To Can Peaches — First prepare the syrup.
For canned fruits, 1 quart granulated sugar to 2
quarts water✪ Canned Peaches is the proper proportion; to be in-
creased or lessened, according to the quantity of
fruit to be canned, but always twice as much
water as sugar. Use porcelain kettle, and, if
possible, take care that it is kept solely for can-
ning and preserving — nothing else. Have an-
other porcelain kettle by the side of the first, for
boiling water (about 3 quarts). Put the peaches,
a few at a time, into a wire basket, such as is
used to cook asparagus, etc. See that it is per-
fectly clean and free from rust. Dip them, when
in the basin, into a pail of boiling water for a
moment, and transfer immediately into a pail
of cold water. The skin will then at once peel
off easily, if not allowed to harden by waiting.
This, besides being a neat and expeditious way of
peeling peaches, also saves the best part of the
fruit, which is so badly wasted in the usual mode
of paring fruit. As soon as peeled, halve and
drop the peaches into boiling water, and let
them simmer — not boil hard — till a stiver fork
can be passed through them easily. Then lift
each half out separately with a wire spoon and
fill the can made ready for use; pour in all the
boiling syrup which the jar will hold; leave it a
moment for the fruit to shrink while filling the
next jar; then add as much more boiling syrup
as the jar will hold, and cover and screw down
tightly immediately. Continue in this way, pre-
paring and sealing one jar at a time, until all is
done. If any syrup is left over, add to it the
water in which the peaches were simmered, and
a little more sugar; boil it down till it " ropes"
from the spoon and you have a nice jelly, or, by
adding some peaches or other fruit, a good dish
of marmalade. Peaches or other fruit, good,
240
Canned Fruits, Etc. 241
but not quite nice enough for canning, can be
used in this way very economically. Peaches to
be peeled as directed above should not be too
green or too ripe, else, in the first place, the skin
cannot be peeled off, or, if too ripe, the fruit
will fall to pieces.
Another Way — After peeling and halving as
above directed, lay a clean towel or cloth in the
bottom of a steamer over a kettle of boiling
water and put the fruit on it, half filling the
steamer. Cover tightly and let it steam while
making the syrup. When this is ready, and the
fruit steamed till a silver fork will pass through
easily, dip each piece gently into the boiling
syrup; then as gently place in the hot jar, and
so continue till all have been thus scalded and
put in the jar. Then fill ftdl with syrup, cover
and seal immediately. While filling, be sure and
keep the jars hot.
Pears — The skin will not peel off so easily as
that of peaches by dipping them in boiling
water, but it will loosen or soften enough to be
taken off with less waste of the fruit than if
pared without scalding. Prepare the syrup and
proceed as for peaches. They will require longer
cooking; but as soon as a silver fork will pass
through easily, they are done. Longer cooking
destroys the flavor.
Page 118 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1894. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
To Can Peaches — First prepare the syrup. For canned fruits, 1 quart granulated sugar to 2 quarts water is the proper proportion; to be increased or lessened, according to the quantity of fruit to be canned, but always twice as much water as sugar. Use porcelain kettle, and, if possible, take care that it is kept solely for canning and preserving — nothing else. Have another porcelain kettle by the side of the first, for boiling water (about 3 quarts). Put the peaches, a few at a time, into a wire basket, such as is used to cook asparagus, etc. See that it is perfectly clean and free from rust. Dip them, when in the basin, into a pail of boiling water for a moment, and transfer immediately into a pail of cold water. The skin will then at once peel off easily, if not allowed to harden by waiting. This, besides being a neat and expeditious way of peeling peaches, also saves the best part of the fruit, which is so badly wasted in the usual mode of paring fruit. As soon as peeled, halve and drop the peaches into boiling water, and let them simmer — not boil hard — till a silver fork can be passed through them easily. Then lift each half out separately with a wire spoon and fill the can made ready for use; pour in all the boiling syrup which the jar will hold; leave it a moment for the fruit to shrink while filling the next jar; then add as much more boiling syrup as the jar will hold, and cover and screw down tightly immediately. Continue in this way, preparing and sealing one jar at a time, until all is done. If any syrup is left over, add to it the water in which the peaches were simmered, and a little more sugar; boil it down till it " ropes" from the spoon and you have a nice jelly, or, by adding some peaches or other fruit, a good dish of marmalade. Peaches or other fruit, good,
Canned Fruits, Etc. 241
but not quite nice enough for canning, can be used in this way very economically. Peaches to be peeled as directed above should not be too green or too ripe, else, in the first place, the skin cannot be peeled off, or, if too ripe, the fruit will fall to pieces.
Another Way — After peeling and halving as above directed, lay a clean towel or cloth in the bottom of a steamer over a kettle of boiling water and put the fruit on it, half filling the steamer. Cover tightly and let it steam while making the syrup. When this is ready, and the fruit steamed till a silver fork will pass through easily, dip each piece gently into the boiling syrup; then as gently place in the hot jar, and so continue till all have been thus scalded and put in the jar. Then fill full with syrup, cover and seal immediately. While filling, be sure and keep the jars hot.
Pears — The skin will not peel off so easily as that of peaches by dipping them in boiling water, but it will loosen or soften enough to be taken off with less waste of the fruit than if pared without scalding. Prepare the syrup and proceed as for peaches. They will require longer cooking; but as soon as a silver fork will pass through easily, they are done. Longer cooking destroys the flavor.
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Canned Peaches