The road to wealth of a peasant widow

In fact, there are many ways to make canned food on the Internet, and most of the processes are similar. The one she made is a more complicated one.

This is also because there were no refrigerators in ancient times, and canned food could not be kept fresh at low temperatures after being made. That is why she used multiple processes to disinfect the utensils and sterilize the fruits in order to extend the shelf life to the maximum extent.

When she went to buy the jar, she deliberately picked out the best quality one in the store, one with a fine and solid texture, and preferably one that could withstand sudden changes in temperature without cracking.

Fortunately, the jar withstood the test without any problems. The rest is up to time. In fact, it would be better if the cherries bought today could be pitted before cooking, but she was a little impatient and didn't do that.

The reason why people buy cherries instead of apricots is because cherries do not need to be peeled, which saves time.

Anyway, whether there is skin and core or not will not affect the results of the experiment. The specific operation process can be experimentally studied after success.

In such a hot day, if the cherries inside are not spoiled after opening it half a month, it will prove that she has succeeded!

I heard the guy from Baiguofang say the other day that for rich families nowadays, even if they store fruits in an ice cellar, the best they can do is store them for a month.

If it is left for any longer, it will either rot or be frozen by ice, losing its original freshness.

But it’s a different story if it’s made into canned food. Chen Cui has tried it herself and found that as long as there are no problems with the process, the canned food can be stored at room temperature for at least three months.

She didn’t try it any longer, and usually ate it herself or gave it away before that time.

Neighbors in the villa area, nannies at home, and property managers in the community have all received homemade canned food from Chen Cui.

But theoretically, it should not be a problem for the finished canned food to be stored for a year or so.

Even if the shelf life is only three months, the peak season for fruit production will have long passed by then, and off-season canned fruits will definitely sell well.

This is not an affordable daily necessity like charcoal. Only rich people can afford canned fruit, so the profit from it is naturally extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Chen Cui didn’t even feel her sweaty clothes were sticky anymore. Instead, she happily began to clean up the kitchen and prepare lunch for Sui Sui.

After the little girl had her meal and went to take a nap, she changed her clothes which were almost wet through and took a good bath.

When the children came back in the evening, Chen Cui told them about making canned cherries today.

While saying this, her emotions had already calmed down, and she was as calm as if she was discussing what to eat for dinner today.

The two little ones were fine, they were just happy to taste new food, but Changping smelled something unusual.

"Mom, are you planning to..." Changping asked tentatively.

Chen Cui looked at her eldest son who was making great progress and nodded with a smile.

The mother and son looked at each other knowingly and stopped talking about this topic.

It’s useless to say anything now. We have to wait until the experimental results come out.

Changping understood what his mother meant. He knew that this canning was not just for the family's food, but more likely an attempt to get rich.

The jar of cherries was placed in the corner of the kitchen. Every time Chen Cui passed by, she would unconsciously take a look at it.

In the days that followed, the weather became increasingly hot. I could not cover myself with anything when I slept at night. The most I could do was use a blanket to cover my stomach.

The little girl was afraid of heat and refused to cover herself with a quilt. Chen Cui had to fan her with a palm-leaf fan for a long time to coax her to sleep. Once she stopped, she would twist restlessly and would sweat profusely in a short while.

Chen Cui used the finest linen to make a set of short-sleeved shirt and shorts for Sui Sui, which he wore at night when sleeping, and it kept him much cooler.

When the three brothers saw it, they all asked for one for themselves, so Chen Cui spent two days making three sets of sleeveless shorts pajamas.

In fact, in the countryside, even if people are conservative, it is only for women. Men have fewer concerns.

When working in hot weather, many men go out with their shirts off and their trouser legs rolled up, but women have to dress properly no matter how hot it is.

Chen Cui is a widow, so she has to be more careful in this regard to avoid attracting criticism and damaging her reputation.

The four children wore shorts, which kept them much cooler at night, but Chen Cui could only wear long clothes and long pants to sleep. At most, she would wipe the straw mat with cold water and splash water on the ground before going to bed to cool down.

This mud house was built decades ago. The roof and walls have long been exposed to the sun. It is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It is necessary to apply some mud on it from time to time to prevent cracks.

It would be better if it was a brick house. At least the walls and floors would be flat and comfortable, and it should be cooler than this.

Her arms were sore from fanning the little girl. Listening to her snoring, Chen Cui put down the fan and went to sleep. Before falling asleep, she was thinking in a daze.

Finally, half a month passed and it was time to reveal the answer.

That night, Chen Cui carried one of the jars to the table in the main hall.

She took a deep breath and carefully opened the jar.

Suddenly, a faint cherry aroma wafted into their noses, and several people stretched their necks to look into the jar.

The cherries were still plump and bright, with no signs of spoilage. Instead, they looked even more tempting after being soaked in sugar water.

Chen Cui couldn't help but reveal a happy smile on her face, she succeeded!

There was a flash of excitement in Changping's eyes, he knew what this meant.

Chang'an and Changfu began to salivate, eager to taste the freshly-baked canned cherries.

When the little girl Suisui smelled the sweet smell, she impatiently pulled her brothers' arms and asked them to give her some to taste.

Chen Cui took out a few bowls, poured the canned cherries into each bowl, and let each person taste one.

This small jar only weighs two kilograms when fully filled, but Chen Cui did not fill it up completely, but left some space.

So, after pouring five bowls, the jar was completely empty.

Chen Cui took a bite first. The cherry flesh was soft yet intact, sweet with a hint of sourness, and tasted better than fresh ones.

Because the cherries she bought were not purely sweet, but had a little sourness, and the sourness was more obvious when they were fresh.

The steamed cherries increase the sugar content and remove some of the sour taste, making them more delicious.

The children ate the food very carefully and even drank up the last drop of the sugar water.

Sui Sui finished her small half bowl quickly, licked her lips and showed her empty bowl to Chen Cui, meaning that she wanted more.

Chen Cui asked the children to show her their empty bowls and jars, and told her, "No more, no more!"

Seeing this, the little girl could only put down the bowl in disappointment and let her brother carry her to wash.