Page Eighteen PERFECT PRESERVING

JELLIES

Jelly Making.—Success

the selection of the fruit, the time of cooking, and the amount of sugar

added.

Most fruits contain a substance called pectose which unites with sugar

in Jelly making depends on three things,

to form a jelly. There is a great deal of pectose in under-ripe fruit, but as the fruit ripens the pectose gradually changes to pectin, which will not unite with sugar to form jelly. Therefore in selecting fruit for jelly take it under ripe or put enough green with the ripe to give the required pectose. Then too there are

some fruits especially rich in pectose, such as Currants, grapes, quinces, and

crabapples. poor in pectose the jelly will harden.

GENERAL RULES FOR JELLY MAKING

1—Prepare the fruit. Cut large fruit into pieces using both skin and core.

2—With watery fruits, such as grapes and currants use two tablespoons of water, just enough to barely cover the bottom of the kettle. With dry fruit such as apples or quinces use enough water to cover the fruit.

3—Boil slowly until the fruit is very soft, and the juice can be drained out easily.

4—Drain juice through a jelly bag. The best kind of Jelly bag is one made of a square cf cotton and wool flannel. Fold and sew it diagonally so that the bag is shaped like a cornucopia, with a wide mouth to put the fruit in, and the point for the juice to drop from.

5—Heat a large pan of sugar in the oven.

6—Boil the fruit juice twenty minutes. Skim it.

7—Measure the juice and add an equal quantity of heated sugar to it.

8—Boil from 3 to 10 minutes or until the Jelly stiffens when a little is tried on a cold plate.

9—Pour into sterilized Jars.

10—Put in a sunny window and let stand 24 hours.

If a small quantity of any of these is added to berries which are

Each lot of Jelly made may be divided into two grades; the first grade will be perfectly clear and will be made from the juice which drips from the Jelly bag without pressure: the second grade will be slightly cloudy, and will be made from the juice which can be squeezed from the bag after it stops dripping.

CURRANT JELLIES

Pick over the currants but do not stem them. Mash in the preserving kettle and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer until quite soft. Put all into a Jelly bag and drain over- night. Measure the juice and return it to the preserving kettle. Bring to a boil and boil five minutes. Then add sugar equal to the quantity of juice and boil from five to ten minutes. Test a little on a cold plate until it jellies. Pour into Jars and stand in the sun to harden for a day. Cover and store.

NOTE:—Raspberries and currants in equal parts make fine Jelly. Apples may also be used with dry fruits to assist in securing juice.

CRABAPPLE JELLY

Quarter the crabapples and put in the pres- erving kettle. Pour over them enough water to come to the top layer of the fruit. Heat gradually and boil until soft. Put all into