Wine Jelly
Half box gelatine dissolved in 1/2 pt. of cold water; add 1/2 pt. of boiling water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, juice of 3 lemons; let it come to a boil; strain and when cold add 1/2 pt. of sherry wine; pour into moulds. Use the same recipe for lemon jelly, only leave out the wine.
Pineapple Jam
Peel, grate, and weigh the apple. Put pound to pound of pineapple and sugar. Boil it in preserving kettle 30 or 40 minutes.
Gooseberry Jam
Time, 1 1/4 hours. Three-quarters pound loaf sugar to 1 lb. red gooseberries. Pick off stalks and buds from gooseberries, bruise them lightly, boil them quickly for 8 or 10 minutes, stirring all the time; then add sugar, pounded and sifted, to fruit, boil quickly, removing scum as it rises. Put into pots, when cold cover as above. All jams are made much in the same way.
Cherry Jam
To 12 pounds cherries, when ripe, weigh 12 pounds sugar; break the stones of part, and blanch them; then put them to fruit and sugar; boil all gently till jam comes clear from the pan.
Black or Red Currant Jam
Time, 3/4 of an hour to 1 hour. To every pound of currants allow 3/4 of a pound of sugar. Gather currants on fine day, pick from stalks. Put them into preserving pan with sugar broken into small pieces. Bring gradually to boil, then let simmer, removing scum as it rises, stirring jam constantly. When done, put into pots with brandy paper, or paper steeped in starch, over them, and tie them down closely.
Crab Apple Jelly
Wash the little apples and cut out all imperfections. Cover with water and cook until soft, then pour into a jelly bag and drain without pressure. Measure the juice and for every cupful allow 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Boil the juice rapidly for ten minutes, then add the sugar and boil ten minutes longer. Fill jelly glasses, let stand 24 hours uncovered, then seal air-tight. Always keep jellies in a cool, dry place.
Home-Made Jellies
Pure jellies are always high in price and the housewife may feel well paid for making various kinds at home. Fruits are suited for making jelly according to the amount of pectin which they contain. Pectin is a little like both starch and gelatine; apples and quinces contain a larger amount than other fruits and their juices turn to jelly easily; strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb have little of it, yet with care excellent jelly may be made from them.
Provide jelly tumblers having tin covers, a cake of paraffine, a cotton and wool flannel bag sewed up like a cornucopia and an enameled kettle that has an unbroken surface. Use granulated sugar and do not try to make jelly with over-ripe fruit---it should be just in its prime. Common ripe grapes make better jelly than the choice cultivated kinds. Rinse and drain the grapes, then put them in the preserving kettle, and as they become heated, mash them. Cook for half an hour, then turn into the flannel bag and hang it where the juice will drip into a bowl. When all has drained through that will come without squeezing the bag, measure the juice and put it back into the kettle to cook five minutes. Measure an equal amount of sugar and heat it in a pan set in the oven, but do not let it melt or caramelize. Add the hot sugar to the juice and cook five minutes, or until a little dropped on a cold place will thicken slightly. Skim well and strain into jelly glasses which have been put into cold water and brought to the boiling point. Put on the covers, and, after the jelly has cooled, melt a piece of paraffine and turn enough over the jelly to form a thin coating, which will act as a perfect seal against the air and prevent mould. Make apple jolly in the same way, adding a little water to the fruit when it is cooked.
Orange Marmalade
Twelve large oranges (navel are best), 4 lemons, 8 lbs. sugar, white.
Scrub the fruit, and slice thin; put in a jar and cover well with cold water. Soak 36 hours; pour off all the water, and chop the fruit; boil the sugar in about 1 qt. of water, add the fruit and boil till tender and clear; stir very carefully. Put in bowls, and cover with melted wax. Cover bowl with paper.
Orange Marmalade
Cut oranges in quarters, removing the seeds and pith from the center, cut very thin lengthwise. To 1 lb. of fruit put 3 pts. of cold water. Let this stand in granite or china dish 24 hours, then boil until clear (3/4 hour or so), Let it stand until next day and to every pound of this put 1 1/4 lbs. of sugar. Boil 3/4 hour, or until the desired thickness is obtained. Four oranges should make 8 or 9 glasses marmalade.
Orange Marmalade
Boil 24 large, bitter oranges until quite soft; about 3 hours
will do, and, of course, the skins must not be removed. Then
chop them up quite small taking out the pits. Make a syrup of
16 lbs. of sugar, add the juice and grated peel of 4 lemons, and
7 qts. water. Let the syrup boil until quite thick, and then put in
the oranges. Boil all together a good 1/2 hour, and watch it very
carefully, for if it overboils 1 second the color will darken, and
it will lose that clear golden tint that is so desirable. This amount
will supply a family of moderate size for the winter, at an expense
within $1.88.