Q. Should preservatives be used?
A. NO. The use of small amounts of vinegar or lemon juice with low acid foods
is of no value and may prove harmful by covering up the odor of spoilage in
canned foods. Aspirin is good medicine, but has no place in a jar of food.
Chemicals such as salicylic acid, benzoate of soda, and so-called canning
powders should not be used. They are not wholesome and may be actually
harmful to some persons.

Q. Should bubbles appear in the jar after it is taken out of the cooker to cool?

A. Bubbles often appear in the jar after it is removed from cooker, because
food is still boiling in the jar. Ordinarily bubbles do not appear after the jar
has been allowed to cool thoroughly unless jar is shaken.

Q. How should foods be packed, loosely or firmly?
A. Such foods as corn, peas, lima beans, greens and meats should be packed
loosely because heat penetration in these products is difficult. Fruits, berries
and tomatoes, should be firmly and solidly packed because of shrinkage which
takes place during processing and their texture does not retard heat penetra-
tion. A solid but not tight pack should be made of all other foods.

Q. How long will home canned foods keep?
A. Foods which are properly canned and properly processed, will keep for
an indefinite period of time when the containers in which they are packed are
air-tight.

Q. What causes canned food to spoil?
A. Spoilage may be caused by mold, yeasts or bacteria due to insufficient
sterilization, by incomplete seal of containers, lack of care in handling food and
equipment; allowing containers to stand and cool before processing, or too
slow cooling after processing. Another form of deterioration may be caused by
the action of enzymes.

Q. What causes peaches and pears to turn dark brown after they have been

canned?
A. Fruits in the top of the jar will discolor if the processing was not applied long
enough or the temperature was not high enough to render the enzyme inactive
or expel the air from the jar. From 5 to 15 minutes longer processing time should
be used. Fruit exposed to air too long after being peeled and before being
canned. If fruit is dropped into slightly salted or plain water until being put
into jars, this will be overcome. A tablespoon of lemon juice with pears, canned
by the cold pack method, will help them to retain the original color. Fruits
canned without sugar after being opened and exposed to air, sometimes turn
brown just as fresh fruit does when exposed to the air.

Q. How much salt should be added to the water in which peeled fruit is
placed to prevent discoloration before canning? »
A. One teaspoon of salt to each quart of water is sufficient.

Q. Why do fruits, particularly berries, float in jars?
A. This may be due to too heavy a syrup, overcooking or loose packing.
Berries are best done in their own juices. Done in their own juices they retain
both flavor and color.

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