Follow the preceding directions. A jelly of prettier color is obtained
by mixing the white and red currants. Some take the trouble to make
jelly from the white and red currants separately, then harden it in
successive layers in the glasses. In this way, the jelly has to be made
on different days, allowing time for each layer to harden. Another
pretty arrangement is to melt the jelly the day before it is served at
the table, and put it into a little jelly-mold. The next day it will be
quite hard enough to turn out.
CURRANT JELLY (_from Scribner’s Monthly_).
“This receipt has three advantages: First, it never fails, as the old
plan is sure to do five times out of eight; secondly, it requires but
half the usual quantity of sugar, and so retains the grateful acidity
and peculiar flavor of the fruit; thirdly, it is by far less troublesome
than the usual method. Weigh the currants without taking the trouble to
remove the stems; do not wash them, but carefully remove leaves and
whatever may adhere to them. To each pound of fruit allow half the
weight of granulated or pure loaf sugar. Put a few currants into a
porcelain-lined kettle, and press them with a potato-masher, or any
thing convenient, in order to secure sufficient liquid to prevent
burning; then add the remainder of the fruit, and boil freely for twenty
minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Take out and strain
carefully through a three-cornered bag of strong, close texture, putting
the liquid into either earthen or wooden vessels--never in tin, as the
action of the acid on tin materially affects both color and flavor. When
strained, return the liquid to the kettle, without the trouble of
measuring, and let it boil thoroughly for a moment or so, and then add
the sugar. The moment the sugar is entirely dissolved, the jelly is
done, and must be immediately dished, or placed in glasses. It will
jelly upon the side of the cup as it is taken up, leaving no doubt as to
the result. Gather the fruit early, as soon as fully ripe, since the
pulp softens and the juice is less rich if allowed to remain long after
ripening. In our climate, the first week in July is usually considered
the time to make currant jelly. Never gather currants or other soft or
small seed fruit immediately after a rain for preserving purposes, as
they are greatly impoverished by the moisture absorbed. In preserving
all fruits of this class, if they are boiled until tender or
transparent in a small quantity of water, and the sugar is added
afterward, the hardness of the seeds, so objectionable in small fruits,
will be thus avoided. A delicious jam may be made of blackberries,
currants, and raspberries, or with currants with a few raspberries to
flavor, by observing the above suggestion, and adding sugar, pound for
pound, and boiling about twenty minutes.”