Principle of fireless cooking. "The principle of fireless cooking is merely retaining the heat by insulation, just as cold is retained in ice box or refrigerator by insulation. Ordinarily we heat food to the boiling point and then leave it over the fire or in the oven to keep it at a cooking degree of heat, and to do this, on account of radiation, we must keep on supplying heat.

When cooking in a fireless cooker, the insulation retains all the heat, thus maintaining a cooking temperature without adding more heat. Herein lies the economy of fuel. For things requiring long cooking, a fireless will save three fourths of the gas, wood or coal used in a kitchen range."

Advantages of fireless cooking. Economy of fuel, space on stove, effort, utensils, food materials and flavor. It takes away the necessity of staying in kitchen to watch fire or food, food can be prepared hours before serving and still be hot without being dried up. Utensils are easier to clean because does not dry or burn on them. Absence of heat and odors in kitchen are another advantage.

Buying a fireless. If possible, buy cooker of good make, with closely fitted lids, and provided with tubes or valves for escape of steam. With fireless be sure to get Book of Directions for that particular make and Recipe Book.

Home made fireless. A good fireless may be made at home out of a milk or soap box, one or two pails or kettles with tight covers, and some hay or excelsior. An old ice box, if not too large, is very good. Put cover on hinges and add a hasp to keep cover tight. The box should be from two to five inches larger in every dimension than the utensil used. For packing use excelsior, hay, straw, paper, wool, cork, sawdust or any good nonconductor. Line box with several thicknesses of newspaper, pack bottom with firm layer of insulating material not less than three or four inches. Set utensil in middle of space and pack around it, very tightly, until level with top of kettle. Make a cushion, like a small mattress, four inches thick and large enough to fill up of box. The packing will retain its shape better if a cylinder that loosely fits the utensil is made of pliable cardboard. Make a cloth lining of heavy unbleached muslin, one piece one inch or more larger than top of box, with hole in center one inch less than diameter of vessel, second piece an inch more in width than the vessel is high and long enough to make cylinder around vessel; third piece round and an inch greater in diameter than vessel used. Form cylinder of straight piece, and stitch; add bottom round piece and fit other end of cylinder to center hole of top piece. This lining should fit snugly to packing; turn in edges and tack to box, about four inches below top, so that when cushion is placed on top of vessel, the cover fits tightly.

General Directions for Use.

Clean and dry cooker carefully after each use, air it in sun often.

Metal radiators heat more quickly than soapstone and also cool more quickly.

A small amount of food cools more quickly than a large amount.

Radiators should be hot enough to brown a sprinkle of flour.

Food is put in vessel and cover fastened tightly until thoroughly heated thro, then placed in tireless with hot radiators without being opened.

The Cold-Pack Method Of Canning

The cold-pack method is considered better than the hot-pack method and is being used in most domestic science schools and in the homes of progressive housekeepers in the United States. In the hot-pack method there is always danger that germs may be introduced on spoons, in jars or through exposure to the air. If such germs are introduced the result is spoilage through working. Such vegetables as corn, peas, and beans are very difficult to keep by the hot-pack method.

A home made outfit for cold-pack canning: -

A vessel to hold the jars or cans. This vessel should have a tight-fitting cover. Provide a false bottom of wood or a wire rack to allow a free circulation of water under the jars. The wood bottom may be of perforated boards or of strips of bamboo woven together. This cold-pack process consists mainly of subjecting the filled jars to the heat or steam of boiling water for a prescribed length of time. The process of removing the jars from the sterilizer may be made less difficult by using a jar lifter. A very convenient lifter may be made from a pan-cake turner. Bend the blade until it is at right angle to the handle. The upturned portion of the blade should be about seven centimeters long. To use, slip the upturned blade under the bottom of the jar and lift straight up.

Jars. - All types of jars that seal perfectly may be used. Glass jars may be used indefinitely, but new rubbers should be used each time. Be sure that no jar is defective.. Test jars, using the same methods that was used in the hot-pack method.

Blanching. - Blanching is important with vegetables and many fruits. It consists of plunging them into boiling water for a short time. Spinach and other greens should be blanched in steam. To do this place them in an ordinary steamer, or suspend them in a tightly closed vessel above boiling water.

Blanching should be followed by the cold dip or plunging into cold water after removal from the hot water. Blanching removes strong flavors and odors. It also causes shrinkage so that a larger quantity may be packed in a jar. Cold dipping hardens the pulp and causes retention of original coloring. After blanching and cold dipping, the surface moisture should be removed by placing the vegetables or fruits between two clean cloths or by exposure to the sun.