The household gas cookery book

Jam: How to Make It. — General Instruction. — To make jam of any kind, a proper preserving pan is required, and a very even heat. Gas Cookers are especially good for making jam, as the heat can be regulated to a nicety and kept absolutely constant without any trouble whatever. If the jam is required to be kept a long time after it is made, one cannot do better than adhere to the long-established custom of using one pound of loaf sugar to every pound of fruit. Certainly, jam may be made with f lb. of sugar to every pound of fruit, but the result is not good in the long run. Care should be taken, moreover, not to purchase an inferior quality of sugar, and to use sound, wholesome fruit, or the result will be most unsatisfactory. In the case of juicy fruit, first put the fruit into a preserving pan ; stir constantly and let it boil for a few minutes. Then add the sugar, remove the scum as it rises, and boil very, very gently for about half an hour. Any juicy fruit may be treated thus; but with dry fruits, such as apples, the fruit and sugar should be put in the pan together and boiled gently for one hour. An excellent plan is to cook the jam in the oven, turning the gas very low, and placing the pan on the solid shelf. By this means the whole of the pan is kept at a uniform gentle heat, and there is less fear of the jam burning. Try if done by putting a small spoonful on a cold plate to see if it will set. When done, pour the jam into jars, and let it stand until quite cold ; then cover with air-proof paper well tied down or else gummed. Insufficient boiling is very often the reason of jam being spoiled. Jam should be kept in a dry store cupboard. Black Currant Jam. — To every pound of fruit which must be weighed before being taken from the stalks, one pound of loaf sugar must be added. In order to insure that the fruit is very fit for preserving, it must be quite dry, and after the stalks have been taken away, put them into a preserving pan with the sugar and boil for 45 minutes, pressing the fruit with a wooden spoon to extract the juice. Place a little on to a plate and notice if it sets nicely: if it does not, let it simmer a little longer. All the scum must be removed most carefully and continually stirred to prevent burning. When it is sufficiently cooked, pour into pots. When cool, cover as before directed. Great attention must be paid to the jam being thoroughly stirred, as it is very liable to burn, on account of the juice being so thick. 2o8 Red Currant Jam. — With every pound of fruit add | lb. loaf sugar. Strip the stalks from the currants after they have been weighed. Put them in the stewpan with the required quantity of sugar, and stir them and remove all scum as it rises, put the jam into pots and proceed in the same manner as for black currant jam. From the time the jam boils, all over three-quarters of an hour is necessary. Six or seven quarts of currants will make twelve pounds of jam. Plum Jam. — The flavour of plum jam, and, indeed, all jams made with stone fruits, is very greatly improved by the addition of a few bitter almonds. During the boiling process about half a dozen almonds for every pound of fruit is enough, though more may be used by those who are partial to them.