General Rules Recipe

All fruits should, if possible, be freshly picked for preserving,
canning, and jelly making. No imperfect fruit should be canned or
preserved. Gnarly fruit may be used for jellies or marmalades by cutting
out defective portions. Bruised spots should be cut out of peaches and
pears. In selecting small-seeded fruits, like berries, for canning,
those having a small proportion of seed to pulp should be chosen. In dry
seasons berries have a larger proportion of seeds to pulp than in a wet
or normal season, and it is not wise to can or preserve such fruit
unless the seeds are removed. The fruit should be rubbed through a sieve
that is fine enough to keep back the seeds. The strained pulp can be
preserved as a pur�e or marmalade.
When fruit is brought into the house put it where it will keep cool and
crisp until you are ready to use it.
Begin by having the kitchen swept and dusted thoroughly, that there need
not be a large number of mold spores floating about. Dust with a damp
cloth. Have plenty of hot water and pans in which jars and utensils may
be sterilized. Have at hand all necessary utensils, towels, sugar, etc.
Prepare only as much fruit as can be cooked while it still retains its
color and crispness. Before beginning to pare fruit have some syrup
ready, if that is to be used, or if sugar is to be added to the fruit
have it weighed or measured.
Decide upon the amount of fruit you will cook at one time, then have two
bowls--one for the sugar and one for the fruit--that will hold just the
quantity of each. As the fruit is pared or hulled, as the case may be,
drop it into its measuring bowl. When the measure is full put the fruit
and sugar in the preserving kettle. While this is cooking another
measure may be prepared and put in the second preserving kettle. In this
way the fruit is cooked quickly and put in the jars and sealed at once,
leaving the pans ready to sterilize another set of jars.
The preserving kettle should be porcelain-lined, and no iron or tin
utensils should be used, as the fruit acids attack these metals and so
give a bad color and metallic taste to the food.