The simplest method of making currant jelly is perhaps the following:
Free the currants from leaves and large stems. Put them in the
preserving kettle; crush a few with a wooden vegetable masher or spoon;
heat slowly, stirring frequently.
When the currants are hot, crush them with the vegetable masher. Put a
hair sieve or strainer over a large bowl; over this spread a double
square of cheese cloth. Turn the crushed fruit and juice into the cheese
cloth, and let it drain as long as it drips, but do not use pressure.
To hasten the process take the corners of the straining cloth firmly in
the hands and lift from the sieve; move the contents by raising one side
of the cloth and then the other. After this put the cloth over another
bowl. Twist the ends together and press out as much juice as possible.
This juice may be used to make a second quality of jelly.
The clear juice may be made into jelly at once, or it may be strained
through a flannel bag. In any case, the method of making the jelly is
the same.
Measure the juice, and put it in a clean preserving kettle. For every
pint of juice add a pint of granulated sugar.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then place over the fire; watch
closely, and when it boils up draw it back and skim; put over the fire
again, and boil and skim once more; boil and skim a third time; then
pour into hot glasses taken from the pan of water on the stove and set
on a board. Place the board near a sunny window in a room where there is
no dust. It is a great protection and advantage to have sheets of glass
to lay on top of the tumblers. As soon as the jelly is set cover by one
of the three methods given. (See p. 29.)
To make very transparent currant jelly, heat, crush, and strain the
currants as directed in the simplest process. Put the strained juice in
the flannel bag and let it drain through. Measure the juice and sugar,
pint for pint, and finish as directed above.
To make currant jelly by the cold process follow the first rule for
jelly as far as dissolving the sugar in the strained juice. Fill warm,
sterilized glasses with this. Place the glasses on a board and put the
board by a sunny window. Cover with sheets of glass and keep by the
window until the jelly is set. The jelly will be more transparent if the
juice is strained through the flannel bag. Jelly made by the cold
process is more delicate than that made by boiling, but it does not keep
quite so well.