CANNING FRUIT

The small fruits, currants, red and black raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, are much finer cooked in the can, as this method preserves the form and flavor. Have perfectly fresh fruit, look over, fill cans full, shaking down so as to have them full, without crushing. Place the jars in a steam cooker or in a common wash boiler in warm water with a cloth underneath to avoid breaking, or if at hand a perforated tin or muffin ring under each can. Make a syrup, allowing 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup water to a qt. can of berries, sugar to taste. For pears and peaches use 1 cup of sugar and 2 of water, as they will exude less juice. Let the syrup just come to a boil and pour at once into the cans. Be sure your cans are placed, as stated, in warm water or the syrup will break them. Partly screw on the tops and let the water come to boiling point and boil 5 minutes when small fruits will be done, large fruits will take longer. Take out cans, and if they are not full, fill to overflowing with boiling water and seal at once.

Plums, cherries, currants and strawberries will bear from 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar to a cup of water. Peaches may be successfully canned as above but together with pears, quinces and apples are more quickly canned by cooking in water or syrup till tender. Then lift gently into the cans, pour over them the boiling syrup and seal. Always use Bartlett pears as no others are so fine to can and be sure to have them ripe. If a boiler or kettle is used to put the cans in it is well, unless they stand very close together, to tuck a few clean white rags between them to prevent their tipping over as there is some danger of their doing when the first 2 or 3 are taken out. Let the water come up well around the cans but not so it will run or boil into them. Use new or very good rubbers, they are cheaper than fruit. Have tops and cans well scalded. Have fresh fruit. Be sure it is tightly sealed testing 2 or 3 times before it is put away. Keep in a dark place, many keep it bottom side up. Tomatoes should be scalded, skins removed, sliced and cooked slowly 30 minutes, then sealed fast and tight, and put in the dark. If you want tomatoes to keep, have them fresh, not over ripe, seal well and keep in the dark.