Almost all fruits give satisfactory results when canned, and the thrifty housewife will have a large number of jars of canned fruits on the pantry shelves. General directions for canning must be observed and can be applied to local fruits not named in the tables and recipes.

A fruit is preserved in more nearly its natural condition if the cold-pack method is followed, but the open-kettle method can be satisfactorily employed with most fruits.

The thickness of the syrup may be varied according to the acidity of the frui - 1 cup of sugar to 3 cups of water for a very sweet syrup, 1 cup of sugar to 5 cups of water for a thin syrup. When sugar is scarce the amount used may be reduced to 1 cup of sugar to 9 cups of water and the fruit will still be found sufficiently sweet to be palatable.

The sugar used in canning serves only to sweeten the fruit and to bring out its flavor. When used in proportions for canning, it does not form a sufficiently dense syrup to aid in the preservation of the fruit, as it does in preserves, jams, and marmalades. Therefore fruits can be canned without sugar and will keep indefinitely if the principles of sterilization are strictly observed. However, an additional amount of labor is involved when the sugar must be added at the time of serving the fruit, and most housekeepers prefer to have the fruit sweetened for serving when it is canned unless sugar is scarce or its price prohibitive.

Sugar Substitutes to be Used in Canning

Because of the increased price of sugar and the frequent shortage of supply, it is sometimes desirable to substitute other sweetening substances when canning fruits. Corn syrup, glucose, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and sorghum may be used in place of part or of all of the sugar in canning. With the exception of honey, the syrups are less sweet than sugar; therefore, more syrup will be required to secure the same degree of sweetness. However, it is not necessary to use so large an amount of sugar as many recipes give, and it would be well if a taste for foods that are less sweet should be acquired.

For canned fruits, syrups may be entirely substituted for sugar. For preserves and marmalades at least twenty-five per cent of sugar should be used in combination with the syrup. In jellies it is desirable to use at least fifty per cent of sugar with the syrup substituted.

Time-Table for Canning Fruits (Cold-Pack Method)