Jelly recipes

CURRANT JELLY

Pick over half ripe currants, leaving stems on. Wash and place in
preserving kettle. Pound vigorously with wooden masher until there is
juice enough to boil. Boil slowly until fruit turns white and liquid
drops slowly from the spoon. Stir to prevent scorching.

Remove from fire. Take an enamelled cup and dip this mixture into the
jelly bags, under which large bowls have been placed to catch the drip.
Drip overnight.

Next morning measure the juice. For every pint allow a pint of
granulated sugar, which is put in a flat pan. Juice is put in kettle and
allowed to come to boiling point. Sugar is placed in oven and heated.
When juice boils add sugar and stir until dissolved.

When this boils remove from fire and skim. Do this three times. Now test
liquid with syrup gauge to see if it registers twenty-five degrees.
Without gauge let it drip from spoon, half cooled, to see if it jells.
Strain into sterilized jelly glasses. Place glasses on a board in a
sunny exposure until it hardens Cover with melted paraffin one-fourth
inch thick.



GRAPE JELLY

The Concord is the best all-round grape for jelly, although the Catawba
grape makes a delicious jelly. Make your jelly as soon as possible after
the grapes are sent home from the market. Weigh the grapes on the stems
and for every pound of grapes thus weighed allow three-quarters of a
pound of the best quality of granulated sugar.

After weighing the grapes, place them in a big tub or receptacle of some
kind nearly filled with cold water. Let them remain ten minutes, then
lift them out with both hands and put them in a preserving kettle over a
very low fire. Do not add any water. With a masher press the grapes so
the juice comes out, and cook the grapes until they are rather soft,
pressing them frequently with the masher. When they have cooked until
the skins are all broken, pour them, juice and all; in a small-holed
colander set in a big bowl, and press pulp and juice through, picking
out the stems as they come to the surface.

When pulp and juice are pressed out, pour them into a cheese-cloth bag.
Hang the bag over the preserving kettle and let the juice drip all
night. In the morning put the kettle over the fire and let the grape
juice boil gently for a half hour, skimming it frequently.

While the juice is cooking put the sugar in pans in a moderate oven and
let heat. As soon as the juice is skimmed clear stir in the hot sugar,
and as soon as it is dissolved pour the jelly in the glasses, first
standing them in warm water. Place glasses after filling them in a cool
dry place till jelly is well set, then pour a film of melted paraffin
over the top and put on the covers.