Harmful Preservatives. — Other substances often used as preservatives are borax, boracic acid, salicylic acid and formalin. In small quantities these preservatives have been found to be quite harmless; yet their use in manu- factured foods has been made illegal in many states, in- asmuch as the amount a person may eat cannot be con- trolled. Sterilization of anything is the process of destroying all germs and molds in or on it, and anything that has undergone this process and is free from life is sterilized. CANNING The Primary Principle in Canning. — The central point in canning is to sterilize by heat the food and everything CANNING FRUIT 193 that comes in contact with it, and then to keep it sterile. Bacteria increase in number so amazingly fast that if a single germ withstands the heat or gets into the food after it has cooled, the contents of the jar will spoil in a few days. The jars must be sealed while hot, to insure that all enclosed air will be sterilized and to insure a perfect seal on cooling. Most failures in canning are due to insufficient heat applied or to neglect in using utensils not freed from germs. Avoid the raising of dust in the room while canning is being done. Jars for Canning. — There are many kinds of fruit jars on the market. The best jar is that which is strong and Fig. 30. Jars for canning: a, spring top; 6, jar with metal lacquered top; c, improved Mason; d. Mason. (U. S. D. A. Bui.) simple in construction, which has a wide mouth, and which protects the contained food against contact with metal. The type that seems to give the most general satisfaction has a glass cover clamped on with a spring device, as in Fig. 30. Use glass jars, never tin. Jars having a wide mouth are the best for large fruits, for it is easier to arrange the contents to better advantage. Be sure the cans and tops are perfect and fit closely, to insure an air-tight seal. By fitting jars and tops together before putting in the fruit no time is lost in sealing. —13 194 DOMESTIC SCIENCE To Sterilize Jars. — ^Wash the jars and tops and submerge them in a pan of cold water, jars full of water; bring slowly to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Do this just before filling. Rubbers should not be boiled but should be dipped into boiling water just before putting them on the jars. Tops with the rubbers on them must be treated in the same way. These tops and all rubbers can safely be used but once. Selection of Fruit. — Buy only fresh, firm fruit of good quality and not too ripe. Overripe fruit may contain some bacteria that will not be killed by boiling, causing fermentation after the fruit is set away. Buy fruit in season when prices are best. Proportion of Sugar, Water, and Fruit. — Use M to J/^ as much sugar as weight of fruit; use more sugar with very acid fruits. Use about 3 cupfuls of water to 1 pound of fruit; use less water if the fruit contains much water. Fruit not intended for sauce may be canned without sugar. Coarse-grained sugar is preferable to fine-grained sugar, since it froths less. General Methods of Canning Fruit. — There are two methods of canning fruit: (1) Cooking fruit in a sirup in a saucepan and then sealing in jars; (2) cooking by baking or steaming in the jars with a sirup. The latter method keeps the fruit whole and is especially suitable for berries.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Harmful Preservatives. — Other substances often used as preservatives are borax, boracic acid, salicylic acid and formalin. In small quantities these preservatives have been found to be quite harmless; yet their use in manufactured foods has been made illegal in many states, inasmuch as the amount a person may eat cannot be controlled. Sterilization of anything is the process of destroying all germs and molds in or on it, and anything that has undergone this process and is free from life is sterilized. CANNING The Primary Principle in Canning. — The central point in canning is to sterilize by heat the food and everything that comes in contact with it, and then to keep it sterile. Bacteria increase in number so amazingly fast that if a single germ withstands the heat or gets into the food after it has cooled, the contents of the jar will spoil in a few days. The jars must be sealed while hot, to insure that all enclosed air will be sterilized and to insure a perfect seal on cooling. Most failures in canning are due to insufficient heat applied or to neglect in using utensils not freed from germs. Avoid the raising of dust in the room while canning is being done. Jars for Canning. — There are many kinds of fruit jars on the market. The best jar is that which is strong and [illustration: Fig. 30. Jars for canning: a, spring top; b, jar with metal lacquered top; c, improved Mason; d, Mason. (U. S. D. A. Bul.)] simple in construction, which has a wide mouth, and which protects the contained food against contact with metal. The type that seems to give the most general satisfaction has a glass cover clamped on with a spring device, as in Fig. 30. Use glass jars, never tin. Jars having a wide mouth are the best for large fruits, for it is easier to arrange the contents to better advantage. Be sure the cans and tops are perfect and fit closely, to insure an air-tight seal. By fitting jars and tops together before putting in the fruit no time is lost in sealing. To Sterilize Jars. — ^Wash the jars and tops and submerge them in a pan of cold water, jars full of water; bring slowly to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Do this just before filling. Rubbers should not be boiled but should be dipped into boiling water just before putting them on the jars. Tops with the rubbers on them must be treated in the same way. These tops and all rubbers can safely be used but once. Selection of Fruit. — Buy only fresh, firm fruit of good quality and not too ripe. Overripe fruit may contain some bacteria that will not be killed by boiling, causing fermentation after the fruit is set away. Buy fruit in season when prices are best. Proportion of Sugar, Water, and Fruit. — Use M to J/^ as much sugar as weight of fruit; use more sugar with very acid fruits. Use about 3 cupfuls of water to 1 pound of fruit; use less water if the fruit contains much water. Fruit not intended for sauce may be canned without sugar. Coarse-grained sugar is preferable to fine-grained sugar, since it froths less. General Methods of Canning Fruit. — There are two methods of canning fruit: (1) Cooking fruit in a sirup in a saucepan and then sealing in jars; (2) cooking by baking or steaming in the jars with a sirup. The latter method keeps the fruit whole and is especially suitable for berries.

Domestic science, principles and application