The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 12, 1917, Page 13

FarmWoman’s Pag Brine Versus Sugar in Canning e Mrs. Alberta B. Toner Edited by =SS ES S S eSS This Method is Very Effective With Many Products HE fermentation method wide- ly used abroad in- preserving string beans, . beets, cabbage crops, is described in a notice just issued by the TUnited States department of agriculture. Sauer kraut and pickles put up in this way are fairly well known in this country, but comparatively few per- sons have thought of trying it as a household measure for preserving these and other vegetables. Those who like acid foods and who have too few canning containers to hold their sur- plus products may find this method useful. The following description of the method of fermenting vegetables has been prepared by one of the bac- teriologists in the bureau of chemistry, who has been experimenting with this process. The vegetables are mot cooked, but are put down in a salt brine in any nonmetal watertight container and are gealed up with paraffin and are other- wise made air-tight. Under this treat- ment lactic acid will develop and this acid, the value of which as food has been recognized, acts as a preservative. Whether Americans will develop a taste for such fermented foods, highly prized in Europe, is open to question, but the jnvestigator believes that many will find the process well worth trying. SPICES AND BRINE DO THE WORK ‘Wash the fruit if necessary and pack into a clean, water-tight barrel, keg, or crock. On the bottom of the barrel place a layer of dill and a handful of mixed spice. Add another layer of dill and another handful of spice when the barrel is half full, and when almost full add a third layer. If a keg or crock is used, the amount of dill and spice can be reduced in proportion to”the size of the receptacle. When the container has been filled within a few inches of the top, add a layer of covering mater- jal—beet tops or grape leaves—about an inch thick. If any spoilage should occur on the surface, this layer will protect the vegetables beneath, Press down with a clean board weighted with bricks or stone. Do not use limestone or sandstone. Make a brine by adding 1 pound of salt to 10 quarts of water. To each 10 quarts of brine so made add two-thirds of a quart of vinegar. The vinegar is used primarily to keep down the growth of injurious bacteria until the lactic-acid ferment starts, but it also adds to flavor. Add sufficient brine to cover the material and allow to stand 24 hours. Then make air-tight, as de- scribed below. The time necessary for complete fermentation to occur de- pends upon the temperature. In a warm place only five days to a week may be necessary; in a cool cellar three to four weeks. The strings should be removed from string beans before they are put up. Beets, of course, require careful wash-* ing to remove all dirt before brining. If it is desired, when finally the beets or string beans are to be eaten, to wash .out the brine and serve them as fresh vegetables, the addition of spice when' they are put up is not necessary. Pro- ceed as with cucumbers. There always will be more or less ‘bubbling and foaming of the brine dur- ing the first stages of fermentation. After this ceases a thin film will ap- pear which will spread rapidly over the whole surface and develop quickly into a heavy, folded membrane. This scum is a growth of yeast-like organisms which feed upon the acid formed by fermentation. If allowed to grow un- disturbed it will eventually destroy all the acid and the fermented material will spoil. 'To prevent this scum from forming it is necessary to exclude air from the surface of the brine. This should be done by either of two meth- ods, 24 hours after the vegetables have been packed. MUST BE SEALED AIR TIGHT Perhaps the best method is to cover the surface—over the board and around the weight—with very hot, melted paraffin. If the paraffin is sufficiently hot to make the brine boil when pour- ed upon it, the paraffin will form a Women in Russia doing the hard work of linen making. and women have been its chief workers. paratory to the first mill processes. Russia’s flax crop has for years been a staple product They are here shown beating the retted flax fibers with wooden paddles pre- Ru§sian women in the flax fields carefully layina down the flax fiber for dew retting. Thé two pictures on this page were taken by Professor H. L\ Bolley of the North Dakota Agricultural college on a tour several years ago. smooth, even layer before hardening. Upon solidifying, it effects an air-tight seal. Oils, such as .cottonseed oil or the tasteless liquid petroleum, may also be used for this purpose. As a measure of safety with crocks, it is advisable to cover the top with a cloth soaked in melted paraffin. Put the cover in place ‘before the paraffin hardens. The second method, which may be used with barrels or kegs, is to pack the container as full as possible and then replace the head. In using this method for fermentation of beets, cu- cumbers, or string beans, add the board and weights as described above and allow to stand for 24 hours before heading. During this period most of the gas first formed escapes and the container then may be headed up tight, first removing the board and weights. Then bore an inch hole in the head and fill the barrel with brine, allowing no air space. Allow bubbles to escape. Add more brine if possible, and plug the vent tight. If the barrel does not leak, fermented products put up in this manner will keep indefinitely. After sealing with paraffin the con- tainers should be set where they will not be disturbed until the contents are to be used. Any attempt to remove them from one place to another may break the paraffin seal and necessitate resealing. If the containers are not opened until cold winter weather, the vegetables should keep without spoil- age until they are used up. If opened in° warm weather, they are likely to spoil quite rapidly unless the paraffin is reheated and the containers resealed immediately. In the case of cucumbers and chayotes, it is preferable, if enough material is available, to use the method of packing in kegs or barrels, as de- scribed above. Only those vegetables which can not be kept by storing or early ones that are not available later in the season, should be preserved. Late beets, for example, can be better kept in the cellar. The method of putting up cabbage by fermentation has a number of ad- vantages over the present process of making sauerkraut. A circular describing the fermenta- tion method is now available for dis- tribution from the states relations service of the United States depart- ment of agriculture. An Iceless Refrigerator Practical iceless refrigerators are as much a comfort on the farm as a necessity in saving from destruction quantities of food in this food-short year. The quantities of food wasted in every farm household through such causes as melting of small pieces d>f butter, the spoiling of left-overs and the like, when added together would make an amount of waste that would seem staggering to the economical hoseviwes who are trying to be patri- otic by cutting out waste. A big help in conserving the food supply is refrigeration. While the big storage houses in the cities are saving fish, eggs, meats, butter and other products by the million of tons, simi- lar products on the farms are wasting for lack of it. The farms have no op- portunity nor equipment for putting up ice. The hot season comes and finds many with nothing cooler than a root- house-or a cellar, and these often far from satisfactory. But ‘every farm can be equipped with an iceless refrigerator of home make that will be better than most of the root-houses, and wil. take just as good care of products entrusted to it as the iced refrigerator of the city household under most conditions. Of 'ADVERTISEMENTS : MEET ME AT d L d e’ Make your trip to the Inter-state Fair at Fargo, July 23-28 pay you. Take in everything you can at the Fair grounds and then we invite you to visit our store, the largest store in North Dakota. We want to meet you and shall esteem it a favor if you and your family will call. Invite your friends to call with you, We have ample rest rooms and these as well as other - conveniences are at your disposal while in Fargo. If there is anything you need before you call drop us a line and it will be cared for by our mail order department. ~ delLendrecie’s .'/" Opposite N. P, Depot FARGO, N. D.