SUMMER MEETING, 18S0. 65 



Jellies from the ruby currant, the pale, transparent apple to the Ethiopic 

 blackberry or grape? Who cannot remember the generous slice of bread with 

 its liberal supply of jelly that was always given us when we were good? I have 

 always thought jelly to be the combination of all that was good to eat. Fruit 

 and sugar blended and moulded into one very toothsome whole. All that is 

 not pleasant taken out, such as peelings and seeds, and only the life blood of 

 the fruit left. It's beautiful to the eye and pleasant to the taste. Its very 

 manufacture is delightful. The straining, skimming, simmering, bubbling, 

 all tell of a peculiar pleasure, aud when it jellies that is a pleasure known only to 

 the practical housewife. 



The quicker the jelly is made, the lighter will be its color and the better its 

 flavor. The ripeness of the fruit has much to do with this. I have known 

 over-ripe fruit, or even ripe fruit, to persistently refuse to jelly at all. It 

 would be a beautiful syrup, but not a fine jelly. 



Only the best sugar should be used ; still I have heard old people say, to 

 whom making jelly was a work of fifty years ago, that better jelly was made 

 with maple sugar and the sun, than could now be made with granulated sugar 

 and the best evaporators. 



I have been astonished at our county fair to see what beautiful pale jellies 

 could be made from our dark fruits, grapes for instance. One glass in partic- 

 ular that I noticed was labeled black grape jelly ; it was as white as the whitest 

 syrup, and almost as transparent as water. On inquiring of the lady who 

 manufactured, she said it was made from a black grape, its proper name she 

 did not know, and when asked how she made it so light colored, " Why," said 

 she, " I squirted 'em." She had pressed the pulp from the skin and the result 

 was a most beautiful transparent jelly. The word she used to tell me how it 

 was done was more expressive than elegant; at any rate I learned by it exactly 

 how she did it. I do not know that there is any kind of fruit that will not 

 jelly unless it may be cherries. I have tried them, and though I could not 

 make a firm jelly still the flavor was most delicious. I have known excellent 

 jelly to be made from dried apples, though I never tried it. 



If there is one thing I am thankful for it is that my home is in Michigan. 

 We raise all manner of cereals and raise them to perfection. Ride now along 

 our country roads and you will proudly say, "Michigan, my Michigan." And 

 in all kinds of fruits that are adapted to this climate, that are pleasant to the eye 

 or sweet to the taste, we run riot. Then, when the summer clays are long, 

 when the sun, rain, and air bring us fruits of all kinds, let us take care of them. 

 Let us can, dry, and jelly them, that when winter comes we may carry the 

 most beautiful part of the summer into the frost, snow, and sleet, for fruit 

 speaks loudly to us of glorious summer days, bright with sun and beautiful with 

 birds and flowers. 



Mr. E. M. Potter said many people thought grapes could not be successfully 

 canned, but he had done it and gave the recipe as follows : 



To begin with, prepare a kettle of wax made of seven or eight parts by 

 weight of rosin (according to climate) and one of tallow, melted and well 

 mixed. 



Take ripe grapes, Concords are certainly the best for this purpose, pulp 

 them and boil the pulps until the seeds can be removed with a sieve or colan- 

 der. After which cook the pulps and skins together from one-half to three- 

 quarters of an hour, or until the skins are tender, adding sugar to suit the 

 taste. Use ordinary stone jars well glazed on the inside, or wide mouthed jugs. 



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