There are two processes of canning, one by cooking the fruit and then putting it into the cans, the other by cooking it in the cans.

The general proportions to use for canning are 1 part sugar, 2 parts water, to 4 parts fruit.

Select fruit when it is at its best - ripe but not overripe, firm and free from blemishes and bruises.

Preparation Of The Fruit

Small fruits should be washed thoroughly before being freed from the hulls, because then there is no open surface from which the juice can be extracted. Then remove from the stem, or hulls, and drain. Large fruits should be washed, pared, left whole or cut in halves as desired and the stones or cores removed, any bruised or decayed portions should be cut out. Peaches and plums should be scalded to remove the skins easily. Use a silver plated knife in paring as a steel knife will stain fruits. If the fruit is one that will discolor easily when exposed to the air and cannot be used immediately put into an enamelled vessel, surround with waxed paper, cover closely thus completely excluding air.

Process I

Weigh the fruit, then proportion the sugar and water by weight accordingly, 1 part sugar, and 1 part water to 4 parts small fruit - strawberries, grapes, etc. or 1 part sugar, 2 parts water to 4 parts large fruit - pears, peaches, etc. Make a syrup of the sugar and water, boil 5 minutes and skim if necessary. Cook a small quantity of the fruit at a time in the syrup until tender and transfer to the sterilized jar. Fill the jar to overflowing with the syrup and screw on the cover, always using new rubbers.

Since the syrup used in canning is not a sufficiently strong solution to prevent the growth of bacteria, every precaution must be taken to insure perfect sterilization and to keep air tight.

Process II

Prepare the fruit, weigh and make syrup as in Process I. Place fruit in the sterilized jars as fast as prepared, set them on a wooden rack or several folds of paper or cloth in a sauce pan, boiler or steamer, half filled with warm water. Fill each jar with the syrup to overflowing. Adjust new rubbers and screw the covers down lightly. Bring water to the boiling point and let boil from 15 to 30 minutes according to the size of the fruit. If necessary add more hot syrup or boiling water to fill the jars again to overflowing. Screw the covers on tight, and let stand in the water to cool. Tighten the covers again, invert the jars and let stand for a few hours to see that no juice is forced out under the cover, thus showing that it is air tight. Keep in a cook dark place.