The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-14
PRESERVES AND JELLIEs.
Now to Make Them Clear and Rich ~ Our
&randmothers Used To.

Now to Make Them Clear and Rich ~ Our
Graadmothers Used To.
To the houseleepers of this genera
ton who can remember the translucent
preserves, surrounded with rich strip,
thick and clear, delicate and delicious
flavor, and the amber-hued, deep red
and purple jellies served on the tables
of their grandmothers, preserve-mak-
ing seems indeed lost art.
In making preserves and jellies many
things must be considered, the most
important being the quality of the
fruit, which should always be of the
best variety and flavor, and never un-
der or over ripe. If preserves are de-
sired clear and light in coler, loaf
sugar should be used in making them,
but granulated will answer the purpose
very we'll Large fruits, such as
peaches. pears, apples and ounces
should be carefully peeled with a
silver knife and thrown into cold
water to prevent discoloring. Plums
should be split with sharp knife and
the stones removed, berries must be
picked free of leaves and stems, but
nerer washed. Apples, peaches. pears
and ounces after being weighed
should be boiled in clear water until
tender, then put in kettle of strip
made Of pound of sugar to every
pound of fruit and = pint of water.
The preserves should boil evenly until
the fruit is clear and strip thick.
Small fruits should be sprinkled with
the sugar after being weighed, and let
stand several hours, then put ON tho
fire, and boiled slowly for forty min
utes. Preserves should be boiled in a
porcelain kettle, and put up in small
glass jars.
The proper condition of the fruit is
even more important in jelly-making
than in preserving, for if green or over
ripe, all efforts to make good jelly will
be in vain.
The fruit must therefore be gath
cred at the proper stage of ripeness,
and carefully pick ed over before cook
ing. The juice should be strained,
measured, and boiled before adding
the sugar, pound Of which should be
allowed to every pint; twenty minutes
is the usual time for boiling jelly, but
it is not always sufficient, and a few
minutes longer will be required some
times. The best quality of sugar
should be used fer jelly, or it. will be
stringy and dark celorcd. If the jelly
does not form in twenty-four hours, it
is useless to cook it over. Sometimes
if set in the sun it will be found to
jelly more readily. Red currants,
grapes, plums, and blackberries all
make excellent jellies for serving with
meats. Ounces, peaches, apples, and
pears make light jellies for cakes, pud-
dings and ornamental dishes.
The best peaches for preserving are
white frsestone, not entirely ripe. To
make them, split Large perfect peaches
in halves, take out the seeds, drop the
fruit in cold water. Make strip of
pound of sugar for every pound of fruit
and pint Of water. Drop the peaches
in, let boil for twenty minutes, skim
out, lay on large dish, let the strip
boil until thick, return the fruit to it,
and boil gently until transparent. Put
in glass jars, and cover. Yellow
peaches may be used, but make dark
er preserve. Apples may be preserved
in the same way, but will be improved
by the addition of sliced lemon. The
orange ounce and the Bartlett pear
make the best-favored preserves Of
these fruits and MAY be made like the
peach and apple preserves after being
scalded, as cooking them too long rem
ders them dark.
In preserving berries, or any fruit
liable to boil to pieces, small lump of
alum may be added to the fruit while
cooking to make it firm.
A cool dark place is best for storing
preserves and jellies, which are likely
to mold II kept too warm or exposed to
dampness.-Eliza R. Parker, in Ladies'
Home Journal.