SEASONAL JAMS AND JELLIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 451, 13 February 1948, Page 22

SEASONAL JAMS AND JELLIES

HE extra busy season for the housewife is here, especially for the farmers’ wives. So many kinds of fruit are all ready at the same time,-and jams and jellies must be made and preserving done, so that no fruit at all is wasted, Pulping This is a most valuable and economical stand-by method in the fruit seasonand needs no sugar. Even impérfect fruit can be saved, by cutting out any bruised portions. (Do not use over-fipe fruit, either in pulping or in jam or jellies.) Simply boil the fruit till soft and pulpy, using only enough water to prevent the fruit from burning. Butter the pan first. Soft berries and tomatoes should be crushed against the side of the pan with a spoon to draw sufficient juice to commence cooking, and no water at all will be needed. When well cooked, fill hot jars with the BOILING pulp and seal AIRTIGHT immediately. The pulp is ready for use throughout the year, and can be-made into jam or sauce or used in tarts. For making jam with it, bring it to the boil, add cup for cup of sugar, stir till dissolved, and then boil FAST till the jam will set when tested, stirring often. The juice of one or two lemons helps to set any jam. {Red Currant Jelly Ten pounds of fruit; 1 pint water; wash currants, remove leaves, but leave Stalks on. Simmer over low heat till fruit is reduced to pulp, Strain through jelly-bag, for 24°hours at least. Weigh strained juice and allow equal weight of sugar; or 1lb. sugar to 1 pint of juice. Bring juice to boil, and after a few minutes’ boiling, add the warmed sugar, stirring till thoroughly dissolved. Boil rapidly now, stirring often. Begin testing on a cold plate quite soon, as overboiling makes jelly stringy and tough. Take out only a small teaspoonful to test-if much is taken dut it takes a few minutes to cool and in those few minutes the jelly may be overboiled. When the teaspoonful is cold, draw the end of a spoon through it, and if the two halves don’t run together, the liquid is sufficiently boiled. For jelly-making it is good to leave the boiled fruit and liquid standing till cold BEFORE straining, as more goodness is extracted in this way (and dip your jelly-bag into water and wring out, before using it). Black Currant Jam Stew some good rhubarb in very little water and strain the juice. Allow 11% breakfast cups of this rhubarb juice to every pound of black currants, and 1Y~ilb. sugar. Boil the currants and the juice together for 10 minutes; add the | sugar gradually, stirring till dissolved; boil fast for 5 minutes, stirring well. Test before taking up, but it should take this time, approximately. Three Fruit Jelly _ Two pounds black currants, 2Ib. red currants, llb. raspberries. Put into pan "with just enough water to cover. Bring slowly to the boil, simmer gently till thoroughly cooked. Put in jelly bag,

leave to drip all night, Next day, put cup for cup of sugar (1lb. sugar to each pint juice). Bring quickly to the boil when the sugar is dissolved, and boil slowly for 15. minutes, or till it will set. Nectarine Jam Six pounds stoned nectarines, 414lb. sugar, 2 cups water, juice 2 lemons, 1. Gessertspoon butter, and kernels of about quarter of the fruit. Wash, but do not peel the fruit, remove stones, cut into pieces. Put into pan with water, butter, lemon juice and kernels. Boil till soft. Add warmed sugar in portions of about 1lb. at a time. Boil, stirring well. Should _ take about 1 hour-test it then, Peach Jam Allow %4lb. sugar to each pound of fruit. Peel and slice the peaches into darge enamel bowl, mix in half the sugar and leave all night. Next day boil up till peaches are soft, after buttering the

LB wae ott er — pan to prevent sticking. No water should be necessary, or only a few spoonfuls. Then add the rest of the sugar (warmed), stir till well dissolved and boil rapidly, stirring, till jam will set when tested. A piece of root ginger boiled with the jam gives a lovely flavour. Remove before bottling. Bottle and seal while hot. Plym Jam Three pounds firm plums; 3 breakfast cups water; 5 breakfast cups sugar. Put fruit and water in pan and cook’ till plums are soft. Add- sugar and_ boil swiftly till a little tried will set firmly. Remove stones as they rise to surface. Let cool a little before bottling. Fresh Apricot Jam Wipe the fruit with a damp cloth, Cut in halves, remove the stones, and weigh. ‘Allow pound for pound of sugar. Lay the fruit halves in a pan, with layers of sugar, and stand overnight. Next day bring slowly to the boil, stir, and boil quickly till it will set-about 30 or 40 minutes.