Chapter 29

Canning in the preserving kettle is less satisfactory; but is sometimes considered easier, especially for small fruits. Cook the fruit according to the directions and see that all jars, covers and utensils are carefully sterilized. When ready to put the fruit in the jars, put a broad skimmer under one, lift it and drain off the water. Set it in a shallow pan of boiling water or wrap it well in a heavy towel wrung out of boiling water; fill to overflowing with the fruit and slip a silver-plated knife around the inside of the jar to make sure that fruit and juice are solidly packed. Wipe the rim of the jar; dip the rubber ring in boiling water, place it on the jar; cover and remove the jar, placing it upside down on a board, well out of drafts until cool. Then tighten the covers, if screw covers are used; wipe the jars with a wet cloth and stand on shelves in a cool, dark closet.

CANNED PEACHES

To eight quarts of peaches take one quart of sugar and three quarts of water. Make a syrup of the sugar and water; bring to a boil; skim it and draw the kettle aside where the syrup will keep hot but not boil. Pare the peaches, cutting them in halves or not as desired; if in half leave one or two whole peaches for every jar, as the kernel improves the flavor. Put a layer of fruit in the kettle; when it begins to boil skim carefully; boil gently, for ten minutes; put in jars and seal. Then cook more of the fruit in similar fashion. If the fruit is not ripe it will require a longer time to cook.

All fruit may be canned in this manner, if desired.

PINEAPPLE, No. 1

The large juicy pineapple is the best for this purpose. Have your scales at hand, also a sharp-pointed knife and an apple-corer, a slaw-cutter and a large, deep porcelain dish to receive the sliced pineapple. Pare, do this carefully, dig out all the eyes as you go along. Lay the pared pineapple on a porcelain platter and stick your apple-corer right through the centre of the apple, first at one end and then at the other; if it acts stubbornly put a towel around the handle of the corer and twist it, the whole core will come out at once. Now screw the slaw-cutter to the desired thickness you wish to have your pineapple sliced. Slice into receiving dish, weigh one pound of fine granulated sugar and sprinkle it all over the apple, and so on until all are pared and sliced, allowing one pound of sugar to each very large pineapple. Cover the dish until next day and then strain all the juice off the apples and boil in a porcelain or bell metal kettle, skimming it well; throw in the sliced pineapples, boil about five minutes and can. Fill the cans to overflowing and seal immediately, not losing a moment's time. As the cans grow cold screw tighter and examine daily, for three or four days, and screw tighter if possible.

PINEAPPLE, No. 2

Prepare the pineapples as above, allowing half a pound of sugar to two pounds of fruit. Steam the sliced pines in a porcelain steamer until tender. In the meantime make a syrup of the sugar, allowing a tumblerful of water to a pound of sugar. Skim the syrup carefully, put in your steamed pineapples and can as above.

*JELLIES AND PRESERVES*

In making preserves or jellies use none but porcelain-lined or bell-metal kettles, being very careful to have them perfectly clean. Scour with sapolio or sand before using. Take plenty of time to do your work, as you will find that too great hurry is unprofitable. Use glass jars and the best white sugar, and do not have any other cooking going on while preserving, as the steam or grease will be apt to injure your preserves.

When fruit is preserved with a large amount of sugar (a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit) it does not need to be sealed in airtight jars; because bacteria do not readily form in the thick, sugary syrup. It is, however, best kept in small sealed jars.

In damp weather jelly takes longer to form. Try to select a sunny, dry day for jelly making. You can prepare your juice even if it is cloudy, but wait for sunshine before adding the sugar and final boiling.

UTENSILS FOR JELLY MAKING

Large enamelled kettle, syrup gauge, two colanders, wooden masher, wooden spoon, jelly glasses, one-quart measure, two enamelled cups, one baking-pan, two earthen bowls, paraffin wax, enamelled dishpan for sterilizing glasses and two iron jelly stands with cheese-cloth bags.

HOW TO TEST JELLY MADE AT HOME

Much waste of sugar and spoilage of jellies can be avoided by using a simple alcohol test recommended by the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture. To determine how much sugar should be used with each kind of juice put a spoon of juice in a glass and add to it one spoon of ninety-five per cent grain alcohol, mixed by shaking the glass gently.

Pour slowly from the glass, noting how the pectin--the substance in fruits which makes them jell--is precipitated. If the pectin is precipitated as one lump, a cup of sugar may be used for each cup of juice; if in several lumps the proportion of sugar must be reduced to approximately 3/4 the amount of the juice. If the pectin is not in lumps, the sugar should be one-half or less of the amount of juice.

The housewife will do well before making the test to taste the juice, as fruits having less acid than good tart apples probably will not make good jelly, unless mixed with other fruits which are acid.

TO COVER JELLY GLASSES

There are three common methods of covering jelly tumblers: (1) Dip a piece of paper in alcohol; place it on top of the tumbler as soon as the jelly is cold; put on the tin cover and force it down firmly. (2) Cut a piece of paper large enough to allow it to overlap the top of the tumbler at least one-half inch on all sides; dip the paper in slightly-beaten white of egg; cover the glass as soon as the jelly cools and press down the paper until it adheres firmly. (3) When the jelly has become cold, cover the top with melted paraffin to a thickness of one-third of an inch.

To mark jelly glasses sealed with paraffin, have the labels ready on narrow slips of paper not quite as long as the diameter of the top of a glass, and when the paraffin is partially set, but still soft, lay each label on and press gently.

*JELLIES*

CURRANT JELLY

Pick over half ripe currants, leaving stems on. Wash and place in preserving kettle. Pound vigorously with wooden masher until there is juice enough to boil. Boil slowly until fruit turns white and liquid drops slowly from the spoon. Stir to prevent scorching.

Remove from fire. Take an enamelled cup and dip this mixture into the jelly bags, under which large bowls have been placed to catch the drip. Drip overnight.

Next morning measure the juice. For every pint allow a pint of granulated sugar, which is put in a flat pan. Juice is put in kettle and allowed to come to boiling point. Sugar is placed in oven and heated. When juice boils add sugar and stir until dissolved.

When this boils remove from fire and skim. Do this three times. Now test liquid with syrup gauge to see if it registers twenty-five degrees. Without gauge let it drip from spoon, half cooled, to see if it jells. Strain into sterilized jelly glasses. Place glasses on a board in a sunny exposure until it hardens Cover with melted paraffin one-fourth inch thick.

RASPBERRY AND CURRANT JELLY

Follow the recipe for Currant Jelly, using half raspberries and half currants.

RASPBERRY JELLY

Follow the recipe for Currant Jelly.

BLACKBERRY JELLY

Follow the recipe for Currant Jelly.

STRAWBERRY JELLY

To five quarts of strawberries add one quart of currants and proceed as with Currant Jelly; but boil fifteen minutes.

GRAPE JELLY

The Concord is the best all-round grape for jelly, although the Catawba grape makes a delicious jelly. Make your jelly as soon as possible after the grapes are sent home from the market. Weigh the grapes on the stems and for every pound of grapes thus weighed allow three-quarters of a pound of the best quality of granulated sugar.

After weighing the grapes, place them in a big tub or receptacle of some kind nearly filled with cold water. Let them remain ten minutes, then lift them out with both hands and put them in a preserving kettle over a very low fire. Do not add any water. With a masher press the grapes so the juice comes out, and cook the grapes until they are rather soft, pressing them frequently with the masher. When they have cooked until the skins are all broken, pour them, juice and all; in a small-holed colander set in a big bowl, and press pulp and juice through, picking out the stems as they come to the surface.

When pulp and juice are pressed out, pour them into a cheese-cloth bag. Hang the bag over the preserving kettle and let the juice drip all night. In the morning put the kettle over the fire and let the grape juice boil gently for a half hour, skimming it frequently.

While the juice is cooking put the sugar in pans in a moderate oven and let heat. As soon as the juice is skimmed clear stir in the hot sugar, and as soon as it is dissolved pour the jelly in the glasses, first standing them in warm water. Place glasses after filling them in a cool dry place till jelly is well set, then pour a film of melted paraffin over the top and put on the covers. Label.

CRAB-APPLE JELLY

Take eight quarts of Siberian crab-apples, cut up in pieces, leaving in the seeds, and do not pare. Put into a stone jar, and set on the back of the stove to boil slowly, adding four quarts of water. Let them boil, closely covered all day, then put in a jelly-bag and let them drip all night. Boil a pint of juice at a time, with a pound of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil five minutes steadily, each pint exactly five minutes. Now weigh another pound of sugar and measure another pint of juice. Keep on in this way and you will be through before you realize it. There is no finer or firmer jelly than this. It should be a bright amber in color, and of fine flavor. You may press the pulp that remains in the jelly-bag through a coarse strainer, add the juice of two lemons and as much sugar as you have pulp, and cook to a jam.

APPLE JELLY

Take sour, juicy apples, not too ripe, cut up in pieces, leave the skins on and boil the seeds also. Put on enough water to just cover, boil on the back of the stove, closely covered, all day. Then put in jelly-bag of double cheese-cloth to drip all night. Next morning measure the juice. Allow a wineglass of white wine and juice of one lemon to every three pints of juice. Then boil a pint at a time, with a pound of sugar to every pint.

NEAPOLITAN JELLY

Take equal quantities of fully ripe strawberries, raspberries, currants and red cherries. The cherries must be stoned, taking care to preserve the juice and add to rest of juice. Mix and press through a jelly-press or bag. Measure the juice, boil a pint at a time, and to every pint allow a pound of sugar and proceed as with other fruit jellies.

QUINCE JELLY

Prepare the fruit and cook peels and cores as directed for preserving. Cut the quinces in small pieces and let them boil in the strained water for one hour with kettle uncovered. When cooked the desired length of time, pour the whole into a jelly-bag of white flannel or double cheese-cloth; hang over a big bowl or jar and let the liquor all drain through. This will take several hours. When all the liquor is drained, measure it and return to the kettle. To each pint of liquor weigh a pound of sugar. While the liquor is heating put the sugar in the oven, then add to the boiling hot liquor and stir it until sugar is melted. When the whole is thick, and drops from the spoon like jelly, pour it through a strainer into the jelly glasses; and when the jelly is cool, put on the covers--first pouring a film of melted paraffin over the surface.

A WINTER JELLY

One-half peck of tart apples, one quart of cranberries. Cover with cold water and cook an hour. Strain through a jelly-bag without squeezing. There should be about three pints of juice. Use a bowl of sugar for each bowl of juice. When the juice is boiling add sugar which has been heated in oven and boil twenty minutes. Skim and pour into glasses. Will fill about seven.

CRANBERRY JELLY

Wash and pick ripe cranberries and set on to boil in a porcelain-lined kettle closely covered. When soft strain the pulp through a fine wire sieve. Measure the juice and add an equal quantity of sugar. Set it on to boil again and let it boil very fast for about ten minutes--but it must boil steadily all the time. Wet a mold with cold water, turn the jelly into it and set it away to cool, when firm turn it into a glass salver.

*PRESERVED FRUIT*

PRESERVED FIGS

Lay fresh figs in water overnight. Then simmer in water enough to cover them until tender, and spread upon dishes to cool. Make a syrup of a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit. Allow a small teacup of water to a pound of sugar. Boil until a very clear syrup; remove every particle of scum; put in the figs and boil slowly for ten minutes. Take them out and spread upon dishes, and set them in the hot sun. Add the juice of as many lemons as you have pounds of sugar, and a few small pieces of ginger. Boil this syrup until thick. Boil the figs in this syrup for fifteen minutes longer. Then fill in glass jars three-quarters full, fill up with boiling syrup and cover. When cold, screw air-tight or seal.

PRESERVED CHERRIES

The sour red cherries, or "Morellas," are the best for preserves. Never use sweet ones for this purpose. Stone them, preserving every drop of juice, then weigh the cherries, and for every pound take three-quarters of a pound of sugar. Set the sugar and juice of the cherries on to boil, also a handful of the cherry stones pounded and tied in a thin muslin bag. Let this boil about fifteen minutes. Skim off the scum that rises. Now put in the cherries, and boil until the syrup begins to thicken like jelly. Remove from the fire, fill in pint jars, and when cold, cover with brandied paper and screw on the cover tight.

PRESERVED PEACHES

Weigh one pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. After weighing them brush each peach with a stiff whiskbroom. This should be done in putting up peaches in any way. After brushing them peel the peaches very thin with a sharp silver knife. Do not use a knife with a steel blade, as it discolors the fruit. As fast as the peaches are peeled lay them on porcelain platters. Put the peelings in the preserving kettle with enough water to keep from sticking. Stand the kettle over rather a quick fire and let the peelings boil with the kettle covered until very soft. Then drain them through a colander and pour the juice strained back into the kettle. Add sugar to this and let it simmer gently until it is a thick syrup. During the time the syrup is cooking it must be frequently stirred and skimmed. As soon as the syrup is thick enough, drop in the peaches, twelve at a time if for quart jars, and six at a time if for pint jars. Let the peaches cook gently until each one may easily be pierced with a broom splint.

Then quickly skim them out and lay them on a platter to cool. Repeat this process until all the peaches are done, then let the syrup cook until thick as molasses. Skim it thoroughly. When cool put the peaches, one at a time, in the jars with a spoon. When the syrup is sufficiently thick, pour it through a strainer over the peaches in the jars until they are full, then seal down quickly and stand them upside down for several hours before putting them in the store-room.

STRAWBERRIES IN THE SUN

To two pounds of berries take two pounds of sugar and three-quarters cup of water. Put the syrup in the preserving kettle; bring it to a boil and cook for about ten minutes, or until it begins to thicken. Add the berries; cook for ten minutes and pour them out in shallow dishes or meat platters. Cover with sheets of glass, allowing a little air for ventilation; place in the sun until the juice is thick and syrupy. This will take two days or more, but the rich color and delicious flavor of the fruit will fully repay the effort expended. Put into small jars or tumblers and cover according to directions.

PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES

To one pint of strawberries take one pint of sugar and one-half cup of water. Unless strawberries are cooked in the sun they should be prepared only in small quantities or they will be dark and unpalatable. If the following directions are carefully observed the berries will be plump and of a rich red color.

Bring the sugar and water to a boil; add the strawberries and cook ten minutes. Remove the berries carefully with a skimmer and cook the syrup until it is of the consistency of jelly. Return the berries to the syrup; bring all to a boil and when cool put in glass tumblers.

STRAWBERRIES AND PINEAPPLE

Follow the recipe for Preserved Strawberries, using two-thirds pineapple and one-third strawberries.

PRESERVED PINEAPPLE

To one pineapple take three-quarters of its weight in sugar and one cup of water. Peel the pineapple and put it through the food-chopper. Weigh and add three-quarters of the weight in sugar. Bring slowly to a boil and simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the consistency of marmalade.

PRESERVED DAMSON PLUMS

Pick the plums over carefully, removing every one that has a decayed spot or blemish. Leave the stems on. After picking the fruit over, wash it carefully in cold water; then weigh it and allow one pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. Put a gill of water in the preserving kettle for each pound of sugar, stand the kettle over a moderate fire and add the sugar. Stir it almost constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts; then turn on a little more heat and let the melted sugar boil gently until it is a thick syrup. Stir, and skim it frequently. When the required thickness (which should be like syrup used for griddle cakes) put the plums in the boiling syrup and let them cook gently for half an hour; then skim out the plums and put them in glass jars, filling each jar half full. Let the syrup boil till almost as thick as jelly, then pour it in the jars, filling them quite full. Fasten the tops on and stand the jars upside down until the preserves are cold; then put them where they are to be kept for the winter.

DAMSON JAM

Weigh 3/4 of a pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. After washing the plums carefully, put them in a preserving kettle with just enough water to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Set them over a moderate fire and let them simmer for half an hour; then turn them, juice and all, into a colander, filling the colander not more than half full. Have the colander set over a large earthen bowl. With a potato masher, press juice and pulp through the colander into the bowl, leaving skins and pits as dry as possible. Remove these from the colander and repeat the process until all the pulp and juice is pressed out; then pour it into the kettle and, while it is heating slowly, heat the sugar in the oven. As soon as the juice and pulp begins to simmer stir in the hot sugar, and when it drops from the spoon like a thick jelly pour it into the glasses. This is one of the most delicious fruit preserves made and is always acceptable with meat and poultry or as a sweetmeat at afternoon teas.

RASPBERRY JAM

To five pounds of red raspberries (not too ripe) add five pounds of loaf sugar. Mash the whole well in a preserving kettle (to do this thoroughly use a potato masher). Add one quart of currant juice, and boil slowly until it jellies. Try a little on a plate; set it on ice, if it jellies remove from the fire, fill in small jars, cover with brandied paper and tie a thick white paper over them. Keep in a dark, dry, cool place. If you object to seeds, press the fruit through a sieve before boiling.

JELLIED QUINCES

Jellied quinces are made after the direction for preserved quinces, only the fruit is cut in tiny little pieces and when put in the syrup is allowed to cook twenty minutes longer, and is put in small glasses with the syrup and not skimmed out as for preserves. Leave the glasses open till the jelly sets, then cover.

QUINCE CHEESE

Wipe off each quince before paring, core and slice them, weigh your fruit and sugar, allowing 3/4 of a pound of sugar for every pound of fruit and set the sugar aside until wanted. Boil the skins, cores and seeds in a clean vessel by themselves, with just enough water to cover them. Boil until the parings are soft, so as to extract all the flavor, then strain through a jelly-bag. When this water is almost cold, put the quinces in the preserving kettle with the quince water and boil until soft, mash with a wooden spoon or beetle. Add the juice of an orange to every two pounds of fruit, being careful not to get any of the seeds into the preserves. Now add the sugar and boil slowly for fifteen minutes, stirring constantly; if not thick enough boil longer, being very careful not to let it burn. Take off the fire and pack in small jars with brandied paper over them.

PRESERVED QUINCES

The quince that comes first into the market is likely to be wormy and corky, and harder to cook than the better ones. It requires a good deal of skill to cook quince preserves just right. If you cook them too much they are red instead of a beautiful salmon shade, and they become shriveled, dry and tart, even in the sweetest syrup, instead of full and mealy, and sweet.

Weigh a pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. Wipe each quince carefully with a coarse linen towel. Peel, quarter and core the quinces. Put peels and cores in the preserving kettle with just water enough to cover them, and let them simmer with the kettle covered for two hours. Then strain the liquor through a fine sieve and return it to the kettle.

Cut the quartered quinces in small pieces and put as many of them in the kettle as the liquor will cover. Let them boil gently, with the kettle uncovered, until so tender they may be easily pierced with a broom splint. Take them out with a skimmer and lay on flat dishes to cool. Repeat this process until all the fruit is properly cooked; then put the sugar in the liquor and let it boil gently to a thick syrup; put in as many of the cooked quinces as the syrup will cover and let them cook in the syrup for twenty minutes; skim them out and lay on flat dishes to cool. Repeat this process until all the quinces are cooked in the syrup.

When they are cool put the quinces in glass jars, filling each one half full. Let the syrup boil until very thick, stirring it frequently and skimming it clear. Then pour it through a fine strainer, while very hot, over the fruit; and as soon as a jar is full, fasten on the cover. It is tiresome work to preserve quinces, but the result pays for all the trouble.

CITRON PRESERVE

Pare and core the citron; cut it into strips and notch the edges; or cut it into fancy shapes. Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and to six pounds of the fruit allow four lemons and a quarter of a pound of ginger root. Tie the ginger in a cloth, and boil it in a quart and a half of water until the flavor is extracted; then remove it, and add to the water the sugar and the juice of the lemons; stir until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear; take off any scum; then add the citron and cook until it is clear, but not soft enough to fall apart. Can and seal while hot.

MARMALADES

Marmalades require great care while cooking because no moisture is added to the fruit and sugar. If the marmalade is made from berries the fruit should be rubbed through a sieve to remove the seeds. If large fruit is used have it washed, pared, cored, and quartered.

Measure the fruit and sugar, allowing one pint of sugar to each quart of fruit.