#WaybackWednesday – “The Correct Method of Preserving Fruit”

A few weeks ago, I decided to take another look at one of my favorite collections, MS-0381 Food and Household Product Advertising Guides and Publications collection. circa 1880s-1978, undated. I wrote about this collection in a previous blog post and promised to post more about the collection soon.

Fulfilling that promise, let’s take a look at a booklet titled “The Correct Method of Preserving Fruit”, published by Ball Brothers Glass MFG. CO. in Muncie, Indiana. As expected, the booklet contains details on how to preserve many different kinds of fruit (all using mason jars, of course). However, this guide also contains information on how to can vegetables, make pickles, and even sauces.

Cover of “The Correct Method of Preserving Fruit”

Throughout the MS-0381 collection, there are several of these types of practical household guides produced by companies to showcase the many uses of their main product. For another example, check out our previous post about Arm & Hammer Baking Soda advertisements. In this case, Ball Brothers Glass may have created this guide to persuade consumers of the necessity of “Ball” Mason Jars.

Understanding the source and having an idea of the purpose of the information, is always important. In my opinion, it makes these tips seem much more interesting. Here are a few instructions that caught my attention while flipping through the guide. Of course, these may be fascinating to me because I can barely boil water.