The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-19
IN PRESERVING
FRESH FRUITS
Timely Hints For Housewives
Who Prefer the Work of Their
Own Hands to the Sweets Sold
In the Shops.
ALTHOUGH excellent Jams. iel

lies anu preserves may De DQf-
chased nowadays, the thrifty
and fastidious housewife very
often prepares her own If you have a
place where you can grow a little fruit
this is no doubt an economy, or if you
are near large city markets where fruit
in quantities can often be purchased
cheaply it is most commendabIe.
If the fruit is home grown have it
gathered on fine, dry day, early in
the morning. 1t should not on any ac-
count be overripe, as once 1t is ripe
the substance in the fruit called pee
/ tose. which is what jellies when boiled
and cooled, begins to lessen in quality
and quantity. If you use overripe fruit
do not expect the jam to set well.
The amount of pectose in fruit va
ries with different seasons, and this is
why it is sometimes almost impossible
to get jam as firm as it really ought to
be. There isn't enough pectose in the
fruit to make it jelly, and so it won't
get firm
If you have to buy your fruit always
pick out that which is dry, ripe and
| sound Damp or overripe fruit will
cause jam to ferment or turn moldy
Some fruits never jelly really we'll
Peaches, grapes and pears, instead of
forming a good jelly, become gummy
Add to such fruits some strained juice
from unpeeled and uncored apples, cut
up and stewed till soft in very little
water. Use this juice instead of the
water ordered or add it if no water is
supposed to be used
If jam is to set properly and keep
we'll it must be allowed to boil until
little will set in jelly when poured
on plate and left to cool.
To merely simmer jam is not boiling
it. The surface must be bubbfing all
over il it is to really boil, and it must
be kept boiling till it is cooked
, 1t is hard to say how long any jam
should boil, as the time varies accord
: ing to the amount of pectose in the
: fruit. Some years there is more, some
: less.
: With jams like raspberry, in which
| one wants the fruit to remain whole,
: 1T is a good plan to boil sugar and
water first, then add the fruit, or, if
no water is to be used, put the sugar
and fruit in the pan and let them stand
: by the side of the fire till the sugar
is dissolved before beginning to boil
: Fruits with hard skins. such as
J plums, should always be cooked with
: the water first. If fruit and sugar
! are boiled together, at first the skins
are hard and tough. When the skins
4 have softened add the sugar, but do
| not let it actually boil again till the
: sugar has dissolved.
1 Always crack some of the stones
from plums, etc, and add the kernels
Q to the jam.
[ Have the vessel not more than three
$ parts full, so that you may be able
? to boil the jam fast without its boiling
! over.
r Boil steadily, skim and stir well. and
n In order to lessen the risk of burning
it is a good plan with an open fire t
raise the pan little, so that the bot
tom of 1t does not actually come il
= contact with the flame
If two kinds of fruits are to be use(
cook the hardest variety before addin.
the other. For instance, when combn
: Ing blackberries and apples cook tn,
apples first.
When the preserve looks thick, turns
. clear looking and is reduced in quaint
Il ty pour a little of it on to a saucer
cool it and note if. when cold, 1t vii
d wrinkle up into jelly
5 Meantime keep the pan off the fir
I for a little while. for fear the remain
e specimen is cooling.