JAMS
OF course Adelaide did not make her jams, jellies, etc., in the order
given, but according to the season, and she welcomed each fruit in its
turn. Adelaide was especially fond of jams; they did make the most
delicious sandwiches when she came home hungry from school or went on
a picnic, but the climax of enjoyment was reached when mother made
rolly-polly jam puddings in the winter.
Strawberries were usually first on the market, and so "Strawberry Jam"
was the first attempt in the jam making line.
Strawberry Jam
Strawberries, 1 quart
Sugar
Mother told Adelaide to empty the strawberries into the colander and
place in a pan of cold water, then to dip the colander up and down so
as to thoroughly cleanse the berries; next to change the water two or
three times until it was clear, then lift out the colander and drain.
Mother also said that you should never wash berries after they were
hulled, because if you did you lost part of the juice.
After Adelaide felt sure they were clean, and after mother had
carefully inspected them, she commenced to hull the berries, using
the strawberry huller, then she weighed the berries and measured out
three-fourths their weight in sugar.
With a wooden potato masher Adelaide mashed the berries in the saucepan
and poured over the sugar; this mixture she let stand a few minutes
before putting the saucepan on the stove and letting it come slowly
to the boiling point. When the fruit had cooked slowly for forty-five
minutes, Adelaide stirring frequently, meanwhile, with the wooden
spoon, it was ready for her to pour into sterilized tumblers, which
she had previously prepared. The tops and outsides of the tumblers she
wiped with a clean cloth as soon as the jam had cooled, then poured
melted paraffin over the jam, and shook gently from side to side to
make it air tight.
Adelaide was always glad when it came time to paste on the neat little
labels and put the tumblers away in the preserve closet; she was very
much surprised, too, to see how quickly her bench was becoming filled.
In the beginning, mother had told her that sometimes it would seem
as though she spent all of her time preserving, for the fruits and
vegetables followed fast upon one another, but Adelaide replied she was
sure she would not mind, she was so eager to learn.
Raspberry Jam
Raspberries, 1 quart
Sugar
Adelaide picked over the raspberries before washing them, and mother
told her to keep a sharp look-out for little worms that sometimes
curled themselves up in the center, and you may be sure Adelaide's
keen eyes never missed one if there were any. Next she put them in
the colander, and then dipped the colander up and down in a pan of
clear cold water several times. When all possible dirt had been washed
away, Adelaide stood the colander to drain, after which she poured the
berries into the saucepan and weighed them.
Adelaide found it a great convenience to know the weight of each
saucepan she used, and she kept a little card showing just how much
each one weighed, then when they were weighed with the fruit, all she
needed to do was to subtract the weight from the total of the saucepan
to find out how much the fruit weighed.
To each pound of raspberries Adelaide measured three-fourths of a pound
of sugar, then she mashed the berries, added the sugar, and let the
mixture stand a short time before putting it on the stove to cook.
When the fruit had become heated to the boiling point, Adelaide let
it cook slowly for forty-five minutes, not forgetting to stir with
the wooden spoon to keep from burning; meanwhile, she had sterilized
the tumblers and they were ready when the jam had finished cooking.
Adelaide poured the jam into the tumblers at once, and as soon as it
had cooled she wiped the tops and outsides carefully, poured melted
paraffin over the jam, shook it gently from side to side to make it
secure from the air, pasted on the labels, and stored them away in the
preserve closet.
Raspberry and Red Currant Jam
Raspberries, 1 quart
Red Currants, 1 pint
Sugar
First, Adelaide picked over the raspberries very carefully and placed
them in the colander, then she removed the stems from the currants and
added them to the raspberries. These she then dipped in clear cold
water several times and set aside to drain. Next she weighed the fruit,
and to each pound she added a pound of sugar.
She mashed the fruit well with the wooden masher in the saucepan and
poured over the sugar. After a few minutes the juice began to run
and she put the saucepan on the stove, letting the jam heat slowly
through. When it boiled, Adelaide stirred it frequently and let it
cook forty-five minutes. It was then ready to pour into the sterilized
tumblers. When cold, she wiped the top and outside of each tumbler,
poured melted paraffin over the jam, shook it gently from side to
side, thus excluding all air, pasted on the labels and put away in the
preserve closet.
This combination of raspberries and red currants was a great favorite
with everybody.
Red Currant Jam
Red Currants, 1 quart
Sugar
The red currants Adelaide removed from their stems and put in the
colander to be thoroughly washed. This was done by dipping the colander
up and down in a pan of clear cold water. If they were very dusty, she
changed the water several times.
After draining the currants sufficiently, she weighed them and put them
into the saucepan. To each pound of fruit Adelaide added one pound of
sugar. With the wooden masher she mashed the currants and stirred them
well with the sugar.
Putting the saucepan on the stove, she let the fruit come slowly to the
boiling point, stirring with the wooden spoon frequently to prevent it
from burning. It boiled gently for forty-five minutes, then Adelaide
poured it into sterilized tumblers at once and stood them away to cool.
When they were cold she wiped the top and outside of each tumbler,
poured melted paraffin over the jam, shaking it gently from side to
side to keep out any air, pasted on the labels and stored away in the
preserve closet.
Black Currant Jam
Black Currants, 1 quart
Sugar
Adelaide found that when she used red currants, the picking off of
the stems consumed a lot of time, so she was glad to find the black
currants come already stemmed.
Putting the black currants in the colander, she proceeded to wash them
thoroughly by dipping the colander up and down in a pan of clear cold
water several times. If they were very dusty she changed the water two
or three times until it was clear. After weighing the currants she
poured them into a saucepan, mashed them with the wooden masher, added
an equal weight of sugar, mixed well with the wooden spoon, let stand
until the juice ran, then put the saucepan on the stove and let the
mixture come slowly to the boiling point, stirring occasionally. While
this was boiling gently for forty-five minutes, Adelaide sterilized the
tumblers, not forgetting, however, to stir the jam frequently.
When it was cooked she poured the jam at once into the tumblers and
let it cool; as soon as it was cold, Adelaide wiped each tumbler
thoroughly, inside the top and on the outside, poured melted paraffin
over the jam, which she shook gently from side to side to keep out all
air, then pasted on the labels and stored away in the preserve closet.
Blackberry Jam
Blackberries, 2 quarts
Sugar
Mother explained to Adelaide that the flavor of the blackberry was
delicious, but you did not enjoy it so much if the seeds were allowed
to remain, so that jam was prepared a little differently.
After picking the blackberries over carefully, Adelaide put them in
the colander, then dipped it up and down in a pan of cold water and
set aside to drain. Afterwards, she put the fruit in the saucepan and
with the wooden masher mashed it well. Then she stood the saucepan over
the fire and let the fruit come gradually to the boiling point. While
she let the fruit boil gently for twenty minutes, Adelaide stirred
frequently, using the long wooden spoon.
Moving the saucepan from the fire, Adelaide then rubbed the fruit
through a fine sieve (mother said if the sieve let the seeds pass
through to use a cheesecloth bag) and measured. To each cup of juice,
which she returned to the saucepan, she added three-fourths of a cup
of sugar, and putting the jam back over the fire, let it heat slowly,
stirring often. This took three-quarters of an hour of gentle boiling
before it was done.
Adelaide poured at once into the sterilized tumblers, which were
waiting to be filled, and set aside to cool. When cold, she wiped the
tops and outsides carefully with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin
over the jam, shaking it gently from side to side, thus keeping out all
air, pasted on the labels, and stored the jars away in the preserve
closet.
Gooseberry Jam
Gooseberries, 1 quart
Sugar
"The jams with a nice tart flavor," Adelaide said, "are the ones Daddy
likes best." He was especially fond of gooseberry jam and for that
reason Adelaide decided to surprise him.
The gooseberries Adelaide put in the colander and dipped up and down
in a pan of clear cold water until thoroughly clean, then she drained
them. With the strawberry huller she pulled off the tops, though
she could have used the little sharp knife; next she weighed the
gooseberries and put them in the saucepan to be mashed with the wooden
masher.
To each pound of fruit she added a pound of sugar, placed the saucepan
over the fire and let the fruit come slowly to the boiling point. This
needed to be stirred with the wooden spoon occasionally, but after it
had reached the boiling point Adelaide stirred it very frequently to
prevent burning. It took three-quarters of an hour to cook, and then
Adelaide filled the sterilized tumblers with the jam and set it aside
to cool. When the jam was cold she wiped each tumbler around the top
and on the outside with a clean damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over
the jam, pasted on the labels and stored away in the preserve closet.
Of course Daddy was very much pleased with this jam.
Large Blue Plum Jam
Plums, 1 doz.
Sugar
The large blue plums, Adelaide's mother said, made delicious jam.
Adelaide washed and wiped each plum carefully, then slit each one with
a silver knife and took out the stone. After weighing them and putting
the plums in the saucepan she added three-fourths of a pound of sugar
to each pound of fruit, letting them stand until the juice ran. Placing
the saucepan over the fire, she stirred the fruit occasionally until
it reached the boiling point, after which she let it boil slowly, for
forty-five minutes, and continued to stir very frequently to prevent
the jam from burning or sticking to the bottom. In the meantime,
Adelaide had the tumblers sterilized and waiting, and as soon as the
jam had finished cooking she poured it at once into the tumblers. When
the jam was cold she wiped the top and outside of each tumbler with a
clean damp cloth and poured melted paraffin over the jam, shaking it
gently from side to side to exclude all air. Next came the labels, and
then the tumblers of jam were stored away in the preserve closet.
Green-Gage Plum Jam
Plums, 1 dozen
Sugar
The green-gage plums, Adelaide found, came later in the season, but
they were worth waiting for. These she cut open with a silver knife,
after having washed and wiped them carefully, and removed the stones.
Weighing the plums, she put them in the saucepan, and to each pound
of fruit she added three-quarters of a pound of sugar. When the juice
began to run she placed the saucepan over the fire, and let the jam
come slowly to the boiling point, stirring it every little while;
continuing to cook the jam for forty-five minutes, Adelaide stirred
frequently to prevent its sticking to the bottom and becoming burned.
As soon as the jam had cooked sufficiently she poured it into the
sterilized tumblers which were ready, and when the jam was cold,
Adelaide wiped the tops and outsides of the tumblers with a clean damp
cloth, poured melted paraffin over the top, and shook gently from side
to side to exclude all air. The labels were next pasted on, and the jam
was then stored away in the preserve closet.
Damson Plum Jam
Damson Plums, 1 quart
Sugar
Water, 2 tablespoons
Compared to the large blue plums and the green-gage plums Adelaide
found the damson plums quite small, and mother told her they would
have to be cooked first before she could remove the stones easily. So
Adelaide washed the Damson plums carefully, and with a silver knife
slit each one before putting them into the saucepan. This was to let
the juice run. But, first, Adelaide measured two tablespoons of cold
water into the saucepan, then poured in the plums. Of course she had
weighed the plums as usual, and also an equal amount of sugar, but the
sugar she placed in a bowl and placed on one side until ready to use.
The saucepan was then placed over the fire and the plums were cooked
slowly until tender, when they were removed, and with two silver forks
Adelaide easily picked out the stones. Adding the sugar, she returned
the saucepan to the fire, and while it was coming to the boiling point
she stirred constantly with a wooden spoon, so that the sugar would not
stick to the bottom and burn. Still continuing to stir, she let the jam
cook slowly for forty-five minutes.
The tumblers had been sterilized and the jam was poured into them at
once. After the jam was cold Adelaide wiped the top and outside of each
tumbler with a clean damp cloth, then poured melted paraffin over the
top, and shook gently from side to side to exclude the air, pasted on
the labels and stored the jars away in the preserve closet.
There were many other kinds of plums, but these were the ones that
had the best flavors, mother said, and quite enough for Adelaide to
experiment with for the present.
Barberry Jam
Barberries, 1 quart
Sugar
Water, 1/2 cup
Barberries make a very tasty jam. Adelaide put them in the colander,
which she dipped up and down in a pan of clean cold water until free
from all dust, then carefully picked them over. Into the saucepan she
poured one-half a cup of cold water, then added the barberries. Placing
the saucepan over the fire, she let the barberries become just warm,
then Adelaide pressed the fruit through a wire strainer and measured.
To each cup of fruit she added a cup of sugar, which she returned
to the saucepan, placed over the fire, let it heat gradually to the
boiling point, then cooked twenty minutes, stirring constantly with the
wooden spoon. The sterilized tumblers were waiting, and into these
Adelaide poured the jam. When the jam was cold she wiped the tops and
outsides with a clean damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the jam,
shaking it gently from side to side to exclude all air, then pasted on
the labels and stored jam away in the preserve closet.
Rhubarb and Fig Jam
Rhubarb, 2-1/2 lbs.
Figs, 1/2 lb.
Sugar
An English friend gave this recipe to Adelaide, and it proved to be
very "tasty."
The friend said to choose the pretty pink rhubarb, then wash and wipe
it thoroughly, and cut with a sharp knife into one-inch pieces. The
figs were looked over carefully and Adelaide cut out the hard little
part near the stem, then she put them through the meat chopper and
added them to the rhubarb. When she had weighed the prepared fruit and
put it into the saucepan she poured over it three-fourths its weight
of sugar, and let the mixture stand until the juice ran. Placing the
saucepan over the fire, she let the fruit come slowly to the boiling
point, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. After it had boiled
Adelaide stirred it frequently and cooked gently three-quarters of an
hour. It was then ready to pour into the sterilized tumblers, which
Adelaide never failed to have on hand, and stood away to cool.
When it was cool she wiped the top and outside of each tumbler with
a clean damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the jam, shaking it
gently from side to side to exclude all air, then pasted on the labels
and stored the jam away in the preserve closet.