CHAPTER III_Every Step in Canning: The Cold-Pack Method

HARD FRUITS

PINEAPPLES

The object of canning citrus fruits is, first, to save the surplus and

by-products; second, to furnish wholesome fruits at reasonable cost to

more of our people; third, to help the producer to transform

by-products into net profits.

Almost every one likes canned pineapple, but some housewives stopped

canning this fruit because they found that when cooked in sirup it

seemed to get tough and less palatable. Vegetable and fruit fibers are

toughened when cooked with sugar for any length of time, so in all

cases where you desire to keep the product as Nature grew it avoid

this form of cooking.

When the product is put into the jars with a sirup and cooked in the

jar you will have a product superior to the one that is cooked over

the direct fire in the kettle with the sirup.

But pineapple slices or pieces are so hard they cannot be put directly

into the jars as berries are. Pineapples must undergo a preliminary

process to make them palatable and soft. This preliminary process is

known in canning as "blanching."

After the pineapple has been prepared by paring and removing the eyes,

it can be left in slices or cut into cubes. In cutting hold the

pineapple at the top and use a sharp knife. It is then placed in a

wire basket or a piece of cheesecloth for the blanching. Blanching

means to immerse the product in boiling water for a certain length of

time to reduce its bulk and soften it.

Pineapples are blanched for five minutes. We scald peaches and

apricots, which are soft fruits; but we blanch pineapples, apples and

quinces, the hard fruits.

Scalding means to immerse the product in boiling water for a very

short time--just long enough to loosen the skins. Blanching is just a

longer period of scalding.

When you blanch pineapples use only enough water to cover them. This

same blanching water can be used for making the sirup. It contains

much of the pineapple flavor and there is no reason for discarding it.

But this is absolutely the only blanching water that is ever used. All

other blanching water, particularly that in which vegetables are

blanched, is full of objectionable acids that we want to get rid of,

so under no circumstances must it be used. But with pineapples the

object of blanching is primarily to soften the hard fiber, so there is

no objection to using the blanching water.

After the pineapple has been in the covered kettle of boiling water

for five minutes, it is held under cold water until cool enough to

handle. Never let it soak in cold water, as that will impair its

delicate flavor. After this it is packed into hot sterilized jars.

Rubber rings are put on the jars, the covers are put in place--not

tight--and the jars are put in the canner.

Pineapple is sterilized for thirty minutes in a hot-water-bath outfit;

thirty minutes in a condensed steam outfit; twenty-five minutes in the

water-seal; twenty-five minutes in the steam pressure under five

pounds of steam, and eighteen minutes in the pressure cooker under ten

pounds of pressure. At the end of the sterilizing period the jars are

removed, the covers completely tightened and the joints carefully

tested for leakage.

A thin or medium-thin sirup is best for pineapples. Measure the

blanching water and to every two cups of it add three cups of sugar.

If you wish the sirup thin heat until the sugar is dissolved. If

medium-thin sirup is desired, boil it about four minutes or until it

begins to be sirupy.

STEPS IN CANNING PINEAPPLE

1. Cut the pineapple into slices of desired thickness.

2. Pare the slices. It is easier to pare the slices than to pare the

whole pineapple.

3. Remove the eyes, using pineapple scissors to facilitate the work.

4. Blanch pineapple for five minutes in a small amount of boiling

water, using a wire basket or cheesecloth.

5. Cold-dip the pineapple.

6. Make a sirup, using the blanching water. Make a thin or medium-thin

sirup.

7. Pack the pineapple into hot sterilized jars, with good rubbers on

them.

8. Pour the sirup over the pineapple.

9. Put the tops of the jars on--not tight.

10. Sterilize for 30 minutes in hot-water-bath outfit, 30 minutes in

condensed-steam outfit, 25 minutes in water-seal outfit, 25 minutes in

steam pressure (5 pounds), 18 minutes in pressure cooker (10 pounds).

11. Remove from canner, tighten covers and inspect rubber and joints.

APPLES

Here are six ways in which canned apples may be used: as a breakfast

dish, with cream and sugar; baked like fresh apples; in apple salad,

often served for lunch or supper; as a relish with roast pork--the

apples may be fried in the pork fat or the cores may be cooked with

roast pork for flavoring; and for apple dumplings, deep apple pie and

other desserts in which whole apples are desirable. The sirup of

canned whole apples can be used for pudding sauces or fruit drinks.

Apples are another hard fruit which require blanching, as it greatly

improves their texture and appearance.

Apples and some other fruits, such as pears and quinces, have a

tendency to turn brown when allowed to stand after they are cut. To

prevent their discoloring the pieces may be dropped into mild salt

water as they are pared and sliced. Let them stand for five minutes,

then wash them in clear water and pack. Use a thin sirup for canning

apples.

Summer apples are not firm enough to keep well when canned. They cook

up and lose flavor. They may, however, be canned to be used in a short

time. Windfall apples may be pared, cored and sliced, using water, and

only a small quantity of that, instead of sirup, and canned for pies.

To be able to can windfall and cull apples and thus have them for home

use through the entire year is a great advantage to all farmers who

grow them. They can be sold on the market canned when they would not

bring a cent in the fresh state.

The windfall and cull apples may be divided into two grades. The

first grade would include the whole reasonably sound fruit; the second

grade the worm-eaten, partially decayed and injured fruit. Do not can

any injured or decayed part nor allow apples to become overripe before

canning.

Canning Whole Reasonably Firm Apples. Wash the apples. Remove cores

and blemishes. Place whole apples in blanching tray or blanching cloth

and blanch in boiling hot water for one or two minutes. Remove and

plunge quickly into cold water. Pack in large glass jars. Pour over

the product a hot thin sirup. Place rubber and top in position. Seal

partially--not tight.

Sterilize jars twenty minutes in hot-water-bath outfit and in

condensed steam, fifteen minutes in water-seal, ten minutes in

steam-pressure outfit with five pounds of steam pressure, five minutes

in aluminum pressure-cooker outfit, under ten pounds of steam

pressure. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test joints.

Firm and tart apples may be cored and peeled first, then canned by the

above recipe.

Canning Apples for Pie Filling. Use second grade of windfalls or

culls. Wash, core, pare and remove all decayed spots. Slice apple

quickly into a basin containing slightly salted cold water--about one

tablespoon of salt per gallon--to prevent discoloring. Pack fresh cold

product in glass jars. Add one cupful of hot thin sirup to each quart

of fruit. Put on the rubbers and screw on tops, but do not seal

completely. Sterilize twelve minutes in hot-water bath or

condensed-steam outfit; ten minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes

under five pounds of steam pressure; four minutes in aluminum

pressure cooker. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test

joint. Store.

This filling can be used for making apple pies in the same way that

fresh apples would be used, with the exception that the sirup must be

poured off and less sugar should be used. Since the apples have

already been cooked, only enough heat is needed to cook the crust and

to warm the apples through. Pies may be baked in seven minutes. The

apple pies made with these apples are, in the opinion of many

housekeepers, as good as those made with fresh fruit, and they can be

made in less time and are less expensive.

The only difference between canning apples for pies and salads or

whole is that when wanted for pies the apples should be sliced

immediately after placing in cold slightly salted water.

Canning Quartered Apples for Fruit Salads. Select best-grade culls

of firm and rather tart varieties. Core, pare and quarter. Drop into

basin containing slightly salted cold water. Pack these quartered

pieces tightly in jars. Add a cup of hot thin sirup to each quart.

Place rubber and top in position, partially seal--not tight. Sterilize

twelve minutes in hot-water bath and condensed-steam outfits; ten

minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes under five pounds of steam

pressure; four minutes in aluminum pressure cooker. Remove jars,

tighten covers, invert to cool and test joints. Store.

ORANGES

Canning Whole Oranges and Other Citrus Fruits. Select windfall or

packing-plant culls. Use no unsound or decayed fruit. Remove skin and

white fiber on surface. Blanch fruit in boiling water one and a half

minutes. Dip quickly in cold water. Pack containers full. Add boiling

hot thin sirup. Place rubber and cap in position and partially

seal--not tight.

Sterilize twelve minutes in hot-water-bath and condensed-steam

outfits; eight minutes in water-seal outfit; six minutes in

steam-pressure outfit under five pounds of steam; four minutes in

aluminum pressure-cooker outfit. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert

to cool and test joints. Wrap glass jars with paper to prevent

bleaching, and store.

Canning Sliced Oranges for Salad Purposes. The oranges may be

divided into their natural sections or sliced with a knife. Pack jars

or containers full. Pour over product hot thin sirup. Place rubber and

cap in position. Partially seal--not tight. Sterilize ten minutes in

hot-water-bath and condensed-steam outfits; six minutes in water-seal

outfit; five minutes in steam-pressure outfit with five pounds of

steam; four minutes in aluminum pressure-cooker outfit under ten

pounds of steam. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to cool and test

the joints. Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching, and store.

PEARS, QUINCES AND RHUBARB

Pears are prepared and canned just as the whole firm apples are, being

blanched a minute and a half, cold-dipped and sterilized for the same

length of time as apples.

Quinces are so very hard they must be blanched like pineapples, but

for a longer time. Six minutes' blanching is usually sufficient for

quinces. The sterilizing period can be determined by looking at the

chart.

If skins are left on rhubarb it keeps its pink color. The hot dip is

not necessary and may be omitted. It removes some of the excessive

acid in the rhubarb which makes it objectionable to some people. Be

very careful not to hot-dip the rhubarb more than one minute, for it

gets mushy. An advantage of the hot dip is that more rhubarb can be

packed in a jar after it has been hot-dipped.

WHAT A BUSHEL OF FRUIT WILL YIELD

A great many women have no conception of how many jars of fruit they

will get from a bushel or half bushel of produce. It is wise to have a

little knowledge along this line, for it aids in planning the winter's

supply of canned goods as well as at marketing time.

From one bushel of the various fruits you will get on the average the

following:

PRODUCTS, 1 BUSHEL PINT JARS QUART JARS

Windfall apples 30 20

Standard peaches 25 18

Pears 45 30

Plums 45 30

Berries 50 30

Windfall oranges--sliced 22 15

Windfall oranges--whole 35 22

CANNING WITHOUT SUGAR

Though all instructions indicate that sugar is necessary for the

canning of all kinds of fruits, it is not necessary for their proper

sterilization and preservation. Any fruit may be successfully

sterilized by simply adding boiling water instead of the hot sirup. It

is a well-known fact, however, that most fruits canned in water will

not retain so well their natural flavor, texture and color as fruit

canned in sirup. When the product is to be used for pies, salads, and

so on it is not necessary to can in sirup. When fruits canned in water

are to be used for sauces, the products should be sweetened before

use. In many instances it requires more sugar to sweeten a sauce after

canning than it does when the product is canned in the hot sirup.

However, during the World War we had a good chance to test the fruits

which we canned without sugar, when that commodity was scarce and, in

fact, impossible to get in very large quantities. We used our fruits

just as they were and considered them very good. This all goes to show

that we can easily adjust ourselves to prevailing conditions. In

canning without the sugar sirup, you would follow these directions:

Cull, stem or seed, and clean fruit by placing in a strainer and

pouring water over it until clean. Pack product thoroughly in glass

jars until full; use table knife or tablespoon for packing purposes.

Pour over the fruit boiling water from kettle, place rubbers and caps

in position, partially seal glass jars and place produce in canner.

If using hot-water-bath outfit sterilize from twenty to thirty

minutes. After sterilizing remove packs, seal glass jars, wrap in

paper to prevent bleaching, and store in a dry cool place.

When using a steam-pressure canner instead of the hot-water bath

sterilize for ten minutes with five pounds of steam pressure. Never

allow the pressure to go over ten pounds when you are canning soft

fruits.

WHEN TO CAN

Inexperienced canners may not know when certain fruits are in season

and at their prime for canning. The list below is necessarily subject

to change, as seasons vary from year to year; but in normal years this

table would hold true for the Northern States.

Apples September

Apricots August

Blackberries August

Cherries July

Currants July

Gooseberries July

Grapes September

Huckleberries July

Peaches August-September

Pears September

Pineapple June

Plums August

Quinces September

Raspberries July

Rhubarb All summer

Strawberries May-June

For your canning you will need as your guide the charts on the pages

which follow. They are very simple and will tell you how to prepare

all the various fruits, whether or not they are to be blanched, and if

so exactly how many minutes, and how long to cook or sterilize the

products, according to the outfit you are using.

CHART FOR CANNING SOFT FRUITS AND BERRIES

[A] NUMBER OF MINUTES TO BLANCH OR HOT-DIP

[B] IN HOT WATER BATH OUTFIT AT 212°F

[C] IN CONDENSED STEAM OUTFIT

[D] IN WATER-SEAL OUTFIT 214°F

[E] IN STEAM PRESSURE 5 TO 10 POUNDS

[F] IN PRESSURE COOKER 10 POUNDS

NUMBER OF MINUTES TO STERILIZE

KIND OF | [A] |[B] |[C] |[D] |[E] |[F] |REMARKS

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APRICOTS: To remove|1 to 2| 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use

| | | | | | |

BLACKBERRIES: Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

BLUEBERRIES: Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

CHERRIES: Wash, | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

CURRANTS: Wash and | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

CRANBERRIES: Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

DEWBERRIES: Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

FIGS: Wash and stem| None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Figs can be

| | | | | | |

GOOSEBERRIES Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use

| | | | | | |

GRAPES Wash and | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

HUCKLEBERRIES Wash | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

PEACHES Blanch and | 1-2 | 16 | 16 | 12 |*10 | X |*Use only 5

| | | | | | |

PLUMS Wash; stones | 1-2 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |For sweet plums

| | | | | | |

RASPBERRIES pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use medium-thin

| | | | | | |

RHUBARB Wash, cut | 1 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Be very careful

| | | | | | |

STRAWBERRIES Pick | None | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 5 |Use

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| | | | | | |

APPLES Pare, core |1½ to | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 |Use thin sirup

and cut into halves| 2 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

PEARS Wash, pare or| 1½ | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 |Use thin sirup

| | | | | | |

PINEAPPLE Cut into | 5 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 18 |Use thin or

| | | | | | |

QUINCES Remove | 6 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 25 | 20 |Apples, pears

| | | | | | |one

| | | | | | |

PIE FILLING Cut | None | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 |Can in water

| | | | | | |

QUARTERED APPLES | None | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 |Can in water

| | | | | | |

CRAB APPLES Pare | None | 16 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 5 |Can in water or

| | | | | | |

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ORANGES, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling

| | | | | | |

LEMONS, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling

| | | | | | |

GRAPEFRUIT, WHOLE | 1½ | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 |Add boiling

| | | | | | |

ORANGE AND OTHER | None | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 |Use thin sirup

| | | | | | |

FRUITS CANNED IN | 30 | 30 | 20 | 12 | 10 | |

| | | | | | |

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NOTE.--When cooking products in pint or half-pint jars deduct three or

four minutes from the time given above. When cooking in two-quart jars

add 3 or 4 minutes to time. The estimates given are for quart jars.