Foods and Household Management Part 15

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 32.--Preserving kettles in a large factory. _Courtesy of H. J. Heinz Co._]

=Apparatus.=--Scales. Quart measure. A preserving kettle of good enamel ware. Plated knives. Large spoon of enamel or wood. Tablespoon and table fork. Pint and quart cans with gla.s.s tops fastened by springs. New rubber rings. Jelly gla.s.ses with covers. Cloth jelly bag. Stick on which to hang the bag. Large bowl. Boiler, in which to stand the cans. A funnel. A dipper. Old towels, or cheap cloths. Saucer and spoon for testing.

GENERAL METHODS AND RECIPES

=General directions.=--Thoroughly wash all the utensils, just before using. Sterilize the cans and gla.s.ses by placing them in a large kettle or boiler on the stove, covering them with cold water, and allowing the water to reach the boiling point and to boil for half an hour. Covers and rubber rings should be treated in the same way.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 33.--Picking over strawberries. _Courtesy of H. J.

Heinz Co._]

Prepare the fruit by careful was.h.i.+ng, picking over, paring and cutting.

The skins may be loosened on peaches and tomatoes by pouring hot water over them.

Weigh both fruit and sugar, or measure if no scales are available.

See that the cooking apparatus is in good order, that the proper heat may be continued.

Avoid rapid boiling of the fruit.

Place the cans when they are to be filled with hot fruit upon a towel wet in very hot water, or in a pan holding an inch or so of hot water. Never hold the can or gla.s.s in the hand.

Use a dipper for putting cooked fruit into the can. A funnel is useful placed in the mouth of the jar.

Put whole fruit and halves compactly in the jar, using tablespoon and fork, or two tablespoons. It requires practice to do this well.

See that all air bubbles are removed, and fill the cans to overflowing, before putting on the gla.s.s tops and fastening on the spring. Wipe off the jars, carefully, and stand them on their tops for a day in order to test the tightness of the rubbers and the fastening.

After filling jelly gla.s.ses, set them at one side, and cover them all with a piece of cheesecloth, until the jelly becomes firm. Then pour melted paraffin upon the jelly in each gla.s.s, and when the paraffin is cooled, put the covers on firmly.

Label the jars with the name of the fruit and the date of the preserving before putting them away.

=Canning.=

_Method 1._--Material cooked before it is put into the can. This is a good method for berries, and for fruit that will be served as a sauce. Proceed in the preparation and finis.h.i.+ng according to the general directions. Cook the fruit gently for half an hour.

Use as little water as possible. No sugar is _required_ in the canning process, but the flavor is better if a small amount is used in the beginning, a half cup of sugar to a pound of fruit.

_Method 2._--Material cooked in the can. This is the better method for whole fruit and halves. Select firm, well-shaped fruit for this method, rejecting the mellow and soft fruit. Pack the cans tightly with the fruit, and pour in hot water with sugar dissolved in it, a half cup to the quart can. More sugar can be used, if so desired. Set the jars in a boiler on a rack, and surround them with warm water, to a height that will not allow the water to boil into the cans.

Set the cover on each jar, but do not fasten them. Cover the boiler closely, bring the water to a boil, and allow it to boil for an hour. At the end of this time, test the fruit for tenderness with a fork, pour in more sirup if it is necessary.

Remove the jars when the water has cooled sufficiently, and adjust the covers. Cold water is sometimes used at the beginning, but this makes the process longer.

This is a good method also for the canning of whole vegetables like peas and asparagus. The cooking of vegetables should continue for at least two hours, and three hours are better for peas and string beans.

Apparatus is constructed for this method of canning, but the ordinary boiler answers the purpose.

=Preserving.=

A good method for peaches, apricots, and quinces. Select firm and handsome fruit and prepare it carefully. Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. (What is the measure of a pound of sugar?) Place enough water in the kettle to cover the fruit, dissolve the sugar in the water, put the fruit into the kettle, and cook very gently until the fruit becomes a clear color. Rapid boiling spoils the shape of the fruit. Do not stir at all, but skim off any sc.u.m that rises to the top. When the fruit is done, put it with great care into the jars. If the sirup is thin, boil it down for a short time, and then fill the jar. Close the jar as in canning.

This is a difficult process for beginners.

=Jam making, and fruit b.u.t.ter.=

This is the most economical of the preserving processes and the easiest for the novice. It is nothing more than a fruit sauce, with a larger amount of sugar than usual to a.s.sist in its preservation.

Soft and somewhat imperfect fruit may be used. If in the basket of fruit bought for canning or preserving there are some fully ripe or poorly shaped specimens, these may be used for jam. For jam proper allow a pint of sugar to a pound of fruit. Cook the fruit with enough water to prevent its sticking to the kettle, using as little as possible.

Mash the fruit by stirring it occasionally as it cooks. When the fruit is soft, add the sugar, stir thoroughly, and cook gently for about five minutes. Test by cooling a spoonful on a saucer. The jam should thicken slightly. When ready, pour it into jelly gla.s.ses, or somewhat larger earthen jars--"jam pots." Seal, as directed for jelly.

The _fruit b.u.t.ter_ is even more like fruit sauce than is the jam, for it is softer than jam, and contains less sugar. A cup or only a half cup of sugar to the pound of fruit is enough. Proceed exactly as in jam-making.

_Apple b.u.t.ter_ may be flavored with spices, with ginger root and lemon juice, and with other fruits. One or two quinces or a slice of pineapple cooked with the apples gives a pleasing variety.

Exercise the inventive faculty here.

=Jelly making.=

There is another principle involved in jelly making in addition to the principle of preservation. Fruit contains a substance known as pectose, one of the carbohydrates, that partially solidifies the fruit juice when the water in the juice is partially evaporated. The addition of sugar helps in this process, but no amount of sugar will set the jelly if the pectose is not present. Some fruits have more than others, and also more when not over-ripe. Currants and firm apples are good jelly makers, and serve as a basis for other fruits that do not jelly well. Mellow summer apples do not set well. Crab apples are excellent for this purpose.

There is another step in this process, the straining out of the juice from the pulp. For this, prepare a jelly bag from firm cotton cloth which has been boiled and washed. This bag must be hung in such a way that the juice drops from the point of the bag into a bowl below. It may be hung upon a stick between two chairs, or upon the rod of a strong towel rack over a table.

1. =Apple jelly.=

Select tart, red-skinned apples, cut them in small pieces with the skins on, retain the cores, and put them in a kettle with cold water to barely cover. When thoroughly cooked and mashed, put this pulp into the jelly bag, and allow the juice to drip as long as it will. Do not squeeze the bag, nor stir the pulp if you wish clear jelly. This dripping process is a matter of hours, and in the home kitchen may continue all night. Allow a pint of sugar to a pint of juice. Return the juice to the kettle, and allow it to simmer for twenty-five minutes or half an hour, skimming when necessary. In the meantime, heat the sugar, being careful not to melt or burn it. Stir the sugar gently into the juice, and boil five minutes. Test a little upon a saucer. It should show signs of jellying as it cools. Boil longer, if necessary. Finish as directed. Jelly often does not set until twenty-four hours have elapsed.

=2. Currant jelly.=

The method is the same as with apple jelly. It is not necessary to remove the currants from the stem. Heat just long enough before the straining to make the juices flow well.

Very agreeable flavors are secured by the combining of two or more fruits in a jelly; quince and pineapple with apple;--a leaf of rose geranium or lemon verbena in a gla.s.s of apple jelly; raspberry with currant. White apple jelly may be flavored with mint leaves, and used in place of mint sauce with meat.

=Pickling.=

Pickles are not desirable in the diet. If acid is craved, it is much wiser to secure it by fresh fruits, and by the use of lemon juice.

=Drying.=

This process should not be discarded if there is a supply of fruit in the orchard or garden. Place thinly sliced apples and peaches upon plates or trays, protect by clean cheesecloth, and dry in the sun. The color may be dark, but the flavor is excellent.

_Laboratory management._--The fruit selected for use in the school kitchen depends upon the time of year. The autumn is the season for preserving, but some fruit is available at any time of year: in the winter, apple and peach b.u.t.ter from the dried fruit; in the spring rhubarb jam or jelly; in the late spring or early summer, strawberry jam. If the school program and the equipment permit the serving of meals by the cla.s.s, fruit may be preserved in the fall for these occasions.

EXERCISES

1. Explain the value of fruit in the diet.

2. Why is cooked fruit sometimes better than raw?