Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
The Preserving of Currants.


The preserve-kettle should be of a
shallow form, those made of porcelain
are the best, and tightly-ftting cover
is very desirable. Jelly-bags of thin
flannel should be made, in the shape of
a cornucopia, and tape strings attached
to them, so that they can be fastened to
a chair and the jelly turned into them
very slowly, and arranged so as to fall
into pitcher or dish placed upon the
| floor.
Strawberries, raspberries, currants and
cherries should be made into iellies and
jams with the best dOuble-refned sugar
if brown sugar is used it makes the jel-
lies and preserves of a dingy, reddish
brown, which is neither pleasing to the
eve nor to the taste. Neither should
brown sugar be used for green fruits.
Pint tumblers of common glass or
white earthenware pots are the best for
iellies marmalade or jam. The self
sealing glass jars are the best adapted to
preserves of fruit prepared with a small
quantity of sugar. Glass is always more
desirable than earthenware for keeping
preserves, as they can be examined with
out opening the jars. Foam or frothi-
ness is the sign of fermentation, but a
covering of thick mold is no evidence of
spOiling-it will serve to keep them from
the air; yet it should not be left too
long.
To boil over preserves-turn them
into the kettle, and place over slow
fire; when the foam rises skim it off
carefully, and when it rises no more
skim out the fruit into jars; then boil
the Juice once more, skim thoroughly
and pour into pitcher to settle; when
nearly cold pour over the preserves and
seal up tightly by dipping a cloth into
rosin and tallow and pressing it closely
over the mouth of the jar; then put on
the cover
CURRANT JELLY.-Pick fine, red, ripe
currants from the stems; bruise them
with pestle or meat FOUNDER and strain
through thin flannel or cotton bag. To
each pint Of juice put one pound Of best
white sugar and STIR until it is well dis
solved; set it over a slow fire and when
it boils skim well. Let it boil for fifteen
or twenty minutes, then try it by cooling
a spoonful little and pouring it into a
cup of cold water; if it sinks to the bot
tom directly and scarcely colOrs the
water it is done; if not, let it boil five
minutes longer. Strain it into small
white lars or glass tumblers and when
cold cover with thin white paper dipped
either in spirits or the white Of an egg,
and paste thick brown paper over the
jars.
ANOTHER METHOD-Pick the fruit
from the stems, weigh it and put it into
a stone pot; place it in kettle of boil
ing water, and let it remain there until
the berries are thoroughly heated. Turn
them out into dish and strain the Juice
from them as directed above. Put a
pound of white sugar to each pint Of the
Juice: turn into the preserving kettle
when the su gar is dissolved and boil for
fifteen minutes. Try as directed above
to see if it is cooked to jelly. If you
have not plenty of currants this is the
best recipe to use, as all the currant
Juice is extracted by being boiled.
PRESERVED CURRANTs.-Take ripe cur
rants free from stem; weigh them and
put three-quarters of a pound OF white
sugar to every pound of berries. Take
a teacupful OF water to each pound of
sugar. and boil until the sirup is very
clear: then turn it over the uncoOked
berries and let them stand over night.
Next morning put over a slow fire and
boil gently until the berries are clear
strip until quite thick, and pour over the
berries.
CURRANT JAM.-Free the currants from
the stems; take eight pounds of sugar to
ten pounds of berries Strain the Juice
from half OF the currants; then crush
the rest with the sugar; pour the juice
over them and boil in a porcelain kettle
until it is a smooth, thick mass. Have a