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Another Method. — After paring and halving the fruit, lay a clean napkin in the bottom of a steamer ; fill with the fruit. Steam until a fork will easily penetrate the pieces. Have ready a boiling sirup prepared as directed above, put a few spoonfuls in the bottom of the hot cans, and dip each piece of fruit gently in the hot sirup; then as carefully place it in the jar. Fill with the sirup, and finish in the usual way. Peaches canned without sugar, retain more nearly their natural flavor. To prepare in this way, allow one-half pint of water to each pound of fruit. Cook slowly until tender, and can in the usual manner. When wanted for the table, open an hour before needed, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. To Can Pears. — The pears should be perfectly ripened, but not soft. Pare with a silver knife, halve or quarter, remove the seeds, and drop into a pan of cold water to prevent discoloration. Prepare a sirup, allowing a cup of sugar and a quart of water to each two quarts of fruit. When the sirup boils, put the pears into it very carefully, so as not to bruise or break them, and cook until they look clear, and can be easily pierced with a fork. Have the cans heated, and put in first a little of the sirup, then pack in the pears very carefully ; fill to overflowing with the scalding sirup, and finish as previously directed. The tougher and harder varieties of pears must be cooked till nearly tender in hot water, or steamed over a kettle of boiling water, before adding to the sirup, and may then be finished as above. If it is desirable to keep the pears whole, cook only those of a uniform [illustration: FRUIT. 69] size together ; or if of assorted sizes, put the larger ones into the sirup a few minutes before the smaller ones. Some prefer boiling the skins of the pears in the water of which the sirup is to be made, and skimming them out before putting in the sugar. This is thought to impart a finer flavor. Pears which are very sweet or nearly tasteless, may be improved by using the juice of a large lemon for each quart of sirup. Pears may be cooked in the cans if preferred. To Can Plums. — Green Gages and Damsons are the best for canning. Wipe clean with a soft cloth. Allow a half cup of water and the same of sugar to every three quarts of fruit, in preparing a sirup. Pick each plum with a silver fork to prevent it from bursting, and while the sirup is heating, turn in the fruit, and boil until thoroughly done. Dip carefully into hot jars, fill with sirup, and cover immediately. To Can Cherries. — These maybe put up whole in the same way as plums, or pitted and treated as directed for berries, allowing about two quarts of water and a scant pint of sugar to five quarts of solid fruit, for the tart varieties, and not quite half as much sugar for the sweeter ones. To Can Mixed Fruit.— There are some fruits with so little flavor that they are apt to taste insipid when cooked ; such are much improved by canning with some acid or strongly flavored fruits. Blackberries put up with equal quantities of blue or red plums, or in the proportion of one to three of the sour fruit, are much better than either of these fruits canned separately. Blackcaps are much better if canned with currants, in the proportion of one part currants to four of blackcaps.