Are not the nourishing food they were at one time considered to be, and
many eminent physicians are of opinion that they are less digestible
than the flesh, or muscular part of animals; still, when acidulated
with lemon-juice and flavoured with wine, they are very suitable for
some convalescents. Vegetable jelly is a distinct principle, existing
in fruits, which possesses the property of gelatinizing when boiled and
cooled; but it is a principle entirely different from the gelatine of
animal bodies, although the name of jelly, common to both, sometimes
leads to an erroneous idea on that subject. Animal jelly, or gelatine,
is glue, whereas vegetable jelly is rather analogous to gum. Liebig
places gelatine very low indeed in the scale of usefulness. He says,
“Gelatine, which by itself is tasteless, and when eaten, excites
nausea, possesses no nutritive value; that, even when accompanied by
the savoury constituents of flesh, it is not capable of supporting the
vital process, and when added to the usual diet as a substitute for
plastic matter, does not increase, but on the contrary, diminishes
the nutritive value of the food, which it renders insufficient in
quantity and inferior in quality.” It is this substance which is most
frequently employed in the manufacture of the jellies supplied by the
confectioner; but those prepared at home from calves’ feet do possess
some nutrition, and are the only sort that should be given to invalids.
Isinglass is the purest variety of gelatine, and is prepared from the
sounds or swimming-bladders of certain fish, chiefly the sturgeon.
From its whiteness it is mostly used for making blancmange and similar
dishes.
JELLIES, Bottled, How to Mould.
Uncork the bottle; place it in a saucepan of hot water until the jelly
is reduced to a liquid state; taste it, to ascertain whether it is
sufficiently flavoured, and if not, add a little wine. Pour the jelly
into moulds which have been soaked in water; let it set, and turn it
out by placing the mould in hot water for a minute; then wipe the
outside, put a dish on the top, and turn it over quickly. The jelly
should then slip easily away from the mould, and be quite firm. It may
be garnished as taste dictates.
JELLY, Isinglass, or Gelatine.
(Substitutes for Calf’s Feet.)
_Ingredients._—3 oz. of isinglass or gelatine, 2 quarts of water.
_Mode._—Put the isinglass or gelatine into a saucepan with the above
proportion of cold water; bring it quickly to boil, and let it boil
very fast, until the liquor is reduced one-half. Carefully remove the
scum as it rises, then strain it through a jelly-bag, and it will be
ready for use. If not required very clear, it may be merely strained
through a fine sieve, instead of being run through a bag. Rather more
than ½ oz. of isinglass is about the proper quantity to use for a quart
of strong calf’s-feet stock, and rather more than 2 oz. for the same
quantity of fruit juice. As isinglass varies so much in quality and
strength, it is difficult to give the exact proportions. The larger the
mould, the stiffer should be the jelly; and where there is no ice, more
isinglass must be used than if the mixture were frozen. This forms a
stock for all kinds of jellies, which may be flavoured in many ways.
_Time._—1½ hour. _Sufficient_, with wine, syrup, fruit, &c., to fill
two moderate-sized moulds. _Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note._—The above, when boiled, should be perfectly clear, and may be
mixed warm with wine, flavourings, fruits, &c., and then run through
the bag.
JELLY-BAG, How to make a.
[Illustration: JELLY-BAG.]
The very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing-blankets,
is the best material for a jelly-bag: those of home manufacture are
the only ones to be relied on for thoroughly clearing the jelly. Care
should be taken that the seam of the bag be stitched twice, to secure
it against unequal filtration. The most convenient mode of using the
bag is to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its
mouth; and, to do this, strings should be sewn round it at equal
distances. The jelly-bag may, of course, be made any size; but one of
twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth,
will be sufficient for ordinary use. The form of a jelly-bag is the
fool’s-cap.
JELLY Moulded with fresh Fruit, or Macedoine de Fruits.
_Ingredients._—Rather more than 1½ pint of jelly, a few nice
strawberries, or red or white currants, or raspberries, or any fresh
fruit that may be in season. _Mode._—Have ready the above proportion
of jelly, which must be very clear and rather sweet, the raw fruit
requiring an additional quantity of sugar. Select ripe, nice-looking
fruit; pick off the stalks, unless currants are used, when they are
laid in the jelly as they come from the tree. Begin by putting a little
jelly at the bottom of the mould, which must harden; then arrange
the fruit round the sides of the mould, recollecting that _it will
be reversed when turned out_; then pour in some more jelly to make
the fruit adhere, and, when that layer is set, put another row of
fruit and jelly until the mould is full. If convenient, put it in ice
until required for table, then wring a cloth in boiling water, wrap
it round the mould for a minute, and turn the jelly carefully out.
Peaches, apricots, plums, apples, &c., are better for being boiled in
a little clear syrup before they are laid in the jelly; strawberries,
raspberries, grapes, cherries, and currants are put in raw. In winter,
when fresh fruits are not obtainable, a very pretty jelly may be made
with preserved fruits or brandy cherries: these, in a bright and clear
jelly, have a very pretty effect; of course, unless the jelly be _very
clear_, the beauty of the dish will be spoiled. It may be garnished
with the same fruit as is laid in the jelly; for instance, an open
jelly with strawberries might have, piled in the centre, a few of
the same fruit prettily arranged, or a little whipped cream might be
substituted for the fruit. _Time._—One layer of jelly should remain 2
hours in a very cool place, before another layer is added. _Average
cost_, 2_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_, with fruit, to fill a quart mould.
_Seasonable_, with fresh fruit, from June to October; with dried, at
any time.
[Illustration: JELLY MOULDED WITH CHERRIES.]
JELLY, ORANGE, Moulded with slices of Orange.
_Ingredients._—1½ pint of orange jelly, 4 oranges, ½ pint of clarified
syrup, _Mode._—Boil ½ lb. of loaf sugar with ½ pint of water until
there is no scum left (which must be carefully removed as fast as it
rises), and carefully peel the oranges; divide them into thin slices,
without breaking the thin skin, and put these pieces of orange into the
syrup, where let them remain for about 5 minutes; then take them out,
and use the syrup for the jelly. When the oranges are well drained, and
the jelly is nearly cold, pour a little of the latter into the bottom
of the mould; then lay in a few pieces of orange; over these pour a
little jelly, and when this is set, place another layer of oranges,
proceeding in this manner until the mould is full. Put it in ice,
or in a cool place, and, before turning it out, wrap a cloth round
the mould for a minute or two, which has been wrung out in boiling
water. _Time._—5 minutes to simmer the oranges, _Average cost_, 3_s._
6_d._ _Sufficient_, with the slices of orange, to fill a quart mould.
_Seasonable_ from November to May.
JELLY of Two Colours.
[Illustration: JELLY OF TWO COLOURS.]
_Ingredients._—1½ pint of calf’s-feet jelly, a few drops of prepared
cochineal. _Mode._—Make 1½ pint of calf’s-feet jelly, or, if wished
more economical, of clarified syrup and gelatine, flavouring it in
any way that may be preferred. Colour one-half of the jelly with a
few drops of prepared cochineal, and the other half leave as pale as
possible. Have ready a mould well wetted in every part; pour in a small
quantity of the red jelly, and let this set; when quite firm, pour on
it the same quantity of the pale jelly, and let this set; then proceed
in this manner until the mould is full, always taking care to let one
jelly set before the other is poured in, or the colours would run
one into the other. When turned out, the jelly should have a striped
appearance. For variety, half the mould may be filled at once with one
of the jellies, and, when firm, filled up with the other: this, also,
has a very pretty effect, and is more expeditiously prepared than when
the jelly is poured in small quantities into the mould. Blancmange and
red jelly, or blancmange and raspberry cream, moulded in the above
manner, look very well. The layers of blancmange and jelly should be
about an inch in depth, and each layer should be perfectly hardened
before another is added. Half a mould of blancmange and half a mould
of jelly are frequently served in the same manner. A few pretty dishes
may be made, in this way, of jellies or blancmanges left from the
preceding day, by melting them separately in a jug placed in a saucepan
of boiling water, and then moulding them by the foregoing directions.
_Time._—¾ hour to make the jelly. _Average cost_, with calf’s-feet
jelly, 2_s._; with gelatine and syrup, more economical. _Sufficient_ to
fill 1½-pint mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note._—In making the jelly, use for flavouring a very pale sherry, or
the colour will be too dark to contrast nicely with the red jelly.
JELLY, Open, with whipped Cream (a very pretty dish).
_Ingredients._—1½ pint of jelly, ½ pint of cream, 1 glass of sherry,
sugar to taste. _Mode._—Make the above proportion of calf’s-feet or
isinglass jelly, colouring and flavouring it in any way that may be
preferred; soak a mould, open in the centre, for about ½ hour in cold
water; fill it with the jelly, and let it remain in a cool place until
perfectly set; then turn it out on a dish; fill the centre with whipped
cream, flavoured with sherry and sweetened with pounded sugar; pile
this cream high in the centre, and serve. The jelly should be made of
rather a dark colour, to contrast nicely with the cream. _Time._—¾
hour. _Average cost_, 3_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ to fill 1½-pint mould.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
[Illustration: OPEN JELLY WITH WHIPPED CREAM.]
JELLY, Savoury, for Meat Pies.
_Ingredients._—3 lbs. of shin of beef, 1 calf’s-foot, 3 lbs. of knuckle
of veal, poultry trimmings (if for game pies, any game trimmings), 2
onions stuck with cloves, 2 carrots, 4 shalots, a bunch of savoury
herbs, 2 bay-leaves; when liked, 2 blades of mace and a little spice;
2 slices of lean ham; rather more than 2 quarts of water. _Mode._—Cut
up the meat and put it into a stewpan with all the ingredients except
the water; set it over a slow fire to draw down, and, when the gravy
ceases to flow from the meat, pour in the water. Let it boil up, then
carefully take away all scum from the top. Cover the stewpan closely,
and let the stock simmer very gently for 4 hours: if rapidly boiled,
the jelly will not be clear. When done, strain it through a fine sieve
or flannel bag; and when cold, the jelly should be quite transparent.
If this is not the case, clarify it with the whites of eggs. _Time._—4
hours. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 5_s._
JELLY, to make the Stock for, and to Clarify it.
_Ingredients._—2 calf’s feet, 6 pints of water. _Mode._—The stock for
jellies should always be made the day before it is required for use, as
the liquor has time to cool, and the fat can be so much more easily and
effectually removed when thoroughly set. Procure 2 nice calf’s feet;
scald them, to take off the hair; slit them in two, remove the fat from
between the claws, and wash the feet well in warm water; put them into
a stewpan, with the above proportion of cold water, bring it gradually
to boil and remove every particle of scum as it rises. When it is well
skimmed, boil it very gently for 6 or 7 hours, or until the liquor is
reduced rather more than half; then strain it through a sieve into a
basin, and put it in a cool place to set. As the liquor is strained,
measure it, to ascertain the proportion for the jelly, allowing
something for the sediment and fat at the top. To clarify it, carefully
remove all the fat from the top, pour over a little warm water, to wash
away any that may remain, and wipe the jelly with a clean cloth; remove
the jelly from the sediment, put it into a saucepan, and, supposing
the quantity to be a quart, add to it 6 oz. of loaf sugar, the shells
and well-whisked whites of 5 eggs, and stir these ingredients together
cold; set the saucepan on the fire, but _do not stir the jelly after
it begins to warm._ Let it boil about 10 minutes after it rises to a
head, then throw in a teacupful of cold water; let it boil 5 minutes
longer, then take the saucepan off, cover it closely, and let it remain
½ hour near the fire. Dip the jelly-bag into hot water, wring it out
quite dry, and fasten it on to a stand or the back of a chair, which
must be placed near the fire, to prevent the jelly from setting before
it has run through the bag. Place a basin underneath to receive the
jelly; then pour it into the bag, and should it not be clear the first
time, run it through the bag again. This stock is the foundation of
all _really good_ jellies, which may be varied in innumerable ways, by
colouring and flavouring with liqueurs, and by moulding it with fresh
and preserved fruits. To insure the jelly being firm when turned out,
½ oz. of isinglass clarified might be added to the above proportion
of stock. Substitutes for calf’s feet are now frequently used in
making jellies, which lessen the expense and trouble in preparing this
favourite dish, isinglass and gelatine being two of the principal
materials employed; but although they may _look_ as nicely as jellies
made from good stock, they are never so delicate, having very often
an unpleasant flavour, somewhat resembling glue, particularly when
made with gelatine. _Time._—About 6 hours to boil the feet for the
stock; to clarify it,—¼ hour to boil, ½ hour to stand in the saucepan
covered. _Average cost._—Calf’s feet may be purchased for 6_d._ each
when veal is in full season, but more expensive when it is scarce.
_Sufficient._—2 calf’s feet should make 1 quart of stock. _Seasonable_
from March to October, but may be had all the year.
[Illustration: JELLY-MOULD.]