Quinces are so very hard they must be blanched like pineapples, but for a longer time.  Six minutes’ blanching is usually sufficient for quinces.  The sterilizing period can be determined by looking at the chart.

If skins are left on rhubarb it keeps its pink color.  The hot dip is not necessary and may be omitted.  It removes some of the excessive acid in the rhubarb which makes it objectionable to some people.  Be very careful not to hot-dip the rhubarb more than one minute, for it gets mushy.  An advantage of the hot dip is that more rhubarb can be packed in a jar after it has been hot-dipped.

WHAT A BUSHEL OF FRUIT WILL YIELD

A great many women have no conception of how many jars of fruit they will get from a bushel or half bushel of produce.  It is wise to have a little knowledge along this line, for it aids in planning the winter’s supply of canned goods as well as at marketing time.

From one bushel of the various fruits you will get on the average the following: 

   Products, 1 bushel pint jars quart jars

  Windfall apples 30 20

  Standard peaches 25 18

  Pears 45 30

  Plums 45 30

  Berries 50 30

  Windfall oranges—­sliced 22 15

  Windfall oranges—­whole 35 22

CANNING WITHOUT SUGAR

Though all instructions indicate that sugar is necessary for the canning of all kinds of fruits, it is not necessary for their proper sterilization and preservation.  Any fruit may be successfully sterilized by simply adding boiling water instead of the hot sirup.  It is a well-known fact, however, that most fruits canned in water will not retain so well their natural flavor, texture and color as fruit canned in sirup.  When the product is to be used for pies, salads, and so on it is not necessary to can in sirup.  When fruits canned in water are to be used for sauces, the products should be sweetened before use.  In many instances it requires more sugar to sweeten a sauce after canning than it does when the product is canned in the hot sirup.

However, during the World War we had a good chance to test the fruits which we canned without sugar, when that commodity was scarce and, in fact, impossible to get in very large quantities.  We used our fruits just as they were and considered them very good.  This all goes to show that we can easily adjust ourselves to prevailing conditions.  In canning without the sugar sirup, you would follow these directions: 

Cull, stem or seed, and clean fruit by placing in a strainer and pouring water over it until clean.  Pack product thoroughly in glass jars until full; use table knife or tablespoon for packing purposes.  Pour over the fruit boiling water from kettle, place rubbers and caps in position, partially seal glass jars and place produce in canner.