1. Like canning and drying, JELLY MAKING, PRESERVING, and PICKLING are
methods of preparing perishable foods to resist decomposition and
change. When treated by any of these three processes, fruits and
vegetables will keep for long periods of time and will thus be ready for
use during the seasons when they cannot be obtained fresh. The
preservation of food by making it into jellies, preserves, and pickles
does not, as in the case of canning, depend on the sterilization of the
product, but rather on the use of certain ingredients that act as
preservatives. These include sugar, spices, salt, and vinegar, all of
which are considered harmless preservatives in both the home and the
commercial preparation of foods.
2. The making of jelly, preserves, and pickles may seem like an
extravagance in the expenditure of money for materials, as well as of
time and energy on the part of the housewife. Whether this is the case
or not is a matter that must be decided by the housewife herself. If
these foods are not of enough value to her in the preparation of meals
and the feeding of her family to make it worth her while to use her time
and materials in storing them for winter use, then it is not wise for
her to prepare them. But foods so preserved usually have sufficient
merit to warrant the expenditure of the time and the money required in
their making.
3. In the first place, it will often be necessary to throw away material
that would make excellent jelly or jam unless the sugar can be supplied
and the time given to make this material into something that is edible
and at the same time attractive. As is well known, all through the
canning season, there is some material, which may have been intended
for canning, but which, for some reason, cannot be used in that way.
Such material should be utilized in the preparation of these foods. For
instance, some of the berries and other fruits bought for canning may be
found to be too ripe to make a good-looking product, but may be very
satisfactory for the making of jars or jellies. Then, too, if the
open-kettle method of canning is used, there is almost certain to be a
superfluous amount of juice that would be wasted if it were not used in
the making of jelly. Such material need not necessarily be used at the
time, for it may be canned and then made up later at some more
convenient time.
In addition to material of this kind, there is often a surplus of
vegetables and fruits on hand, particularly if one has access to a
garden. Much of this can be canned and dried, but what is not desired
for these purposes might be wasted if it were not made up into
appetizing jellies, preserves, and pickles.
4. Even though it were not necessary to consider the matter of waste and
the utilizing of surplus fruits and vegetables, there would still be
sufficient reason for the making of jellies, preserves, and pickles,
because these foods, when properly prepared, have great value in the
meal. Jellies and preserves, because of the large quantity of sugar used
in them, are foods high in carbohydrate. In view of this fact, they
should be considered as a part of the meal in which they are served,
instead of being used extravagantly or regarded as something extra in an
already sufficiently large menu.
Besides their importance in food value, they should have a place in the
diet because they stimulate the appetite through their attractive colors
and delicious flavors. The familiar fact that a child will refuse to eat
plain bread and butter, but will accept the same piece when it has been
made attractive by the addition of a little jam, argues much for the use
of foods of this sort in children's diet. As it is with children, so it
is to a large extent with adults. During the winter months, when fruits
and fresh vegetables are scarce and expensive, practically every one
finds jellies and preserves appetizing, for these things, in a measure,
take the place of the foods that are difficult to procure.
5. Not so much can be said of the various kinds of pickles, as they are
not so valuable in the diet from the standpoint of food values. They are
made from fruits and vegetables, as are jellies and preserves, but the
preservatives used in their preparation are vinegar and spices. In
addition to having no food value, such ingredients produce
overstimulation and irritation in the alimentary tract, toughen the
cellulose in the foods used, and consequently often cause indigestion
and various gastric disturbances. For these reasons, pickles should not
be included in the diet of children. However, because of the stimulation
they produce in the stomach, foods of this kind, if taken in small
quantities, are properly served as appetizers, and can be eaten by
normal adults without fear of digestive disturbances. Then, too, as
every one who has meals to prepare knows, they are valuable for
relieving monotony in the diet, a point that should not be overlooked.
6. Because the preservation of food in jellies, preserves, and pickles
is accomplished by the use of certain preservatives instead of by the
sterilization of the food, as in canning, these preparations do not mold
or spoil readily. Therefore, containers of a different nature from those
used in canning may be used to store these foods. Jars having tightly
sealed covers are not required, but such containers as wide-necked
bottles, stone jars or crocks, glasses, etc. may be utilized for this
purpose. In fact, containers of almost any description may be used for
jellies, preserves, and pickles. They should, of course, be sealed in
some way to prevent the entrance of bacteria, and various methods of
accomplishing this have been devised. A very satisfactory way consists
in pouring melted paraffin over the top of the food and then covering
the container with a piece of heavy paper and tying this on securely
with cord.
7. Since jellies, preserves, and pickles occupy a place of importance in
the diet and at the same time provide an opportunity to utilize material
that might otherwise be wasted, they are entitled to a certain amount of
attention from the housewife. To equip her with the knowledge she needs
for this work and give her practice in jelly making, preserving, and
pickling, the details of these processes are taken up, step by step, in
this Section.
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