certain and prevent loss may be a valuable purchase; still, that which
makes for greater convenience, but not absolute saving, need not be
considered a necessity.

17. VESSELS FOR CANNING.--The pots, kettles, and pans in ordinary use in
the kitchen for cooking purposes are usually satisfactory for the
canning of foods. Those made of tin or iron, however, are not so good as
enameled ones or those made of other metals, such as aluminum.
Especially is this true of utensils used for the canning of acid fruits
or vegetables, because, if such food remains in contact with tin or iron
for more than a few minutes, the acid will corrode the surface
sufficiently to give the food a bad or metallic taste. In addition, such
utensils often give the food a dark color. If enameled kettles are used
for the cooking of foods that are to be canned, it is important that the
surface be perfectly smooth and unbroken. Otherwise, it will be
difficult to prevent burning; besides, chips of the enamel are liable to
get into the food. Kettles for the cooking of fruits with sirup should
be flat and have a broad surface. Fruit is not so likely to crush in
such kettles as in kettles that are deep and have a small surface.

18. KNIVES, SPOONS AND OTHER SMALL UTENSILS.--Many of the small utensils
in a kitchen equipment are practically indispensable for canning
purposes. Thus, for paring fruits and vegetables and cutting out cores,
blossoms, and stem ends or any defective spots, nothing is more
satisfactory than a sharp paring knife with a good point. For paring
acid fruits, though, a plated knife is not so likely to cause
discoloring as a common steel knife. There are, however, other useful
implements for special work, such as the _strawberry huller_, Fig. 1,
for removing the stems of strawberries, and the _peach pitter_, Fig. 2,
for removing the stones from clingstone peaches. For placing the food to