St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-09
Rules Which the Good Housekeeper
Now Observes.
THE BEST CURRANT JELLY.
The Ripe Currants Should 90 Into
PreserVes---The jelly
Bag.

perfectly ripe. Those used for preserves
should be fully ripe. To keep light
color in jelly care should be taken not
to cook the sugar long, as this will
darken the fruit and cause it to ''candy."
Some persons are successful in MAX
ing currant jelly by merely heat
ing the sugar in the oven, and,
after the juice has boiled twenty min
utes, adding the sugar and leaving it
over the fire only until the sugar is
thoroughly dissolved. This makes the
jelly of beautiful color and delicate
flavor. but it is not usually so firm as
that made by the common method of
boiling twenty minutes before and ten
after the sugar is added. Do not ''skimp"
your sugar. A pound to pint is the
only safe rule.
The best jelly bag is made of new
flannel. Take square OF flannel and
fold it to make double three-cornered
piece; sew up one side; this leaves a
large opening by which to put in the
fruit, and the juice will all run to the
point. the weight of the fruit pressing
it out. Do not squeeze the bag. Little
juice can be gained in that way, and
what is will be of an inferior quality. 1t
will not pay for the labor.
Currant and apple jellies are the
easiest to make, as they are sure to be
firm. Apple juice will help to harden
Jellies that incline to be thin. Much of
apple stock, with fiavoring of various
kinds to Justify the labels attached. 1t
would be we'll if nothing more harmful
were ever used.
A delicious raspberry jelly may be
made by using one quart of currantS to
pint of raspberries. Pick over the
fruit, leaving the currants on the stem,
but taking out all the leaves. Mash the
currants and put them over the fire to
scald, then pour them hot into bag.
Take the juice that runs out
at once and pour over the rasp-
berries. Scald this and pour it into
another bag. Let both hang over night.
In the morning measure the juice, put
and weigh pound of sugar to each
pint of juice. Boil the juice well be-
fore putting the sugar in; it must boil
twenty minutes at least. Add the
sugar and let boil twenty minutes
longer; skim carefully; if the juice
does not look clear the white of an egg
may be added.
Crab apples make firm and palat-
able jelly. The Siberian crab apples
are easily obtained and are fine in flavor;
but if one can get them the wild crab
apples (the sour, green thin S that grow
on the thOrny trees in the country give
the greatest satisfaction. They have a
spicy flavor and pleasant acid which
are particularly delightful to invalids.
The juice of the crab apple-of either
kind-may be used for jelly with that
of other fruits, such as peach, raspberry
Or cherry, and will give firmness with
out in juring the flavor. The proportion
may be left to the taste of the jelly
maker.
J Ounce jelly is easily made from the
paringS and odd pieces of fruit left after
preserving, but it is not well to leave
the seeds in, as they tend to make the
jelly sticky and ropy. Grape jelly
should be made before the grapes turn.
A good old cook book says: In max
of light color, and crisp and firm.
Bright, fair weather improves the color
and flavor of jelly"
1t is well to have yariety-not too
much of one kind-of both jellies and
preserves, for the palate soon tires of
even pleasant flavor, and a house
keepers shelves may present picture
to delight the eye by careful and
artistic arrangement of the various
c0i0fS ana shades.
JellieS should stand open a day or
two after being put in the glasses, that
the moisture may evapOrate, but they
should be protected from the dust. If
thin let them stand in the suns rays. In
day or two cut papers to fit the
glasses; dip these in brandy, alcohol or
white of egg and press them closely on
top of the jelly. An old-faShioned
method is to pour melted butter or clean
mutton fat on top and let it harden. All
jellieS and preserves should be so COW
cred, then if mold appears it can easily
be removed without wasting the fruit.
Finally put on the glasses the covers
made for that purpose or cover with
paper, pasting the edges down.
1t is impossible to give more than gen.
eral rules as to the best place for keep
ing fruit. JellieS and preserves will
bear warmer place than canned fruit;
but each housekeeper must decide by
experience as to the best place in her
own house. 1t should be a dry, dark
place where the fruit can be easily
watched.
To make raspberry jam. weigh equal
proportions of fruit and sugar, put the
fruit in preserving kettle with little
currant juice, one pint to six quarts OF
berries, mash the berries as they cook.
using silver or q wooden spoon. Let
it cook well before adding the sugar,
after which boil ten or fifteen minutes.
While raSpberries are in season no
one should fail to make raspberry shrub
to use for summer drink. Pick over
black raspberries; if they need washing
put them in sieve and let water run
through them, the less the better. Let
them stand over night in stone jar,
covered with good cider vinegar. Next
morning smash them well and strain
through bag, not your jelly bag, as the
vinegar will injure it; measure the
juice and add three-Quarters of pound
of sugar to each pint; boil for ten min
utes and bottle while hot. For
use put spoonful or two in a
glass of water. This is one of the most
useful preparations that can be kept in
house, not only affording the most re-
freshing beverage, but being of singular
efficacy in complaints of the chest.
GooSeberrieS which come in July make
very good preserves, but are better
spiced according to the following fa-
nous recipe: Six quarts of gooSeber-
ries, nine pounds of sugar. Cook one
hour and half, then add pint of vim
egar, one tablespoonful each of cloves,
cinnamon and allspice; boil a little
longer. When cold they should be solid :;
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