BOTTLING FRUIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18943, 14 February 1925, Page 6 (Supplement)

BOTTLING FRUIT.

Use gout! sound fruit, and let it be a little under ripe rather than too ripe. Ahvnys use- good sugar, and if possible use bottles v/ifh screw tops and new rubber bands. llolden syrup tins may be used; but great care .should Lie taken to see that the lids are well hammered down, and in make quite, sure they are air-tight, it would be as well to pour a. little melted mutton fat or paraffin wax round the crack. Have everything boiling hot, and use a wooden or enamel spoon. It is advisable to di> a small quantity at a time; tile quicker it is done the beller. Yellow Peaches in Syrup.--reaches, 1 cupful of sugar to 2 eupfuls of water. Stand jars in a -large baking tin or fish kettle, put straw or cloths between and underneath the jars, and as much cold water as the tin will hold. _ I'ut over gentle heat and bring to boiling point. .Make a syrup of the sugar and water, and boil 15 to 20 minutes. Pare fruit thinly and put into slightly salted water until fruit and syrup are ready. Drain, add to syrup, and boil until tender, but not broken. Quickly pack fruit into hot jars, then add syrup until it. overflows, screw down at once, and tighten the lid as the fruit cools. In making the syrup, allow about one pint to a quart jar of iruit. Any sort of plums and pears may be done in the same way.

To Bottle Fruit Without Sugar.—Fill sonic clean wiilo-neckeil bottles with pi'fi* ■paved fruit. Wntp each bottle roniul with

straw -or ucv.-ftjtiiiH'r, 11 u■ 11 stand upright, without litis, in a largo pan. J* ill the pun with cold water to reach tin* necks of (lie jars, and bring slowly Id (lie boil. Have ready sunic boiling water to fill all the I•• it:los. which must la' careluHy done as soon as the bkm.s of tin' ln.nl lieyin to crack. Fill to overflowing and screw down at once. Pear Preserve.—6lb. pears (after they arc peeled and cored). 6M>. white sugar, 3 pints water, 6 lemons, 3oz. root ginger, a few cloves. IV- large, hard pears, peel thinly, quarter and remove cures, then cut into small, square pieces. L'ut into a preserving pan with Ihe water and sugar. Wipe the lemons, and grille the rmd. Squeeze out the juice, strain it, and add to the. pears. "Bruise the ginger and tie in a muslin l>an with (he cloves; add to other iiigrcdienls. Bring the jam slowly to the lioil, remove the scum, tlieli add the grated lemon rind. .Boil one to one and a, half hours, helping it stirred and skimmed frequently. Test occasionally to :=ee it il, is done; if ready, it will form a jelly when cold. "Remove ginger hag. put jam" into clean, dry jars, and tie down when quite cold. Pickled Damsons. lib. damsons, 1 gill vim-gar, -agar. Soak the fruit in the vinegar for 12 hours, then strain olf the liquid. Add sugar to the strained vinegar, and hoil gently for a. quarter of ari hour, then add the damsons and boil one minute. Bui tin when nearly cold. The fruit should ho onite whole when done. Sweet Pickled Plums. —711>. black plums, 41b. brown sugar, 2oz. .stick cinnamon, 2oz. cloves, 1 quart vinegar, a. Made or two of mace Remove stalks, from plums and rub gently with a clean cloth, i'laee alternate " layers of fruit and spices in stone jars. Scald the .sugar ami vinegar together, pour if. over 'he plums, and leave until next day. I.'uur off (he syrup, again scald it, and pour over the plums. .Repeat on the third day. ami when tho pickle is cold, tie down for storing.