Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-09-05

the juice utklnS W Doii, duu tiic SoS al
Immediately and stir until the sugar
when the juice begins to boil, more
time is given for the inversion of the
sugar by the acids of the fruit and
there is less danger of crystalliza-
ton.
Cooking the jelly.-After the sugar
has dissolved, the cooking should be
as rapid as possible. Finished jelly
can be obtained more quickly by
rapid cooking. Long cooking will
tend to darken the product and de-
stroy the pectin, which will cause the
finished jelly to be less firm.
Testing for the finished jelly.-A
thermometer can be used to great adj
vantage to show when the jellying
point is almost reached. No exact
temperature can be given, because the
jellying points differ with different
fruits, with the quantity of sugar us
ed, and with the same fruits at diff
ferent seasons. In using thermomet-
er for cooking apple jelly it has been
noted that the temperature is seldom
less than 105 degrees c. or 221 de-
grees F. or more than 106 degrees c.
or 223 degrees F. With grape and
currant jelly, between LOG degrees C.
and 107 degrees c. or 223 degrees F.
and 224 degrees F. will give the best
results.
Since no definite temperature can
be given for the finished jelly, the
most convenient means of determin-
ing when it is finished is to test it
with spoon or paddle. Dip a spoon
or wooden paddle in the boiling mass.
Remove and cool by moving it back
and forth for few seconds and then
allow the jelly to drop from it. As
long as there is strip present it will
run or drop from the spoon. When
the jellying point is reached, it will
break from the spoon in flakes or
sheets. When this jelly stage is
reached, remove from the fire immedi-
ately and skim. Swimming at this
point saves the waste.
Filling Glasses.-After skimming
the jelly, pour at once into hot ster-
ilized glasses and set aside to cool.
Cooling and Sealing-Cool as rap
idly as possible, avoiding dust which
will give contamination with mold.
When the jelly is cold cover it with
melted paraffin. By running a point
while paraffin is still hot, a better
seal can be obtained.
Storing.-Jelly should be stored in
a cool, dark, dry place. If jelly is
stored for a long period of time, it
will deteriorate in texture, color, and
flavor.
Mistakes to Avoid.-Soft jelly
Jellies sometimes are sirupy because
more sugar has been used than the
fruit juices require or because boiling
after the addition of sugar was not
continued long enough to drive off ex-
cessive water.
Tough Jelly.-Jelly is tough or
stringy because too small an amount
of sugar was used for the quantity of
fruit juice taken or because the boil
ing was continued after the jellying
point had been reached.
Crystals in Jelly.-Crystals appear
the jelly because of an ex-
cess of sugar. When sugar is boiled
with an acid for sufficient length of
time, it is changed into form which
does not crystalline. Crystals are
found in jelly sometimes because the
Juice is boiled to too great a concen-
tration before the addition Of sugar,
or in boiling the strip spatters on the
side of the pan, dries, and in pouring
the finished product these crystals are
carried into the glasses of jelly, and
in that way the jelly becomes seeded
with crystals.
Cloudy Jellies.-This may be due to
having cooked the fruit too long be-
fore straining off the juice or to not
having used sufficient care in strain
ing the juice. Sometimes it is MOTTO
ed in apple and crabapple jelly that
although it is clear when first made,
the Jelly becomes cloudy after time.
In these cases it usually is due to the
use of partly green fruit, the starch |
in this fruit probably causing the
cloudy appearance.