While vegetables require a little more care than fruit in canning, if
they receive that care one will be rewarded with nice fresh canned
vegetables, free from harmful preservatives, all through the winter.
In the first place, vegetables must be fresh, especially corn and peas.
Corn gathered early in the morning ought to be in the cans and on the
fire before noon, and peas the same day.
If one is alone with all the housework to do, it is better to put up a
few jars at a time.
Always use new rubbers on jars in canning vegetables.
“Blanching”, in this connection, means a short boiling in a weak brine
(¼ cup of salt to 3 qts. of water) and is used with vegetables to
eliminate the acids which they contain.
Place the vegetables in a wire basket or a cloth bag and dip into the
boiling brine, then into cold water.
Prepare nearly all vegetables as for the table, before blanching, (okra
and corn are exceptions).
After blanching, pack as close as possible in jars. Fill jars to
overflowing with water with or without salt, according to special
directions; fasten covers on tight (do not be afraid the jars will
burst), and set into a kettle or boiler with a board containing holes
or with several thicknesses of cloth or with thin tin rings underneath.
Surround jars ¾ their depth with water, cover the vessel close so
that the steam will be retained, bring to the boiling point and boil
rapidly and continuously the required length of time.
Use wrench for tightening covers of Mason jars during the cooking.
If Lightning jars do not seem to be air-tight, thin bits of wood may
be placed under the wires. With corn and peas, it is better to have
the water deep enough to cover the jars, for boiling after tops are
tightened.
Invert jars after removing from the water, cover to exclude light, cool.
Store in dark, rather cool place.
Use cold water to surround jars at first if contents are cold and warm
water if contents are warm.
The length of time given is for cooking quart jars. ½-1 hour less will
be required for pints and 1 hour more for 2 quarts.
_Asparagus_--Prepare asparagus as for the table; blanch tips 3 m.,
other parts 5 m., dip in cold water, pack in jars--the tips in one, the
middle of the stalks in a second, and the inferior ends for soups, in a
third.
Fill jars with cold water to which salt has been added in the
proportion of 1 teaspn. to the quart.
Fasten covers and cook according to general directions for two hours,
tighten covers and cook for one hour longer.
_Asparagus in Full Lengths_--Place stalks in jars, heads up, and pack
as close as possible.
_To Use_--Open jar, add ½ teaspn. salt, set jar in cold or lukewarm
water, heat to boiling, pour water off (save for soups), and draw
stalks out carefully on to slices of prepared toast.
_Shelled Beans_--Follow directions for canning asparagus.
_String Beans_--Prepare as for the table or leave whole, blanch for 2
m., and follow directions for canning asparagus, using water without
salt to fill the jars.
_Greens_--Narrow dock, milkweed, pigweed, purslane or spinach. Wash the
greens thoroughly, drop into boiling salted water and leave just long
enough to wilt. Remove from water with skimmer, pack into jars, cover
with cold salted water and proceed as with other vegetables.
There are no vegetables that we enjoy more in winter than our “greens.”
_Okra_--Wash young tender okra, cut off stems and tops, blanch 10 m.,
dip in cold water, cut in transverse slices or leave whole, and finish
the same as asparagus.
_Peas_--Blanch fresh-gathered, mature, but not old peas, for 5 m. (old
for 8 m.), dip in cold water, proceed as for canning asparagus, using
sugar, 1 teaspn. to quart of water if peas are not sweet. Boil 3-4 hrs.
in all; 1 hr. after tightening covers, with water covering jars if
possible.
_Corn_--Prepare fresh-gathered corn as for drying. Pack at once
(filling all spaces) in clean jars to within an inch of the top, cover
to the depth of a half inch with slightly salted water, fasten covers
on as tight as possible, cook 3 or 4 hours, screw covers down again,
cover jars with boiling water and boil for 1 hour longer. Remove boiler
from fire and let jars cool in the water.
Ears of corn may be boiled in clear water 5 m. and dropped in cold
water before removing kernels.
_Corn No. 2_--Prepare as in preceding recipe and cook for 1 hr. after
the water is boiling; tighten covers, invert and leave until the next
day. Cook for 1 hr. the second day and again the third day, that is, 1
hr. each for three consecutive days.
_Beets_--Boil small dark red beets for 30 m., drop into cold water and
rub the skins off. Place in jars, cover with cold water, fasten covers,
boil 1 hr., tighten covers and boil for 1 hr. longer.
_Mushrooms_--Pour boiling salted water over mushrooms and allow them to
stand in a warm place until withered; cool, drain, pack close in jars
and cover with the water in which they were standing; seal and cook 1½
hr. Tighten covers and cook ½ hr. longer. Invert jars until cool.