Harper's cook book encyclopædia

After all the juice that will has dripped from the fruit, the pulp may be squeezed into a second vessel, and the juice thus secured made into a second quality of jelly that will do for cake, etc. The juice should be measured, and to every pint of this 1½ lbs. of sugar should be allowed. The juice should then be returned to the fire, and while it boils the sugar may be heated in the oven. When the juice has been boiled twenty minutes the hot sugar may be added. After this the jelly should come to a hard boil, and may then be removed from the fire and turned into glasses while boiling hot. Jam from Large Fruits. — Apricots, peaches, damsons, pears, or apples may be made into excellent jam. Allow the same proportion of sugar as with small fruit. Peel and stone peaches, stone damsons and apricots, peel and core apples and pears. Let the fruit heat very slowly, boil threequarters of an hour, add the sugar, and cook five minutes longer. To peach and apricot jam add a few of the kernels of the stones, chopped fine. A table - spoonful of brandy to each pint of the juice is also an improvement. Jams from Small Fruits. — A good general rule for jams allows ¾ lb. of sugar to every pound of fruit. In currant jam the allowance might be a trifle more liberal. For strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, cherries, and ripe grapes the three - quarters - of - a - pound estimate will be found satisfactory. Stem and top gooseberries, stem currants, hull strawberries, pick over raspberries and blackberries, and stone cherries. Put the fruit over the fire in a preservingkettle, bring to a boil, and after that cook half an hour. Stir often. Turn in the sugar, boil twenty minutes longer, and seal boiling hot in jars or tumblers. If there is too much juice it can be put up in separate jars to use as pudding sauce, or converted into royal or shrub or vinegar, or any other home-made cordial. Fruit Jellies PRESERVES, ETC. Limes, Preserved Jelly from Large Fruits. — Apple, crab -apple, peach, pear, plum, and quince jelly may be made by the following directions : Slice or quarter the fruit without peeling (peaches should be peeled). Put it over the fire in a preserving- kettle, with enough water to nearly cover the fruit. Let it simmer until this is tender and broken, so that the juice flows freely. Take from the fire, crush in a vegetable-press. and let the juice drip through a flannel bag. Cloudy jelly will be the result of squeezing. When the juice has been measured, proceed as with jelly from small fruits. In making peach jelly, cook a handful of the kernels of the peach -stones with the stewing fruit, and add a table-spoonful of lemon-juice to every pint of the strained juice before putting in the sugar. For jellies made with gelatine, see Jellies.