The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-10
JELLIES
BY Louis Role.


The season for jellies is at hand and
some suggestion upon jelly making in
general will be timely. In the first place
it should be understood that not all fruit
can be used successfully to make jelly.
The substance in the fruit juice that
makes Jelly is known as pectin, and
some fruit juices are practically devoid
of this property. The lack of knowledge
on this point leads to the making OF
many so-called jellies which are in
reality nothing more nor less than
thick syrup.
That you may not fall into this error
let me suggest that combinations OF
fruits may be made that will keep you
out of trouble. For instance, rasp-
berries strawberries and cherries need
the addition of currants to secure a per-
feet jelly, while barberries, peaches and
pears need apples, plums or ounces to
secure the same desired result. Black
berries, currants, grapes and apples need
no assistance from other fruits. One
other suggestion: fruit juice that is OBJ
tanned without any pressure makes the
dearest jelly, and where pressure is
used in straining it is we'll to pass the
Juice through q. second and much hnen
strainer. Another point we'll to remem-
Der is that jellies are of finer flavor When
the Juice is not boiled long with the
sugar, while it is always well to make
but a small, quantity at one time. Let
me suggest several recipes for jelly
making that have proved their worth
time and again and in all climates.
BLACKBERRY JELLY.
If possible get the wild berries, as they
are of much better flavor. Mash the
berries and beat them slowly until all
the Juice is drawn out and strain twice,
as suggested above. Allow a scant cup
full of sugar for each cupful of juice,
heating the sugar in the oven. Boil the
Juice for fifteen minutes, then add the
hot sugar and boil until it thickens. In
pouring into glasses set them in hot
water and fill to the brim. Set away in
a dry place when properly covered with
prepared paper.
BARBERRY JELLY.
Pick over the berries and wash them,
put them into the preserving kettle, al
lowing three pints Of water and a dozen
quartered and corned sour apples to
every four quarts Of barberries. Boil
slowly until apples and berries are soft;
then turn into a bag and let drip, if you
wish the cIearest jelly possible; boil the
Juice thus obtained fifteen or twenty
minutes, skimming, if necessary, and
then add a cupful of sugar for every cup
full of juice; continue boiling until it
Jellies, pour into glasses and in day or
two cover and set away.
GRAPE JELLY.
Wild grapes when they are hardly ripe
are by far the best for jelly and should
be used if it is possible to obtain them
Pick the grapes from the stems care
fully, wash gently mash and heat them
slowly until the juice is all extracted;
put in bag and let drip; take this juice
and boil fifteen minutes, skim, add a
little more than equal quantity of sugar
if wild grapes are used, boil until it
jellies and then put in tumblers, as noted
above.
APPLE JELLY.
In making apple jelly use only tart
apples, and it is well to let the quartered
fruit stand in cold water over night be-
fore stewing. have also found that the
juice and grated rind Of a lemon added
to a dozen apples is a great improve
ment In, other respects the rules given
above for other jellies should govern
your action.
Nothing gives more pleasure to the
housewife than good jellies, and the
recipes given here will please all.