All steps, from beginning to end, of any lot of canning should be
carried through as rapidly as possible. A good slogan is "two hours from
harvest to container".
Work fast with small amounts of food at a time, especially vegetables
with high starch content such as corn and peas which lose quality
rapidly. Any delay will result in loss of flavor and nutritive value.
Sorting and grading should be done very carefully, according to size and
degree of maturity and ripeness.
Use only uniformly well-ripened products. Discard all defective products
and use together those of the same size.
Dirt in seeds, bits of food, or sirup contains bacteria that is hardest
to kill, and encourages yeasts and molds to grow on the outer surfaces.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before canning.
Scalding, peeling and coring--some fruits, such as peaches and tomatoes,
are scalded in order to peel them smoothly.
Follow up-to-date recommendations, available in U.S. Department of
Agriculture or Extension publications, for detailed procedures in
preparing fruits and vegetables for canning.