Jam-making Time

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 915, 22 February 1957, Page 22

Jam-making Time

OLIDAY time or not, when the fruit is ripe and ready the jam and jelly must be made. Very often it seems as if everything happens together, and must be done all at the same time -cooking for the shearers and harvesters, picking the fruit and making the jam-everything at once. Very likely there won’t be enough sugar to do everything, either. But you can always fall back on pulping; thank goodness. Just boil the fruit to a pulp with little or no water, according to the kind of fruit. Use just sufficient liquid to prevent burning until the juice starts to flow as the fruit cooks. Have the jars heated ready, fill them with the boiling pulp, and seal immediately. If you are uncertain about your screw tops, cover the whole top of the jar with melted wax after screwing down, as an extra precaution. If you haven’t any wax, paste two or three layers of paper all over the screw top, bringing them well down the jar. Flour and water paste will do-boiling water, of course. A New Zealand home-maker can generally think of some way out of a difficulty. If you get any bright ideas, please let me know. Strawberry Jam (3 minutes) Hull the strawberries and bring them to boil, crushing a few to start the juice flowing. Add an equal quantity of hot sugar, and stir till dissolved. Then add juice of a lemon and boil hard. Should be done in 3 minutes. No water. Strawberry Jam (No Water) Six pounds strawberries, 44 lb. sugar. Wash and drain the berries, sprinkle with the sugar and leave overnight. Then simmer till berries are plump (from 30 to 40 minutes), Juice of a lemon may be added. ' fi Black. Currant Jam This is made with rhubarb juice. Boil some rhubarb with not much water, so as to have strong juice. Strain as for jelly. To 114% breakfast cups of this rhubarb juice allow 1 Ib. black currants and 114 lb. sugar, Boil the currants in the juice for 10 minutés, add the warmed sugar, and bring back to the boil, stirring all the time till the sugar is properly dissolved, Then boil fast for 5 or 6 minutes. Test before taking up. Bottled Loganberries To each level breakfast cup of sugar, add 2 breakfast cups water. Boil together for 10 minutes. Place the loganberries (after washing) in hot sterilised jars and pour over them the thick boiling syrup, immediately sealing the jars tightly. The boiling syrup has enough heat to cook the berries. Fruit must be picked dry and not in the wet, otherwise it will not keep. Black Currant Jelly (Unusual) This has been variously described as "Lazy Wife’s Method" and "Full-flav-oured Method"! You don’t stalk the currants! Two pounds black currants, 2 Ib. sugar, % pint water. Boil water and sugar for a few minutes, then add fruit, including the stalks, and boil for 15 minutes after it comes back to boil. Test on cold plate. Strain and bottle. Raspberry Jam (No Water) Pick over the raspberries and put into pan without any water. Crush a few to cause a little juice to flow, and bring

to boil quickly. Add an équal weight of sugar, stir till dissolved, and _ then boil fast till it will

set when tested-approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Loganberry and Raspberry Jam One pound loganberries, 1 lb, raspberries, 1 cup water, 2 lb. and 1 cup sugar. Boil berries in water a few minutes. Add warmed sugar, bring back to boil and boil hard about 10 minutes. Test it before taking up. ; Three Fruit Jelly One pound raspberries, 2 Ib, red currants, 2 lb. black currants. Barely cover with water and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer slowly till thoroughly cooked. Strain all night through jelly-bag. Next day allow cup for cup of sugar and juice, bring to boil, stirring constantly till sugar is dissolved. Then boil steadily till it will set when tested-about 15 to 20 minutes. Raspberry and Red Currant Jelly Three pounds sugar, 154 Ib. raspberries, 134 Ib. currants, 14 bottle Certo, Use only good quality fruit. To prepare juice, crush fruit thoroughly. Add 42 a

breakfast cup water and bring to boil. Place fruit in a jelly cloth or bag and allow the juice to drain. Measure sugar and 2% lb. juice into large saucepan and mix. Bring to a boil over hottest flame, add small’ piece of butter or margarine and at once add Certo, stirring constantly. Then bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1% minute. Remove from flame, skim, pour quickly. Red Currant Jelly Ten pounds fruit, 1 pint water. Simmer till soft, strain through jelly bag for 24 hours. Allow 1 Ib. sugar to each pint of juice. Bring juice to the boil, add warmed sugar and boil till it will set when tested. Add a knob of butter. A little lemon juice is nice. Red Currant Jam Pick over currants, put in pan, crush a few to start juices. Bring to the boil. Add equal quantities of sugar, dissolve, and boil till it will set. Strain if liked. Rhubarb and Raspberry Jam Three pounds of rhubarb, 4 lb, raspberries, 6 Ib. sugar. Slice thybarb small,

let it cook till tender, with about 6 tablespoons of water. Add raspberries, mix and bring to boiling point. Add Sugar, stir till dissolved, and boil till jam will set. Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam | To 1 Ib. strawberries allow 1% Ib. rhubarb and 1% Ib. sugar. Cut the rhubarb to size of a strawberry and cover

all with half the sugar. Leave all night. Next day bring to the boil, add the rest of the sugar, and boil till it will jell. ©

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