A manual of home-making

The equipment is the same as for hot-water outfits, with the a<idition of a steam gauge, a pet cock, and a thermometer* In some cases when canning is done in tin cans^ a blaj^t furnace m supplied, together with the soldering ixnAs, Some outfits in chide a boiler, a crate^ a soldering outfit^ and arrangemeDta for a fire pot. There are many kinds of jars on the market. Th^ best jar is one tJmt is simple in construction, that can be sealed per- fectly and washed ciisily, that protects the contained food against contact with metahf^ that has the fewest parts to tie kol Old I I I FOOD PRESERVATION 605 or misplaced, and that fits the shelves and receptacles planned to hold it. The glass should be clear with no bubbles, and the jar should be smooth both inside and outside. The color of the glass, whether white or green, has no effect on retaining the color of the food. The type of jar that seems to give most 12f3. — Mnaapr t<;sting a jar. Fro. 127.— Poaition of rlamp during stenlization. Fio. 128.— FoaitJoti of r[;imp after sterilization. general satisfaction is one with a wide mouth and straight side and with a glass cover clamped on with some metal device. A glaas jar should be testeil before it is used (Fig. 126). The finger should be run around the e<ige of the jar as well as the lid wiiere the rubber rests, to determine whether the glass is smooth. Filing may be necessarj\ A jar with a wire clamp should have the lid plaeetl on it, and the lid should be tapped. If it rocks, the jar is imperfect. When t!ie rubber is adjusted and the lid is placed on the jar, the wire damp should snap oo. It may be necessary to remove tlie bail and either to straighten it or to bend it more in order 600 A MANUAL (IF HOME-MAKING to tighten or loosen the M iis the case may require, of the ry]jl>er may be caused liy too tight a clamp. A mason jar may be tested by placing the lid on it wiUunit & rubber and attempting to insert the thumb nail betweeo the lid and the jar. If this can be done, the jar is dcfc^ctive. Ad* other test h to at 1 just the rubl>er and the lid am J to pull out tfce rubber in one place. If the rubber stays out, the jar i» if it sijriiijj^ back, the jar is defective. The teMing of any ty|x^ of jar may be accomplishecl hy fii the jar partly with Imiling water, fidjusting the rover and nibber, an* I sealing and invert i Jig the jar. If it leaku, it sbtmld be examined to determine whether the leakage is clue to mn iniperft^ct jar, a poor rubfjer. or to imjiroper adjustment of the wire clamp, in case a wire clamp is used. If any defe^^i nottoed cannot be remedietl» the jar should l)e reserved for pickles or some food that does not require sealing. New rubbers should be used each year. Old rublier loee^ ttt elasticity, anil may cause iiufK^fect sealing and thus endanger the kee|>iog of the food. A good rubber is elastic, not britllt, and will not break easily w^hen stretched. Care should be given to the selection of good rubbers, for even new ones may l^e stifTt inelastic, and liard, or may contain no rubber at all Somd rul>bers on the markt^t impart sti dis^agreeable a flavor and odw to the canned food that it must be discarded. Good rubber* are liard to procure^ but nothing less than the best should ho accepted. They are more expensive than poor rubbers^ but in the end they cost less.