Food and freedom

Commercial pressure-cookers save time and fuel, and are well adapted for com, meats, and other foods where complete sterilization is sometimes difficult, and a temperature higher than the boiling-point is desirable. When using a press- ure-cooker, water must come up to rack or platform, but not over it; the cooker must be steam-tight, and operated and regulated according to directions furnished with the particular canner used. For containers glass jars are best for home use. Rubbers must be new when used, of the best quality, and tested before using. Other neces- sary equipment 'includes a sharp paring-knife, measuring-cup and spoons, a wooden spoon, a wire basket or cheese-cloth bag for blanching and dipping, clean towels, a "lifter" for hot jars, a pail for scraps, a good alarm-clock, and a stove or heating device. Time for complete sterilization depends upon con- dition and variety of fruit and vegetables, upon alti- tude, and upon the type of canning outfit used. Freshly gathered fruit or vegetables require slightly less time than those which have been allowed to stand several hours. For altitudes above one thousand feet, time, as commonly given for steril- PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD 195 ization, should be increased 10 per cent, for each five hundred feet. When a water-seal or steam- pressure is used, less time is required than when the water-bath outfit is used. A time-table is supplied with each commercial canner sold. When using a home-made water-bath outfit, time as follows: ^ Soft berries 12 to 16 minutes Peaches 12 to 16 " Apples 16 to 20 " Hard fruits 20 " Corn 180 Peas and lima beans 2 180 " String beans 120 " Greens 1 20 " Sweet peppers 90 " Tomatoes 22 " Typical Recipes (See Farmers' Bulletin 839): String beans: Grade ; string ; blanch in live steam 5 to 15 minutes, according to quantity; dip into very cold water; drain; pack immediately into clean, hot jars; adjust rubbers; fill jars to overflowing with boiling water, adding one level teaspoonful salt to each quart; seal par- tially. Place jars in canning outfit; surround with hot water as required for the particular outfit used. Sterilize in water-bath outfit one period of 120 minutes; or in water-seal outfit, 90 minutes; or in pressure-cooker — under 5 pounds — 60 minutes; or in pressure-cooker — • * Arranged from Farmers' Bulletin 839, United States Department of Agriculture. 2 If very young and freshly gathered, less time may be required. 196 FOOD AND FREEDOM under lo pounds — 40 minutes. When steriliza- tion is complete, remove jars at once, tighten covers, invert to cool, test, wrap in paper, store. Clear boiling water, with one level teaspoonful of salt to each quart, is used for all vegetables with the exception of tomatoes; these require no Peaches: Wash, grade, peel,^ halve and remove stones, leaving a few for flavor; rinse. Pack fruit at once into clean, hot jars; fill jars to over- flowing with boiling syrup — thin or medium thin; adjust rubbers; seal partially. Place in canning outfit, and surround with hot water as . required for the particular outfit in use. Sterilize in water-bath outfit, 16 minutes; or in water-seal outfit, 10 minutes; or in steam-pressure outfit — under 10 pounds — 5 minutes. Remove jars at once, secure lids, invert to cool, test, wrap, store.