Canned fruits are now more popular with most people than preserved fruits.
The expense in preparing them is less, and the natural flavor is retained.
To prepare fruit for canning, look over carefully, reject imperfect fruit, and be sure that the fruit is clean.
The fruit may be cooked in a saucepan with just enough sugar to make it palatable and water to keep the fruit from burning, and transferred to sterile jars; or it may be put into sterile jars in the first place, and cooked by steam,—the latter method preserves the color and flavor better.
To sterilize jars, put jars into cold water, bring water to the boiling point, and boil ten minutes; fill jars with cooked fruit, and pour in sirup to overflowing; adjust rubbers and covers. Invert and let stand on folded cloth until cold; if there are no air bubbles, place jars in a cool dark closet to keep. If air bubbles are present, take off cover, reheat, and add more hot sirup and proceed as before.
Pare and core the apples; cover with cold water. Boil sugar and water five minutes; add apples and simmer until tender; add lemon juice and rind; place apples in sterilized jars; fill to overflowing with sirup; adjust rubbers and covers; set in a cool place until cool then keep in dark dry closet.
Pare, core, and cut the apples in rings. Cut pineapple in slices, remove skin and eyes, and cut pulp into squares, being careful to reject the core. Boil sugar and water five minutes; add pineapple; cook until tender; then cook apples until tender; add lemon rind; fill jars which have been sterilized with apple and pineapple, adjust rings, fill jars with sirup, adjust covers, seal.
Place sugar and berries in preserving kettle, let stand several hours, then cook slowly until the boiling point is reached; boil five minutes; fill sterilized jars and seal.
Blueberries are canned the same as Blackberries, allowing one half cup water for every four pounds of blueberries.
Stone the cherries or not as preferred. Place sugar and cherries in preserving kettle, let stand two hours. Cook until tender, fill sterilized jars, and seal.
Wash, stem, and cover currants with sugar; let stand in preserving kettle over night. Cook slowly until boiling point is reached, skim, fill sterilized jars, and seal.
Stem and wash gooseberries, cover with sugar, and let stand over night; if green, add one quarter cup water; bring quickly to boiling point, fill jars, and seal.
Huckleberries are canned in the same way as Blackberries.
Pare peaches and cook in sugar and water, either whole or in halves, until tender. Arrange in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.
Pears, pineapples, and plums are canned in the same way as peaches.
Cook sugar and water until sirupy. Pare and quarter quinces; let stand in cold water. Cook in boiling water until tender, then cook in sugar and water sirup five minutes. Arrange quinces in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.
Pare and quarter quinces and apples, let stand in cold water to prevent discoloration. Cook in boiling water until tender, then simmer in sugar and water sirup ten minutes. Arrange fruit in jars, fill with sirup, and seal.
Arrange berries and sugar in alternate layers in glass jars; set jars on trivet in large boiler two thirds full of water; cover and cook until the water in boiler boils vigorously. Remove jar; if berries have settled, refill from another jar, and seal.
Prepare in the same way as Canned Raspberries.
Prepare string beans as for boiling. Cook in water one half hour. Fill sterilized jars with beans, adjust rubbers, fill with cold water, and put on covers. Arrange on rack in boiler, fill boiler two thirds full with water, cover boiler, and boil hard two hours. Seal and remove jars.
Cut fresh young corn from the cob. Pack sterilized jars to overflowing with corn. Seal, set on trivet in boiler, surround with cold water, and boil five or six hours, having boiler covered all of the time. Keep in dark, cool place.
Cook shelled peas in boiling water one half hour. Fill sterilized jars with cooked peas, then pour in cold water until jar will hold no more. Set jars on trivet in boiler, surround jars with cold water, cover boiler, and boil four hours. Seal, and keep in cool place.
Remove skins from tomatoes; boil hard twenty minutes; fill sterilized jars, being careful to keep seeds away from rubbers. Seal, and keep in cool place.
Equal weights or amounts of fruit and sugar are used in preserving.
Select perfect fruit, weigh or measure absolutely accurately, and always cook the fruit long enough to kill all life,—small fruits, one hour, and large fruits until thoroughly tender.
Wash, pare, and quarter apples; keep in water until ready to use. Cook sugar and water five minutes; add apples, cook until tender; add lemon juice and rind. Fill jars with apples, then with sirup, and seal.
Wash crab apples, and cook in sugar and water sirup until tender; add lemon juice, fill jars with fruit, then with sirup, and seal.
The fruit is much more attractive if the skin is left on, but may be removed if preferred.
Look over berries and wash. Cover with sugar and let stand two hours. Simmer until the boiling point is reached, boil one minute; cool, bring to the boiling point again, boil one minute; fill jars first with fruit, then with juice, and seal.
Preserved strawberries, raspberries, thimbleberries, and gooseberries are prepared in the same way.
Wash cherries; remove stems and stones. Cover cherries with sugar, let stand two hours; then set on stove, and bring slowly to the boiling point; cook until cherries are tender. Fill jars first with cherries, then with sirup; seal.
Preserved currants and huckleberries are prepared in the same way.
Wash citron, cut in halves, remove seeds; cut each half into eighths, cover with salt, then with water; let stand over night, then drain. Cover with cold water, let stand over night. Drain, remove skin, and cook in sirup of sugar and water until citron is tender. Remove each piece carefully to a platter. When cool, fill jars with citron, and then with boiling sirup. Seal.
If the citron lacks flavor, the juice and rind of four lemons and a small piece of ginger root may be boiled with the sirup.
If the citron is placed in the jars while it is hot, the pieces will not keep their shape.
Pare, cut in halves, and take out stones. Arrange peaches and sugar in layers in preserving kettle; let stand over night. In morning simmer until peaches are tender; fill jars with fruit, boil sirup five minutes, fill jars with sirup, and seal.
Prepare in the same way as Preserved Peaches.
Wash, pare, and cut pears in halves. Put in cold water. Make a syrup of sugar and water; cook only enough pears to fill a jar at a time; when tender fill jars with fruit, then with sirup, and seal.
Prepare in the same way as Preserved Pears.
Pick over and prick plums. Arrange alternate layers of plums and sugar in bowl, let stand over night; in the morning drain off sirup, boil, and skim; add plums and cook until tender. Cool plums on platter, fill jars with plums, then with boiling sirup, and seal.
Wash, wipe, pare, core, and cut quinces in quarters. Put in preserving kettle, cover with boiling water. Simmer until tender. Cool on platters. Mix sugar with one pint of water in which quinces have been cooked; boil ten minutes. Add quinces a few at a time, cover kettle, and cook slowly until quinces are of a rich red color. Fill jars with quinces, then with boiling sirup, and seal.
One half quinces and one half apples may be used in this receipt.
Wash tomatoes and cut in slices; add sliced lemons, sugar, water and ginger root. Simmer two hours, cool, then simmer two hours more. Pour into jars and seal.
Prepare in same manner as Preserved Green Tomatoes, except that the tomatoes must have skins removed before slicing them.
Cut peaches in halves, remove stones, and cook in sugar and water sirup five minutes; take out, remove skins, and cook again in sirup five minutes. Remove kettle from range, and let peaches stand in sirup over night. In morning reheat, pack peaches in jars, and fill jars with an equal quantity of sirup and brandy. Seal.
Prepare in the same manner as Brandied Peaches, but prick plums with knitting needle several times before cooking.
Pare and cut peaches in small pieces; add cider and lemon juice, boil until thick, stirring constantly; add sugar, if not sufficiently sweet. Fill jars and seal.
Cook all together until thick; press through a sieve to remove seeds. Fill glasses and seal.
Put the orange pulp into an earthen crock; add one pound sugar, and two tablespoons alcohol; add this same amount of sugar and alcohol every time a pound of fruit is added. Keep covered with a cloth and tight-fitting cover.
Wash and wipe fruit. Remove stems; cut in pieces, put in preserving kettle, nearly cover with cold water; cook very slowly until apples are tender. Pour into jelly bag and drain thoroughly, but do not squeeze. Measure juice, allow one pound of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil juice twenty minutes; add sugar which has been heated on a platter in the oven; stir until sugar is dissolved; boil five minutes or until it jellies. Skim when necessary. Have jelly glasses standing in hot water; pour jelly into them; let stand until hard and cover first with paper or melted paraffine and the tin cover, or paste white paper over the glass. Keep all jellies in cool, dry, dark place.
A rose geranium leaf cooked with the apples gives a pleasant flavor.
Mash blackberries and squeeze in jelly bag. Measure juice, allowing one pound of sugar to each pint of juice. Follow directions for Apple Jelly.
Damson, strawberry, cherry, and raspberry jellies are made in the same way.
Wash cranberries, mash, add water, and boil twenty minutes. Press through sieve, add sugar, and cook three minutes. Pour into glass and cover.
Pare the cucumbers and cut in small pieces. Peel the onion and slice. Cover onion and cucumber with cold water and cook until tender. Press through a sieve, add the gelatine and seasonings. Chill, and serve with Mayonnaise Dressing.
Wash and drain currants thoroughly. Do not remove stems. Mash a few in the bottom of the kettle. Cook until the juice seems to be extracted from the currants, and the currants look white. Press through a coarse colander, then drip through a jelly bag, but do not squeeze.
Allow one pound of sugar for each pint of juice. Boil juice twenty minutes. Add hot sugar and boil hard three minutes; skim when necessary. Strain into hot glasses; let stand till stiff. Cover.
Use equal parts of currants and raspberries, and proceed as for Currant Jelly.
Use two quarts of apples for every four quarts of barberries and just enough water to keep berries from burning. Follow directions for Currant Jelly.
Remove stems from grapes, wash and crush, put in preserve kettle, add all ingredients, except sugar. Cook until mixture begins to look white. Strain through jelly bag. Measure juice, allow one pint of sugar for every pint of juice. Cook juice twenty minutes, add sugar, boil three minutes. Pour into glasses, cover when cold.
Remove stems from grapes. Mash; boil twenty minutes; strain, but do not squeeze; proceed as for Currant Jelly. Half ripe and half green grapes make the best jelly.
Follow receipt for Apple Jelly. Allow four sprigs of mint for every four quarts of fruit. When the juice has cooked twenty minutes, color with leaf green, add sugar, and proceed as with Apple Jelly.
Wipe and cut quinces in thin slices, and follow directions for Apple Jelly.
A delicious jelly is made by using one half quinces and one half Porter apples.
Pare, core, and chop apples; wash, remove seeds, and chop lemons; add sugar and ginger root, and cook very slowly six hours. Pour into glasses and cover.
Pare, core, and chip pears; wash lemons, remove seeds, and chop; add chopped ginger and sugar; cook very slowly four hours. Pour into glasses and cover.
Remove stems from currants, mash, cook thirty minutes, and strain in jelly bag. Cook sugar and juice ten minutes, add raspberries, bring to the boiling point, fill jars first with berries, then with juice, and seal.
Apples with considerable flavor are best for marmalade. Wash, core, and cut apples in slices; put in kettle, add enough water to keep apples from burning. Cook slowly until mushy, press through a sieve, add equal amounts of sugar and apples, and flavor with orange or lemon juice. Cook until water is evaporated; fill glasses, and cover.
All fruits may be made into marmalades by following the above directions. If the fruit lacks flavor, lemon juice, lemon rind, or ginger root may be cooked with the fruit.
Peel oranges, cut peel in quarters, cover with boiling water, and cook until tender. Drain, scrape to remove white, and cut scraped peel in shreds. Slice oranges, rejecting seeds and stringy portions; add sugar, cook slowly forty minutes; add rind, cook two hours. Pour into jars or glasses. Seal, and keep in cool place.
Slice oranges and lemons in very thin slices, reject seeds, cover with sugar, and cook slowly until of a thick consistency, about two hours. Pour into jars or glasses. Seal, and keep in cool place.
Wash oranges and lemons and slice in thin slices, remove seeds. Cover with cold water, and let stand two hours. Add rhubarb cut in one half inch pieces; cook one hour; add sugar and simmer three hours. Fill glasses, seal, and keep in cool place.
Remove skin from oranges and cook in boiling water until soft; drain; scrape off white part and cut peel in strips. Cut oranges and lemons in slices, remove pith and seeds. Cut rhubarb in inch pieces. Cook oranges, lemons, and rhubarb one hour; add sugar and peel and simmer two hours. Pour into glasses and cover when cold.
Wash grape fruit, slice thinly, remove seeds and pulpy portion, add sugar, and cook slowly two or three hours. Pour into glasses and cover.
Wash the fruit and cut in thin slices, removing the seeds and as much of the white skin as possible. Cover with water and let stand over night. Cook slowly two hours; add sugar and simmer until thick. Fill glasses, seal, and keep in cool place.
Wipe and cut peaches in halves, remove stones, cut peaches in pieces; add sugar and cook slowly two hours; add lemon juice. Pour into glasses and cover.
Quince, apricot, plum, and prune marmalade may be made like Peach Marmalade.
Wash and pick over blackberries, heat, then press through a sieve. To this purée add sugar and boil one half hour. Pour into glasses and cover.
Stem currants, crush slightly; add sugar, let stand over night; in the morning cook slowly one half hour, stirring often. Turn into glasses and cover.
Wash and stem grapes. Separate skins from pulp. Cook skins until tender, press through a sieve. Cook pulps ten minutes, press through a sieve. Combine purées; add one pound of sugar to every quart of purée; boil one half hour, stirring often. Pour into glasses and cover.
Mash berries; add sugar; cook thirty minutes, stirring very often. Pour into glasses and cover.
Wash tomatoes and cut in pieces; add remaining ingredients and cook until clear, about two hours. Strain through coarse strainer to remove seeds. Fill sterilized jars and seal.
Remove stems and wash currants, add remaining ingredients, and boil twenty minutes. Keep in stone jar.
Tie spices in bag. Cook vinegar and sugar five minutes. Add spice and remaining ingredients, cook slowly one hour. Keep in stone jar.
Boil sugar and vinegar. Scald peaches, remove skins, and cook in sirup. Tie spices in bag and cook with peaches. When peaches are tender, pour into stone jars, reheat sirup every day for a week, pouring when boiling over peaches.
All kinds of small fruits may be spiced in this manner.
Slice tomatoes, add onions and salt, and let stand twelve hours. Drain, add water and two cups vinegar, and boil one half hour. Drain; to tomatoes add remaining ingredients, and cook one half hour. Keep in stone jar in cool, dry place.
Sweet pickles are prepared from every fruit that can be preserved. Spices are generally tied in a muslin bag and kept in the pickle jar, and the sirup is rich in order to preserve the pickle. Sour pickles should always be cooked in granite or agate-ware kettles, and if desired green, put on to cook in cold vinegar and brought gradually to the boiling point. Alum added to the pickles keeps them crisp.
Cut skin from watermelon; cut rind into small pieces about two inches square; cover with water and cook until tender. Boil sugar and vinegar ten minutes; add spices tied in a bag, simmer until sirupy, about two hours; add melon and simmer one hour. Fill jars and seal.
Wash pears, but do not pare. Stick the cloves into the pears. Make a sirup of sugar and vinegar; add spices, when boiling, add a few pears at a time and cook until tender. Fill jars and seal.
Prepare in the same way as Sweet Pickled Watermelon, substituting cantaloupe.
Soak the cucumbers in a brine for two weeks; drain, and slice lengthwise. Cook in a sirup made by cooking six pounds sugar and four quarts of vinegar; boil twenty minutes. Keep in tightly covered crock.
Boil water and salt together; pour over cucumbers and peppers. Let stand over night; in the morning drain. Make a new brine, using same proportion; repeat this process twice, then drain and wash cucumbers and peppers in cold water. Place cucumbers and peppers in crock; cover with boiling vinegar.
Twelve whole cloves and twelve peppercorns may be tied in a bag and kept in the pickle jar.
Arrange cabbage, onion, and peppers in layers in an earthen crock; cover each layer with salt. Let stand over night; in the morning drain; then arrange cabbage, onion, and peppers in layers, with cloves and mustard seeds. Cover with cider vinegar; let stand twenty-four hours.
Cook all ingredients until cabbage is tender. Keep in stone crock.
Arrange cucumbers and salt in layers and let stand over night. Arrange onions and salt in layers and let stand over night. In the morning drain; put a layer of cucumbers in an earthen crock, cover with olive oil and mustard, then a layer of onions, and so continue until all are used. Cover whole with cider vinegar; let stand covered closely for two months, when it is ready for use.
Mix all ingredients; stir every morning for a week. Keep in a cool, dark place.
Boil vinegar, spices, and sugar five minutes, add remaining ingredients, and simmer until thick. Keep in crock in cool place.
Peel onions and cook twenty minutes. Drain and cool. Arrange cauliflower, broken in small pieces, cucumbers, peppers and onions in kettle. Cover with brine made of salt and water. Let stand two days. Drain thoroughly, then cover with vinegar, cayenne and mustard. Boil slowly one hour. Keep in Mason or Lightning jars.
Tie spices in a muslin bag. Chop the vegetables, cover with salt and water, let stand over night. Drain thoroughly, cover with hot vinegar, add spice bag, and let stand until the next morning. Reheat vinegar and pour over pickles; do this for three days, then keep in earthen crock tightly covered.
Run a needle through soft walnuts; cover with strong brine of salt and water; let stand in brine for a week, draining off brine every day, and covering with fresh brine. Then drain and wash walnuts, cover with vinegar, boil ten minutes, add a bag of spices, cover closely, and keep in cool place three weeks.
For bag of spices, mix four tablespoons each of whole cloves, peppercorns, mace, celery and mustard seed.
Mix all ingredients, add more salt if needed, and boil slowly until thick. Keep in air-tight jars.
Mix all ingredients and cook gently all day. Cool; then boil hard five minutes, stirring constantly. Fill sterilized jars and seal.
Peel tomatoes, and cook all ingredients six hours, stirring often. Pour into sterilized bottles and seal.
Cook tomatoes one hour; press through a sieve; add all ingredients, except alcohol, and cook until thick; boil one minute; add alcohol, and bottle. The cooking will take six or eight hours; stir occasionally to keep from burning.
Arrange layers of mushrooms and salt in preserving kettle; let stand on back of stove for twelve hours. Press through a sieve. Measure. For each quart of mushroom liquor add one pint vinegar, one tablespoon salt, two tablespoons each of cloves, allspice, mace, and mustard seed. Boil until thick, then bottle.
Grate cucumber and onion, add remaining ingredients, boil five minutes, bottle, and seal.
Chop the rhubarb; add lemon rind and water; let stand three days. Strain, add sugar, pour into crock, cover with muslin, let stand for two weeks. Cover tightly, at the end of a month it will be ready to bottle.
Wash and mash grapes; add water and boil ten minutes; strain. For every quart of juice add two cups sugar. Boil sugar and juice eight minutes, bottle and seal while hot.
Remove seeds from peppers; cut peppers in narrow strips, using scissors. Cover with boiling water, keep on back of range ten minutes, but do not boil. Drain, cover with ice water, and let stand ten minutes. Repeat this process twice. Boil sugar, vinegar and salt twenty minutes. Drain peppers, pack sterilized jars with peppers, add sirup to fill jars. Seal and keep in cold place.