After jars are sealed air-tight, and before putting them away, wipe dry around the rubber and lid, stand them upside down on white paper for about twenty minutes, and if any liquid comes out, take putty and fasten all around the rubber and lid, so as to make it air-tight; be careful to get the right rubber for each jar, and don't use any that are worked down on the side. A better way is to tie three folds of cotton bat- ting over top of Hd of jar. HOW TO SOFTEN EUBBERS AND MAKE THEM NEARLY AS GOOD AS NEW. Take about one teaspoonf ul of pure ammonia to about one pint of water. Drop in rubbers and let stand for 272 The Complete Cook Book. few minutes. If one fits loosely put in two rubbers instead. THE IMPROVED METHOD OP CANNING STRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES BY SIMPLY COMPOUNDING A SYRUP- NO OTHER BERRIES CAN BE DONE THIS WAY. First select a nice lot of perfect berries (large ones if possible) ; they must be in perfect condition and not too ripe. Put them in a colander and let a little water run over them, lifting them up now and then, so as to let «and run out ; don't allow berries to lay in the water or they will become insipid ; then hull them, and to each one pound of berries take one-half pound of granulated sugar and mix them in layers in a stone crook and let stand over night, or from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M., in a cool place. See that crock is covered, then skim out berries carefully, and put them in another vessel, and to the syrup that has formed from that proportion of berries and sugar, add another one-half pound of pulverized rock candy or one-half pound of sugar; stir well; then allow this syrup to come to a boil; when it boils, drop in a pinch of soda (this will bring up the impuri- ties), skim the syrup clean and then put in that propor- tion of syrup about five drops of lemon juice✪ Canning Strawberries and Raspberries to prevent candying. Don't stir after syrup comes to a good boil more than is just necessary to prevent it burning, and allow this syrup to boil about twenty minutes. While syrup is boiling this time put vessel containing the ber- ries on back of the stove or range, just to keep warm; don't cook or stew them ; have the vessel covered. See also that your jars are hot, and when syrup is boilsd down as described, fill your hot jars about one-quartei full of berries and then pour enough of the boiling syrup to cover them ; then put in more berries and then more syrup, and so on until jar is filled. See that the syrup completely covers the berries ; then place a layer of paper, dipped in warm brandy or alcohol, on top of liquid, put a layer of cotton batting on the paper and seal jars air-tight. As you pack in your berries grad- ually as described, work down well on the sides with a The Complete Cook Book. 273 silver-plated knife or handle of spoon, so as to fill the jar compactly and let out the air. The rook candy is preferable, as it makes the syrup heavier and purer; but you can use the sugar instead as described, if you prefer. Get the crushed rock candy; it will dissolve easier, and is cheaper; don't use any colored rock candy. The syrup, made in the proportion mentioned, will be more than enough to completely fill one pint jar full of whole berries. In using this formula, use pint jars for putting in your whole berries; if you use quart jars, you must double this quantity. For strawberries, berries, and other soft fruits (but this does not apply to vegetables), if they are packed in jars in layers, and each layer sprayed with alcohol from an atomizer, then tie over mouth of the jar a piece of mosquito netting, and allow jar to stand not less than fourteen and not over twenty-four hours in a cool place before canning, they will become hardened and keep better.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

After jars are sealed air-tight, and before putting them away, wipe dry around the rubber and lid, stand them upside down on white paper for about twenty minutes, and if any liquid comes out, take putty and fasten all around the rubber and lid, so as to make it air-tight; be careful to get the right rubber for each jar, and don't use any that are worked down on the side. A better way is to tie three folds of cotton batting over top of Hd of jar. HOW TO SOFTEN RUBBERS AND MAKE THEM NEARLY AS GOOD AS NEW. Take about one teaspoonful of pure ammonia to about one pint of water. Drop in rubbers and let stand for 272 The Complete Cook Book. few minutes. If one fits loosely put in two rubbers instead. THE IMPROVED METHOD OP CANNING STRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES BY SIMPLY COMPOUNDING A SYRUP- NO OTHER BERRIES CAN BE DONE THIS WAY. First select a nice lot of perfect berries (large ones if possible) ; they must be in perfect condition and not too ripe. Put them in a colander and let a little water run over them, lifting them up now and then, so as to let «and run out ; don't allow berries to lay in the water or they will become insipid ; then hull them, and to each one pound of berries take one-half pound of granulated sugar and mix them in layers in a stone crook and let stand over night, or from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M., in a cool place. See that crock is covered, then skim out berries carefully, and put them in another vessel, and to the syrup that has formed from that proportion of berries and sugar, add another one-half pound of pulverized rock candy or one-half pound of sugar; stir well; then allow this syrup to come to a boil; when it boils, drop in a pinch of soda (this will bring up the impurities), skim the syrup clean and then put in that proportion of syrup about five drops of lemon juice to prevent candying. Don't stir after syrup comes to a good boil more than is just necessary to prevent it burning, and allow this syrup to boil about twenty minutes. While syrup is boiling this time put vessel containing the berries on back of the stove or range, just to keep warm; don't cook or stew them ; have the vessel covered. See also that your jars are hot, and when syrup is boilsd down as described, fill your hot jars about one-quartei full of berries and then pour enough of the boiling syrup to cover them ; then put in more berries and then more syrup, and so on until jar is filled. See that the syrup completely covers the berries ; then place a layer of paper, dipped in warm brandy or alcohol, on top of liquid, put a layer of cotton batting on the paper and seal jars air-tight. As you pack in your berries gradually as described, work down well on the sides with a The Complete Cook Book. 273 silver-plated knife or handle of spoon, so as to fill the jar compactly and let out the air. The rook candy is preferable, as it makes the syrup heavier and purer; but you can use the sugar instead as described, if you prefer. Get the crushed rock candy; it will dissolve easier, and is cheaper; don't use any colored rock candy. The syrup, made in the proportion mentioned, will be more than enough to completely fill one pint jar full of whole berries. In using this formula, use pint jars for putting in your whole berries; if you use quart jars, you must double this quantity. For strawberries, berries, and other soft fruits (but this does not apply to vegetables), if they are packed in jars in layers, and each layer sprayed with alcohol from an atomizer, then tie over mouth of the jar a piece of mosquito netting, and allow jar to stand not less than fourteen and not over twenty-four hours in a cool place before canning, they will become hardened and keep better.

Records on this page

Canning Strawberries and Raspberries

The complete cook book