A guide to modern cookery

While this preparatory operation is in progress, the skins of the currants burst, and their juice flows into the pan. At this stage, transfer the fruit to a sieve lying on a bowl—a much simpler method than crushing and pressing them in a twisted towel. Allow as many lbs. of sugar as there are quarts of juice; put this sugar into the preserving-pan ; dissolve it, and cook it to the small-ball stage; thoroughly skimming the while. Add the black-currant juice, combined per quart with half pint of white- currant juice. Move the utensil to the side of the stove for a few minutes, that the sugar may dissolve, and then cook the jelly on a fierce fire, carefully skimming the while, until the “appe” stage is almost reached. Remarks: The object of adding the white-currant jelly is to modify the blackness of pure black-currant jelly. 2964—QUINCE JELLY Select very ripe fruit ; cut it into slices; peel and pip these, and throw them into a basin of fresh water. Then put them into a preserving-pan with three and a half pints of water per lb. of quinces, and cook them without touching them. This done, transfer them to a sieve, and let them drain. Return the juice to the pan, together with twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per Ib. ; dissolve the sugar; and set the whole to cook on a fierce fire, meanwhile skimming with care, until the “appe” stage is almost reached. As soon as the jelly is cooked, strain it through a piece of muslin stretched over a basin ; and by this means, a perfectly clear jelly will be obtained. 2965—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method A) Take some red and white currants, in the proportion of two- thirds of the former to one-third of the latter, and combine with them, per two lbs., three oz. of raspberries. Crush the three products together in a basin, and then press them in small quantities at a time, in a strong towel, in order to extract their juice. Put the juice in the preserving-pan, together with eight oz. of loaf-sugar per pint. Thoroughly dissolve the sugar, and set the 826 GUIDE TO MODERN COOKERY whole to cook overa very fierce fire; meanwhile skimming care- fully—more particularly at first, until the “appe” stage is reached. N.B.—The yield of juice from red-currants equals about two- thirds or three-fourths the weight of the raw fruit. 2966—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method B) Take the same quantities of white and red currants and of raspberries, as above. Carefully clean the fruit ; wash it in cold water, and put it into the preserving-pan, with one wineglassful of water per Ib. Cook the whole gently on the side of the stove for ten or twelve minutes ; transfer the fruit to a sieve, lying on a basin, and let it drain. Put the juice into the preserving-pan, with twelve oz. of loaf- sugar per lb., and proceed with the cooking as before. 2967—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method C) Take the same quantities as above of white-currants, red- currants, and raspberries. Remove the currants from their stalks by means of a fork, and collect them in a basin; clean the raspberries, and allow twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of the fruit. Dissolve the sugar in the preserving-pan with a little water and cook it to the small-ball stage; meanwhile skimming care- fully. Throw the currants and the raspberries into it ; put the pan on the side of the fire for seven or eight minutes, that the juice may exude from the fruit; and then cook on a fierce fire, skimming very carefully the while, until the “afpe” stage is reached. 2968—WHITE-CURRANT JELLY This is made from fresh, very ripe white-currants and two oz of raspberries per lb. of the latter. Any one of the three methods given above may be followed in its preparation, although Method C will be found to yield the clearest jelly. 2969—RED-CURRANT JELLY, PREPARED COLD