Canning Fruit - Process I

Ingredients

• 1 part sugar
• 2 parts water
• 4 parts fruit

Method

1. 1

   Weigh the fruit, then proportion the sugar and water by weight accordingly.

2. 2

   Make a syrup of the sugar and water, boil for 5 minutes and skim if necessary.

3. 3

   Cook a small quantity of the fruit at a time in the syrup until tender and transfer to the sterilized jar.

4. 4

   Fill the jar to overflowing with the syrup and screw on the cover, always using new rubbers.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Lessons in cooking through preparation of meals (1912) by Eva Roberta Robinson, page 176. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

2 parts water, to 4 parts fruit. Select fruit when it is at its best — ripe but not overripe, firm and free from blemishes and bruises. Preparation of the Fruit Small fruits should be washed thoroughly before being freed from the hulls, because then there is no open surface from which the juice can be extracted. Then remove from the stem, or hulls, and drain. Large fruits should be washed, pared, left whole or cut in halves as desired and the stones JUNE MENUS 319 or cores removed, any bruised or decayed portions should be cut out. Peaches and plums should be scalded to remove the skins easily. Use a silver plated knife in paring as a steel knife will stain fruits. If the fruit is one that will discolor easily when exposed to the air and cannot be used immediately put into an enamelled vessel, surround with waxed paper, cover closely thus completely excluding air. Process I Weigh the fruit, then proportion the sugar and water by weight accordingly, i part sugar, and i part water to 4 parts small fruit — strawberries, grapes, etc. or i part sugar, 2 parts water to 4 parts large fruit — pears, peaches, etc. Make a syrup of the sugar and water, boil 5 minutes and skim if necessary. Cook a small quantity of the fruit at a time in the syrup until tender and transfer to the sterilized jar. Fill the jar to overflowing with the syrup and screw on the cover, always using new rubbers. Since the syrup used in canning is not a sufficiently strong solution to prevent the growth of bacteria, every precaution must be taken to insure perfect sterilization and to keep air tight. Process II Prepare the fruit, weigh and make syrup as in Process I. Place fruit in the sterilized jars as fast as prepared, set them on a wooden rack or several folds of paper or cloth in a sauce pan, boiler or steamer, half filled with warm water. Fill each jar with the syrup to overflowing. Adjust new rubbers and screw the covers down lightly. Bring water to the boihng point and let boil from 15 to 30 minutes accord- ing to the size of the fruit. If necessary add more hot syrup or boiling water to fill the jars again to overflowing. Screw the covers on tight, and let stand in the water to cool. Tighten the covers again, invert the jars and let stand for a few hours to see that no juice is forced out under the cover, thus showing that it is air tight. Keep in a cook dark place. PRESERVED FRUITS For preserving, the syrup is made much stronger, and fruit that is less perfect as well as riper can be used. Pre- pare the fruit as in canning. 320 LESSONS IN COOKING Proportions The general proportion for preserving are i part frmi wO ^ to I part sugar and ^ to 3^ part water by weight. In the small fruits use from ^ to ^ parts water according to the juiciness. The larger fruits require more water, usually ^ part. The same methods are used for preserving as for canning, with the additional one of "sun preserves." With Processes I or II make the strong syrup and pro- ceed as in canned fruits. Hard fruits such as quince and winter pears should be cooked in water first until almost tender. Then that water used to make the syrup, and the fruit finished off in the syrup. Otherwise the syrup darkens, gets heavy and strong flavored before the fruit is cooked. Preserves are always put up in small jars or glasses for they are so rich that small quantities only are used at a time. Cook only a small portion of the fruit at a time in the syrup thus preserving the shape as perfectly as possible. Sunshine Preserves For this method the fruit is washed and brought to the boiling point, then an equal quantity by weight of sugar is added, and the whole simmered without stirring from 5 to 10 m. It is then spread on large platters, covered with glass and set in the hot sunshine for about 2 days, that is letting it have the sunshine for about 24 h all together. At the end of that time it is put into sterilized jars without re- heating. By this method of preservation the fruit keeps its shape and retains its original flavor very much better. The best fruits for this are strawberries, cherries, white and red currants, ripe gooseberries, red and black rasp- berries, and blackberries. Pineapple and pears cut into half inch cubes may also be used, either alone or combined with any small fruits. Pineapple and strawberries are an espe- cially pleasing combination, as well as pears and cherries. Honey may be substituted for sugar in Sunshine Pre- serves, using it in the proportion of i part fruit to ^ part strained honey, instead of equal parts of each as with sugar. JELLIES In making jelly the pure juice of the fruit is extracted then cooked with sugar till it reaches the jelly stage. JUNE MENUS 321 Underripe fruit is the best to select for jelly. In some cases green fruit, such as green grapes, may be used. Pectin The element in fruit juice that causes it to jelly is called pectin, but to make a perfect jelly the juice must also be acid. Certain fruit juices such as peach, while they contain pectin will not jelly because of the lack of acid. This can often be supplied by adding some fruit acid such as citric, or tartaric acids. Proportions The amount of sugar varies somewhat with the acidity of the fruit, but in general the proportions are three-fourths to one part sugar

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.