(c) Hard fruits, such as apples, pears, or quinces, may be blanched by being dipped in boiling water or placed in live steam, the length of time given in the table. This shrinks the product and enables more to be packed into the jar, but loses something of the flavor and food value. Juicy or soft fruits should never be blanched except as a short, hot dip may be an advantage in removing the skin. {cl) After blanching, dip into cold water to set the color and cool the product for handling. (e) Pack immediately into hot, clean jars, or cans. (/) Fill jar or can with boiling w^ater, sirup, or fruit juice. (See 6.) {(/) Adjust tops or exhaust air. (1) Glass jars. — Adjust rubbers and tops. Partially seal. Glass-top jars have the upper clamp adjusted and the lower spring left up. Screw-top jars are sealed, then turned slightly to the left to loosen. Composition-top jars have the lids put on and the spring adjusted. USE AND PREPARATION OF FOOD. 171 (2) Tin cans. — Fill cans and cap, leaving the small opening in the center of the can open. Place in hot- water bath and heat to boiling to exhaust air from the can. Seal the opening while can is steaming hot. {h) Sterilize or process. — Place jars in canner and sterilize the required length of time. Count time only when water is boiling hard or steam is at the required pressure. (i) Remove jars, tighten tops, and cool. There are two variations of the above process in use, one in the North and West and one in the South. For detailed directions for these processes the following bulletins should be consulted : United States Department of Agriculture, States Relation Service : Farmei's' Bulletin 839. Home Canning by the One-Period Cokl-I'ack Method. Farmers' Bulletin 853. Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables as taught to Canning Club Members in the Southern States. (6) Use of sugar and sirups in canning fruit. — In the usual method of canning fruit, sugar is used for flavor and to help keep the fruit in shape. When sirup is mentioned in canning directions, it refers to sugar and water, brought to the boiling point. The proportions used vary according to taste from a thin sirup (about one cup sugar to four cups water) used for sweet fruits, to a thick sirup (about one cup sugar to tvro cups water) for sour fruits. Table of proportions for sirups. [Circular No. A-81. — States Relations Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.l Sirup. Sugar. Water orfruitjuice. No. 1 14 ounces 1 gallon. Do. No. 2 1 pound 14 ounces No. 3 : 3 pounds 9 ounces Do. No. 4 5 pounds 8 ounces Do. No. 5 6 pounds 13 ounces Do. It is an improvement in flavor and food value if fruit juice is used instead of water in making the sirup. If the use of sugar is not desired, fruit may be canned in any of the follow- ing ways: • (a) Fruit may be canned unsweetened by adding hot water instead of sirup. Such fruit will not hold its shape so well, but is suitable for pies, puddings, or salads. Add 10 minutes to time of sterilization. (h) Fruit may be canned in fruit juice with no sugar in- stead of in sirup. Apple juice, grape juice, or juice mado 172 USE AND PREPARATION OF FOOD. from small or imperfect fruits may be used. Such fruit holds its shape and has its natural fruit flavor increased.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

(c) Hard fruits, such as apples, pears, or quinces, may be blanched by being dipped in boiling water or placed in live steam, the length of time given in the table. This shrinks the product and enables more to be packed into the jar, but loses something of the flavor and food value. Juicy or soft fruits should never be blanched except as a short, hot dip may be an advantage in removing the skin. {cl) After blanching, dip into cold water to set the color and cool the product for handling. (e) Pack immediately into hot, clean jars, or cans. (/) Fill jar or can with boiling water, sirup, or fruit juice. (See 6.) {(/) Adjust tops or exhaust air. (1) Glass jars. — Adjust rubbers and tops. Partially seal. Glass-top jars have the upper clamp adjusted and the lower spring left up. Screw-top jars are sealed, then turned slightly to the left to loosen. Composition-top jars have the lids put on and the spring adjusted. (2) Tin cans. — Fill cans and cap, leaving the small opening in the center of the can open. Place in hotwater bath and heat to boiling to exhaust air from the can. Seal the opening while can is steaming hot. {h) Sterilize or process. — Place jars in canner and sterilize the required length of time. Count time only when water is boiling hard or steam is at the required pressure. (i) Remove jars, tighten tops, and cool. There are two variations of the above process in use, one in the North and West and one in the South. For detailed directions for these processes the following bulletins should be consulted : United States Department of Agriculture, States Relation Service : Farmei's' Bulletin 839. Home Canning by the One-Period Cold-Pack Method. Farmers' Bulletin 853. Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables as taught to Canning Club Members in the Southern States. (6) Use of sugar and sirups in canning fruit. — In the usual method of canning fruit, sugar is used for flavor and to help keep the fruit in shape. When sirup is mentioned in canning directions, it refers to sugar and water, brought to the boiling point. The proportions used vary according to taste from a thin sirup (about one cup sugar to four cups water) used for sweet fruits, to a thick sirup (about one cup sugar to tvro cups water) for sour fruits. Table of proportions for sirups. [Circular No. A-81. — States Relations Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.l Sirup. Sugar. Water orfruitjuice. No. 1 14 ounces 1 gallon. Do. No. 2 1 pound 14 ounces No. 3 : 3 pounds 9 ounces Do. No. 4 5 pounds 8 ounces Do. No. 5 6 pounds 13 ounces Do. It is an improvement in flavor and food value if fruit juice is used instead of water in making the sirup. If the use of sugar is not desired, fruit may be canned in any of the following ways: • (a) Fruit may be canned unsweetened by adding hot water instead of sirup. Such fruit will not hold its shape so well, but is suitable for pies, puddings, or salads. Add 10 minutes to time of sterilization. (h) Fruit may be canned in fruit juice with no sugar instead of in sirup. Apple juice, grape juice, or juice made from small or imperfect fruits may be used. Such fruit holds its shape and has its natural fruit flavor increased.

Use and preparation of food