EVERY STEP IN CANNING: THE COLD-PACK METHOD TEXT

through it with the point of a spoon; if the path stays and the juice does not run together, the jellying point has been reached. When the jellying point has been reached, remove the kettle from the fire, skim the jelly and pour immediately into hot, sterilized glasses, which have been set on a cloth wrung out of hot water to prevent breaking. Fill the glasses not quite full. Never attempt to make more than six to eight glasses of jelly at one time. If new at the game make only four, because there is danger of the juice jellying in the kettle before it can be removed. When the jellies are well set cover them with _hot_, not merely melted, paraffin. The paraffin if hot will kill any germs that may fall on the surface of the jelly. Then cover with the clean tin or aluminum covers and store the jelly in a dry, cool place after proper labeling. STEPS IN JELLY MAKING 1. Select firm, slightly underripe fruit that is fairly acid and contains a large amount of pectin. 2. Prepare fruit as usual by washing, stemming, and so forth. 3. Heat slowly in acid-proof kettle until fruit is tender. Mash berries before beginning to cook them. A little water may be added if necessary to keep from burning. Cut hard fruits into small pieces; add half as much water as fruit. 4. Pour into dampened bag. 5. Drain through closely woven bag. 6. Make alcohol test for pectin to determine minimum amount of sugar to use, also the character of the fruit. The amount of pectin, the fundamental jelly-making property, varies in different fruits. To make the pectin test add to one tablespoonful of cold cooked fruit juice one tablespoonful of grain alcohol. Shake gently. Allow to stand one-half hour. If three-fourths or more of the juice forms a lump add three-fourths as much sugar as juice in making jelly. If the precipitate--pectin--is not held together in a lump or is less than three-fourths of the whole volume of juice, add less sugar in proportion to juice. If less than one-half forms a lump, add pectin to make the jelly, or can the juice for use as a beverage, flavoring, and so forth. 7. If fruit juice meets jelly-making test put on to cook. 8. Add required amount of sugar after juice begins to boil or midway in the process. 9. Stir until sugar is dissolved. 10. Cook rapidly, but not hard. 11. Test to determine when jelly stage is reached by dipping a clean spoon into boiling juice. Remove and allow juice to drip from it. If done, two drops will break simultaneously from side of spoon. Some prefer to wait until mass sheets off from side of spoon. Better still, use thermometer. 12. Remove from fire and skim. 13. Pour immediately into hot, sterilized glasses. 14. When cool add hot melted paraffin. Melt the paraffin in a little coffeepot or pitcher with spout, so it will pour easily. 15. Cover, label and store. No time can be given for jelly making, for several things enter into consideration: The proportion of pectin in the juice, the amount of water used in cooking the fruit and the proportion of sugar to juice; the more sugar used, the less time needed. JAMS AND BUTTERS Jams and butters are not so difficult to make as jellies. 1. Carefully wash berries and fruits. 2. Weigh the fruit on standard scales or, if scales are not convenient, use measuring cup. 3. Mash berries. Cut large fruits into several pieces. 4. Add enough water to prevent sticking. 5. Stir to keep from burning. 6. Cook gently until the mass begins to thicken. 7. Measure sugar, using three-fourths part of sugar to one part fruit. That is, for every pound of fruit use three-fourths of a pound of sugar, or to every cup of fruit use three-fourths of a cup of sugar. 8. Continue cooking, allowing the jam to simmer gently. 9. Cook the mixture until the desired consistency is reached. When a little of the jam falls in heavy drops from the spoon, it is thick enough. 10. A small amount of mixed ground spices, vinegar or crystallized ginger can be added if desired. 11. Pour into hot, sterilized glasses to within one-half inch of the top. 12. Allow to cool, seal with paraffin, cover, label and store. Fruit butters are always softer than jam. Marmalades are made much as are jams. The rind is usually used in lemon, orange and grapefruit marmalades. Conserves consist of a combination of several fruits. Nuts and raisins are often added to conserves. Preserves are thick mixtures containing sugar equal to at least three-fourths of the weight of the fruit. If you wish to eliminate the necessity of using paraffin or other wax tops for jellies, jams and preserves, you can use the cold-pack method of canning. You may have containers with screw or bail tops which you wish to use in this way. The following is one recipe showing how to proceed. Cherry Preserves. Place one gallon of water in a kettle and add ten pounds of pitted cherries. Boil slowly for eighteen minutes. Add twelve pounds of granulated sugar and cook until product is boiling at a temperature of 219 degrees. Cool quickly in shallow pans. Pack into glass jars. Put rubber and cap in position, not tight. Cap and tip if using enameled tin cans. If using a hot-water-bath outfit, sterilize twenty minutes; if using a water-seal outfit, a five-pound steam-pressure outfit or a pressure-cooker outfit, sterilize fifteen minutes. Remove jars. Tighten covers. Invert to cool and test the joints. Wrap jars with paper to prevent bleaching and store. When using pressure-cooker outfits on preserves, keep the valve open during period of sterilization. Fruit Juices. Fruit juices furnish a healthful and delicious drink and are readily canned at home. Grapes, raspberries and other small fruits may be crushed in a fruit press or put in a cloth sack, heated for thirty minutes, or until the juice runs freely, and allowed to drip. Strain through two thicknesses of cotton flannel to remove the sediment, sweeten slightly, bottle, close by filling the neck of the bottle with a thick pad of sterilized cotton, heat to 160 degrees, or until air bubbles begin to form on the bottom of the cooker, and keep at this temperature one hour and a half to two hours; or heat to 200 degrees, or until the bubbles begin to rise to the top of the water, and hold at this temperature for thirty minutes. The hot water comes up to the neck of the bottle. Cork without removing the cotton. If canned in jars close the jar partly, and seal tight after cooking. Fruit juices should never be heated above 200 degrees, as a higher temperature injures the flavor. Strawberry Preserves. 1. Add thirty-five ounces of sugar to one-half pint of water; bring to a boil and skim. With this amount of sirup the berries can be packed attractively without floating and no sirup will be left over. To this amount of sirup add exactly two and three-fourths pounds of washed, capped and stemmed strawberries. Boil the fruit until it registers 222 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy or chemical thermometer. If no thermometer is available boil until the sirup is very heavy--about as thick as molasses. Remove the scum. Fill the sterilized jars full of hot berries. Pour in enough of the hot sirup to fill the jar, leaving as little air space as possible. Put sterilized rings and caps on at once, but do not fasten tightly. Stand the sealed jars in tepid water up to their necks if possible. Bring this water to a boil. Let pint jars stay in the boiling water for at least fifteen minutes and quart jars at least twenty-five minutes; then close caps tightly at once. At the conclusion of the operation, stand each jar for a moment on its cap to make sure that the seal is absolutely tight. Recipe Number 2. The following method is preferred by some because it leaves more of the natural color in the preserves: To two pounds of washed, capped and stemmed strawberries add twenty-six ounces sugar; let stand over-night. In the morning pour juice thus obtained into a preserving kettle, add berries and cook to 222 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the sirup is very heavy. Pack and sterilize, as in Recipe Number 1. These recipes can be used for all other berries. When wet weather makes strawberries too soft or sandy for the table, they are still useful for making "strawberry acid," a thick sirup which, mixed with water, ice and perhaps spearmint, makes a cooling summer drink. Strawberries--Sun Preserves. Select firm ripe berries; hull and rinse. Place them in a shallow platter in a single layer; sprinkle sugar over them. Pour over them a thick sirup made of one quart of water and eleven pounds of sugar, boiled until very thick. Cover them with a glass dish or a plain window glass. Allow them to stand in the hot sun eight to twelve hours. Pack them in jelly glasses and cover with paraffin or put in regular glass jars or tin cans. Put the rubber and cap in position, not tight. Cap and tip or seal if using enameled tin cans. Sterilize for the length of time given below for the particular type of outfit used: MINUTES Hot-water bath, homemade or commercial 20 Water seal, 214 degrees 15 Steam pressure 10 Remove the jars, tighten the covers, invert the jars to cool, and test the joint. Wrap the jars in paper to prevent bleaching. When using steam-pressure or pressure-cooking outfit on preserves, remember to keep the valve open during the sterilizing. SPECIAL DIRECTIONS FOR JELLY AND JAM MAKING Apples vary in the percentage of sugar and acid they contain; a fine flavored acid apple should be used when possible. Winter apples are best for jelly making. If necessary to make apple jelly in the spring, add juice of 1 lemon to every pint of apple juice. Apricots are delicious combined with pineapple. Blackberries, elderberries and loganberries make delicious juices and shrubs for summer beverages. The total time of making blueberry jelly need not exceed 10 minutes. Cranberries are not always put through a jelly bag, but are rubbed through a sieve. Cherries are most delicious if preserved in the sun. A good combination for preserves is equal parts of cherries and strawberries. Crab apples can be combined with some juices, such as peach, pear and pineapple, to furnish necessary pectin. One-half currants and one-half raspberries make a delicious jelly; currants are in best condition for jelly making from June 28 to July 3. Black currant jam is considered quite a delicacy these days. Acid grapes are best for jelly; sweet, ripe grapes contain too much sugar. Equal portions ripe and green grapes are satisfactory. If gooseberries are fully ripe they make finer-flavored jam than do green-as-grass gooseberries. Some women are successful in making peach jelly, but be sure to test for pectin before completing the process, to save time and effort. Pineapple is best canned alone or used as foundation for conserves. An underripe, acid plum is best. Plums and apples combined make an excellent tasting jelly. Quince parings are often used for jelly, the better part of the fruit being used for preserving. Raspberries and other berries should not be gathered after a rain, for they will have absorbed so much water as to make it difficult, without excessive boiling, to get the juice to "jell." Rhubarb is an excellent foundation for the more expensive fruit. It will take the flavor of other fruits and thus we can make an otherwise expensive jam "go a long way." Strawberries combine well with other fruits and can be utilized in many ways. Select sour, smooth-skinned oranges. Lemon Marmalade. After the 9 oranges and 6 lemons are sliced, put in kettle; add 4 quarts water, cover and let stand 36 hours; then boil 2 hours. Add 8 pounds sugar and boil one hour longer. Grapefruit used alone is bitter. Oranges or lemons or both are usually combined with grapefruit. All wild fruits or berries used for jelly making must be fresh and not overripe. Barberry jelly is firmer and of better color if made from fruit picked before the frost comes, while some of the berries are still green. CHART FOR JELLY AND JAM MAKING KIND OF FRUIT|CHARACTER OF| HOW TO | AMOUNT OF | AMOUNT OF | FRUIT | PREPARE |WATER NEEDED| SUGAR NEEDED | | |FOR COOKING | FOR JELLYING ------------------------------------------------------------------- APPLES, SOUR | Excellent | Wash, |One-half as | ¾ cupful of | for jelly |discard any | much water | sugar to 1 | making | unsound | as fruit | cupful of | | portions, | | juice | | cut into | | | | small | | | | pieces. | | | | Include | | | | | | APRICOTS |Not suitable|Leave a few |For jam use | ¾ cupful of | for jelly | stones in |just enough | sugar to 1 | making. |for flavor. | water to | cupful of | Excellent | | keep from | apricots for | for jam. | | burning | jam | | | | BLACKBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |1 cupful of | ¾ cupful of | for jelly | | water to 5 | sugar to 1 | making | | quarts of | cupful of | | | berries | juice | | | | BLUEBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of | for jelly | | water to 5 | sugar to 1 |making; make| | quarts of | cupful of | a sweet | | berries | juice | jelly | | | | | | | CRANBERRIES | Excellent | Wash |One-half as | ¾ cupful of | for jelly | | much water | sugar to 1 | making | | as berries | cupful of | | | | juice | | | | CHERRIES |Pectin must | Pit the |For jam, use| ¾ cupful of |be added for|cherries for|just enough | sugar to 1 |jelly making| jam | water to | cupful of | | | keep from | cherries for | | | burning | jam | | | | CRAB APPLES | Excellent | Same as |One-half as | ¾ cupful of | for jelly | apples | much water | sugar to 1 | making | | as apples | cupful of | | | | juice | | | | CURRANTS, RED| Excellent | Do not |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of | for jelly |remove stems| water to 5 | sugar to 1 | making | for jelly | quarts of | cupful of | | | currants | juice | | | | CURRANTS, | Better for |Remove stems|Enough water| ¾ cupful of BLACK | jam | |to keep from| sugar to 1 | | | sticking | cupful of | | | | currants | | | | GRAPES, | Excellent |Wash, do not|1 cupful of | 1 cupful of UNRIPE | for jelly | stem; use | water to 5 | sugar to 1 | making | stems | quarts of | cupful of | | | grapes | juice | | | | GOOSEBERRIES | Excellent | "Head and |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of | for jelly |tail," using| water to 5 | sugar to 1 | making | scissors | quarts of | cupful of | | |gooseberries| juice | | | | PEACHES |Pectin must | Peaches, |Just enough | ¾ cupful of |be added for| apples and | water to | sugar to 1 |jelly making|raisins make| keep from | cupful of | |a delicious | burning | juice | | conserve | | | | | | PINEAPPLES |Pectin must | Prepare as | For jams, | ¾ cupful of |be added for| for table |enough water| sugar to 1 |jelly making| use |to keep from| cupful of | | | burning | juice | | | | PLUMS, |Suitable for| Mash fruit | 1 quart of | ¾ cupful of GREENGAGE |jelly making| and remove | water for | sugar to 1 | |stems; cook |each peck of| cupful of | |stones with | fruit | juice | | fruit | | | | | | PLUMS, DAMSON|Suitable for| Wipe and | 1 quart of | ¾ cupful of |jelly making| pick over; | water for | sugar to 1 | | prick | every peck | cupful of | | several | of plums | juice | | times with | | | | large pin | | | | | | QUINCES | Excellent |Cut out the |One-half as | ¾ cupful of | for jelly |blossom end.| much water | sugar to 1 | making, if |Mash and cut| as quinces | cupful of | not too |in quarters | | juice |ripe. If so,| | | | add crab | | | | apple | | | | | | | RASPBERRIES | Excellent | Wash them |1 cupful of | 1 cupful of | for jelly |thoroughly, | water to 5 | sugar to 1 | making | but do not | quarts of | cupful of | | let them | berries | juice | |soak in the | | | | water | | | | | | RHUBARB |Pectin must |Wash and cut| For jam, | ¾ cupful of |be added for| into small |half as much| sugar to 1 | jelly | pieces | water as | cupful of | making. | | fruit. | juice | Better for | | | | jam. | | | | | | | STRAWBERRIES |Pectin must | Wash and | For jam, | ¾ cupful of |be added for| remove |just enough | sugar to 1 | jelly | hulls. | water to | cupful of | making. | | keep from | pulp. | | | burning. | CITRUS FRUITS| | | | | | | | ORANGES | Excellent | For orange | Cook in |Three-quarters | for jelly | marmalade | water to | their weight | making and | weigh | cover. | in sugar.