Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

wearysome. However, if this was not done, it will be nee- ■ essary to try all the cans and covers. This is best done the i evening before they are wanted. Wash and rinse the jars ] and covers thoroughly, using some baking soda with hot j water, until you are sure each jar is sweet and clean. Then ! put some clean water in each jar, put on the rubbers and ' the covers that seem to fit best, screw tight, and let the jars stand on their heads all night. The leaky ones can then be easily taken out the next morning, and perhaps tried with \ other covers, or set aside for other use. The foregoing direc- j tions apply chiefly to the old-fashioned glass cans with ; zinc porcelain-lined covers — when the new glass covered \ snap or lightning jars are used, there need be no matching of ■ covers and jars. ' Heating and Filling Jars ! If hot fruit and syrup are poured into cold glass jars, they ; will immediately crack. Warm jars by placing them in hot water on the back of the stove, and when ready to fill stand ; the jars on a folded towel wrung out of hot water. A silver \ fork or spoon placed in the jar while it is being filled is also j said to be effective in preventing cracking from heat. The ' jars must be overflowing full when the covers are put on, ■ and great care should be taken that no air bubbles remain ; in the jar. To break these up, gently run a silver knife : through the contents, just before the final filling up. If not i quite enough syrup is on hand to fill the jars full to over- j flowing, a little boiling water may be poured in each. Seal \ while hot, screwing down the lids as tight as possible. Before ; they are quite cold, try if they can be screwed any tighter. ! If properly fitting covers and good, new rubbers were used, i the jars will be sealed air tight, but if there is any doubtJ ; CANNED CHERRIES AND PRESERVES 219 about this, let them stand on their heads over night. Those that show any signs of leaking will have to be opened and the contents heated over again, and put in jars with better fitting covers. Store all canned goods in a cool, dark and dry place. A paper bag slipped over each jar will help exclude light. — [A. G., Mass. About Salicylic Acid A number of recipes for canning and preserving, which call for salicylic acid to help the preserving process, were received by the editor of this book, but have been omitted because it was deemed unwise to recommend them, inasmuch as salicylic acid, if used at all, must be used with the greatest caution. Salicylic acid is a drug which should only be prescribed by a competent physician fully aware of the condition of his patient. It is dangerous to partake of it frequently, however small the quantity may be. What is meat lor one man may be poison for another. Chemical preservatives should never be used in putting up articles of food. Our national pure food laws have recently made wise provisions in this respect. — [Editor. Canned Cherries