Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-07-28
OUR NATIVE PLUMS
GOOD WAYS IN WHICH THEY MAY
BE USED.
PROFESSOR GOFFS RECIPES
Modes of Treating That Come Off
cially Recommended by the Well
known Horticulturist-Dome
Products Thoroughly Delicious
For Table Purposes.

Prof. e. S. Golf, horticulturist al
the university Of Wisconsin, is MAX
ing praiseworthy endeavor to secure
wider use and consequently q
more general cultivation of the
native plum" by which he means
those cultivated plums that have beer
derived from the wild plums Of this
country. Most of the blue and vel
low plums OF the markets, he says,
belong to one or more foreign species
The best native plums are considered
by many to be superior to the
foreign sorts for culinary USE To
enable those unfamiliar with the
qualities of the native plums to make
the best use of them, Prof. Golf sub
mits recipes for the various prepare
tions to which they are adapted. These
recipes have been contributed by
several ladies who have had long ex-
perience in using the native plums
The native plums, especially those
with firm pulp, after being treated
by any of the methods mentioned be-
low are we'll adapted to all purposes
for which the foreign plums are
used. AS a rule, more sugar is re
quired for the native plums, but the
preparations are richer in proper
ton. The harshness in the skin and
stone of some native plums is readily
removed by steaming them in an
ordinary cooking steamer until the
skin cracks; or pour over them boil
ing water to which has been added
common baking soda in the proportion
Of half teaspoonful to a quart
The thicker-skinned varieties may be
readily peeled by placing them IN
boiling water or minutes. The
recipes follow:
just water enough to keep them from
burning, until nearly soft, then add
sugar to suit the taste.
Canning the fruit when well
colored but little hard, steam or
cook in a porcelain-lined kettle until
tender, put in cans that have first
been treated to boiling water, and
cover with boiling syrup made OF
equal parts granulated sugar and
water, filling the can to the top; then
run a silver knife around the can
inside to let out the air, and seal at
once. Plums cooked in the syrup ar
likely to be tough. Canned plums may
be used for pies and for mixing with
Or fiavoring other fruits. Plums are
often canned without sugar to be
used in winter for making fresh plum
butter. The juice of canned plums
makes excellent jelly.
Drying-De Soto, Wyant and doubt
less other varieties may be pared,
pitted, spread on plates, lightly
sprinkled with sugar and dried, frs:
in the oven and later in the sun
Cook like dried peaches.
Plum jelly-The fruit should be
gathered when only part ripe-about
half colored. This point is very es-
sential. Put plums in a large granite
or porcelain kettle-the latter is best
with barely enough water to cover
them. Cook until tender but not
until they are in pulpy mass. Hav-
ing previously covered a large jar
with a cloth, strain the fruit in and
let the juice drip through, but do not
squeeze. When all has drained
through, strain once or twice more
through another cloth, until the juice
is perfectly clear. To one measure or
juice provide one measure of granu-
lated sugar, but do not put together
at once. A very important point in
the making Of all jelly is that only
a small quantity should be cooked at
one time. Into a medium -sizeu Kettle
put, say, tumblers of juice; let it
boil briskly Is or 20 minutes, then add
the tumblers of sugar, and in a
very short usually from 8 to 10
minutes-the jelly will be finished,
light, clear and delicious. To test
the jelly, dip spoon into the boil
ing juice and sugar and hold it up;
when the jelly clings to the spoon in
thick drops, take it off quickly and
put into jelly glasses. The plum
pulp which is left can be put through
a colander and used for plum butter
The following point is regarded as
important by one contributor: The
earlier in the morning and the
clearer the day, the better will be
your jelly. A cloudy day makes dark
jelly, and if not made early in the
day the juice requires billing so much
longer that the jelly is dark, ana
sometimes it is almost impossible to
get it to jelly.
Another correspondent writes: cit
is we'll to begin to test it after (boil-
i.g) Is minutes, taking a teaspoonful
at time onto saucer and standing
in cool place for a moment; scrape
it to one side with spoon and if it
is done the surface will be partly solid;
then roll the tumblers in boiling