Evening star., 1925-09-11
Preserving and Picking
Some New Ideas for Handling Fruits and Vege
tables That Will Be Appreciated in
the Household.
the Household.

Our grandmothers were famous for
their delicious bottled fruit that would
keep In good condition from one sea
son TO another, and II was preserved
in a very simple way. Glass jam jars
and brown crooks were used, and as
long as they were scrupulously clean
and very dry they were considered all
right. Grandmother had not heard of
sterilizing jam jars and fruit bottles
with sulphur fumes, as is often done
these days, together with other pre-
Cautionary modern methods. The glass
jars We're simply filled with fruit.
There was no water or sugar used.
The jars were then placed in a slow
oven until the fruit had shrunk half
way down the jars and was covered
with the escaped juice. One jar was
filled up from another and the empty
Jars then refilled with more fruit. The
first lot of fruit was then covered with
oiled mutton fat, and when cold was
tied down with ordinary jam covers
dipped in milk and pressed firmly
down over the sides OF the Jars, to
which they adhered when dry. Before
the covers were put on, however, the
cid mutton fat was inspected TO see
If it had cooled imperfectly. If even a
tiny hole were discovered and some of
the juice had escaped a little more
oiled fat would remedy matters. Soft
fruits are far more delicious bottled
in this way, in their own luscious
juice, than in any other way.
Plum Jams and JeIlies.
DamSon puddings and pies are great
~ appreciated in Winter. A quantity
of damsons may be preserved by wash
ing and drying them thoroughly and
allowing a quarter of a pound of good
preserving sugar to every pound of
fr.1Iif q nj nlapinpr tho frlIir nd r
in alternate layers in seven-pound
stone jam jars in a slow oven. When
the fruit has softened and all the sugar
has dissolved cover with oiled mutton
fat and tie down firmly. Store in a
cool, dry place. 1t is very important
that all preserves should be kept in
the right atmosphere. A too-warm
place will make many preserves fer
ment and damp storage will result in
mildew, no matter how carefully they
have been prepared.
Plum jam.-Any kind of plums may
be made into jam, according to the
recipe, but the more acid varieties re-
quire one pound of sugar to each
pound of fruit. A good jam is made
as follows: Use three-quarters of a
pound of sugar TO each pound of
plums and one-half a pint of water to
each three pounds of fruit. Stone the
plumS or make slit in them and re-
move the stones as they rise to the
surface of the pan when the fruit is
cooking. Remove all stems and wipe
the plums. Put them into a preserV-
ing kettle with the water, bring TO the
boil, then simmer until the fruit is
soft. Remove all scum and stones.
Add the sugar, stir until il has melt
ed, then boil fast until the jam sets
when tested by putting a little on a
plate and leaving II in a cold place
for few minutes. Skim when neces-
sary. Put it into clean, dry Jars and
cover. Plum and apple jam is made
in the same way. using equal Quanti-
ties of each fruit. Choose sound but
green apples and peel core and slice
them. Allow one-half a pint of water
10 each three pounds of fruit A tea
spoonful of glycerin added to each
pound of sugar will prevent scum
forming on jam. AS the glycerin also
sweetens, little more fruit can be
used in proportion TO the sugar
Plum Jelly.-Choose ripe, round. red
plums for this. Wipe them. remove
the stems. then put the fruit into a
preserving pan with one quart of
water to each pound of plums. Bring
to the boil and boil until the water is
reduced by one pint. Strain the Juice
through jelly bag or through a clean
cheesecloth tied on to the legs of an
inverted chair. Leave until all the
Juice drips through, but do not press
or squeeze it. Measure it and allow
one pound of loaf sugar to each pint
Put the juice into pan. bring to the
boil, skim and add the sugar pre-
Viously warmed in the oven. Stir un-
I'll the sugar has melted. then boil
fest until the jelly sets when tested
Put into small pots and cover.
The fruit pulp may be rubbed
through sieve and boiled up with
three-fourths pound of sugar to each
pound of pulp. Boil, stirring almost
continuously, from three -fourths to
one hour, then put into pots and
cover. This makes a good jam for i'm
mediate use.
Inc preparation of jars for jam and
Jelly has a great deal to do with
the success Of preserving. The glasses
should be placed in a pan of cold
water and brought to the boil, and
then turned upside down and drained.
II they are placed on a cloth wrung
out of hot water while the hot pre-
serve is poured into them there is
little danger of their breaking.
To Serve With Game.
Small, hard pears can be preserved
for serving with game. A good way
to preserve them is to boil four
pounds of preserving sugar in two
pintS of water with the juice and thin
rinds of two lemons. Peel the pears,
but do not cut them, and allow eight
pounds of pears to this quantity of
sirup. When the sirup reaches the
boiling point. put the fruit in it and
gently simmer until the pears are
soft, then drain and pack in dry jars.
The sirup can then boil alone until 1t
is reduced enough to cover the fruit
when II may be colored with little
cochineal and the fruit then covered
and firmly tied down. Plums can be
preserved in this way also.
If picked pears or plums are pre-
ferred to sweeter preserve, vinegar
should be used instead of water, with
the same amount of sugar.
Perhaps you have on hand some
fruit of different kinds. but not enough
of one kind to make jam. A mixed
fruit jam is excellent for making
puddings and tarts If the fruit Is
fresh. Any variety of fruit can be
used for making this jam, the more
kinds the better.
Fruit and Vegetable Pulp.
Prepare the fruit as for jam. Re-
move the stones from all stone fruit.
Have ready some clean, dry bottles,
and see that the rubber rings and
clips or screws are in good order.
Pack the bottles as full of fruit as
possible, and put them into a ster-
ilzer or kettle. Put on the rubber
rings and caps lightly. Fill the pan
with cold water up to the necks of
the bottles, put it on the fire and
bring slowly to 200 degrees. Keep
it at this heat for about half an hour.
The fruit will have shrunk in the
bottles by this time. so one bottle
should be filled from another When