Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-24

THE name preserves or preserved
- fruit Is applied 20 a sweet product
made by cooking whole fruit or large
pieces of fruit in a heavy solution OF
sugar so that the pieces are clear, ten
der and transparent and retain their
shape. When making preserves special
care must be taken to have the Slrup
permeate the fruit without causing 1t to
shrink and become tough. If fluit Is
dropped into a very thick, hot Sirup
the juice of the fruit will be drawn out
so rapidly that the pieces OF fruit will
shrink and the outside will become so
coated with thick strip that very little
can enter the fruit itself.
1t Is usually best to start most fruits
IN thin to medium sirup. Very juicy
fruits may be started in thick s.rup,
as in this case the large quantity OF
juice in the fruit will thin the Sirup
before shrinking takes place.
Preserves will be better color II
only small quantity, about two to
four pounds of the fruit, is cooked at
one time and If the product is cooked
rapidly The preserves, as soon as
done, may be put into hot, sterllized
jars and sealed at once, but If an espe-
cially attractive product Is desired the
following process should be used:
Firm, sound fruit of uniform size,
ripe but not overripe, should be used:
Berries should be lightly washed and
stemmed. Cherries may be washed and
stoned. Plums should be washed and
have the skins pricked. Fruits such as
pears should be pared and cut INTO
pieces of suitable size. usually halves
or quarters Sometimes small pears
and crabapples are preserved Wnole
with the stems left on.
Usually three-fourthS pound OF sugar
IS allowed for each pound OF frult.
Make thin to medium strip from the
sugar by adding about one or one and
one-half cupfuls of water to each tree
fourths pound of sugar. Bring the
<irup to boiling point and drop IN the
prepared fruit. Cook the fruit raploly
until the pieces are clear and tender
and the strip is thick. Remove from
the fire and rapidly cool the frult IN
the sirup. It may be put out INTO
shallow dish for this cooling. Let the
fruit remain in the sirup for several
hours or longer, so that it may ABSORB
as much strip as possible and become
plump. Pack the pieces OF IrLlt care
FULLY in cleaned and Sterilized jars, con-
centrate the strip If it Is not aheady
thick enough, and fill the spaces In the
jar with this thick sirup. Adjust tne
rubbers and covers, partially seal, and
process in either steamer or a "a ter
bath at sinmering temperature LOT
20 minutes for pint jars or 80 minutes
for quart lars Do not let the water
come I'D over the covers OF the jars, as
some might enter and thin the slrup.
Remove from the water bath or
steamer, seal, and when cold laoel ana
store in a cool, dry place.
Cherry and Apricot Preserves-Seiect
three pounds Of red, juicy cherries, re-
move the stones and reserve the juice.
skin three pounds Of fresh aprlcots.
put the Juice, cherries, apricots, one
orange and one lemon sliced thin, two
tablespoonfuls of chopped canoled
ginger and six pounds OF sugar IN an
earthen bowl stir well with Woocen
spoon, cover and let stand overnight.
Cook slowly until thick and trans
parent.
Jam is made from small fruits Such
as berries or other fruit which has oeen
reduced To small pieces. When making
lam no attempt should be made to
keep the fruit whole. 1t should De
mashed and finely divided, SO that
when it is cooked with the sugar, the
material is alike throughout. II you
wish to Jam to be of desirable Jelly
like consistency. part Of the fruit must
be somewhat underripe, so as TO 1ur-
should be used in the proportion OF
one-half to three -fourths pound TO
each pound of fruit. When making |
Jam from berries the sugar may be
added directly to the crushed 1rult ana |
enough water used to keep the ma
terial from burning. Harder fruits may
need to be cooked for snort Time
before the sugar is added. Jam must
be stirred frequently during the cook
ing process and. especially toward the |
eI1d of the process care must be taken
that the jam does not burn. An en-
ameled ware or heavy aluminium Kettle
and a wooden spoon or paddle are oe-
sirabla to use when making jam. 1t
should be cooked until thick and jelly
like, then put into hot, sterllized jars
and sealed, or it may be allowed 10
cool, then packed into sterilized jars,
processed like preserves ana Sealeo.
enough peaches to make four cupfuls,
then add two cupfuls of sugar. Let |
stand for about half an hour. Mix |
well and cook quickly for half an hour.
Put into sterilized jelly glasses and seal
while hot This amount will yield four
glasses full.
Grape Jam.-Wash the grapes picked
from the stems, press with the thunn !
and foref1ngsr on the grapes, one py
one, to separate the pulp from the
skin. Heat the pulp over the fire until
it softens and changes color little, !
then with a woodn spoon rub the |
pulp through a PURGE strainer, leaving
the seeds in the strainer. To the pup
add the skins and sugar to equal the
weight of the skins end pulp. MIX
thoroughly and let cook for about 10
Seal and store like jelly.
Conserve.
A conserve is usually made from a
of two or more fruits, usually
with the addition of nut meats. The
fruit should be finely divided. The
sugar in the proportion OF half a
pound to three-fourths pound to each
pound of the fruit mixture. II nuts
are used, they should be added about
i've minutes before the cooked product
is removed from the fire. Conserve
should be cooked until thick and some
what jellylike and then poured into !
sterilized jars and sealed.
Plum Conservative two oranges !
with a damp cloth, cut in quarters and |
then cut each quarter in very thin
slices, removing all seeds. Let stand |
in water to cover overnight. Cook six |
pounds of plums without water until |
soft, then press the pulp through a
sieve. Cook the oranges until tender, |
add to the plums. together with one
and one-half pounds of large table |
raisins seeded and thr1e pounds OF |
sugar, and let cook until the mixture !
is like marmalade. Add half a pound |
of chopped nut meats near the end of |
the cooking.