Canned Plums+

Prick with a needle to prevent bursting; prepare a syrup allowing a gill of pure water and a quarter of a pound of sugar to every three quarts of fruit. When the sugar is dissolved and the water blood-warm, put in the plums. Heat slowly to a boil. Let them boil five minutes - not fast or they will break badly, fill up the jars with plums, pour in the scalding syrup until it runs down the sides, and seal.

Greengages are very fine put up in this way; also damsons for pies.

Canned Tomatoes+

"I don't hold with any of these new-fangled notions," said an old lady to me, when I mentioned that my canning was over for the summer. "I was beguiled, two years ago, into putting up some tomaytesses in cans, and if I'm forgiven for that folly I'll never tempt Providence in the same manner again."

"They didn't keep, then?"

"Keep! they spiled in a week! Twas no more'n I expected and deserved for meddling with such a hum-bug."

"Perhaps you did not follow the directions closely ?"

"Indeed I did! I cooked the tormented things, and seasoned 'em with butter and salt, all ready for the table, and screwed the tops down tight. But, in course, they spiled!"

"Were you careful to put them into the cans boiling hot ? "

"'Twould have cracked the glass! I let 'em get nice and cold first. I didn't suppose it made any difference about such a trifle as that!"

Poor old lady! I think of her and her mighty temptation of Providence whenever I can tomatoes, for heat does make a difference - all the difference in the world in this sort of work.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes to loosen the skins. Remove these; drain off all the juice that will come away without pressing hard ; put them into a kettle and heat slowly to a boil. Your tomatoes will look much nicer if you remove all the hard parts before putting them on the fire, and rub the pulp soft with your hands. Boil ten minutes, dip out the surplus liquid, pour the tomatoes, boiling hot, into the cans, and seal. Keep in a cool, dark place.

Canned Tomatoes and Corn+

Boil the corn on the cob, when it is in nice order for roasting, twenty minutes over a good fire, and cut off while hot. Have your tomatoes skinned and rubbed to a smooth pulp. Put in two measures of them for every one of the cut corn; salt as for the table, stirring it well in, and bring to a hard boil. Then, can quickly, and as soon as they are cold set away in a cool, dark place.

Preserved Green Corn+

Boil on the cob until the milk ceases to flow when the grain is pricked. Cut off the corn and pack in stone jars in the following order: - A layer of salt at the bottom, half an inch deep. Then one of corn two inches in depth, another half-inch of salt, and so on until the jar is nearly filled. Let the topmost layer of salt be double the depth of the others, and pour over all melted - not hot - lard. Press upon this, when nearly hard, thick white paper, cut to fit the mouth of the jar. Keep in a cool place. Soak over night before using it.

Green corn is difficult to can, but I know it will keep well if put up in this way. And, strange to tell, be so fresh after the night's soaking as to require salt when you boil it for the table. Should the top layer be musty, dig lower still, and you will probably be rewarded for the search.