Home › Preserving and Canning Fruit and Vegetables › Preserving and Canning Fruit and Vegetables: Select

Preserving and Canning Fruit and Vegetables: Select

Select preferably the sweetest and most delicate varieties. Experiment has proved that the amount of sugar in sweet corn diminishes very rapidly after the ear is pulled from the stalk. Hence endeavor to get the kernels into the can within an hour after the corn is picked. If this can be done the result will be far superior to the ordinary commercial product. Select ears with full grains, just before they begin to harden, since the corn is then sweetest. Husk the ears and remove the silks with a stiff brush. Sheer off the grain with a sharp knife, pack the jar full and salt to taste, usually at the rate of one teaspoonful to the quart.

Fill up the jar to the top with clear cold water, put on the rubber ring and place the glass top on loosely but without depressing the spring.

Now place the jars upon a false bottom in a wash boiler and separate Sterilizer, showing false bottom. (J. F. Breazeale.) them by means of rags or cotton rope, such as an old clothesline, so that they cannot strike one another when the water begins to boil. Pour in about three inches of cold water or enough to fill the boiler with steam. More than enough to prevent the boiler from going dry is not necessary as the steam will do the cooking. Cover the boiler tightly, bring to a boil and let boil for a full hour. Now remove the cover and allow the steam to escape. Press down the spring to prevent air from entering. Remove the jars to cool, or let them stand in the boiler until the next day.

On the second day raise the spring as before and again boil for one hour. Once more clamp down the top and let stand until the following day. Then repeat the operation. Observe that the jars when hot must be carefully shielded from drafts of cold air or the sudden change of temperature will crack them.

After the third boiling clamp on the top and let stand two or three days. Then test each jar by releasing the spring and picking up the jar by the glass top. If the top does not come off the contents are reasonably sure to keep unless there should chance to be one or more anaerobic bacteria present which may cause trouble later on. Should this happen increase the length of boiling for the next lot to 1½ hours. If the tops come off when the can is tested, decomposition has begun to take place and gases have been formed which offset the atmospheric pressure on the outside of the jar.

In this case it is best to reject the contents and to cleanse and refill the jar.

The above directions apply only to pint and quart jars. Increase the time of boiling for half gallon jars to one and a half hours. A little practice may be required at first to secure perfect results by this method; hence do not try too many jars the first time. Make a few experiments in the early part of the season until you fully understand the directions and learn to follow them properly. After that there will be no difficulty and the benefits of fresh vegetables from the kitchen garden will be extended to every season of the year.

The same general process applies to canning other vegetables except for the mode of preparing them, as to which the following suggestions are offered: