Canning Fruit

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Have perfectly fresh fruit; look over, fill cans full, shaking down so as to have them full, without crushing.
3. 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.
4. Make a syrup, allowing 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup water to a quart can of berries; sugar to taste.
5. For pears and peaches use 1 cup of sugar and 2 of water, as they will exude less juice.
6. Let the syrup just come to a boil and pour at once into the cans.
7. Be sure your cans are placed, as stated, in warm water, or the syrup will break them.
8. Partly screw on the tops and let the water come to boiling-point, and boil five minutes, when small fruits will be done; large fruits will take longer.
9. Take out cans, and if they are not full, fill to overflowing with boiling water and seal at once.
10. Plums, cherries, currants, and strawberries will bear from 11/2 to 2 cups of sugar to a cup of water.
11. 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.
12. Then lift gently into the cans, pour over them the boiling syrup, and seal.
13. Always use Bartlett pears, as no others are so fine to can; and be sure to have them ripe.
14. 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 two or three are taken out.
15. Let the water come up well around the cans, but not so it will run or boil into them.
16. Use new or very good rubbers, they are cheaper than fruit.
17. Have tops and cans well scalded.
18. Have fresh fruit.
19. Be sure it is tightly sealed, testing two or three times before it is put away.
20. Keep in a dark place; many keep it bottom-side up.
21. Tomatoes should be scalded, skins removed, sliced, and cooked slowly thirty minutes, then sealed fast and tight, and put in the dark.
22. If you want tomatoes to keep, have them fresh, not overripe, seal well, and keep in the dark.