SUGGESTIONS AND RECIPES FOR CANNING

if you can in glass jars be sure to
refer to the time tables on page 75

IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLES

Recent investigations have demonstrated that vegetables are important for a
proper diet. A prominent physician made this statement concerning the use of
vegetables: “When the vegetables begin to get out of the market and hence off the
tables, as they do every winter, I, as a physician, must get busy.” The consump-
tion of vegetables has a direct relationship to human health. We eat vegetables for
the valuable minerals contained. When vegetables are cooked in liquids and then
drained, much of the valuable food elements are lost.

Just how many cans of vegetables and fruits should be canned to provide a
properly balanced diet is being given careful consideration by the dietitians in the
universities of the country. A budget consisting of 55 pints of vegetables and 42
pints of fruit for each member of the family is about the average recommended.
Therefore, for a family of five, 275 cans of vegetables and 210 cans of fruit should
be canned.

Vegetables should be canned when they are most plentiful. Like fruit, they
should be canned when they are “just right.” Overripe or underripe vegetables
should not be used for canning because they will not produce a desirable, well-
keeping,.canned product.

FLAT SOUR

Three vegetables, most generally canned, are tomatoes, corn and peas.

Classified by length of processing time, the difficult vegetables are corn, peas
and lima beans. These three, with one or two others, such as beets and string beans,
often develop “flat sour.” This is experienced more frequently by those who can
in glass than in tin because it is impossible to cool glass jars as quickly as tin cans.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS IN ELIMINATING FLAT SOUR

Do not permit produce to become heated in sacks and boxes which have no means
of ventilation. Sweating and overheating develop conditions favorable for the
growth of this “flat sour” organism.

Being one of the “thermophyles,” as its name signifies, it can stand a great deal
of heat, and is seldom destroyed in processing. It sually develops at a temperature
of 110 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. There are also species of the “flat sour” which
develop at lower temperatures.

Heat cans quickly, cool cans quickly, and little difficulty with this persistent »
organism will be encountered. Fresh products, canned immediately, quickly heated il
processed the required length of time, and cooled quickly, will solve most “flat
sour” difficulties.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USING CANNED VEGETABLES

When serving buttered, canned vegetables, heat them in the juice in which they
are canned. After heating, drain excess juice, add butter, salt and pepper.

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