The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-08-03
JELLY MAKING
IS A REAL ART
Miss Kelly Tells How to
Avoid Common
Mistakes

By Amy Kelly, Home Demonstration
Agent Leader.
Who has not had the experience OF
being taken into a cellar with rows
of lovely canned vegetables, fruits, and
glasses of jelly and preserves all ar
ranged on the shelves. waiting TO be
served to the family? With what
pride the housewife shows this and al
ways exhibits some special variety that
is her special pride Other times she
will show you a glass of jelly and say
to you "My jelly all went to sugar
this year or MY jelly just wouldn't
jell and cooked it long enough. too.
What is the trouble?"
Exhibits of jelly at fairs show jelly
that is cloudy in appearance. syrupy
and dark colored. indicating that it
had been overlooked. The charac-
teristics of good jelly are that it
should be firm, not tough or syrupy,
keep its shape when placed on plate.
be quivery and not run. 1t should be
transparent-not cloudy-and have the
natural color of the fruit. These quail
ties are only obtained by making jelly
under the most favorable conditions
and, consequently, it is we'll for every
housewife to study the favorable con-
ditions.
Selection of Fruit.
The selection OF fruit for jelly max
ing is much the same as that for can
ming fruit. 1t should be fresh, sound,
firm and not ovcr-ripe. Under-ripe
fruit is preferable for jelly, as it con-
tains more pictin than over-ripe fruit.
Acid and sugar are necessary factors
in making good jelly. and pictin is
necessary, and when the three are in
the right proportion a good jelly is as
sured. The common fruits used for
jelly, such as grapes. apples, currants
and blackberries have the pictin and |
acid in proper proportions and, with
the addition of sugar, make an excel
lent jelly. Prunes. ounces. some var
eties of plums. cherries and peaches
must have either acid or pictin added
to them in order to make good jelly.
Pictn Test.
In order for the housewife to be
sure that there is pictin in the fruit
which she is going to use for jelly,
the can test it as follows: Cook
mall portion of the fruit and to one
tablespoon of the clear hot juice. add
me tablespoon of denatured alcohol.
Nix thoroughly, and if there is pictin, 4
gummy substance should collect in a
moss. If there is only small amount
# pictin. it will appear as small fakes
n the alcohol II it is not possible to
btain denatured alcohol, EPSON salts
an be used. Mix together ! teaspoon 4
ooked fruit juice, = teaspoon sugar (
nd IA teaspoon EPSON salts. Stir
ntil all are dissolved and let stand IS
minutes. If mixture sets into a jelly 4
'ithin this time, it is a good jellying
nee ext Giro. No. 81, Univ. of
H. If the above tests show no pic 4
n or a pictin that is aaky, pictin I
-om other sources. such as apples or
urrants, may be added. White cur Z
int juice is very desirable for rasp-
cry jelly and one-fourth of currant
lice to three-fourths of raspberry
lice is sufficient to make the jelly !
RIM. Commercial pictin is now avail !
Die and may be obtained at most gro- :
Try stores. 4
Acid Test. !
The only practical test for acid is :
} taste the fruit juice. 1t should have Z
decided acid taste as that from cur !
Ints or unripe grapes or a tart apple. 3
it is lacking, juice from any of the &
Dove fruits can be added to the fruit Z
ice being used. *
Preparation {
The fruit should be washed thor z
ighly and placed in kettle For the ;
,rries and soft fruits. allow IA pint Z
ws.e- to pound of fruit. For the 2
lrd fruits, such as apples and ounces, 7
low IA pints of water to pound (
fruit. The hard apples should be Z
i in quarters or eighths so that they =
III cook more rapidly. +
a
Cotton flannel bags made in three &
rnered shape are best for obtaining q
clean juice. Pour fruit into bag and =
juice drip into an earthen vessel 4
D not squeeze bag II clear jelly is Z,
sired. 1t is quite convenient many D
mes to pour fruit into a colander and !,
en- strain juice through the cotton Z.
nne' bag. This hastens the process =,
mcwhat as the juice strains through !,
{ colander and there is not so much ~