Kentucky receipt book

Five pints of currant juice, 2 pints of water. After it begins to boil, skim well and add 1 pound granulated sugar to each pint of juice. Boil 5 minutes, and test if it jellies. Currant Jelly. Put currants on fire and let cook until soft. Strain through a flannel bag. Put juice on fire and let come to a good boil. Skim well, then measure to 1 pint of juice, 1 pint of sugar. Let cook about 25 minutes, skimming all the while. Currant Jelly. Select currants that have been freshly picked and not too ripe. Wash, but do not stem. Mash a small quantity at a time in a stone jar with a potato masher; squeeze through a flannel bag. Strain again without squeezing; put the liquid into a porcelain kettle, set over a brisk fire. Put the sugar into earthen basins, place in the oven to heat. Boil the juice 20 minutes. After it begins boiling, stir in quickly the hot sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Skim (324) thoroughly and bring to a quick boil; cook two minutes. Dip the tumblers in hot water and fill with the jelly. Set away 24 hours. If not sufficiently jellied, cover the tumblers with common window glass and put in the sun several days. Cover with paper and put top on tumblers. Crabapple Jelly. Wash the apples, cut and remove all defects, but do not peel them. Put in preserving kettle, cover with water. Boil until soft, but do not mash them. Drain off water and mash apples with the back of a silver spoon, put this in jelly bag and drain into bowl. To every pint of juice allow 1 pint of granulated sugar. Boil and skim well (it should be done in half an hour). Dip jelly with silver spoon and put in tumblers that has been heated. Grape Jelly. To make grape jelly, select grapes not fully ripe, wash, drain and put in porcelain kettle. Mash, and cook until juice flows freely, then strain juice, and add an equal amount of sugar. Prepare same as other jelly, and put in tumblers. For Quince Jelly. In making quince jelly, always add the seed, as they contain much of the gelatinous substance. The core and peel also may be utilized. Cover with water, after removing defective parts, cook until tender, mash and strain. Prepare same as other jelly. Peach Jelly. The peel and stones of the peach may be used for jelly. Put them in porcelain kettle and cover with cold water, let boil to extract juice, then strain through flannel bag. Measure liquid, .and put 1 pint of granulated sugar to 1 pint of juice, also the juice of 1 lemon for each pint. Cook until it jellies, and put in tumblers. Cover top with letter paper dipped in whisky. If it fails to jelly, put tumblers in sun for several days. Quince Jelly. Take the peel and core of quinces, cover with cold water and boil until juice is extracted, then strain through flannel bag. Measure liquid, and add 1 pint of granulated sugar to each pint. Boil until it begins to jelly, and put in tumblers. Spiced Grapes. Wash and stem 3 pounds of grapes ; place in a kettle ; mash so as to allow the juice to flow ; cook gently until soft, rub through a fine sieve. Wash kettle, put back the juice with % pint of vinegar, 1 pound brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, ^ tablespoon each of mace and cloves. Simmer gently % an hour, stirring frequently, seal while hot. Serve with meats. PICKLES Sweet Cucumber Pickle. Slice 4 pounds of cucumbers and soak in brine a week. Put in clear water until salt is extracted. Boil cucumbers in strong alum water % an hour, then in ginger tea % an hour. Make a syrup of 1 quart cider vinegar, 1 pint water, 3 pounds granulated sugar. Season with mace, cinnamon, cloves, sliced ginger and celery seed. Put in the cucumbers and boil until syrup is tolerably thick. Watermelon or Citron.