off from side of spoon. Better still,
use thermometer.
12. Remove from fire and skim.
13. Pour immediately into hot, sterilized glasses.
14. When cool add hot melted paraffin. Melt the paraffin in a little
coffeepot or pitcher with spout, so it will pour easily.
15. Cover, label and store.
No time can be given for jelly making, for several things enter into
consideration: The proportion of pectin in the juice, the amount of
water used in cooking the fruit and the proportion of sugar to juice;
the more sugar used, the less time needed.
JAMS AND BUTTERS
Jams and butters are not so difficult to make as jellies.
1. Carefully wash berries and fruits.
2. Weigh the fruit on standard scales or, if scales are not
convenient, use measuring cup.
3. Mash berries. Cut large fruits into several pieces.
4. Add enough water to prevent sticking.
5. Stir to keep from burning.
6. Cook gently until the mass begins to thicken.
7. Measure sugar, using three-fourths part of sugar to one part fruit.
That is, for every pound of fruit use three-fourths of a pound of
sugar, or to every cup of fruit use three-fourths of a cup of sugar.
8. Continue cooking, allowing the jam to simmer gently.
9. Cook the mixture until the desired consistency is reached. When a
little of the jam falls in heavy drops from the spoon, it is thick
enough.
10. A small amount of mixed ground spices, vinegar or crystallized
ginger can be added if desired.
11. Pour into hot, sterilized glasses to within one-half inch of the
top.
12. Allow to cool, seal with paraffin, cover, label and store.
Fruit butters are always softer than jam. Marmalades are made much as
are jams. The rind is usually used in lemon, orange and grapefruit
marmalades.
Conserves consist of a combination of several fruits. Nuts and raisins
are often added to conserves.
Preserves are thick mixtures containing sugar equal to at least
three-fourths of the weight of the fruit.
If you wish to eliminate the necessity of using paraffin or other wax
tops for jellies, jams and preserves, you can use the cold-pack method
of canning. You may have containers with screw or bail tops which you
wish to use in this way. The following is one recipe showing how to
proceed.
Cherry Preserves. Place one gallon of water in a kettle and add ten
pounds of pitted cherries. Boil slowly for eighteen minutes. Add
twelve pounds of granulated sugar and cook until product is boiling at
a temperature of 219 degrees. Cool quickly in shallow pans. Pack into
glass jars. Put rubber and cap in position, not tight. Cap and tip if
using enameled tin cans. If using a hot-water-bath outfit, sterilize
twenty minutes; if using a water-seal outfit, a five-pound
steam-pressure outfit or a pressure-cooker outfit, sterilize fifteen
minutes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool and test the
joints. Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching and store. When
using pressure-cooker outfits on preserves, keep the valve open during
period of sterilization.
Fruit Juices. Fruit juices furnish a healthful and delicious drink
and are readily canned at home. Grapes, raspberries and other small
fruits may be crushed in a fruit press or put in a cloth sack, heated
for thirty minutes, or until the juice runs freely, and allowed to
drip.
Strain through two thicknesses of cotton flannel to remove the
sediment, sweeten slightly, bottle, close by filling the neck of the
bottle with a thick pad of sterilized cotton, heat to 160 degrees, or
until air bubbles begin to form on the bottom of the cooker, and keep
at this temperature one hour and a half to two hours; or heat to 200
degrees, or until the bubbles begin to rise to the top of the water,
and hold at this temperature for thirty minutes. The hot water comes
up to the neck of the bottle. Cork without removing the cotton. If
canned in jars close the jar partly, and seal tight after cooking.
Fruit juices should never be heated above 200 degrees, as a higher
temperature injures the flavor.
Strawberry Preserves. 1. Add thirty-five ounces of sugar to one-half
pint of water; bring to a boil and skim.
With this amount of sirup the berries can be packed attractively
without floating and no sirup will be left over.
To this amount of sirup add exactly two and three-fourths pounds of
washed, capped and stemmed strawberries. Boil the fruit until it
registers 222 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy or chemical thermometer.
If no thermometer is available boil until the sirup is very
heavy--about as thick as molasses. Remove the scum.
Fill the sterilized jars full of hot berries. Pour in enough of the
hot sirup to fill the jar, leaving as little air space as possible.
Put sterilized rings and caps on at once, but do not fasten tightly.
Stand the sealed jars in tepid water up to their necks if possible.
Bring this water to a boil. Let pint jars stay in the boiling water
for at least fifteen minutes and quart jars at least twenty-five
minutes; then close caps tightly at once. At the conclusion of the
operation, stand each jar for a moment on its cap to make sure that
the seal is absolutely tight.
Recipe Number 2. The following method is preferred by some because
it leaves more of the natural color in the preserves:
To two pounds of washed, capped and stemmed strawberries add
twenty-six ounces sugar; let stand over-night. In the morning pour
juice thus obtained into a preserving kettle, add berries and cook to
222 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the sirup is very heavy. Pack and
sterilize, as in Recipe Number 1. These recipes can be used for all
other berries.
When wet weather makes strawberries too soft or sandy for the table,
they are still useful for making "strawberry acid," a thick sirup
which, mixed with water, ice and perhaps spearmint, makes a cooling
summer drink.
Strawberries--Sun Preserves. Select firm ripe berries; hull and
rinse. Place them in a shallow platter in a single layer; sprinkle
sugar over them. Pour over them a thick sirup made of one quart of
water and eleven pounds of sugar, boiled until very thick.
Cover them with a glass dish or a plain window glass. Allow them to
stand in the hot sun eight to twelve hours. Pack them in jelly glasses
and cover with paraffin or put in regular glass jars or tin cans. Put
the rubber and cap in position, not tight. Cap and tip or seal if
using enameled tin cans. Sterilize for the length of time given below
for the particular type of outfit used:
MINUTES
Hot-water bath, homemade or commercial 20
Water seal, 214 degrees 15
Steam pressure 10
Remove the jars, tighten the covers, invert the jars to cool, and test
the joint. Wrap the jars in paper to prevent bleaching.
When using steam-pressure or pressure-cooking outfit on preserves,
remember to keep the valve open during the sterilizing.
SPECIAL DIRECTIONS FOR JELLY AND JAM MAKING
Apples vary in the percentage of sugar and acid they contain; a fine
flavored acid apple should be used when possible. Winter apples are
best for jelly making. If necessary to make apple jelly in the spring,
add juice of 1 lemon to every pint of apple juice.
Apricots are delicious combined with pineapple.
Blackberries, elderberries and loganberries make delicious juices and
shrubs for summer beverages.
The total time of making blueberry jelly need not exceed 10 minutes.
Cranberries are not always put through a jelly bag, but are rubbed
through a sieve.
Cherries are most delicious if preserved in the sun. A good
combination for preserves is equal parts of cherries and strawberries.
Crab apples can be combined with some juices, such as peach, pear and
pineapple, to furnish necessary pectin.
One-half currants and one-half raspberries make a delicious jelly;
currants are in best condition for jelly making from June 28 to July
3.
Black currant jam is considered quite a delicacy these days.
Acid grapes are best for jelly; sweet, ripe grapes contain too much
sugar. Equal portions ripe and green grapes are satisfactory.
If gooseberries are fully ripe they make finer-flavored jam than do
green-as-grass gooseberries.
Some women are successful in making peach jelly, but be sure to test
for pectin before completing the process, to save time and effort.
Pineapple is best canned alone or used as foundation for conserves.
An underripe, acid plum is best.
Plums and apples combined make an excellent tasting jelly.
Quince parings are often used for jelly, the better part of the fruit
being used for preserving.
Raspberries and other berries should not be gathered after a rain, for
they will have absorbed so much water as to make it difficult, without
excessive boiling, to get the juice to "jell."
Rhubarb is an excellent foundation for the more expensive fruit. It
will take the flavor of other fruits and thus we can make an otherwise
expensive jam "go a long way."
Strawberries combine well with other fruits and can be utilized in
many ways.
Select sour, smooth-skinned oranges.
Lemon Marmalade. After the 9 oranges and 6 lemons are sliced, put in
kettle; add 4 quarts water, cover and let stand 36 hours; then boil 2
hours. Add 8 pounds sugar and boil one hour longer.
Grapefruit used alone is bitter. Oranges or lemons or both are
usually combined with grapefruit.
All wild fruits or berries used for jelly making must be fresh and not
overripe. Barberry jelly is firmer and of better color if made from
fruit picked before the frost comes, while some of the berries are
still green.
CHART FOR JELLY AND JAM MAKING
KIND OF FRUIT|CHARACTER OF| HOW TO | AMOUNT OF | AMOUNT OF
| FRUIT | PREPARE |WATER NEEDED| SUGAR NEEDED
| | |FOR COOKING | FOR JELLYING
-------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLES, SOUR | Excellent | Wash, |One-half as | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly |discard any | much water | sugar to 1
| making | unsound | as fruit | cupful of
| | portions, | | juice
| | cut into | |
| | small | |
| | pieces. | |
| | Include | |
| | | |
APRICOTS |Not suitable|Leave a few |For jam use | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly | stones in |just enough | sugar to 1
| making. |for flavor. | water to | cupful of
| Excellent | | keep from | apricots for
| for jam. | | burning | jam
| | | |
BLACKBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |1 cupful of | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly | | water to 5 | sugar to 1
| making | | quarts of | cupful of
| | | berries | juice
| | | |
BLUEBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of
| for jelly | | water to 5 | sugar to 1
|making; make| | quarts of | cupful of
| a sweet | | berries | juice
| jelly | | |
| | | |
CRANBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |One-half as | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly | | much water | sugar to 1
| making | | as berries | cupful of
| | | | juice
| | | |
CHERRIES |Pectin must | Pit the |For jam, use| ¾ cupful of
|be added for|cherries for|just enough | sugar to 1
|jelly making| jam | water to | cupful of
| | | keep from | cherries for
| | | burning | jam
| | | |
CRAB APPLES | Excellent | Same as |One-half as | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly | apples | much water | sugar to 1
| making | | as apples | cupful of
| | | | juice
| | | |
CURRANTS, RED| Excellent | Do not |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of
| for jelly |remove stems| water to 5 | sugar to 1
| making | for jelly | quarts of | cupful of
| | | currants | juice
| | | |
CURRANTS, | Better for |Remove stems|Enough water| ¾ cupful of
BLACK | jam | |to keep from| sugar to 1
| | | sticking | cupful of
| | | | currants
| | | |
GRAPES, | Excellent |Wash, do not|1 cupful of | 1 cupful of
UNRIPE | for jelly | stem; use | water to 5 | sugar to 1
| making | stems | quarts of | cupful of
| | | grapes | juice
| | | |
GOOSEBERRIES | Excellent | "Head and |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of
| for jelly |tail," using| water to 5 | sugar to 1
| making | scissors | quarts of | cupful of
| | |gooseberries| juice
| | | |
PEACHES |Pectin must | Peaches, |Just enough | ¾ cupful of
|be added for| apples and | water to | sugar to 1
|jelly making|raisins make| keep from | cupful of
| |a delicious | burning | juice
| | conserve | |
| | | |
PINEAPPLES |Pectin must | Prepare as | For jams, | ¾ cupful of
|be added for| for table |enough water| sugar to 1
|jelly making| use |to keep from| cupful of
| | | burning | juice
| | | |
PLUMS, |Suitable for| Mash fruit | 1 quart of | ¾ cupful of
GREENGAGE |jelly making| and remove | water for | sugar to 1
| |stems; cook |each peck of| cupful of
| |stones with | fruit | juice
| | fruit | |
| | | |
PLUMS, DAMSON|Suitable for| Wipe and | 1 quart of | ¾ cupful of
|jelly making| pick over; | water for | sugar to 1
| | prick | every peck | cupful of
| | several | of plums | juice
| | times with | |
| | large pin | |
| | | |
QUINCES | Excellent |Cut out the |One-half as | ¾ cupful of
| for jelly |blossom end.| much water | sugar to 1
| making, if |Mash and cut| as quinces | cupful of
| not too |in quarters | | juice
|ripe. If so,| | |
| add crab | | |
| apple | | |
| | | |
RASPBERRIES | Excellent | Wash them |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of
| for jelly |thoroughly, | water to 5 | sugar to 1
| making | but do not | quarts of | cupful of
| | let them | berries | juice
| |soak in the | |
| | water | |
| | | |
RHUBARB |Pectin must |Wash and cut| For jam, | ¾ cupful of
|be added for| into small |half as much| sugar to 1
| jelly | pieces | water as | cupful of
| making. | | fruit. | juice
| Better for | | |
| jam. | | |
| | | |
STRAWBERRIES |Pectin must | Wash and | For jam, | ¾ cupful of
|be added for| remove |just enough | sugar to 1
| jelly | hulls. | water to | cupful of
| making. | | keep from | pulp.
| | | burning. |
CITRUS FRUITS| | | |
| | | |
ORANGES | Excellent | For orange | Cook in |Three-quarters
| for jelly | marmalade | water to | their weight
| making and | weigh | cover. | in sugar.
| marmalade | oranges | |
| |slice cross-| |
| | wise with | |
| |sharp knife | |
| | as thin as | |
| | possible; | |
| |remove seed.| |
| | | |
LEMONS | Excellent | For | | 8 pounds of
| for jelly |marmalade 9 | | sugar
| making and |oranges and | |
| to supply |6 lemons are| |
| pectin to | a good | |
|other fruits|combination | |
| | | |
GRAPEFRUIT | Best for | Grapefruit | |Three-quarters
| marmalades | is sliced | | their weight
| | very thin, | | in sugar.
| | seed | |
| | removed. | |
WILD FRUITS | | | |
| | | |
RASPBERRIES, | All | Prepare as |Just enough | 1 cupful of
BLACKBERRIES,| excellent | other | water to | sugar to 1
BARBERRIES, | for jelly | fruits. | keep from | cupful of
GRAPES, BEACH| making. | | burning. | juice.
PLUMS. | | | |
| | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER VII
MEAT
Canned meat adds variety to the diet in the winter-time and makes a
pleasant change from the cured and smoked meats. You put meat into
jars in the raw state and extend the sterilizing period or you can
cook the meat partially or completely and then sterilize for a shorter
period of time. Of course a reliable method of canning meat must be
used, such as the cold-pack process, where the sterilizing is done in
the tin or jar in either boiling water or steam under pressure. We
usually recommend the partial cooking, roasting or boiling of the meat
before canning especially for beginners. If you are a beginner in the
business of cold-pack canning then by all means cook the meat before
putting it in cans. If you have canned peas, beans and corn
successfully for years then you are ready for all kinds of raw meat
canning.
To save criticism of the cold-pack method of canning meat and to guard
against any danger from eating poorly prepared and improperly
sterilized meat we do not urge beginners to experiment with meat,
although the meat can be safely canned by any one whether new at the
canning game or a veteran in it if directions are carefully followed.
But it is the big "If" that we have to watch.
Many farmers and farmerettes are canning meats of all kinds all over
the country and there is never a can lost. We need more meat canning
done at home and you can do it if you will practice cleanliness in all
your work and follow directions.
The fear of getting botulinus bacteria from eating canned meat is just
a "bug-a-boo." It should be clearly understood that botulism is one of
the very rare maladies. The chances for getting it by eating canned
goods, say the experts, is rather less than the chances from dying of
lockjaw every time you scratch your finger. To regard every can as a
source of botulism is worse than regarding every dog as a source of
hydrophobia. Moreover, for the very timid, there is the comforting
certainty that the exceedingly slight danger is completely eliminated
by re-cooking the canned food for a short time before eating it.
There are always a few cases of illness traceable to bad food, not
only to canned food but to spoiled meats, fish, bad milk, oysters and
a number of things. There are also cases of injury and death by street
accidents, but we do not for that reason stop using the streets. If
you put good meat into the can and do your canning right then you will
have good results. Never put into a can meat that is about ready to
spoil, thinking thereby to "save it."
If you want to be absolutely sure, even if the jar of meat seems
perfectly fresh when it is opened, you can re-cook the meat, thus
insuring yourself against any possibility of botulinus poisoning. So
you see, there is nothing at all alarming about that frightful
sounding word "botulinus." Using fresh products, doing the canning
properly and reheating before serving eliminates all danger.
For canning meat, tin cans are in most respects superior to glass, as
they eliminate all danger of breakage, preserve the meat just as well
as glass, and by excluding the light prevent any change of color. If
you use glass jars be sure to get the best brand of jar rubbers on the
market. This is very important.
If, as I have said, you are a beginner--cook the meat first by frying,
roasting, broiling, baking or stewing--just as you would prepare it
for immediate use. The meat is usually seasoned according to taste and
is cooked until thoroughly heated through, before putting in the cans.
Do not cook until tender as that will be too long with the additional
sterilizing. If too tender it will fall apart and be unappetizing
although perfectly good. See that nothing is wasted in the canning. If
you are canning a young steer or a calf you would go about it as
follows:
Select the meat that you would ordinarily want. Slice the meat wanted
for steak. What is not suited for either of these can be used for
stews, or be put through the meat grinder and made into sausage meat,
formed into little cakes, fried and canned. What meat is left clinging
to all bones will be utilized when the bones are boiled for soup
stock. The sinews, the head and the feet, after being cleaned may be
used for soup stock also.
The liver should be soaked in water, the coarse veins cut out and the
liver skinned and prepared any way that is desired before canning it
or it may be made into liver sausage. The heart can be used for
goulash. The kidneys should be soaked in salt water, split open and
the little sack removed; then they can be either stewed or fried and
then canned. The sweetbreads may be prepared in various ways and then
canned.
The brain is soaked in water to remove the blood, and the membrane
enclosing it is removed. It can be fried or prepared in any favorite
way and then canned. The ox tail is used for soup. The tongue is
soaked in water, scrubbed, cleaned, salted, boiled, skinned and packed
in cans with some soup stock added.
If you do not care to use the head for soup stock and if it comes from
a young animal, split it open and soak in cold water. Use a brush and
scrub thoroughly. Remove the eyes and mucous membrane of the nostrils
and then boil it. After it is boiled, remove all meat and make a mock
turtle stew or ragout. Prepare the tripe as for table use and then
can.
After the soup stock is made and the bones are cracked for a second
cooking, the bones need not be thrown away. You can dry them, run them
through a bone crusher and either feed them to the chickens or use
them for fertilizer. In this way not a particle of the dressed animal
is wasted.
Here are a few ways to utilize the cuts that are really "left-overs."
GOULASH
2 Pounds of meat scraps which can consist of beef, veal or pork.
2 Ounces of any fat.
2 Onions chopped fine.
1 Stalk celery, cut in small pieces.
2 Carrots.
2 Cups tomatoes either canned or fresh.
1 Bay leaf.
6 Whole cloves.
6 Peppercorns.
1 Blade mace or a little thyme or both.
A little flour.
1 Tablespoonful chopped parsley.
Salt and paprika to taste.
Cut the meat into one inch squares and roll in flour. Melt the fat in
the frying pan, add the vegetables (onions, celery, carrots) and brown
lightly: add the meat and brown. Stir with a spoon or fork to prevent
burning. When browned empty into a pan.
Put the bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, mace and thyme into a
cheesecloth bag and add to the meat, add tomatoes. Cover with soup
stock or water and simmer 45 minutes if it is going to be canned. If
for immediate use, 2 hours will be necessary to thoroughly cook it.
Remove the spices, season with salt, paprika and the chopped parsley.
You can add Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce if desired. Use only
small quantities as these sauces are very strong in their distinctive
flavor. Put hot mixture into cans and sterilize.
If the different spices are not at hand a good goulash can be made by
using the meat, fat, onions, tomatoes, flour, salt and pepper and
omitting the rest of the recipe.
LIVER SAUSAGE
Beef, veal, or hog liver. Remove the membrane and cut away the large
blood vessels. Soak in water 1 to 2 hours to draw out blood. Boil
until done. When cooled put through a food chopper or grate finely.
Take half as much boiled fat pork as liver. Divide this fat into two
portions; chop one portion into one-quarter inch cubes; pass the other
portion through the food chopper; mix all together thoroughly; add
salt, ground cloves, pepper, and a little grated onion to taste. A
little thyme and marjoram may be added to suit taste. (For a liver
weighing 1½ pounds add ¾ pounds fat pork, 3 to 4 teaspoonfuls salt, ½
teaspoonful cloves, ½ teaspoonful pepper, 1 small onion, ¼ teaspoonful
thyme, and pinch of marjoram.) This mixture is stuffed into large
casings. (If no casings are available, make casings of clean white
muslin.) Cover with boiling water, bring to a boil, and boil for 10
minutes. Pack into cans, fill in with the water in which the sausages
were boiled. Sterilize.
This liver sausage may also be made from the raw liver and raw pork,
but in that case the sterilizing is for a longer period, as the
time-table indicates. This recipe is recommended by the United States
Department of Agriculture.
HEAD CHEESE
Cut a hog's head into four pieces. Remove the brains, ears, skin,
snout and eyes. Cut off the fattest parts for lard. Put the lean and
bony parts to soak over night in cold water in order to extract the
blood and dirt. When the head is cleaned put it over the fire to boil,
using water enough to cover it. Boil until the meat separates readily
from the bones. Then remove it from the fire and pick out all the
bones. Drain off the liquor, saving a part of it for future use. Chop
the meat up finely with a chopping knife. Return it to the kettle and
pour on enough of the liquor to cover the meat. Let it boil slowly for
fifteen minutes to a half-hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper
just before removing it from the fire. Bay leaves, a little ground
cloves and allspice may be added and boiled a short time in the soup.
Pack while hot in cans to within ½ inch of top. Sterilize. This head
cheese is always served cold.
CORNED BEEF
After beef has been properly corned for three weeks, remove the meat
from the brine. Soak for two hours in clear water, changing water
once. Place in a wire basket and boil slowly for half an hour. Remove
from the boiling water, plunge into cold water, and remove gristle,
bone and excessive fat. Cut into small pieces and pack closely into
cans. Add no salt and proceed as in other canning.
CANNED PORK
After the animal has been killed, cool quickly and keep the pork cool
for at least 24 hours. Can only lean portions, using the fat to make
lard. Place meat in a wire basket or cheesecloth and boil 30 minutes,
or roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Cut into small sections and pack
closely into cans. Add salt and proceed with remainder of process.
Other pieces of beef and pork: Hamburg steak, sausage, venison,
squirrel, raccoon, opossum, lamb, are canned as follows:
After cleaning, season and fry, roast, stew, or bake in oven as though
preparing for serving directly on the table. Cook until meat is about
three fourths done. Pack while hot into sanitary tin cans or glass
jars. Pour over the meat the hot liquids, gravies, dressings, etc., or
hot water. Add salt and proceed as in any other cold-pack canning.
HOW TO CAN POULTRY AND GAME WITH THE BONES REMOVED
Kill bird and draw immediately; wash carefully and cool; then cut into
convenient sections. Boil until the meat can be removed from the
bones; remove from the boiling liquid and take out all bones; pack
closely into glass jars or enameled cans; fill jars with the hot
liquid after it has been concentrated one half; add 1 level
teaspoonful salt to every quart of meat for seasoning; put rubbers and
top of jars in place but not tight. If using enameled cans completely
seal. Sterilize the length of time given in the time-table on page
108 of this book. After the sterilizing remove the jars; tighten the
covers if glass was used; invert to cool and test joints. Wrap with
paper to prevent bleaching.
FRIED SPRING CHICKEN
After cleaning and preparing the chickens, season and fry as though
for serving directly on the table. Cook until the meat is about
three-fourths done. If a whole spring chicken, break the neck and both
legs and fold around body of chicken. Roll up tight, tie a string
around the chicken and drop this hot, partially fried product into
sanitary tin cans or glass jars. A quart tin can (No. 3) will hold two
to four small chickens. Pour liquid from the griddle or frying pan
into the can over the chicken. Proceed, as in any other canning, with
the sealing, sterilizing and removing of the jars. Chicken fries
canned in the late fall preserve the meat at the most delicious stage
and furthermore we avoid the expense of feeding the chickens
throughout the winter.
HOW TO CAN COCKERELS
When cockerels reach the point in their growth where it is no longer
profitable to feed them, and when they are wanted for home use during
the winter months they should be canned. This method of handling the
cockerel not only saves money by cutting down the feed bill, but it
places in the pantry or cellar the means of a delicious chicken dinner
at a time of the year when the price of poultry is high.
The bird should not be fed for at least twenty-four hours before
killing. It should be killed by the approved method and picked dry.
When the feathers have been removed and the pin feathers drawn the
bird should be cooled rapidly. This rapid cooling after killing is
essential to a good flavor in canned meat. As soon as the bird has
been properly cooled it should be singed and washed carefully with a
brush.
CUTTING UP AND DRAWING CHICKENS
Mr. George Farrell, a most expert canner, tells us how to go about
this job of canning chicken.
In preparing the bird for canning, care should be taken in drawing it
so that the contents of the digestive tract do not come in contact
with the meat.
1. Remove the tops of the wings, cutting at the first joint.
2. Remove the wings.
3. Remove the foot, cutting at the knee joint.
4. Remove the leg, cutting at the hip or saddle joint.
5. Cut the removed portion of the leg into two parts at the joint.
6. Place the bird so the back of the head is toward the operator, cut
through the neck bone with a sharp knife but do not cut the windpipe
or gullet.
7. With the index finger separate the gullet and windpipe from the
skin of the neck.
8. Cut through the skin of the neck.
9. With a pointed knife cut through the skin from the upper part of
the neck, thus separated, to the wing.
10. Leave the head attached to the gullet and windpipe and loosen
these from the neck down as far as the crop.
11. With a sharp pointed knife cut around the shoulder blade, pull it
out of position and break it.
12. Find the white spots on the ribs and cut through the ribs on these
white spots.
13. Cut back to the vent; cut around it, and loosen.
14. Begin at the crop and remove the digestive tract from the bird,
pulling it back toward the vent.
15. Remove the lungs and kidneys with the point of a knife.
16. Cut off the neck close to the body.
17. Cut through the backbone at the joint or just above the diaphragm.
18. Remove the oil sack.
19. Separate the breast from the backbone by cutting through on the
white spots.
20. Cut the fillet from each side of the breastbone.
21. Cut in sharp at the point of the breastbone, turning the knife and
cutting away the wishbone with the meat. Bend in the bones of the
breastbone.
PACKING CHICKEN
Use a one quart jar. Caution: Do not pack the giblets with the meat.
1. Have the jar hot.
2. Pack the saddle with a thigh inside.
3. Pack the breastbone with a thigh inside.
4. Pack the backbone and ribs with a leg inside.
5. Pack the legs large end downward, alongside the breastbone.
6. Pack the wings.
7. Pack the wishbone.
8. Pack the fillets.
9. Pack the neck-bone.
10. Pour on boiling water to within one inch of the top; add a level
teaspoonful of salt; place the rubber and cap in position, partially
seal, and sterilize for the length of time given below for the
particular type of outfit used:
Water bath, home made or commercial (pint or quart jars) 1 hour
Water seal, 214° 3 hours
5 pounds steam-pressure 2 hours
10 to 15 pounds steam-pressure 1 hour
Remove jars; tighten covers; invert to cool, and test joints. Wrap
jars with paper to prevent bleaching.
PIGEONS
_Young_ pigeons. Dress pigeons, wash well, and roast for 30 minutes
basting frequently. Some pieces of fat bacon put over the breasts will
prevent them getting too dry.
_Old_ pigeons. Dress, wash, and fry pigeons.
Brown some onions in the fat with the pigeons, using a pound of onions
to a dozen birds. Cover with hot water after pigeons and onions are a
golden brown; simmer until the meat is tender and can be removed from
the bones. Add from time to time boiling water, if necessary, in order
to keep the birds covered. When tender, take meat from bones. Return
the meat to the liquor, salt to taste and pack while boiling into cans
or jars, fill with liquor to within one-half inch of top.
All small game birds may be canned like pigeons. Blackbirds may be
treated like pigeons. They make an excellent stew.
PLAIN CANNING OF TENDER COTTON-TAILS OR TWICE-SKINNED JACK-RABBITS
1. Blanch in boiling water until the meat is white.
2. Cold dip.
3. Pack tightly in sterilized jars.
4. Add boiling water and 1 teaspoonful salt to quart.
5. Adjust rubber and lid.
6. Sterilize in hot water bath for three hours.
7. Remove from bath and complete the seal.
Rabbit meat thus canned, may be served in various appetizing ways.
RABBIT SAUSAGE
For rabbit sausage and mince-meat only the backs and legs of the
carcass are used, discarding the sinews.
Grind together equal parts of rabbit and fat pork (or at least ¼ fat
pork). The pork may be salt pork if all salt is omitted from the
mixture.
To every ten pounds of the above add 6 teaspoonfuls salt, 1
teaspoonful of pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls powdered sage. Mix thoroughly.
Shape in flat cakes and fry till nicely browned. Pack tightly in jars,
pour over the fat in which the sausage was fried, and sterilize.
RABBIT MINCE-MEAT
Rabbit mince-meat is used a great deal on the plains and large
quantities of it are canned. The mince-meat may be made by simply
substituting the rabbit meat for beef in your favorite recipe. The
following is an inexpensive recipe:
1 Cup of rabbit meat which has been parboiled in salted water and
drained, then chopped finely.
1 Cup chopped apple.
½ Cup finely chopped suet.
½ Cup seeded raisins.
½ Cup currants.
1 Cup molasses or syrup.
2 Tablespoonfuls sugar.
1 Tablespoon cider, lemon juice, fruit juice or vinegar.
¼ Cup chopped watermelon pickles or green tomato pickles.
1 Teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg.
1 Teaspoon of salt.
½ Teaspoon cloves, mace or other spice.
Mix together all ingredients except the meat, add the meat broth and
simmer for about 1 hour. Add the meat. Pour into jars, and sterilize.
Remove and seal.
STEPS IN CANNING MEAT AND GAME
For all meat, poultry or game canning the following general
instructions should be kept in mind.
1. Sterilize the jars, caps and rubbers.
2. Grade the meat for size.
3. Cut up into convenient portions for cooking or canning.
4. Sauté, fry or bake, broil or stew as desired. This step can be
omitted if you are an experienced canner.
5. Pack in sterilized, hot jars or tin cans.
6. Add 1 level teaspoonful salt per quart of meat for seasoning if not
already seasoned.
7. If glass jars put on rubber and seal, not too tight. Seal tin cans.
8. Process in boiling water or steam under pressure.
9. Remove, completely seal the jar.
10. Invert to cool and test the joint.
11. Label and store.
If you can in tin use the enamel or lacquered cans. A slight amount of
water in the bottom of the jars of prepared meat will insure quicker
sterilization of the air remaining in the jar. Where meat has been
stewed the liquor can be poured into the jar for filling. If you use a
steam-pressure cooker outfit of course the time of cooking will be
much shorter than if you use a wash-boiler or some other homemade
outfit. If you cook in boiling water we call that the water-bath
method.
The following data will be of interest to those who contemplate
canning meat.
Hog on foot--weight 500.
Liver, heart and a part of the ribs were eaten at the time of
butchering, therefore, not canned. The remainder of the ribs canned
six No. 3 cans:
Ham 18, No. 3 cans
Shoulder 18, No. 3 cans
Roast 18, No. 3 cans
Sausage 26, No. 3 cans
Hash 4, No. 3 cans
Gravy 5, No. 3 cans
(which is also called stock)
The sausage weighed 52 lbs. before it was canned, making 2 lbs. to the
can.
There were 200 lbs. of fat for lard. After it was rendered there were
176 lbs. of lard and 20 lbs. of cracklings.
TIME-TABLE FOR CANNING MEAT, POULTRY AND
GAME
[A] IF USING HOT WATER BATH OUTFIT AT 212°F
[B] IF USING WATER-SEAL OUTFIT AT 214°F
[C] IF USING STEAM PRESSURE 5 POUNDS
[D] IF USING PRESSURE COOKER 15 POUNDS
TIME TO STERILIZE
PRODUCTS | [A] | [B] | [C] | [D]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PARTIALLY COOKED MEAT OF ALL KINDS
Roast beef | | | |
Corned beef | | | |
Sweetbreads | | | |
Tongue | | | |
Brains | | | |
Headcheese | | | |
Spareribs | 1½ hrs. | 1 hr. | 40 min. | 30 min.
Kidneys | | | |
Sausages and | | | |
other meats | | | |
Rabbits | | | |
Pigeon | | | |
Chicken | | | |
UNCOOKED OR RAW MEAT
Beef | | | |
Pork | 3 hrs. | 3 hrs. | 2 hrs. | 1 hr.
Veal and all | | | |
other meats | | | |
Poultry and game | | | |
All meat stocks | | | |
with or without | 1½ hrs. | 75 min. | 1 hr. | 40 min.
vegetables and | | | |
cereals | | | |
NOTE.--This time-table is for No. 2 and No. 3 tin cans or pint and
quart glass jars. If larger cans or jars are used more time must be
allowed for the sterilizing. If canning in tin, scratch on the can at
the time of sealing the initial of the contents. For instance--S.R.
means spareribs; G. means goulash; R.B. means roast beef. You can make
out your list and mark accordingly.
CHAPTER VIII
FISH
People in some sections of the country are interested in canning
mountain trout and others live where there is an abundant supply of
either fresh-water fish or salt-water fish. Heretofore we have been
wasteful and lax about the fish supply. But as we have learned to can
vegetables and meats so we are going to learn to can fish. Fish is
really canned the same in every step after preparation as peas and
corn are canned.
In order to have a good product, fish must be fresh when canned. No
time should be lost in handling the fish after being caught.
Putrefaction starts rapidly, and the fish must be handled promptly.
The sooner it is canned after being taken from lake, stream or ocean,
the better. Never attempt to can any fish that is stale.
PREPARATION OF FISH FOR CANNING
As soon as fish are caught it is advisable to kill them with a knife
and allow the blood to run out. Scale fish. This is easily done if the
fish is dipped in boiling water. For canning, most varieties of fish
need not be skinned. If the fish is very large and coarse, the large
back fin may be cut out and the backbone removed, but with most
varieties this is unnecessary. Cut off the head and tail, being
careful to leave no more meat than necessary on the parts removed.
Remove the entrails and the dark membrane that in some fish (e.g.,
mullets) covers the abdominal cavity. Thoroughly clean the inside. The
head may be cleaned and used for fish chowder.
If you wish to be sure that all blood is drawn out before canning,
place the fish in a brine made of one ounce of salt to one quart of
water. Allow the fish to soak from 10 minutes to 1 hour according to
the thickness of the fish. Never use this brine but once. If the meat
of the fish is very soft or loose, it may be hardened by soaking in a
brine (strong enough to float an Irish potato) for from 15 minutes to
an hour, depending on the thickness of the pieces and the softness of
the flesh.
CANNING THE FISH
1. Remove the fish from the brine where it has been placed in order to
draw out all the blood and to harden the texture of the fish.
2. Drain well.
3. Cut into can lengths.
4. Place fish in a piece of cheesecloth or in a wire basket and blanch
in _boiling water_ from three to five minutes. Three minutes for the
soft flesh fish, such as suckers, crappies, whitefish. Fish with a
firmer flesh, as pike, muskalonge and sunfish require 5 minutes
blanching. The blanching removes the strong fish flavor and cleans the
outside of the fish.
5. Cold-dip the fish by plunging into cold water immediately. This
makes the flesh firm.
6. Pack in hot jars or cans to within ½ inch from top. Add 1
teaspoonful salt per quart. Put on a good rubber and partially seal
the jar, completely seal tin cans.
7. Place jars or cans in canner and process in _boiling_ water for
three hours. Three hours sterilization will insure the keeping of all
varieties of fish, providing fresh products are used and the blanching
and other work is carefully done. If canning with a steam-pressure
canner or a pressure cooker sterilize for one hour and a half under 10
to 15 lbs. pressure.
8. At the end of the sterilizing period cool the jars quickly after
sealing completely. The tin cans may be cooled by immersing them in
cold water.
9. Store for future use.
SOFTENING OF BONES IN FISH
This can be done satisfactorily under pressure. The bones of fish are
composed of large quantities of harmless lime, bound by a matrix of
collagen, which is insoluble under ordinary conditions. When subjected
to a high temperature under pressure this collagen is converted into
gelatin and dissolved, leaving the bones soft and friable and even
edible. Bony fish, such as herring and shad, which are too small to
use otherwise are greatly improved when subjected to steam under
pressure.
The bones in herring are softened in 37 minutes at a temperature of
240 degrees; shad in 1 hour; flounder 1 hour. Other fish are fully
cooked and the bones softened in times approximately proportionate to
the size of the bones.
The following table was made after many experiments and gives the time
required to soften the bones in many common species of fish.
The term "softening" means the point in cooking when the small bones,
ribs, etc., are soft, but when the large vertebrae are not yet
sufficiently soft to be consumed along with the meat. In some of the
larger fishes where the large bones could scarcely be eaten, even if
they were softened, it would appear to be a waste of time and fuel to
carry them to a point of complete cooking, and in such cases it ought
to be sufficient to soften the small bones and sterilize the contents
of the can. For such a purpose, the "softening" rather than the "soft"
point, may be used.
The time periods are measured from the point when the given pressure
and temperature are reached (at the top of the cooker) to the time
when the heat is shut off. The heating-up and cooling-off period of
time are therefore not included. The fish were salted, but no water
was added.
Samples of fish canned during the course of these experiments were
kept six weeks at room temperature (about 68° F.) and were then
incubated at 98° F. for 48 hrs. All were sterile.
TIME REQUIRED TO SOFTEN THE BONES OF
VARIOUS SPECIES OF FISH IN QUART JARS
OR NO. 3 TIN CANS, 10 LBS. PRESSURE,
240° F.
|WEIGHT |SOFTENING|SOFT
|(LBS.) |(MINUTES)|(MINUTES)
| | |
BLACK BASS | | |
| | |
Large | 5-6 | 100 | 120
Small | ¾ to 1 | 100 | 110
| | |
BLUEFISH | | |
| | |
Large | 6-9 | 90 | 100
Small | 1-2 | 80 | 90
| | |
BUTTERFISH | | |
| | |
Average | ¼-½ | 60 | 80
| | |
CATFISH | | |
| | |
Large | 1½-2 | 70 | 80
Small | ¾ | 60 | 70
| | |
CERO | | |
| | |
Average | 10-13 | 80 | 90
| | |
COD | | |
| | |
Large | 6-16 | 80 | 90
Small | 1-2 | 50 | 60
| | |
FLOUNDER | | |
| | |
Large | 1-1¾ | 70 | 80
Small | ½-1 | 50 | 60
| | |
HADDOCK | | |
| | |
Large | 3-5 | 60 | 70
Small | 1-2 | 50 | 60
| | |
HALIBUT | | |
| | |
Average | 50-90 | 70 | 80
| | |
HICKORY SHAD | | |
| | |
Average |1½-2 | 60 | 70
| | |
KINGFISH | | |
| | |
Average | ½-1 | 60 | 70
| | |
LEMON SOLE | | |
| | |
Large | 2½-3½ | 80 | 90
Small | ¾-2 | 60 | 70
| | |
MACKEREL | | |
| | |
Average | ¾-1½ | 60 | 70
| | |
MACKEREL, SPANISH | | |
| | |
Average | 1½-2½ | 100 | 110
| | |
PERCH, WHITE | | |
| | |
Average | ¼-¾ | 100 | 110
| | |
PERCH, YELLOW | | |
| | |
Average | ¼-¾ | 90 | 100
| | |
POLLACK | | |
| | |
Average | 5-7½ | 60 | 70
| | |
SALMON | | |
| | |
Average | 13-19 | 90 | 100
| | |
SEA BASS | | |
| | |
Average | 1-1½ | 60 | 70
| | |
SQUETEAGUE | | |
| | |
Large | 2½-4 | 80 | 90
Small | ¾-2 | 50 | 60
| | |
SMELTS | | |
| | |
Large, per lb. | 5-7 | 60 | 70
Small, per lb. | 15-20 | 50 | 60
| | |
SNAPPER, RED | | |
| | |
Large | 10-15 | 110 | 120
Small | 5-6 | 90 | 100
| | |
SUCKER | | |
| | |
Average | ½-1½ | 80 | 90
| | |
TILEFISH | | |
| | |
Average | 6-12 | 90 | 100
| | |
WHITING | | |
| | |
Average | ½-1 | 50 | 60
FRIED FISH
1. Clean the fish and remove entrails. Split along the back and remove
backbone.
2. Place in brine strong enough to float an Irish potato. Allow fish
to remain in this brine from 10 minutes to 1 hour according to the
thickness of the flesh. This draws out the blood and hardens the meat.
3. Draw, wipe dry.
4. Cut in pieces that can go through jar or can openings.
5. Roll in cornmeal or other flour, dip into beaten egg and roll in
flour again.
6. Then put into frying basket and fry in deep fat until nicely
browned, or it can be sautéd in bacon or other fat until well browned.
7. Drain well by placing pieces on coarse paper to absorb excessive
fat.
8. Pack into hot jars or enameled tin cans.
9. Add 1 teaspoonful salt per quart. Add no liquid.
10. Partially seal glass jars. Completely seal tin cans.
11. Process 3 hours in hot water bath outfit. Process 1½ hours in
steam pressure (10 to 15 lbs. pressure).
12. Remove from canner. Seal glass jars. Cool quickly as possible.
BAKED FISH
Prepare and bake fish same as for table use until half done. Pack in
hot jars, add salt and sterilize three hours in hot-water-bath outfit
or 1½ hours in steam pressure or pressure cooker, 10 to 15 lbs.
pressure.
ANOTHER FORMULA FOR MISCELLANEOUS FISH
Rub the fish inside and out with a mixture made as follows: to 50
pounds fish, mix 2½ pounds salt, 2½ pounds brown sugar and 2½ ounces
saltpeter. Let the fish stand in a cool place for 48 to 60 hours with
the mixture on, then wash and drain. Fill into glass jars or enamel
lined tin cans and add the following sauce until cans are nearly
filled: ¼ pound whole black pepper, 1½ pounds salt, 1 pound of onions
chopped fine, ½ ounce bay leaves, ¼ pound whole cloves, 2 quarts cider
vinegar and 25 quarts of water. Soak the pepper, cloves and bay leaves
for 48 hours in the vinegar. Put the water, salt and onions in a
kettle. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes, then add the vinegar and
spices. Let boil for one minute. Strain and it is ready for use.
Sterilize for 3 hours in hot-water-bath outfit.
Sterilize for 1½ hours in steam pressure or pressure cooker (10 to 15
lbs. pressure).
CANNED FISH IN OIL
Rub fish with salt, brown sugar and saltpeter as above directed. Wash
and dry thoroughly in the sun. Spread on wire screens and dip in oil
heated to a temperature of 300 degrees. Use a strap handle plunge
thermometer to determine heat of oil. Cottonseed oil may be used for
this purpose, although olive oil is best. As soon as the fish are
cool enough to handle, pack tightly in cans, filling up with the hot
oil.
Sterilize 3 hours in hot-water-bath-outfit; 1½ hours in steam pressure
or pressure cooker (10 to 15 lbs.).
CANNED FISH IN TOMATO SAUCE
Handle same as specified under "Another Formula for Miscellaneous
Fish," except pour in the following sauce instead of pepper, cloves,
onions, etc.: Ten gallons of tomato pulp (mashed tomatoes and juice
with cores, seeds and skins removed); 1 gallon cider vinegar, 1 pint
Worcestershire sauce; 2½ pounds red sweet peppers; 2½ pounds sugar, 2
cups salt, 2 pounds onions (chopped fine); 1 pound West India peppers
and 1 ounce Saigon cinnamon. The fish are processed same as "Fish in
Oil." Enamel lined cans or glass jars must be used.
FISH CHOWDER
The cleaned heads of any fish, the backbones cut out of large fish
with what meat adheres to them and all other fish scraps may be used
for fish chowder. Put all these parts in cold water (to cover) and
cook until all the meat can be easily removed from the bones. Pick all
the meat from the bones, strain the fish liquor and return it with the
picked fish meat to the kettle. Add the following ingredients: To
every two pounds of fish picked from bones and the liquor in which
fish was cooked add 6 onions, diced or sliced thin; 6 potatoes, diced
or sliced thin; 2 tablespoonfuls fat; 1 teaspoonful paprika; 2
teaspoonfuls salt or salt to taste.
Cook vegetables, fat and seasonings until vegetables are half done.
Pack hot in cans and sterilize same as all other fish. When the
chowder is opened, heat and add milk according to taste.
FISH ROE
For canning be sure to use roe of freshly caught fish and only such
roe as is known to be good to eat. The roe of some fishes, such as the
garfish, is not eaten.
Clean the roe by removing the shreds and strings adhering to it and
wash well in cold water, being careful not to break the roe. Soak for
2 hours in a brine made of 6 quarts of water and 6 ounces of salt.
Drain and pack in hot glass jars or enameled tin cans. Can for the
same length of time as other fish.
OYSTERS
Be sure all oysters that are to be canned are absolutely fresh, have
not "soured" and contain no spoiled oysters. Oysters are opened by
hand. All oysters should be rejected that have partly open shells, as
this is a sign that the oyster is dead and consequently not fit to
eat.
Rinse the oysters to prevent any pieces of shell or grit from getting
into the cans. Blanch 5 minutes. Cold-dip. If the canned oysters are
to be sold it is required by law to mark on each can the net weight of
solids or meat exclusive of liquids.
There have been a number of standard grades of oysters recognized on
the Baltimore market. They are given as follows: "Standard Oysters"
(four kinds).
No. 1 cans, containing respectively 1½, 3, 4 and 5 ounces of meat,
after being processed in the cans.
No. 2 cans, containing respectively 3, 6, 8 and 10 ounces of meat.
"Select" and "Extra Select" Oysters contain respectively 6 ounces and
12 ounces for No. 1 and No. 2 cans. The above are the net weights of
meats only that have been drained over a strainer with a wire bottom
of ½ inch mesh. These are the only grades that have so far been
recognized by the trade. An even balance scale, with one platform for
graduated weights and another for articles to be weighed, is used to
weigh oysters or clams. It is suggested that those who are going to
can clams or oysters find out from their prospective customers just
what requirements are as to weights and then make their pack meet the
occasion. Under no circumstances is it advisable to make any
misstatements or misbrand in any respect.
After oysters have been packed in the can, fill with boiling brine
made of 5 quarts of water to ¼ lb. salt to within ½ inch from top of
can. Sterilize as other fish.
CLAMS
If clams are received in a muddy condition, it is advisable, though
not necessary to wash them before opening. After opening, discard
broken or discolored clams. Do not can any clams unless absolutely
fresh. Blanch. Cold-dip. Weigh out the amount of solid meat, after
draining, that is to go into each can. Weigh and label just as oysters
are weighed and labeled.
Fill can to within ½ inch from the top with boiling brine made of 5
gallons of water and 1 pound of salt. Sterilize.
CLAM BROTH AND CHOWDER
Place the clams, after being opened, in a kettle with enough cold
water to cover. Add a few stalks of celery. Boil for 10 minutes.
Season with salt, and pepper to taste and add 1 tablespoon butter to
every 50 or 60 large clams. Can. Clam chowder can be made according to
any recipe and then canned.
SHRIMPS
Shrimps when first caught are a grayish white color. They are very
delicate and spoil quickly if allowed to stand for any length of time
in a warm place. There are two general methods of canning shrimp--the
"dry pack" and "wet pack." Nearly all the trade now calls for "wet
pack" because the other always has a rather offensive odor and the
meat is never so fresh and sweet of flavor as the "wet pack." Canned
shrimp is very pleasing to the taste and is preferred by many to
lobster for salads and stews.
Wet Pack. Medium sizes are preferable as very large shrimps are apt
to be too tough and too dry. Put the shrimps into a wire scalding
basket and lower into a boiling hot salt water solution made by mixing
one pound of salt to each gallon of water. Allow the shrimps to remain
in this bath for about five minutes, then remove and drain thoroughly.
Peel and remove viscera (entrails). The boiling and the salt will
harden the meat and make the peeling comparatively easy. Pack into
enameled tin cans or glass jars. Nos. 1 and 1½ cans are used almost
exclusively. These sizes should contain 4½ oz and 9 ounces of meat
respectively. It is unsafe to put in more meat than above directed,
for it might cake and become solid when processed.
Add a very mild brine to within ½ inch from top of can. For the brine
use 1 teaspoonful salt to 1 quart of boiling water. Sterilize.
Dry Pack. Handle same as above, except do not pour into the cans any
brine. The fish is packed in the cans and processed as follows without
the addition of any liquor.
Drying of Shrimps. After shrimps are boiled and peeled they may be
dried. Spread on a drier of any kind and dry at a temperature of from
110°F. to 150°F. When thoroughly dry pack in dry clean glass jars or
in parchment-paper lined boxes.
SALMON
Scale fish, clean and wipe dry. Do not wash. If the fish are large cut
in lengths to fill the cans and in sizes to pass through can openings
easily. Salmon is usually packed in No. 1 cans or in flat cans. Fill
cans with fish after it has been blanched 5 minutes and cold dipped.
Sterilize as other fish.
Many salmon packers lacquer the outside of their cans to prevent
rusting. This is a very advisable point. The test for unsound salmon
is the nose. If the contents issue an offensive odor, it is unsound.
Freezing does not hurt canned salmon.
AMERICAN OR DOMESTIC SARDINES
The fish taught and used for packing domestic sardines belong to the
herring family and are said to be of the same species as the sardines
of France, Portugal and Spain. There are two methods generally used in
canning sardines. First, when the fish are put in a sauce such as
mustard dressing or tomato sauce, and secondly where they are packed
in oil.
CANNING SARDINES IN SAUCE
The heads are cut off, the scales taken off and the fish cleaned.
Blanch 5 minutes; cold dip; drain and pack into the cans dry. Cover
with sauce, either mustard or tomato.
SARDINES IN OIL
The fish are prepared in the same manner as above described but
instead of blanching them, they are put in wire baskets and immersed
in boiling peanut or cottonseed oil until tender. Olive oil might be
used, but is rather expensive. When cooked, they are drained, packed
into cans in order, and the cans filled with olive oil. It is often
advisable to salt the fish while fresh and before cooking as it
improves the flavor.
CRAB MEAT
Put 5 gallons of water in a large kettle. Add ¼ lb. of baking soda to
it. When boiling vigorously throw the live crabs in it and boil
quickly for 20 minutes. Remove crabs and wash them in cold water. Pick
out all meat. Wash the meat in a brine made of 1 ounce of salt
dissolved in three quarts of water. Drain and pack in enameled No. 1
flat cans. Sterilize. As soon as the time of sterilizing is up, plunge
the cans immediately into cold water, otherwise crab meat discolors.
For this reason, glass jars are not so well adapted to crab meat
canning as tin cans.
FLAKED CODFISH
The fish are first cleaned and the entrails removed, then the fins are
cut off. The fish are then soaked for about two hours in a salt brine
to remove the blood. This brine is made with about 10 lbs. of salt to
8 gallons of water. The brine is then rinsed off and the fish are
cooked, either boiled or cooked by steam. When codfish are thoroughly
cooked, the meat will drop off of the bone in pieces, and it is very
white in color and crisp in texture. These pieces are then broken in
suitable sizes and are ready to place in the cans. The cans are filled
as full as possible, because after processing the fish will shrink
some.
CRAWFISH
The best way to can crawfish is to put it up in a bouillon as follows:
Water, 2 gallons; vinegar, 1 quart; cloves, 10; carrots in slices, 6;
onions in slices, 6; cloves of garlic, 3.
To the above should be added a good quantity of pepper to suit the
taste, a little salt and bunch of parsley and a little thyme. Boil
slowly for about an hour. Throw in the crawfish after the intestines
have been extracted; to do this take the live crawfish in your hand
and tear off the wing which is in the middle of the tail; it will pull
out at the same time a little black intestine which is very bitter.
Boil one or two minutes, never longer, put in cans and process.
TIME-TABLE FOR BLANCHING AND STERILIZING FISH
[A] SCALD OR BLANCH
[B] HOT WATER BATH OUTFIT 212°F
[C] CONDENSED STEAM OUTFIT 212°F
[D] WATER-SEAL OUTFIT 214°F
[E] STEAM PRESSURE 5 TO 10 POUNDS
[F] PRESSURE COOKER 10 POUNDS
NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE
PRODUCT | [A] | [B] | [C] | [D] | [E] | [F]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Fish of all kinds |3 to 5| 3 hrs.| 3 hrs.|2½ hrs.|2 hrs. |1½ hrs.
| min. | | | | |
| | | | | |
Shell fish of all |3 min.| 3 hrs.| 3 hrs.|2½ hrs.| 2 hrs.|1½ hrs.
kinds | | | | | |
CHAPTER IX
EASY METHODS OF CANNING IN TIN
If the proper sanitary requirements are provided and instructions of
the cold-pack method of canning are followed, it is entirely safe and
practical to use tin cans for all kinds of fruits, vegetables and
other food products. Food poisoning--commonly called ptomaine
poisoning--and the effects ascribed to "salts of tin" result from
improper handling and improper preparation of the product before
packing, or from allowing the product to stand in the tin after it has
been opened. The raw food products used for canning in tin must be in
sound condition, just as they must be if put into glass containers.
It is true that canned foods may be rendered unfit for use by improper
handling of the product before packing and that decomposition may
occur after canning, owing to insufficient processing, improper
sealing or the use of leaky containers. This condition, however, is no
more likely to be encountered in foods put up in tin than in products
canned in other types of containers. You run no more danger of poison
from your own tin-canned products than from tin-canned food bought at
the store. Most canned foods if in a spoiled condition readily show
this condition by the swelling of the can or by odor or taste. Canned
foods showing such evidences of decomposition should not be used.
Certain foods which are high in protein, such as meats, peas, beans
and fish products, may undergo decomposition without making this
condition obvious to the senses. It is essential, therefore, that the
greatest care be taken to subject such products to proper preparation
and ample processing. It should be remembered that canned foods, after
opening the containers, should be treated as perishable products and
should be handled with the same precautions that are applied when
fresh products are being used.
ADVANTAGES OF CANS
Many housewives ask, "Why can in tin when we have always used glass
jars?" There are many advantages in canning in tin which we can well
consider. There is no breakage as in glass; you can handle the tin
cans as carelessly as you choose and you will not hear a snap or crack
indicating a lost jar. Furthermore, tin cans are easier to handle not
only in canning but in storing.
The expense each year of new tin covers or new tin cans is no more
than the purchase of new rubbers and the replacement of broken glass
jars. Furthermore, one big advantage of tin over glass is that tin
cans can be cooled quickly by plunging them into cold water
immediately upon removal from the canner, and thus the cooking is
stopped at the proper moment. The product is consequently better in
form and flavor than when the cooking is prolonged, as it must be in
glass jars. Many women like the large openings of cans because they
can make better packs than when using narrow-necked jars.
If you do not care to bother with the soldering you can purchase a
safe and simple device that will do the work for you. This device is
called a tin-can sealer. With a sealer no soldering is necessary.
Even an inexperienced person, by following directions carefully, can
seal a can as well as an experienced one. The sealed cans look exactly
like those purchased at the store. Two or three cans a minute can be
sealed with this device.
This is the way to operate a can sealer: Prepare the fruits and
vegetables as for any canning, following directions formerly given for
cold-pack canning.
After the fruits or vegetables have been properly prepared, blanched
and cold-dipped if necessary, place them in sanitary, solderless cans.
Put water or sirup on, according to directions. Put the top on the can
and place the can in the sealer.
Raise the can into the chunk by swinging the raising lever at the
bottom of the machine against the frame. Turn the crank, rapidly at
first, with the right hand, and at the same time push the seaming-roll
lever very slowly with the left hand until it will go no farther. This
is one of the most important steps in the use of the machine. Continue
to give the crank several turns after the seaming-roll lever has gone
as far as it will go. This completes the first operation or seam.
Continue turning the crank with the right hand, and with the left hand
pull the seaming-roll lever until it will go no farther in this
direction. After this has been done give the crank several more turns,
and the second and final operation is complete. Bring the seaming-roll
lever back to the middle position and remove the can. The can is then
ready for sterilization.
Before sealing a new lot of cans or after changing for a different
size of can, one or two of the cans about to be used should be tested
for leaks. If this is done and the cans stand the test it will be
unnecessary to test the remaining cans of that same lot. The following
is a simple and safe test:
Put one tablespoon of water into an empty can and seal. Have on hand a
vessel containing enough boiling water to cover the can. Set aside
and, as soon as bubbles disappear from the surface, immerse the can in
the hot water. This heats the water in the can and creates a pressure
within the can. Keep the can under the surface for two minutes, and if
by that time no bubbles rise from the can the can has been sealed
air-tight.
ADJUSTING THE SEAMING ROLLS
If bubbles rise from the can the seam is not sufficiently tight. If
this seam is not sufficiently tight the _second_ seaming roll needs
adjusting, provided the directions regarding seaming rolls given below
have been observed. To set the rolls proceed as follows: Loosen the
nut on the bottom of the seaming-roll pin. With a screw driver turn
the seaming-roll pin counter clockwise--that is, from right to left.
Turn very slightly and, while holding the seaming-roll pin with the
screw driver in the left hand, tighten nut with the right hand, and
test as before.
Occasionally it is well to compare the seam after the first operation
with the sample can which is sent with the machine.
If seaming rolls cut into the can they are set too close, and the
seaming-roll pin should be adjusted in the opposite direction from
above.
After adjusting, always test cans as suggested above before canning.
The seaming rolls are set before the machine leaves the factory and
should not require adjusting for some time, but I have found that
slight variations in cans may make adjusting necessary.
If for any reason the second seaming roll is brought into contact with
the can before the first operation is complete it may injure the can
seriously, thus preventing an air-tight seam.
If the first seaming roll is forced in too rapidly it may ruin the
seam. Push the seaming-roll lever gently and steadily, while turning
the crank with the right hand. This rolls the seam gradually. There is
no danger from bringing in the second seaming roll too quickly if the
first seaming roll has completed its work.
There are thus, as you see, two kinds of tin cans used in home
canning: The sanitary or rim-seal can, which is used with a sealer,
and the cap-and-hole can. The latter consists of a can, and a cover
which carries a rim of solder and is fastened on the can by the
application of heat.
The sanitary can has a cover a trifle larger than the diameter of the
can, thus leaving the full diameter of the can open for filling. That
part of the cover that comes into contact with the can is coated with
a compound or fitted with a paper gasket or ring which makes a perfect
seal when the cover is crimped on the can. Some mechanical device is
necessary for sealing this can, and this is the sealer.
Cans may be had with inside enamel or plain without any enamel. The
following fruits and vegetables should be canned in enamel-lined cans:
All berry fruits, cherries, plums, rhubarb, pumpkin, beets and squash.
All highly colored products should be canned in enamel-lined cans to
prevent the bleaching effect induced by their action upon the plain
tin. Some prefer to can fish and meat in the enamel-lined cans. Other
products not mentioned here may be canned in plain cans, since they
are less expensive than the enamel-lined cans.
Covers are lined in two ways, with the paper gasket and the compound
gasket. The compound gasket is merely a preparation, scarcely visible,
applied to the under side of the cover and is not easily damaged by
handling. The paper gasket is a ring placed on the under side of the
cover and must be handled carefully. If the paper gasket becomes
broken the cover must be discarded. To sterilize covers having the
paper gasket, place them in the oven for a few minutes, but _do not
wet them_, before sealing cans. Do not remove or handle paper gaskets.
When the cans are removed from the cooker the ends should be raised;
this is caused by the pressure within. If they are not raised at the
ends the cans should be carefully examined for defects. After the cans
are sterilized they should be cooled off in water. This will cause the
ends to collapse. If they do not collapse the reason is probably due
to overfilling. It must be remembered that peas, beans and corn swell
a certain amount after water is placed in the cans; therefore, in
canning these vegetables the cans should be filled only to within a
quarter of an inch of the top. If the pressure of the air from without
will not cause the end to collapse, it should be forced in by hand.
THE TINNING OUTFIT
Tin-can sealers are made to handle the regular Number 2, or pint
cans, and the Number 3, or quart cans. The sizes are interchangeable,
so that in a few minutes' time a Number 2 machine may be changed into
a Number 3 machine with the necessary attachments. So it is economy to
buy a machine with these attachments, as you can then use either pints
or quarts as you desire.
If you are selling to boarding houses and hotels you also will want
half-gallon and gallon cans. If you use these larger-size cans and
want the sealer you can get it for these sizes, but you must tell
exactly what you want when ordering.
The prices which I give are 1919 prices and are of course not
stationary. A sealer that will seal the Number 2 sanitary tin cans
costs $14. A sealer for Number 3 cans will cost the same amount. But
the ideal arrangement is the combination machine which can be used for
both the pints, Number 2, and the quarts, Number 3. This type of
sealer costs $16.50. A special machine is used for sealing the Number
10 or gallon cans, and its price is $35.
The price of the "winter can opener" is $17.00 for smaller size and
$19.50 for the larger one.
Several standard sizes of tin cans are in common use for canning
purposes, as follows:
DIAMETER OF
NUMBER SIZE OPENING
INCHES INCHES
1 2-5/8 by 4 2-1/16
2 3-5/16 by 4-9/16 2-1/16 or 2-7/16
3 4-1/8 by 4-7/8 2-1/16 or 2-7/16
10 6/3/16 by 6-7/8 2-1/16 or 2-7/16
The cans are put up in crates holding 100 or 500 cans. If you are
canning for the ordinary market use Number 2 cans for berries, corn,
peas and cherries; Number 3 cans for tomatoes, peaches, apples, pears
and sweet potatoes.
In buying cans it is always necessary to state whether you desire
plain tin or lacquered--enameled--cans. In buying caps always ask for
the solder-hemmed caps and give the diameter of the can opening. For
whole fruits and v
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