FRUIT PRESERVING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 2

FRUIT PRESERVING.

A GOOD TIME TO BEGIN. A VALUABLE HANDBOOK. The Government is on tho point of issuing an exceedingly valuable handbook on " Fruit Preserving for farmers." The work is from the pen or th<j Government's panning expert, M-r. William Jaquos. It is. valuable because it is written ir. very simple language, is exceedingly comprehensive, telling the farmer's wife/all the little mysterious points of'tho business that slit needs to know, and is froni a writer whose knowledge of the subject:is ontirely up-to-date. There 1 is something in the.btyle in which the booklet is written that keeps you. awake. Read this' section of tho introduction, "Wo dd not eat enough fruit'. This is universally, admitted. Why? Beeauso itis inot available all 1 the year round at a price to meet a universal demand. Remedy; voursalf up with a stock of preserving bottles, and. put the .fruit up when it is plentiful and cheap for use in . the bare Seasons. Ypu may then have. steyecl or fresh preserved fruit on tho table every day of tho year. I anticipate your mentioning expense. Well, fruit will keep you in health and prevent doctors' bills; health is priceless, the bottles are not expensive, : and will last for years if taken care'of, and the rings are very cheap. Trouble! If you mention this word I advise you not' to . undertake fruit-preserving,' for: the trouble and expense avc £0 comparatively sj'Sht that the words sound like excuses. fcp don't consider either;. but go • right ahead and suepce'd.'.'"-'

There - are chapters on the .best sorts of bottles, the best sorts of; fruit' and tho condition of ripeness jn which t6 use them, the best modes of dealing with each fruit,-the preparation of the; •s.yrup, , sterilising of the bottles,. the, sterilising-.oil. .the contents before shutting down, tho storing, etc. . Tlie short .chapter: on " tfefj prinoiple of 'preservings introduce?; tho question ,of whether- it necessary completely • to every* miproTorganisnv in the fruit.. This portion is specially to the point ,

■ ''SeTeral tliinES have to be carefully remembered tperiable'the preserver to arrive at a successful result; First, the fresh fruit no. sooner arrives at a state.' qf parfectipn than; it, begins/to decay. ' Then, the: mora quickly the fruit ripens the more rapid the dgoay. '■ Thus frc§h fruit necessarily: cod-. .'tains the'germs of decomposition more 0 i ;le.ss emphasised' according to the condition Of tho fruit. The principle of preserving is to arrest; this' decomposition by' sterilisation, not of; the- fruit alone,.but of the' Whole contents of tho bottle, by driving oi)t and ah-, sorbing all the air and gases and preventing any air roturning. Thus a vacuum is formed within ! the bottle 1 or receptacle,' and a corresponding atmospheric pressure : on tho outside, principally upon the cover, this being thc ; part which-.offers ..the least' re-.' sistance. It. is not 'essential to"', destroy entirely the mipro-organisms in tlie fruit,, for ir this wore clone-scientifically the fruit ; itselfwould be effectually reduced to q mass of pulp by 'rhe longthy and highly? ,heated processbut.in a properly procured vacuum''(which iiature abhors) the:germs' become dormant and sterilised, and ill the ! absence of air cannot continue'the natural ■process, of /decay. Tho: fruit therefore re-' mams m its natural condition of freshness as. long a? the.vacuum 1 is effectively maintained, or-iiiitil -the bottle is'opened and the vacuum', of course, destroyed; when, in tho natural evolution'- of ■ things- : ths ger'nl; activity, will vgo'. oiv again as from: the time when-'it was arrested,by- the process qf,. preserving, .but. at a'- highlv-in-creased rate, resulting from the unnatural check to which it has been subjected." '. . j

The -book is pno of permanent value-for household reference,, and every farmer should v place one upon his bookshelf.' The' chapters about- bpttles contain thirteen illustrations of bottles, besides drawings of other appliances. ' r '! . '' ' :■ ■"<