The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-05-14
SURPLUS STRAWBERRY CROP
I'd Growers as to Its Pro-
fitable Use by Secretary Bruner, of
the Agricultural Department.
Raleigh, May 4


May 1st. 1 beg to say that 1 am very
much interested in its contents. I see
at a glance that there must be a very
great waste of the strawberries just as
soon as the price becomes SO low as to
! make the shipment of the berries pro-
hibitive. 1t then becomes a grave ques-
ton as to what shall be done with the
thousands of quarts which remain in
the fields.
In replying to your question as to
what may be best done with them,
will say that it is a problem which must
be met and solved by the growers them
selves. AS a rule these gentlemen have
means enough, by cooperation, to erect
plants convenient to all for treatment
Of the surplus. I do not think that
syrup for soda water, while good in its
way, would consume enough of the ber-
rieS to make an appreciable diminu-
ton Of the quantity.
I am told that brandy made from
the strawberry is one of the finest for
medicine purposes, but as great
many Christian people object to the
manufacture Of brandy, 1 would not
recommend it. But there is no ques-
ton about wine. There is no reason
why both wine and vinegar should not
be made. About the same treatment
should be given the strawberry as the
blackberry in the production of wine,
and in the making of vinegar it is
only necessary to exp1 ess the juice and
set it away in clean barrels to fer
ment.
I am satisfied, that by cooperation,
jam factory would result in some
profit to the people. 1t is simple
process Of boiling and sweetening the
fruit, and putting it in glass tumblers
or jars and labelling with a neat la
bel, containing a special guarantee of
pure fruit Such a product would
find ready sale in all of the grocery
stores of the land.
There is so much water in the berry
that it would be rather difficult to
produce commercial jelly which would
meet the demands of the trade, how
ever, a jelly recipe is included. All of
the recipes presented are from we'll
known authorities, and 1 should like
very. much TO see the fruit growers of
the east organize for the production
of some of these conserves, wines and
vinegars, and put them on the market
in a commercial way.
Very truly yours,
II. K. BRUNER.
PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES
Pound for pound. Put them in
preserving kettle over a slow fire until
the sugar melts. Boil twenty-five
minutes. fast. Take out the fruit in a
perforated skinner and fill a number
of small cans three-quarters full. Boil
and skim the syrup five minutes longer
fill up the Jars and seal while hot.
Keep in a cool dry place.
STRAWBERRY JAM.
For every pound of fruit three-quar-
ters of a pound of sugar. Boil the
strawberries half an hour, stirring all
the time. Add sugar when you have
dipped out nearly all the juice leaving
the fruit quite dry. and boil up rapid
ly for about twenty minutes, skimming
carefully. Put in small jars, with
branded tissue paper over the top.
M. HARLAND.
STRAWBERRY JAM.
Select full grown. but slightly under
ripe fruit. To each pound of fruit add
half pound granulated sugar which has
been heated hot in an oven. Let stand
over night. Force the sugared berries
through a fine meshed sieve, and boil
in porcelain kettle or stone jar for 20
minutes. Put into self sealing or ma
son jars and cool quickly. Keep in a
cool dark place.
STRAWBERRY JELLY.
Select full grown, but under ripe
fruit. Boil in stone jar or porcelain
lined kettle until soft-this requires
about one hour. Place the soft fruit
in thin white flannel bag and squeeze
out the juice. For each pint of juice
measure out one pound of granulated
sugar. Place the sugar in a pan and
heat in oven until quite hot. Boil the
juice for twenty minutes, stirring Wig
orously. Then turn in the sugar and
replace on the stove until the Sweeten-
ed juice begins to boil. Remove at
from Gro tr,yy sy,f~ f,,y,, Ill
or jars which have been heated in hot
water. Cover the jars as soon as the
jelly sets with soft linen letter paper
which has been soaked in a per cent.
solution of blue stone and then dried.
Fold down the edges Of the paper and
tie a piece ftwine around the edge.
Keep in a cool dark place.
STRAWBERRY SHRUB.
Select fully ripe berries. Boil stems
and all in a stone jar stirring fire.
quently until they fall to a mush. Lay
a piece of cheese cloth on a sieve and
press or force the juice through. To
each pint of the juice add one pound of
sugar and boil 10 minutes. Pour hot
into bottles or jars previously heated.
Cork tightly and cool quickly: Keep
in a cool dark place. This does not
summer drink by adding tablespoon
full to glassful Of cold water.
STRAWBERRY WINE.
Crush fully ripe berries and press out
the juice. Allow to stand for two days
in a cool cellar. Filter through thin
white flannel which has been just be-
fore boiled in clean water and wrung
out not too dry. Place the filtered juice
in thoroughly cleaned bottles. Place
the uncorked bottles in a large pan or
water boiler and fill the boiler with wa
ter until the water comes within two
inches Of top of bottles. Heat the boil
er until the water boils for a few min
utes only. Now remove boiler from fire,
press corks into the necks Of bottles
and drive them down their full length.
The corks should have been previously
boiled for one hour in water to which
q small piece of boras or blue stone had
been added. Cover the boiler and let
the bottles remain until the water is
cold. Remove bottles, wipe dry and
store in cool dark place. This makes
an absolute pure wine of great medic
inal value, especially for summer
complaints.