To can string beans select beans that are young and tender, and have few strings. The Green Pod Stringless is a good variety. The trade likes a green bean about the size of a rat tail. Indeed, canners sometimes designate them as rat-tail beans. And if you pull it when it is young and tender enough and remove every vestige of string, there is no doubt of a market. Snap the bean at both ends, string, and put in the wire basket of your canner or in a thin cotton bag, and plunge in boiling water for 5 minutes. This removes certain acids and makes the flavor of your beans better. Never forget this when canning beans. Remove after the given time, pack tightly in sterilized cans within 1/2 inch of top, and fill with hot water. Add 1 level teaspoonful of salt, seal, exhaust for 5 minutes, tip, and return to the canner for 1 hour's boiling.

For No. 10 cans use 1 level tablespoon of salt, exhaust 10 minutes, and boil 2 hours and 20 minutes. Turn cans over once or twice while processing.

Corn, butter beans, peas, squash, and some other vegetables require three days' cooking and are all best when cooked in smaller cans and jars. No. 2 is good.

Select corn when 1 young and very tender; cut from cob with sharp knife, gently scraping cob. Use sugar corn for canning. If this cannot be procured, take field corn, but be sure it is very tender. Do not prepare any more corn than you can immediately, as it quickly sours and you may lose your can. Pack in No. 2 cans only - do not use larger cans for corn - to within 1 inch of top; fill with cold water; add 1 level teaspoon of salt and 2 level teaspoons of sugar; seal but do not tip; allow it to exhaust 15 minutes. Tip the little hole with a drop of solder; return to the boiling water and boil for 1 hour. Remove from fire and set aside for 24 hours.

1 A timetable will be found on page 296.

After the water is boiling in your canner the second day, place your cans in for a second boiling I hour in length, remove, set aside for 24 hours, and boil again 1 hour on the third day.

This is the only sure method of keeping corn. Never use any acids or preserving powders.

Butterbeans, peas, okra, and soup vegetables are canned in the same manner. Add 1 level teaspoon of salt to butterbeans, peas, okra, and soup; and 2 level teaspoons of sugar to peas.

After a can of fruit or vegetables is removed from the canner, it should be cooled as quickly as possible.

Exercises And Problems

1. Examine mold through a good magnifying glass, and see if it looks at all like the picture.

2. Why is a rubber ring used under the cover of the can?

3. Explain why candied fruit does not spoil.

4. Why do figs and dates keep?

5. Why does the boiling temperature help to preserve food?

6. Look up the meaning of the word "sterilize."