Buckeye cookery

In making jams, the fruit should be carefully cleaned and thor- - oughly bruised, as mashing it before cooking prevents it from becoming hard. Boil fifteen or twenty minutes before adding the sugar, as the flavor of the fruit is thus better preserved (usually allowing three-quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit), and then boil half an hour longer. Jams require almost constant stirring, and every house-keeper should be provided with a small paddle with. handle at right angles with the blade (similar to an apple-butter “stirrer,” only smaller), to be used in making jams and marmalades. Jams are made from the more juicy berries, such as blackberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries, etc.; marmalades from the firmer fruits, such as pine-apples, peaches and apricots. Both require the closest attention, as the slightest degree of burning ruins the flavor. They must be boiled sufficiently, and have plenty of sugar to keep well. - To tell when any jam or marmalade is sufficiently cooked, take out some of it on a plate and let it cool. If no juice or moisture gathers about it, and it looks dry and glistening, it is done thoroughly. Put up in glass or small stone jars, and seal or secure like canned fruits or jellies. Keep jellies and jams in a cool, dry, and dark place. CURRANT JAM. Pick from stems and wash thoroughly with the hands, put into a preserving kettle and boil fifteen or twenty minutes, stirring often, and skimming off any scum that may arise; then add sugar in the proportion of three-fourths pound sugar to one pound fruit, or, by measure, one coffee-cup of sugar to one pint mashed fruit ; boil thirty minutes longer, stirring almost constantly. When done, pour in small jars or glasses, and either seal or secure like jelly, by first pressing paper, cut to fit the glasses, down. close on the fruit, and then larger papers, brushed on the inside with white of eggs, with the edges turned down over the outside of the glass. A Gooseberry Jam. Stew the fruit in a little water, press through a coarse sieve, return to the kettle, add three-fourths pound sugar to each pound of the pulped gooseberry; boil three-quarters of an hour, stirring constantly; pour in jars or bowls, and cover as directed for currant jam.—C. Meade, Tenn. Grape or Plum Jam. Stew fruit in a little water, and press the fruit through a colander or coarse sieve, adding a little water to plums to get all the pulp through; add sugar, and finish as in other jams. Raspberry Jam. Make by itself, or, better, combined with currants in the proportion of one-third currants to two-thirds raspberries; mash the fruit well, and proceed as in currant jam. Make blackberry jam like raspberry, except that it should not be mixed with currants. Strawberry jam is made exactly like raspberry. French Jam. The addition of one pound of raisins to each gallon of current jam converts this into a fine French jam.—Mrs. S. C., Ky. Fruit Jelly. Take one box of gelatine, soak it one hour in a pint of cold water; when well soaked pour on a pint of boiling water; then put in a quart of any kind of fruit, strawberries, raspberries or cherries being nice; add half cup sugar, one spoonful of extract of lemon; pour into a mold, and when cold eat with cream and sugar or whipped cream. It is delicious.—Miss L. A. C., Ky. . WiWine Jelly. One ounce Cox's gelatine, one pound loaf sugar; dissolve gelatine in a pint boiling water, add sugar and a quart of white wine; stir mixture very hard and pour in mold; when congealed, wrap mold in a cloth dipped in warm water, turn out jelly and eat with cream..