Part 9

white of 1 egg same quantity of water confectioner’s sugar ½ teaspoonful peppermint flavoring

Mix the beaten white and water, adding sugar till the mixture may be kneaded like bread on a board without sticking. Add flavoring, knead again, roll and cut any preferred shape, and set away on a paraffin paper for two days.

PEANUT CANDY

2 cupfuls molasses 1 cupful sugar 1 cupful water ½ cupful vinegar 1 cupful peanuts butter, size of egg

Boil all but the peanuts together till the mixture hardens in cold water. Then stir in the peanuts with skins removed.

Pour on buttered plates to cool.

POPCORN BALLS

¾ cupful coffee sugar ¾ cupful granulated sugar ½ cupful molasses ½ cupful water ¼ cupful butter 1 tablespoonful vinegar ¼ teaspoonful soda 4 qts. freshly popped corn

Butter a stew pan or kettle and boil in it without stirring the water, molasses, sugar and vinegar. When it will hair, add butter. When the mixture hardens, in cold water, add soda and pour over corn, stirring with a mixing spoon. Dip the hands in cold water and form the mixture into balls, continuing to dip the hands in cold water when making each ball, working rapidly before the syrup hardens. It is sometimes necessary to keep the dish containing the mixture in another dish of hot water to prevent hardening before balls are formed. Keep the finished balls in a cold place.

PULLED CREAM CANDY

4 lbs. sugar 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar water flavoring

Use enough water to cover sugar in which cream of tartar has been stirred in a stew pan, boil this till it hardens slightly in cold water. Flavor, pour in buttered tins, and pull when cool enough to handle.

PULLED MOLASSES CANDY

3 cupfuls sugar 1 cupful molasses ½ cupful melted butter 1 cupful boiling water 3 tablespoonfuls vinegar ½ teaspoonful cream of tartar ¼ teaspoonful soda

Heat molasses, sugar, water and vinegar to boiling point, add cream of tartar, stirring occasionally. Boil till it hardens in cold water, stirring often toward the last. When almost done, add butter and soda. Pour into buttered pans till cool enough to pull.

It may be cut with scissors in small pieces.

SEA FOAM CANDY

3 cupfuls sugar 1 cupful water 1 cupful chopped meats 1 tablespoonful vinegar whites of 2 eggs 1 teaspoonful vanilla

Heat sugar, water and vinegar to boiling, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring till it hardens in cold water. Remove immediately from fire, and when partially cool, pour over the stiffly beaten whites, continuing to beat until the mixture holds its shape. Add nuts, flavor, and drop from a teaspoon on paraffin paper.

CANDIED MINT LEAVES

mint fondant syrup

Prepare fondant as per Fondant recipe. When the syrup is boiled so it will “hair,” remove from fire, stir a little and dip each small spray of mint in it, laying them on buttered paper to harden.

CANDIED ORANGE AND LEMON PEEL

Cut fresh peel from four oranges into one-half inch strips with scissors. Put in cold water, let boil five minutes, pour off this water, put into cold water and boil five minutes more, pour off this water, put into cold water and boil five minutes more for the third time. Make a syrup of one-half cupful water and one cupful granulated sugar, boil till begins to thicken, throw in peel, stirring constantly till syrup candies on peel. Turn candied peel into a colander to drain, then roll in sugar.

CANDIED VIOLETS

Violets may be prepared the same as Candied Mint leaves. The syrup may be colored by using grape juice, and the stems made green with spinach leaves crushed and juice added to the fondant.

JELLIES, PRESERVES AND CANNED FRUITS

=Never= cook fruit in dishes of tin or iron.

To prevent mould gathering on preserves, keep a pan of lime on the shelves of the fruit closet, and have the closet dark and cool.

When newly-made jelly is a trifle too thin, set the glasses in a pan and put in the warming oven until of the right consistency.

One way to see if jelly has cooked sufficiently is to try it with a spoon. If it runs from the spoon in drops, not in a stream, it is cooked enough.

When jellies refuse to “jell,” add a pinch of powdered alum.

If the preserving kettle be placed in a pan of boiling water, the contents can cook any length of time without burning, and need but occasional stirring.

Sprinkling ashes on the stove lid under a kettle of boiling fruit will prevent the fruit burning on the bottom of the kettle.

Drop half a dozen small agate marbles into the kettle of jelly. The marbles will keep in constant motion and prevent the juice from burning.

HEAT SUGAR FOR JELLY

Place the sugar in a granite dish in the oven and stir frequently till all portions of the sugar are heated. Do not close the oven door.

JELLY BAGS AND GLASSES

Make a jelly bag from coarse white flannel, pointed on the bottom. Bind the top and sew strong loops to suspend it by. The little hair like threads on the flannel seem to hold every little roughness, making the juice perfectly clear. Have the bag as large as will hang in the kettle. Put a stout stick through the loops and suspend it in the kettle with enough cold water to cover the fruit. Cook until soft, lifting the bag occasionally to stir the fruit about. When the fruit is cooked very soft, suspend the bag in a convenient place to drip till morning. Do not squeeze it. In the morning, add the juice from the bag to that in the kettle, let boil about twenty minutes, add an equal quantity of sugar and boil about ten minutes more. This is the usual way to make jelly.

JELLY GLASSES

Have them very clean, place in a large pan on the fire in cold water, and heat to boiling point. Turn glasses upside down to drain, then place quickly on a cloth wrung out of hot water. Fill the glasses and set aside for a day, then cover the jelly with melted paraffin, pouring it in the glasses from an old tea-pot or gravy dish. When a glass is opened, save the paraffin and use it over and over.

EASY WAY FOR JELLY

Berries and soft fruit may be washed and crushed, placed in a cheese cloth bag and squeezed carefully. Measure the juice and put in a kettle and boil ten minutes. Add an equal quantity of heated sugar, boil five minutes, and pour into glasses.

APPLE JELLY

Select perfect fruit, wash, cut out all imperfect parts, remove stems and cores, and put in a kettle with cold water to cover. Boil slowly till apples are soft. Strain through a jelly bag, and suspend the bag to drip over night. Next morning, add the juice to that in the kettle, boil twenty minutes, add an equal amount of heated sugar. Let boil ten minutes, skim and turn into glasses.

A few quinces added to apples make a delicious jelly.

A rose geranium leaf placed in the bottom of a glass before pouring the apple jelly in it, will impart a delightful flavor.

A drop of oil of cinnamon put in apple jelly is much liked by many.

A handful of cherry leaves thrown into apple jelly while boiling will give the jelly a perfect cherry flavor. The leaves may be removed after boiling about twenty minutes.

APPLE AND FIG JAM

Wash and wipe the desired quantity of apples, cut in two, but do not peel or core, remove stem, cover with cold water and cook till soft. Pour in a jelly bag to strain. Cut each fig of the desired quantity into three or four pieces, cover with cold water and cook till soft, then cool. After the figs are cold, stir in with the apple juice and sugar, using one pint of sugar to one pint of juice, and two cupfuls figs to four pints of juice. Boil this mixture till it jellies, then put it in sealed jars.

Part of this jam may be flavored with a little whole ginger.

CRANBERRY JELLY

Cook one quart cranberries in one cupful of water for ten minutes. Put through a sieve, add one cupful of sugar, stir till sugar is dissolved, then pour into glasses. Do not allow juice to boil after adding sugar.

CURRANT JELLY

Wash and remove imperfect berries, but not stems. Mash, bring to the boiling point and simmer till currants are colorless. Strain through a jelly bag. Let drip over night. Next morning, measure the juice and boil for five minutes. Add an equal quantity of heated sugar, boil five minutes and pour into glasses.

Currants and raspberries make one of the very best jellies.

GRAPE JELLY

Pick over the grapes, wash and remove from stems. Put in a kettle, heat to boiling point, mash and boil twenty minutes. Put through a colander, then through a jelly bag to drip till morning. Measure the juice and boil ten minutes. Add an equal quantity of heated sugar, boil five minutes and pour into glasses.

RED RASPBERRY JELLY

Pick over the berries, wash and cook slowly till soft, using one cupful of hot water to each quart of berries. Let drip all night in a jelly bag. Next morning, measure the juice and allow an equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook enough apples to make one cupful of apple juice, strain, add to the berry juice and boil twenty minutes.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, cook five minutes longer and turn into glasses.

RHUBARB JELLY

Wash, and cut rhubarb into small pieces, put in a kettle with cold water to cover and boil till soft. Let drip through a jelly bag over night. Do not squeeze. Measure the juice next morning, and allow an equal quantity of heated sugar. Boil the juice fifteen minutes, add sugar and boil five minutes. To each quart add one teaspoonful of gelatine dissolved in a little cold water. As soon as gelatine is dissolved in the juice, pour into glasses.

DRIED FRUIT JELLY

Wash the fruit, let soak over night and cook in the same water. Cook till tender and proceed as in making Apple Jelly.

ORANGE MARMALADE

Wash and cut the peel in quarters from eight oranges and four lemons. Cook the peel until soft in enough boiling water to cover. Save four cups of this water and pour it over three quarts of sugar. Scrape the white insides of the peelings with a spoon, throwing this inside lining away, and cut the peelings in narrow strips with the scissors. Remove the seeds and the tough skin from the orange, dividing it into small sections. Then cook the syrup, pulp and peelings all together for nearly one hour.

CARROT PRESERVES

Wash and scrape three pounds of carrots, steam until tender, add two quarts of sugar, grated rind and juice of six lemons, and one-half cupful chopped almonds. Cook thirty-five minutes.

LEMON RIND PRESERVE

During the summer, whenever lemonade is made, after squeezing the lemons, drop the shells into a jar of fresh water, keep it in the ice box and change the water twice a week. At the time of changing, drops of pure oil of lemon will be found floating on the water. Put these drops carefully in a bottle. After about two weeks, scrape the white inside out with a spoon and throw it away. Weigh the shells and add an equal weight of sugar and cook slowly till thick.

RASPBERRY PRESERVES

Take an equal weight of fruit and sugar. It is usually cupful for cupful. Cook one-fourth of the fruit till soft. Strain it, and pour the juice in the kettle with the sugar, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Put in the remainder of the fruit and boil for five minutes. Dip out the fruit and put in jars till nearly full. Boil the syrup till it jellies, pour over the berries till jars are completely filled, and seal.

If a tablespoonful of glycerine be added to each pound of fruit used in making jam, it will prevent crystallization.

FRUIT JARS

Turn fruit jars upside down to prevent fruit becoming mouldy.

Put a teaspoonful of pulverized borax into a pan of cold water, put the jars in the pan and set on the fire till the water is at boiling point. Remove the jars, place on a cloth wrung from hot water, and fill immediately with fruit. Put on one rubber and screw on the cover. Let stand till just cool enough to handle, and to harden the paraffin. Pour the paraffin all over the rubber where it touches the jar and where it hits the cover. When opening jars, save the paraffin and use again.

When a fruit jar cover refuses to come off, run a knife around the jar under the rubber band, and the cover will loosen immediately.

SAVING PEELINGS

Whenever apples, peaches or similar fruits are peeled, dry the peelings, and at preserving time they are fine for jelly.

TO REMOVE PEACH SKINS

Place the fruit in a pan and cover it with boiling water.

Place another pan of the same size over this, and let stand until cool, and the skins will come off almost whole in the fingers. And when the peach is cut open, the pit will drop out.

When putting away fruit jars if the rubbers are dropped inside and the cover screwed down, the rubbers will be just as good the next season.

Discoloration on the hands from vegetables or fruit may be removed by dipping the hands in very strong tea and washing them in warm water.

CANNING IN THE JARS

CANNING APPLES

Add four quarts of cold water to one quart of sugar and boil to a syrup and cool. Wash, wipe and cut in quarters rather tart apples and pack in fruit jars. As fast as a jar is filled, cover immediately with the syrup to prevent the fruit turning dark. When jars enough are ready to heat, put them in a wash boiler, galvanized tub or dish pan, setting them on small pieces of wood to prevent them from resting on the bottom. Put in cold water to nearly the top of the jars and let it boil ten minutes. Some of the fruit will cook down, and all such jars must be filled with hot syrup. Seal immediately.

CANNING APRICOTS, PEACHES, PEARS, ETC.

Proceed same as Canning Apples.

CANNING PEACHES AFTER SEALING

Prepare a basket of firm peaches by washing, wiping, peeling, quartering and removing pits. As fast as peeled, put into cold water to prevent turning dark. Add one quart of sugar to four quarts of water and boil to a thin syrup. Set the jars on a cloth wrung out of hot water, fill tightly with the fruit, and pour in boiling syrup to fill the jars completely. Seal immediately. Place the jars at once in a tub or wash boiler and cover with boiling water. Place a cover over them and leave until cold. Pour paraffin around each jar where cover hits the rubber and where the rubber hits the glass. Old blankets or rugs may be used as a cover for jars in tubs.

CANNING PEARS, QUINCES AND GRAPES

Proceed as in Canning Apples or Peaches.

CANNING RHUBARB

Wash, peel and cut rhubarb in inch lengths. Place immediately in jars, fill them with fresh cold water and seal at once.

CANNING TOMATOES

Proceed as in Canning Peaches, substituting boiling water for syrup.

SPICED PEACHES

Wash and wipe firm peaches, but do not peel them. Add one and one-half quarts sugar to one quart of vinegar. As soon as the syrup boils, put in as many peaches as it will cover, cook till tender and seal in fruit jars.

TUTTI FRUTTI

Put one pint of French brandy into a three gallon stone jar. Put a layer of unsweetened stewed strawberries in the bottom, and cover with an equal quantity of sugar. Then add the fruits as they appear in market, stewing them till soft, adding one cupful of sugar to one cupful of fruit. Keep covered with a piece of thick white paper to fit in the jar. Dip the paper in olive oil and take it out each time fresh fruit is added. When the jar is filled, cover well and keep in a cool dark place.

CANNING VEGETABLES

CANNING GREEN BEANS

String and break into one inch pieces, then proceed as in canning Peaches, substituting boiling water for syrup.

CANNING CORN

9 cupfuls corn ½ cupful sugar ½ cupful salt 2 cupfuls water

Cut sweet corn from the cob, stir in with salt and sugar and boil twenty minutes. Pour into glass jars and seal as in canning fruits. After opening the corn for use, rinse in cold water to remove surplus salt.

GREEN TOMATO MINCE MEAT

1 peck chopped green tomatoes 4 lbs. sugar 1 lb. raisins 1 lb. currants ¼ lb. citron 2 tablespoonfuls cinnamon 1 tablespoonful cloves 2 tablespoonfuls salt 1 tablespoonful allspice ½ cupful butter

Put tomatoes through the food chopper to crush and loosen the juice, add all the other ingredients, cook until tender and can in glass jars, for use in winter.

CHUTNEY, CATSUP, PICKLES, ETC.

APPLE CHUTNEY

6 tart apples 4 tomatoes 1 onion 1 cupful vinegar ¼ cupful brown sugar 1 teaspoonful ginger pinch of cayenne pepper a clove of garlic

Peel and chop apples and tomatoes, add onion and garlic grated, spices, sugar and vinegar. Mix well and boil ten minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then seal in jars or bottles.

BENGAL CHUTNEY

2 lbs. green apples ¼ lb. brown sugar 3 cupfuls vinegar 1 teaspoonful ginger 1 teaspoonful garlic dash of cayenne pepper

Chop apples and mix all together in a stone jar and bake five or six hours till the mixture is like pulp. Seal in jars or bottles.

EAST INDIA CHUTNEY

3 pints vinegar 1 lb. brown sugar 1 cupful salt 12 large sour apples 7 large tomatoes 1 lb. raisins 2 oz. ground mustard 4 oz. mustard seed ¼ oz. tumeric ½ oz. cayenne pepper 4 oz. onions 2 cloves of garlic

Put all spices in a little cheese cloth bag and tie. Pare and chop the apples, tomatoes and onions, add the other ingredients, mix all thoroughly and boil for two hours. Put through a colander and seal in jars or bottles.

GOOSEBERRY CHUTNEY

2 pints gooseberries 1½ cupfuls raisins 3 onions 1 cupful brown sugar 1 quart vinegar 3 tablespoonfuls mustard 3 tablespoonfuls ginger 3 tablespoonfuls salt ½ teaspoonful cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoonful tumeric

Chop onions and berries, put on to heat and add the other ingredients and cook thirty minutes. Strain through a sieve and seal.

QUICK CHUTNEY

Scald and peel one large tomato, chop, add one small chopped onion and one chopped green chili. Mix thoroughly with one-half teaspoonful lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and sugar.

CATSUP

To keep catsup from moulding, place a few whole cloves on top just before sealing.

Always keep pickles and vinegar in glass jars.

PRUNE CATSUP

4 quarts prune pulp 3 cupfuls vinegar 1½ cupfuls brown sugar ¼ cupful salt 1 teaspoonful cinnamon 3 teaspoonfuls pepper ½ teaspoonful cayenne pepper 2 cupfuls mustard 1 teaspoonful cloves

Soak dried prunes over night. Drain and cook soft in boiling water. Remove pits and put through colander. Mix the pulp thoroughly with all the ingredients, cook for one hour and stir constantly. Seal and allow to stand at least a month before using.

TOMATO CATSUP

½ bushel ripe tomatoes 2 cupfuls sugar 2 cupfuls vinegar ¾ cupful salt 1 tablespoonful allspice 1 tablespoonful cloves 1 tablespoonful cinnamon 1 teaspoonful pepper ½ teaspoonful cayenne pepper

Scald and peel tomatoes, cut in small pieces and put in a preserving kettle to cook till soft. Strain through a sieve, add the other ingredients, cook about three hours and seal. Have the spices tied in a cheese cloth bag.

CHILI SAUCE

1 doz. ripe tomatoes 3 large onions 3 large green peppers 1½ cupfuls vinegar 2½ teaspoonfuls cinnamon 2½ tablespoonfuls brown sugar 2½ tablespoonfuls salt 1½ teaspoonfuls ginger ¾ teaspoonful cloves

Scald and peel tomatoes, slice and drain. Chop onions and peppers and cook all together about three hours till thick. Seal at once.

QUICK CUCUMBER PICKLES

1 quart vinegar 1 cupful olive oil ½ cupful salt 1 oz. white mustard seed cucumbers

Wash cucumbers, put in glass jars and pour the well mixed ingredients over them. Cover, and allow to stand for a week before using.

SMALL CUCUMBER PICKLES

Wash and wipe four quarts small green cucumbers, put in a stone jar and add one cupful of salt dissolved in two quarts of boiling water, and let stand three days. Drain off this brine, heat it to boiling point, pour over the cucumbers, let stand a second three days, drain, heat and pour over and let stand for a third three days. Then drain, wipe the cucumbers, and pour over them one gallon of boiling water in which one tablespoonful of alum is dissolved. Let stand six hours and drain from alum water. Mix the following:

1 gallon vinegar 4 red peppers 2 sticks of cinnamon 2 tablespoonfuls allspice 2 tablespoonfuls cloves

Boil these ingredients for ten minutes, then take one-fourth of it and boil with the cucumbers, a few at a time for ten minutes, putting the pickles as fast as boiled, into a stone jar. Strain the other three-fourths of the mixture over pickles in jar.

DILL PICKLES

Wash cucumbers and lay in water over night. Next morning pack tightly in jars and fill the spaces between the pickles with dill. Make a brine of three quarts water, one quart vinegar and one cupful salt, boil together and pour while hot over the pickles and seal. Dill may be added to suit the taste.

FRENCH PICKLES

1 peck green tomatoes 6 onions 1 cupful salt 2 lbs. brown sugar 2 tablespoonfuls cinnamon 2 tablespoonfuls mustard 2 quarts water 4 quarts vinegar 2 tablespoonfuls cloves 2 tablespoonfuls ginger 2 tablespoonfuls allspice 1 teaspoonful cayenne pepper

Slice tomatoes and onions, sprinkle with the salt and let stand over night. Next morning, drain, add two quarts of water and one quart of vinegar, boil fifteen minutes and drain. Then add the remaining two quarts of vinegar and the other ingredients and boil twenty minutes and set away in a covered crock, or seal in jars.

WINES, FLAVORINGS AND VINEGARS

GRAPE WINE