READERS' EXCHANGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 7 (Supplement)

READERS' EXCHANGE

PRESERVING PEACHES

What a lot of kind, helpful folk there are in Auckland, willing not onlv to pass 011 their recipes, but also to take the trouble to write out lengthy directions! Such a lot of splendid answers came in for "Perplexed" about bottling peaches that I cannot possibly publish them all, so insert ono or two, and suggest that "Perplexed" might liku to send a largo, stamped addressed envelope for tho rest. Meantime, many thanks to E.I. (Bay of Islands), M.H., Mrs. T.C. (Takapuna), Mrs. K.E.I). (Horotiu), L.D. (Ponsonby), C.E. (Ellerslie), "VV.C.B. (Epsom), "Paranui," M.T., "Always an Interested Reader," 8.H.J., "Like to Help," S.W. and L.C.G. Now for the method. All the writers aro agreed as to tho necessity of firm, sound, unbruised fruit, not too ripe, and new • rubbers every season if possible. This is the advice of Mrs. T.C., whoso method I can personally recommend, as she left mo a bottlo of most delicious peaches to sample. (1) Fruit must bo firm, bottles good and rubbers new every season. (2) Make a syrup: To every two cups of water add one cup of sugar; boil for twenty minutes and allow to get cold. (3) Stone, halve and peel the fruit, pack into the bottles, add the syrup and put on the tops, but do not screw down. Put the bottles in a kerosene tin cut lengthways, or into an electric copper, with a thick pad of cloth under the bottles and between them to prevent cracking. Fill tho tin up to the neck of the bottles with cold water, bring to the boM and continue to boil until the fruit is soft. Now take out the bottles and fill to over-flowing with boiling syrup. Screw down at once and turn upside down away from draughts to test for leaks. Fruit Ready Immediately Mrs. K.E.D., at Horotiu, has successfully bottled all kinds of fruit for many years, sometimes as many as 80 bottles of peaches in a season, and the beauty of her method is that the preserves are ready for immediate consumption. "I have my jars warmed over the stove," she says, "all rubbers soaked in water just before using, and tops fitting and also warmed on the stoverack. In the case of peaches, I gather them on a fine day and when not quite ripe. Some kinds of peaches can be preserved even quite hard. I go over all the fruit, selecting only that firm and free from spots. Add one-two cups No. 1A sugar to four cups of water and bring to the boil. Then carefully put in the fruit and boil gently till soft but not broken.

Now have all jars ready with rubbers on and lids handy. I stand the jars in a large soup plate, fill fruit carefully into the jars, pour boiling juice over them with a teacup till tho juico overflows, and quickly screw down the bottles as tightly as possible. Then turn upside down leave for a few hours, and examine jars to see that there arc no leaks, as if there should happen to bo a faulty jar, tho fruit can bo reboiled and put into a fresh jar.

"The quantity of sugar used varies with the fruit; for instance, plums require a little moro sugar. 'Perplexed' need not worry about the appearance of her fruit when bottled, if she does them this way, and it is such a boon to be able to open them and dish them up straight away. Any fruit can be done this way. 1 always get fresh rubber rings and tops if they liavo any dents in them." Waterproofing a Tent

"Mrs. Mac" says she has proved this way most successful. Tho ingredients for the waterproofing solution are:— jib. sugar of lead, and jib, alum. Pound up the ingredients separately, then mix and dissolve in a bucket, and lot it stand for six hours. Then put the solution in a tub and add sufficient water to saturate the tent, which should be loft in it for 24 hours. Hang over a line to dry without wringing-