The new practical housekeeping

The cans must be thoroughly cleaned and tested to see if any leak or are cracked. If tin cans leak send them to the tinner ; if discolored inside they may be lined with Writing paper and are thus used by many with success, but glass cans are always preferable. In buying stoneware for canning purposes be sure that it is well glazed, as fruits canned in jars or jugs imperfectly glazed sometimes become poisonous. Never use defective glass cans, but keep them for storing things in the pantry, and in buying them, take care that they are free from flaws and blisters, else the glass will crumble off in small particles when subjected to heat. Self-sealers are very convenient, those with a porcelain-lined screw top being the best, the Mason preferred. (The improved Mason has a glass top held in place by a metal band screwing down over the can, and these are not reliable.) The "Almy" is highly recommended by many. The heat hardens the rubber rings used on self-sealers but new ones may now be procured at any furnishing store. Most of the earthenware and tin cans have a groove around the top for sealing with wax or putty ; sealing with the latter is most convenient as the jars can be opened readily with a strong fork or knife, and are much more easily cleaned than when wax-sealed. Putty may be bought ready for use, and is soon made soft by molding in the hand. In using it should be worked out into a small, roll, and pressed firmly into the groove with a knife, care being taken to keep it well pressed down as the can cools. Sealing-wax is bought ready prepared or can be made of two parts resin to one part beeswax melted together. In sealing pour wax over covers, filling the grooves, and break the air bubbles that rise with the wet finger, adding more if necessary to make air tight. Fruit intended for transportation should be put up in tin cans with the flat tops that are soldered on, as if shipped in glass the danger of breakage is great, and if the tin cans sealed with resin or putty are used bits are liable to crack off, letting the air in and so spoiling the fruit There are several ways of preparing glass cans for fruit, among them the following : Wring a towel from cold water, double and wrap closely about and under the can so as to exclude the air, and fill ; or, put a towel in a steamer, set in the cans, and place over a kettle o{ eold 'water ; boil the water, and when ready to fill, remove the cans and wrap in a towel wrung from warm water ; or wash the cans in tepid water and at once pour in the boiling fruit, but not too fast; and in any method used always pour into the center; or, when ready to can fruit, place the glass jars in a large pan of warm water on the back of the stove, in which a thick folded towel has been previously placed to . guard against too great heat for the bottom of cans, placing the covers on the stove in a smaller vessel of water, make ready the syrup in the clean porcelain-lined or granite ironware kettle before mentioned, put in the fruit — ^it is better to prepare only enough fruit or syrup for two or three cans at a time— and by the time it is done the water in the pan will be hot and the cans ready for use.