School and Home Cooking Part 92

Note the difference in the methods of sealing jams and jellies. Explain.

LESSON CLXX

PROCESSING WITH VINEGAR AND SPICES--RELISHES

SPICES AND VINEGAR ARE PRESERVATIVES OF FOODS. Not all spices, however, have equal preservative power. It has been found that cinnamon and cloves aid in food preservation, but that pepper and ginger have very little, if any, preservative power. In the lesson on _Flavoring Materials: Food Adjuncts_, it was mentioned that spices and condiments should be used sparingly in the diet, hence spiced fruits and pickles should have only occasional use. There is no doubt that lemon juice or other tart fruit juices are better sources of acid-satisfying materials than vinegar.

SPICED PEARS

1/2 peck pears 3 pounds sugar 1 pint vinegar 1/2 ounce ginger root Rind of 1/2 lemon Whole allspice Stick cinnamon Whole cloves

Cut the pears in halves, remove the seeds, and pare. Into each piece of pear stick two or three cloves. Make a sirup of the vinegar and sugar.

Divide the cinnamon, allspice, and ginger into two parts, tie in cheese- cloth bags, and add to the sirup. When the sirup begins to simmer, add the pears and lemon rind; bring to the boiling point, remove from the fire, and turn into a stone jar. Cover and stand in a cool place overnight. Next day bring the mixture to the boiling point, again place in the stone jar and stand overnight. The following day heat as before. Do this for five consecutive days. The last day, remove the fruit from the sirup, heat the sirup and evaporate it until there is just enough to cover the fruit. Add the fruit to the hot sirup, heat to the boiling point, then put in stone or gla.s.s jars or tumblers.

The pears may be finished in one day as follows: Cook the fruit until tender, then remove it, evaporate the sirup, add the fruit, reheat again, and finish as above. Fruit prepared by the first method has a finer flavor.

TOMATO CATSUP

12 ripe tomatoes 2 large onions 2 green peppers 2 tablespoonfuls salt 4 tablespoonfuls brown sugar 2 tablespoonfuls ginger 1 tablespoonful cinnamon 1 tablespoonful mustard 1 nutmeg grated 1 pint vinegar

Peel the tomatoes and onions. Chop the onions and peppers fine. Cook all the ingredients together for 3 hours, or until soft and broken. Stir frequently. Bottle and seal while hot. The mixture may be strained before bottling.

CELERY SAUCE

20 large ripe tomatoes 6 large onions 4 large stalks celery 3/4 cupful sugar 1 large red pepper 4 tablespoonfuls salt 2 cupfuls vinegar

Chop the vegetables, add the salt and vinegar, and cook for 2 hours. Then add the sugar. Allow it to reach the boiling point again. Turn into sterilized bottles or jars, and seal.

OIL PICKLES

2 dozen small cuc.u.mbers 2 dozen small onions 1/2 cupful olive oil 1/4 cupful sugar 1 pint vinegar 1/3 cupful salt 1/4 cupful mustard seed 1 pint vinegar 1 teaspoonful celery seed

Scrub the cuc.u.mbers. Cut them (without paring) into thin slices. Wash and cut the onions into thin slices. Mix the salt with these vegetables (to extract moisture), and let the mixture stand over night. Then drain the moisture from the vegetables so that the vinegar may not be diluted.

Mix the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture over the onions and cuc.u.mbers. Mix well, cover, and set aside for a few hours. Then pour into sterilized jars. Fill the jar with liquid. (If necessary, more vinegar may be used.) To drive out the air, place the jars (with covers loosely adjusted) in a water bath at simmering temperature (180 degrees F.) and heat at this temperature for 15 minutes. Remove from the water bath and seal.

TO SEAL BOTTLES.--Melt together, over hot water, equal parts of shoemaker's wax and resin. When liquefied, dip the tops of corked bottles into it. Corks in bottles may be dipped also in hot paraffin. Dip several times.

QUESTIONS

What is the objection to excessive use of spiced foods?

Name some subst.i.tutes for pickles. Why is an excessive or continuous use of pickles objectionable in diet?

LESSON CLXXI

CANNED VEGETABLES

MICROORGANISMS IN THE SPORE FORM.--Many microorganisms are destroyed by heating them for a few minutes to boiling temperature. However, some microorganisms have a peculiar power of retaining life under most adverse conditions. When subjected to extreme heat or cold, intense drying, or when there is lack of food, certain microorganisms a.s.sume a spore form, _i.e._ they cease growing and reproducing, and are able to undergo conditions which would readily kill microorganisms in the active form.

Some microorganisms in the spore form are able to resist the temperature of boiling water for an hour or longer. Then as soon as the adverse conditions mentioned above are removed, the microorganisms a.s.sume active form and begin to grow and reproduce. In the growing state, their destruction is not so difficult.

Some of the microorganisms in certain foods, especially vegetables and fruits grown in a dry season, are capable of spore formation. When microorganisms in spore form do exist in foods that are to be canned, or the microorganisms change into spore form during the canning process, the microorganisms may not be destroyed by the time the ordinary process of canning is completed. If such is the case, when the canned foods are cooled and the conditions are favorable for growth, the microorganisms a.s.sume active form, begin to grow, and cause the decomposition of food.

Twenty-four hours is sufficient time for the microorganisms to change from the spore to the active form. Hence the canned foods must be heated again, if they are to be preserved. For foods difficult to process (for the reason given above) processing should be carried on for three successive days. This is called _intermittent processing_.

Destruction of microorganisms in the spore form can be accomplished in a short time by subjecting them to very intense heat. In canning factories this is done by processing at a temperature higher than that of boiling water. In the home this may be accomplished by processing in the pressure cooker. According to one authority processing intermittently, _i.e._ on three successive days, does not insure satisfactory processing of materials containing spores.

SINGLE PERIOD AND INTERMITTENT PROCESSING.--The acid of tomatoes and fruits aids in the destruction of microorganisms. Hence intermittent processing is unnecessary for these. Processing tomatoes and fruits in a hot water bath for one period has proved very satisfactory and certain.

There is some question, however, regarding the safety of canning all vegetables by one period of processing in the water bath at 212 degrees F., _especially in regions where botulism is known to occur and where Foods cannot be stored in a cool place_. In Farmers' Bulletin 1211, "Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables," revised August, 1922, one period of processing in the water bath at 212 degrees F. is not advised in climates where the storage conditions are trying for the following vegetables: corn, beans, asparagus, okra, spinach and other greens, and peas (especially if at all mature). For processing these vegetables, a higher temperature than that obtained in the boiling water bath is recommended. Processing at a high temperature (from 228 degrees F. to 250 degrees F.) can be accomplished conveniently by means of a _pressure cooker_. This is especially recommended for vegetable canning in high alt.i.tudes and in localities where botulism has occurred.

It is thought that in some places the above mentioned vegetables may be _processed intermittently_ with safety. For vegetables difficult to can, pint jars only are recommended for both intermittent and single period processing in the water bath. Heat penetrates more rapidly to the center of the small jars than to the center of the large jars.

SELECTION AND PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES AND CANNING.--Young vegetables, especially those that have grown quickly, are most desirable for canning.

If possible, vegetables, especially corn, should be canned immediately after picking.

Vegetables for canning should be thoroughly washed, pared, sc.r.a.ped, or cut into pieces in the same manner as when they are cooked and served immediately. If the vegetables vary in size, it is well to sort them and fill jars with those of uniform size. If there is much difference in ripeness, sort the mature and young vegetables.

METHOD OF CANNING VEGETABLES.--The method of canning vegetables for a _single period_ does not differ greatly from the method of canning fruits. The chief difference is that jars containing fruit are filled with sirup, while those holding vegetables are filled with water and salt is added. Blanch and cold-dip vegetables as directed previously, for the length of time given. Greens and vegetables of delicate flavor are blanched most successfully by steaming either in a colander placed over boiling water or in a steamer. (Steaming greens prevents the escape of volatile oils and other materials.) Pack the vegetables in jars to within 1/2 inch of the top. It is well not to pack spinach and other greens too solidly in jars. Since lima beans, corn, and peas swell during processing, they should be packed only to about 1 inch of the top of the jar. To each jar add salt,--1 teaspoonful to each quart jar. Fill each jar to 1/2 inch of the top with boiling water. Put a new rubber on the jar, partly seal the cover, and proceed as directed for fruit (see Table below for the length of time for processing).

When vegetables are processed _intermittently_, jars with gla.s.s tops and spring clamps are recommended. In processing vegetables for three successive periods, the same method of processing and sealing is followed as for the single period. At the beginning of the second and third periods, raise the clamps of the jars to allow for expansion, then fasten the clamps at the close of processing period (see Table for the length of time of processing on each of the three successive days).

FOOD PRESERVATION

TABLE FOR CANNING FRESH, SOUND, AND FIRM VEGETABLES BY ONE PERIOD OF PROCESSING [Footnote 131: Adapted from Farmers' Bulletin 1211. Revised August, 1922.]

TIME OF PROCESSING TIME OF VEGETABLE BLANCHING OR (_a_) (_b_) Steam Pressure Water (Pressure Cooker) COOKING Bath at (1) 5lb (2) 10lb (3) 15lb 212 deg. F. 228 deg. F. 240 deg. F. 250 deg. F.

Minutes Hours Minutes Minutes Minutes Asparagus 4 - - 30 to 40 Corn 1 to 5 - - 90 60 to 90 Lima beans 3 to 5 - - 45 to 60 Okra 6 to 8 - - 30 Peas 3 to 8 - - 40 to 50 Spinach 4 in water or 15 in steam - - 90 35 String beans. 3 to 5 - - 40 to 50 Tomatoes 1 to 1 1/2 to loosen skins 1/2 15 10

[Footnote for Asparagus: Sc.r.a.pe off tough outer skin of _asparagus_.

Tie into bundles for blanching. Blanch tough ends 2 minutes and entire bundle 2 minutes longer.]

[Footnote for Corn: Blanch _corn_ on the cob, then cold dip and cut from the cob. For each pint jar, use 1 pint of cut corn, 1 cupful boiling water, and 1/2 tea-spoonful each of salt and sugar. Cook the mixture in a saucepan until it boils and pour immediately into a hot, sterilized jar.]

[Footnote for Okra: Cold dip _okra_ in _salt_ water (1 tablespoonful salt to 1 quart water).]

[Footnote for Spinach: To loosen grit, cover _spinach_ with scalding water, let stand 1 or 2 minutes. Then wash in several cold waters. Do not cold dip after blanching.]

[Footnote for Tomatoes: Pack _tomatoes_ whole in jars, then fill the jars with cooked and strained tomato pulp. Tomatoes cut into pieces may be packed closely in jars. When this is done, no liquid need be added.]

NOTE.--Processing in the hot water bath is not advised for non-acid vegetables such as asparagus, corn, lima beans, okra, peas, spinach, and string beans.