Note—It is a wise precaution to boil canned vegetables gently for at least ten minutes after they are removed from the sealer or can. This does not imply that they must be eaten hot. When the vegetables are required for salads, etc., they may be set aside after boiling and chilled before use. Acknowledgment: ‘The material on canning fruits and vegetables was taken from Household Bulletin No. 20, which has been prepared by the Depart- ment of Agriculture for the Dominion of Canada. Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables 113 STEPS IN CANNING Checking Equipment: No equipment is needed other than that found in the ordinary kitchen. Sharp knives—preferably stainless steel, a colander, bowls, measuring cups, towels, enamel pie plates, wooden spoons, a wide mouthed funnel for filling sealers, and a lifter to save burned fingers in taking sealers from the sterilizer. The sterilizer may be the common wash boiler or preserving kettle, pressure cooker or the oven. Containers: There are two types of container which may be used, glass sealers and tin cans. Several makes of glass sealers are available, screw top, spring top and vacuum type. All are equally satisfactory if they can be made completely airtight. To furnish a perfect seal, a sealer for use in canning should have a smooth rim and tight fitting cover. ‘Test each sealer before you use it. See that it is not cracked. See that there are no chips in the rim of sealer or cover. Fill the sealers with water, adjust the rubber, seal and invert a few minutes to test for leakage. Be sure that the wire spring of a spring top sealer springs into position with a snap. New metal screw caps should replace those which have become cracked or corroded. Rubber Rings: Rubbers are an important part of canning equipment. To be effective the ring must be pliant. Fora good seal it is necessary to have the proper sized ring for the sealer used. The boxes are plainly marked and the types of rings are not interchangeable. Wide rings fit spring top sealers; narrow rings fit screw top sealers. It is preferable that new rings should be used each year; how- ever, some retain their elasticity and are thus suitable for re-use. On removal from the sealer they should be washed and dried immediately, then laid flat, so they will not lose their shape. Keep rubber rings in a dry place, away from light. Old type rings are tested by bending double; an unsatisfactory ring will crack. A second test is stretching—a good ring will spring back. Some types of sealer have a sealing composition on the metal disk top. For these sealers use new caps each year. PREPARATION Sterilize Sealers, Tops and Rings: This may be done while fruits and vegetables are being prepared. Wash sealers thoroughly. For water sterilization half fill each sealer with cold water, place glass tops in position and stand the sealers on the rack in 114 | Blue Ribbon Cook Book the boiler. Surround with cold water, bring to boiling point and boil 15 minutes. Keep the sealers hot until ready to fill. For oven sterilization place empty sealers and glass tops on a tray in the oven. Sterilize 30 minutes at 275° F. Remove from oven one at a time for filling. Rubber rings and metal caps which have a sealing compound on them are sterilized by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to stand 5 minutes. Grading or Sorting: Uniformity of size and maturity makes a more attractive product. Unripe fruit should be allowed to ripen before canning. Bruised or spotted fruit should not be canned but if bruises are cut out the good portion of the fruit may be used for jam. Washing:

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Note—It is a wise precaution to boil canned vegetables gently for at least ten minutes after they are removed from the sealer or can. This does not imply that they must be eaten hot. When the vegetables are required for salads, etc., they may be set aside after boiling and chilled before use. Acknowledgment: ‘The material on canning fruits and vegetables was taken from Household Bulletin No. 20, which has been prepared by the Department of Agriculture for the Dominion of Canada. Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables 113 STEPS IN CANNING Checking Equipment: No equipment is needed other than that found in the ordinary kitchen. Sharp knives—preferably stainless steel, a colander, bowls, measuring cups, towels, enamel pie plates, wooden spoons, a wide mouthed funnel for filling sealers, and a lifter to save burned fingers in taking sealers from the sterilizer. The sterilizer may be the common wash boiler or preserving kettle, pressure cooker or the oven. Containers: There are two types of container which may be used, glass sealers and tin cans. Several makes of glass sealers are available, screw top, spring top and vacuum type. All are equally satisfactory if they can be made completely airtight. To furnish a perfect seal, a sealer for use in canning should have a smooth rim and tight fitting cover. ‘Test each sealer before you use it. See that it is not cracked. See that there are no chips in the rim of sealer or cover. Fill the sealers with water, adjust the rubber, seal and invert a few minutes to test for leakage. Be sure that the wire spring of a spring top sealer springs into position with a snap. New metal screw caps should replace those which have become cracked or corroded. Rubber Rings: Rubbers are an important part of canning equipment. To be effective the ring must be pliant. Fora good seal it is necessary to have the proper sized ring for the sealer used. The boxes are plainly marked and the types of rings are not interchangeable. Wide rings fit spring top sealers; narrow rings fit screw top sealers. It is preferable that new rings should be used each year; however, some retain their elasticity and are thus suitable for re-use. On removal from the sealer they should be washed and dried immediately, then laid flat, so they will not lose their shape. Keep rubber rings in a dry place, away from light. Old type rings are tested by bending double; an unsatisfactory ring will crack. A second test is stretching—a good ring will spring back. Some types of sealer have a sealing composition on the metal disk top. For these sealers use new caps each year. PREPARATION Sterilize Sealers, Tops and Rings: This may be done while fruits and vegetables are being prepared. Wash sealers thoroughly. For water sterilization half fill each sealer with cold water, place glass tops in position and stand the sealers on the rack in 114 | Blue Ribbon Cook Book the boiler. Surround with cold water, bring to boiling point and boil 15 minutes. Keep the sealers hot until ready to fill. For oven sterilization place empty sealers and glass tops on a tray in the oven. Sterilize 30 minutes at 275° F. Remove from oven one at a time for filling. Rubber rings and metal caps which have a sealing compound on them are sterilized by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to stand 5 minutes. Grading or Sorting: Uniformity of size and maturity makes a more attractive product. Unripe fruit should be allowed to ripen before canning. Bruised or spotted fruit should not be canned but if bruises are cut out the good portion of the fruit may be used for jam. Washing:

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