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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1951-06-21, Page 7VVicker ‘asket akes BY EDNA MILES an invitation to a picnic or a beach party means a mad scramble at your house for such emergency carry -ails as cardboard boxes or old laundry bags, now's the time to think about acquiring fun -in -the= open gear of which you can be proud, If there's an old wicker basket in your attic or basement, your problem's half solved already, it doesn't matter if its handles are gone or its top broken, provided there's enough basket left to provide a base for your make -over project.' A commodious top can be made of fabric, preferably, one of the new woven -plastic ones in a bright, gay pattern, These fabrics, Which are said to be stainproof and abuseproof are an excellent choice for re- sisting weathering and rough treatment at beach or picnic grounds. Although tough, they're flexible enough for cutting and easy handling. To make a pouch top for your wicker base, first measure the top of the basket to determine its size. Cut the material to fit. You'll need two hems in the fabric. The lower one serves as a strong edge for sewing fabric to basket. Por this use a sturdy thread or cord. The upper hem provides a tunnel for the drawstring to go through. For comfort in carrying the basket, try a drawstring braided of several strands of soft wool. The size of your fabric top should depend upon the nature of your outings, If you usually carry a bathing suit, towels, and other swim- ming accessories in addition to a thermos and sandwich bags, then >s large, roomy basket will best serve your needs. Al pooch top of grit, Plaid weve•u-P»c material converts an wicker basket into a serviceable picnic hamper. Canning time is here again—or, if not actually here yet, it's coming our way by leaps and bounds. So a few hints about canning, and freez- ing, might not be amiss. It's been a late spring. There have been times when you have wondered if you would ever get a garden planted, and canning or freezing seemed a long way off. But here we are with early fruits and 'vegetables just about ready to pro- cess. And a busy season ahead. ,k ,4 . Perhaps you have already check- ed over your freezing and canning equipment. If you haven't, it's a good thing to do right away, while you still have time. * k Check the gauge of your pressure ,.00ker to make sure it is accurate. There is some place in almost every ,community where this can be done. :k ., This is a good time to get a full supply of jar lids, rings, freezing • containers, and paraffin for sealing. :k * :R Preserving fruits and vegetables means freezing" as well as canning nowadays. Even if you have a home freezer or a locker in the local plant, you will want to can a percentage of your fruits and vegetables for the sake of variety. k * :k Take strawberr:as, for instance. They are among the fruits that freeze most successfully. Strawber- ries may be frozen whole; but for the finest flavor specialists advise sliced or crushed berries sweetened with sugar. Use either cane or beet sugar—it makes no difference in the final pro- duct. Or you can get an excellent flavor by using one-fourth corn syrup and three-fourths sugar. :k :k Remove any greets or imperfect berries. Wash in cold water, a few at a time, lifting them gently out of the water to prevent bruising. Drain in a.coiander. Then remove hulls and slice in a bowl. Sprinkle on the sugar, •allowing three-fourths cup to each quart (four cups) of fruit. To draw the juice out, turn berries over several times with a large spoon. Pack berries in moisture -proof containers. They will expand in freezing, so allow a half-inch head space for pints and an inch for quart containers. I don't know if there has even been a poll to find out which is the most popular jam, but I wouldn't be afraid to bet that strawberry jam conies first. Anyway, don't freeze all of your, berries—either straw- berries or raspberries. You probably have your own recipe, but if you haven't here are a couple that are just as good today as they were in your grandmother's day. STRAWBERRY JAM—No. 1 6 quarts strawberry pulp (crushed) 5 cups cane or beet sugar Juice of one lemon Method—Dip off the juice from the mashed berries and mix with the sugar. Cook the sugar and juice together for five minutes. Add the berries to the syrup and niix well. Cook till thick, stirring with a wooden spoon continually. Add lemon juice just before the cooking is completed Pour into sterilized jars and seal while hot. :k * * STRAWBERRY JAM—No. 2 2 heaping quarts strawberries 9 cups cane or beet sugar ,, 1 cup water Method—Make a syrup of the sugar and water, and boil until the sugar is dissolved. Add the straw- berries and boil for 15 minutes. Pour into flat pans and shake • occasionally until cold. Put into sterilized jars when cold, and seal. Never cook more than two quarts at a time. Three tittle Kittens --Bird residents of Brooklyn Centre woulchn't land in a tree owned by Mrs. W. O. Keefer on a bet. The reason spears to be a bewhiskered, white trio of cats making their -me in a ten -foot -high abandoned birds nest. When a photog- -her asked the two -month-old kittens to "watch the birdie, the mama cat in the background smiled cryptically. RIPE SOUR CHERRY AND RED RASPBERRY JAM. This is a delicious jam combining two fruits that you may care to try when the raspberries are ripe. 3% cups prepared fruit 4% cups beet or cane sugar 1 box powdered fruit pectin Method—Pit about one pound of fully ripe cherries; crush thoroughly or grind. Crush about one quart of fully ripe red raspberries. Combine fruits. Measure sugar into dry dish and • set aside until needed. Afeasure pre- pared fruit into a five or six -quart saucepan, filling up last cup or frac- tion of cup With water if necessary. Place over high heat. Add pow- dered .fruit pectin, mix well, and continue stirring until mixture comes to a hard boil. At once pour in sugar, stirring constantly. (To reduce foaming one-fourth teaspoon butter may be added.) Continue stirring, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard one min- ute. Remove from heat, skim, pour quickly into glasses. Apply paraffin at once. Asparagus and Peas • But there is more than fruit in the canning picture. There are aspara- gus and peas, among other things. You'll want to freeze some of these vegetables as web as canning them, just for the sake of variety. First; sort out the stalks of aspar- • agus according to their thickness. Then wash thein thoroughly. Cut or break off the tender portions. Either leave the spears in lengths that will fit the package or cut them in two-inch lengths. * Pre -heat the asparagus in boiling water—small stalks, two minutes; medium stalks, three minutes, and large ones, four minutes. Cool them quickly in ice water or in cold run- ning water. Tet clry before packing in container. * - When you prepare peas fdr freez- ing, wash the pods before shelling. Discard all immature and tduglt peas. Pre -heat in boiling water 'for one minute if peas are average size; two minutes for medium to largest peas. Cool rapidly in cold water or ire water, and pack dry. * Because both peas and asparagus are non-acid vegetables, they should never be canned except in a press- ure cooker. Select good vegetables and wash them carefully. Don't al- low the vegetables to remain in. water any longer than necessary for thorough cleaning. Don't prepare any more than you can process at one time, Cut asparagus in lengths to fit the jar. Tie in bundles and place tips in boiling water deep enoagh to cover the lower portions. Cover the vessel tightly. Boil three minutes. Drains, and pack in clean pint jars. K :k * Fill the jars with water in which the vegetable was pre-cooked. Pro- cess for 25 minutes at 25 pounds pressure, k k * When you are canning peas, cover with water, bring to a boil, and pack in prepared pint jars. Pack loosely to one inch of the top. Pro- cess for 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Grease Thickener Like carbon, which occurs both as coal and diamond, silica may take many different forms ,the most common of which is ordinary sand. A new form of silica, developed in the du Pont laboratories, is quite different from coarse and gritty beach sand. It comes in the form -of balls less than a millionth of an inert_ in diameter --so tiny, in fact, that when magnified twenty-five thousand times they still appear scarcely larger than pin points. This new form of silica proves to be a good thickener of grease. Or- dinary greases are made with soaps, which, at high temperatures, become thin. Greases thickened with the new silica retain their consistency as the temperature rises. Silica greases, though promising have yet to' be thoroughly tested. About Electric RRefri ger atoms if you happen to own an electric refrigerator. here are a few hints on its care which may save you money and trouble: When you go away from home for a few days, set control at low and keep refrigerator running. If you expect to he away for longer period, turn off refrigerator; take out perishable foods; empty ice cube tray ar'd prop the door open, * * Do not overload the refrigerator. Leave room around dishes of food to allow circulation of the cold air. Overloading, especially in hot wea- ther, may ceuse motor to become hot. -5 To prevent ice cube trays from freezing together, be careful not to fill the pans more than three -parts full. Water expands when frozen and may cause ice cubes in one tray to freeze with those in the next tray. Navy Wife Now — Living the quiet life of a lieutenant com- mander's wife is Mrs. Charles A. Black and her three-year-old daughter, Linda Susan. If Mrs. Black looks familiar, it's be- cause, as a screen star, she won the hearts of millions. One more clue: her first husband was John Agar. Why sure—it's the former Shirley Temple. Created and signed by The House of Seagram, this advertisement, with appropriate copy for foreign lands, is appearing in magazines and news- papers printedin various languages and circulated throughout the world. Selart-al TELLS THE WORL 'els advertisement was designed by The House of Seagram. to tell the people of other lands about Canada and things exclusively Canadian. Many people in Latin. America, Asia, Europe and other parts of the world are not fully aware of the richness of Canada's natural resources, wild life, scenic beauty and cultural traditions. The more the thej- ABOUT Canada people.s of other land-. knots about our country, the greater will be their intrr<•st in Canada and Canadian products. The House of Seagram feels that dee horizon c f industry does not Terminate at . Ike bouinkiry of its plants ; if has a broader horizon, a farther vino view dedicated to the develoJi Went of Canada's chilli,- - in r,. a ry land of the globe. ouse pf Scayara