1. Crab Apple Jelly.--Select nice ripe apples, wash and cut out any
imperfections; place on the stove and cover with water, cook slowly until
soft enough to strain, then take them off and drain through a jelly bag.
To every four pints of juice use three pints of sugar; heat the sugar very
warm in the oven. Boil the juice fourteen minutes, stir in warm sugar, and
boil altogether three to five minutes, then turn into moulds or jelly
glasses.
2. Apple Jelly.--After you have selected nice tart, juicy apples of good
flavor, pare them, core and quarter, then put them with the skins and
cores, in a jar in a slow oven. When they are quite soft, strain all
through a coarse muslin bag, pressing hard to extract all the flavor of
the fruit. Put a pound of loaf sugar to every pint of juice and the juice
of one lemon, and put the liquor over the fire in a preserving kettle.
Boil steadily for twenty minutes or so, skimming occasionally. Boil the
jelly glasses in hot water and fill them with the jelly while hot. This
jelly will keep for an unlimited time if kept in a cool, dry place.
3. Currant Jelly.--The currants should be washed very thoroughly, but do
not stem; put in a kettle, scald them but do not cook. Cool and strain;
boil the juice alone for twenty minutes. Weigh the sugar, and to a pint of
juice use a pound of sugar. Have the sugar in the oven browning lightly
and heating thoroughly. When the juice has boiled twenty minutes stir in
the sugar until it dissolves; then put into glasses and keep in a cool
place.
4. Blackberry Jelly.--Cook the berries until tender, then strain the juice
from them. Add an equal quantity of sugar. Boil hard for twenty minutes,
then pour into moulds or jelly glasses.
5. Cranberry Jelly.--Take two pounds of sugar, granulated, one quart of
water and three quarts of cranberries. Cook thoroughly, mashing all the
berries fine, then put all through a fine sieve. Return the juice to the
stove and cook fifteen minutes more; pour into glasses and seal when cool.
[846 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
6. Grape Jelly.--Select grapes that are partially ripe, as they make the
prettiest jelly, and to every eight pounds of fruit take a large cupful of
water; put them into a porcelain-lined kettle and boil until quite soft;
strain through a cloth. Measure the juice, then measure and put away the
same quantity of sugar. Let the juice boil half an hour, then add the
sugar and let it boil five or ten minutes longer. All jellies to be good,
should have nearly all the boiling done before the sugar is added.
7. Rhubarb and Apple Jelly.--Cut up your rhubarb and wash it; put on the
fire without any water at all. Take good sour apples, pare and quarter and
cook in a very little water. Strain the juice from both and put them on
the stove to cook for fifteen minutes. Then add the heated sugar, using
three-fourths as much sugar as juice. Boil hard for twenty minutes, turn
into glasses and set in the sun, if possible, for half a day. Seal the
next day.
8. Spiced Grape Jelly.--Take grapes half ripe, crush all the juice out
well and strain. Take equal quantities of juice and sugar; to each quart
of juice add one-half teaspoonful of cloves and one tablespoonful
cinnamon. Cook very hard for twenty minutes, then remove from the stove
and pour into glasses.
9. Rhubarb Jelly.--After the rhubarb has been thoroughly washed and cut up
in small pieces, stew until tender in a preserving kettle. Strain through
a jelly rag and flavor with extract of lemon. Put in enough to suit the
taste. To each pint of juice add a pound of sugar; boil until it jellies
on the skimmer, then remove and place in glasses. Keep in a cool place.
10. Orange Marmalade.--Cut the oranges in half; remove the pulp with a
spoon, take one lemon to five oranges, preparing the same way. Then cut
the shells of the oranges in two, scrape out the white lining and put the
skins on to boil; weigh the pulp, take half as much sugar, and simmer
together fifteen minutes. When the skins are transparent and tender, take
up, putting several pieces together, cut it quickly into the narrowest
possible strips. Mix these with pulp and sugar; cook until very thick. Put
in glasses and then when cold, seal.
11. Blackberry Jam.--Take two quarts of blackberries, one quart fine
cooked apples, two quarts of sugar, boil these all together for twenty
minutes. This is very easily made and is very good.
12. Plum and Apple Jam.--After canning plums, there is often some left,
not enough to fill a can; a very nice jam can be made of this by putting
it through a sieve; and adding the same quantity of good apples, cooked.
Sweeten to taste and put in a very little cinnamon and cloves. Cook an
hour, then tie up in jars when cold.
13. Tomato Marmalade.--Pare and slice without wetting four pounds of
unripe tomatoes, Give them a slow boil for several hours until a large
portion of the water has evaporated; add for each pound of tomatoes
three-quarters of a pound of sugar and two sliced lemons. Boil for one
hour longer.
[CANNING, PICKLING AND PRESERVING 847]
14. Raspberry Jams.--To three or four pounds of ripe red raspberries add
an equal quantity of white sugar. Crush the whole well in a preserving
kettle; add one pint of currant juice and boil gently until it jellies
upon a cold plate; put into a small jar and cover with brandied paper. Tie
over them a thick paper and keep in a dark, cool, dry place.
15. Strawberry Jam, with Red Currants.--Take four pounds of strawberries,
one pint of red currant juice, and two pounds of sugar. Place in a
porcelain kettle and boil the berries and currant juice first, then add
the sugar and boil up again, skimming well. Put in jars, cover with
paraffin and keep in a cool place.
16. Peach Jelly.--Cook peaches and add a few kernels; when done strain. To
one pint of peach liquor add one lemon and one pound of sugar. Dry and
heat the sugar in a separate pan and let the peach liquor boil twenty
minutes. Then add the sugar and boil a few minutes longer. This is very
nice.
17. Gooseberry Jam.--To one pound of pulped fruit, add three-fourths pound
of sugar. Stew the berries in a little water, press through a coarse sieve
or colander. Then place on the stove again and add sugar. Boil
three-quarters of an hour, stirring constantly. Pour in jars or jelly
glasses.
[348 MOTHERS' REMEDIES ]