The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-30

~ Ak >
Dear soul. she thought no woman Twins
her equal when it came to filling a pre-
serve closet. Her jams and jeliies wer'
deIicions. and they ought to ave been
Goodness knows she toasted her appls
blossom cheeks to a desperate crimson
her bright eyes were half burned out O
her head, and she must have felt like G
rag baby when she had gotten through
the wearisome business.
Preserving days in olden times meant
general upheaval of the domestic gin
The modern queen of the kitchen shud-
ders when she reviews the methods Of
grandmamma. although she admits
grandmamma's sweetneats were some
thing to dream about.
A lucky mortal is the nineteenth CEN
fury -housekeeper. She can preserve and
pickle as cool as a cucumber, and with
out one ounce of vitality being wasted.
Look at the cunning stove perched on
one corner of the kitchen table. She
might hang over 1t all day without losing
her temper. Heat will spoil the sweetest
disposition.
OH, electricity or gas IS the agent that
keeps the pot boiling. jam and jelly day
is no longer a bugbear. The woman who
prepares toofhsome sweets can preserve
and pickle, and when the last jar has
been Finished. throw aside her bib apron
and dance a two-step. so far as fatigue is
concerned.
In all the latest janaming and jellying
capers there is a noticeable effort to avoid
work. We are not growing lazy. but sen
slble. In a word. the world moves, and
we housekeepers move with it.
Here is one of the incest bits OF preserve
closet knowledge. It VIII not help much
this season. do cut it out and have it
all ready for next year. when strawber-
ries are around.
Fresh fruit. as delightful in Havor as If
just plucked off the vines. and mashed in
sugar all ready for that shortcake we
dotted on in strawberry season. is caper
No. /. 1t is so simple a little maid in
plaits could prepare it.
The fruit is mashed with a potato
rnasher until it is quite fine. To one cup
of the cold fruit is added one cup of
graduated sugar. This jam is poured
into glass jars. the fruit flowing over the
edges as the covers are screwed on. If
there is a slight leak do not bother, for
It is the excess of juice which acts as a
seal.
me lars are laid down on their sides
Il Is "ea 20 changs them from side TO
slde now ana then. Simple though this
lhetnod y lhere IS no aanger OF losing
= " using ~ ana me sasty mixture
WIZ pe .ouna ripe ana ready Eor a mid
"ihter shorlcake' Wnieh Viii De, = am as
sured, as appetizing and as short-cakey
as II maae IN leafy June Pour this Jam
over a brick OF vanlla ice cream and see
now NICE i IS
Currapfs and raspberries may be
damned IN this way. Also b~iackberries
althoush Fhey are rarely as great favor
Ives on account OF their seeds. Blue5er-
TITS a1e t2o tasteiess-
me larger fruits, peaches. ETC., would
not amount 20 much SO treated, for the
ar g lne "hose tning IS IN excluding air
from the Jam. The MASKING process acts
ar cannot be entirely excluded. it could
process IS a failure
: MINK lne most incident OF house
keepers must admit that nothing in jams
could pc less work to prepare and the
brisk little New England matron, who
vouches for the receipt, tells me I may
oner y 70 my friends without one tremor
Of dlstrust.
have you one? ! bet a cookie you will
say no l need not put on any airs,
1or l never saw a witch jar until a few
days ago when | was n of several
guests IN a dear old farm house. The
farm mouse IS in Connecticut, way down
among the sedges. and the sands of that
ideal Massachusetts coast
One morning my hostess and I took
our sewing and settled down with the
blue bottle flies and the bees under the
vine clad porch rafters of the big porch
and somehow, | hardly know how 1t hap
pened, we began talking preserves.
Then heard about the witch jar. And,
OF course, when once It had been talked
over l could not rest until | saw it.
A big stone crock, ~squatted on the cool
cellar floor. There was nothing weird
ABOUT It Merely an ordinary crock along
with lots OF other crooks. but when | got
a taste OF its contents then felt as If
ought to beg its pardon for Jumping this
jam with everyday preserves.
There was a sort OF potpourri OF fruits
within its bullying sides. Way along in
traWperry time the jar was started
First a half-cup OF brandy was poured
into the bottom OF the crock. This was
the foundation Then strawberries, one
cup 81 1Td4l, tutAeQ Will one cup Ol sugar,