JAM MAKING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1941, Page 8

JAM MAKING

v ! HOW TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF IT i RAPID BOILING IMPORTANT I ; What makes jam or jelly set? What > ■ is the correct proportion < i sugar to. 1 use. Why are some jams improved; by the addition of lemon juice? K-,w ' pong should we boil the fruit, . nd. ; why” Should we cover pre.- erves ’not i 01- cold, and what is the b< m, th>*d v f scaling? These and a host <.f ~;hV r •' questions are being discussed by home 1 ; jam-makers at this season. What :miy ! be a successful recipe in the hands of one person may prove a hopeless failure with another, unless the general: principles of jam-malting are understood. The skins, cores and pip.; of all fruits I are especially rich in this valuable jelly-maker. Pectin is found most abundantly in fruits that are just ripe. When they arc over-ripe the pectin turns into a form of sugar called pen- * lose. That is why over-ripe fruit is; 1 sweet, juicy and delicious to eat. but i unsuitable for jelly making. If over-ripe fruit is used fur jam or Jelly, the fruit sugar or pentose, com-' bine with the usual pound for pound ■ weight of sugar often added, gives too ■ much sweetness and the result is a * syrupy jam incapable of setting well. 1 and inclined to crystalise on storing, j: To ensure a good set use dry. just \ ripe fruit. If poor in pectin add le-• ‘ mon, apple or red currant juice or any ' ff the other pectin-rich fruits. The most generally quoted rule is. 1 11b. sugar to lib. fruit, but the quan-; tity of sugar depends on the ripeness. and amount of pectin in the fruit. Su-; gar adds to the keeping quality of pre-j serves, but too much tends to kill the; I real fruit flavour and in no way influences the set of the jam as so many . ] people think. In a sweet fruit like strawberries,*, which are poor in pectin. Jib. sugar to 1 ;

j each pound of fruit is sufficient. For i tart fruit, such as apples, and most ! stoned fruits which arc rich in pectin, . 11b. sugar to lib. fruit is best. The set of a preserve depends i largely on the time it is boiled. This varies with different kinds of fruits, i with their state of ripeness and on the i hardness or otherwise of their skins. ! Gooseberries and black currants arc | improved by being boiled first with a j little water until their skins arc soft i and tender. This preliminary boil to 'soften and break down the fruit should ! always take place before any sugar is 1 added. The cook's experience is the chief I guide in the matter of how long to boil lat this stage. Very moist, overripe I fruit needs longer boiling to i••» ar; rate (sonic of the moisture before the sugar is added and this i< where a large i surfaced preserving pan is a heh>. a. ev; purntioii is quicker than from a -small, deep pun. Slow, gentle ..rnmermg e advised unit! the fruit :•• soft 'and t-mler and only udlkicn v. iter to lia-ep tile fruit from stidtir.i;. Cause of Sugariness. F.-r tin- .mpormn! liw 1 r :. ■' < boil. there one inqs;ri;,m rule. After I adding correct weight of mumr. pi.ige : the i jii over :. low h< l and .: . well ! until < very bit of sugar hrs melted. | Failure to observe this rule often repulls m jam crystallising after tm ti.ge. ! When the rug.ar has completely mi lted |—and not before—the bail shmi’d lie a.-: ■rapid possible. ( This final quitk boil r.pj lies al.- ■ t ! soft fruits that need no preliminary itmil. such ;..•■ raspberries ;.mi :t..mberrics. to which the sugar is usu lly added overnight so that it mVib dually the lemon juice being added at j To test for ret . Hie c-»uciai n '.■■: ■ ■ ■ ' • I! ■ . i‘ ’r • ■ .. I