Principles of Jelly-Making 1245 



Very juicy fruits 

 If a very juicy fruit, such as currants, raspberries, and the like, is being 

 used, place the clean fruit (washed if necessary) in an enameled preserving 

 kettle, add just enough water to prevent burning (perhaps i cup to 4 or 

 5 quarts of fruit), cover, and place where the fruit will cook rather slowly, 

 stirring occasionally with a wooden or a silver spoon. When the simmering 

 point is reached, crush the fruit further with a well-soaked wooden masher, 

 then continue heating until the whole mass is cooked through. Transfer 

 the hot mass to a sufficiently large piece of cheesecloth (double if desired) 

 wrung out of hot water, tie the opposite corners together and let the juice 

 drain into an earthenware or enameled receptacle. This juice is Extrac- 

 tion I. When Extraction I is fairly well drained out (usually within a 

 half hour) do not squeeze the pulp for a second quality of jelly, as usually 

 directed, but instead make another juice extraction. To do this, untie 

 the cheesecloth, transfer the pulp to the preserving kettle, cover with 

 water, stir until thoroughly mixed, then cover, bring slowly to boil as 

 before, and drain again. The result is Extraction II. The aforesaid 

 alcohol test will indicate whether much or little pectin has been obtained. 

 If the former, repeat the process for Extraction III. Some fruits will 

 show an appreciable proportion of pectin even up to the fifth extraction, 

 but usually a third extraction sufficiently exhausts the pectin from the 

 fruit. 



Less juicy fruits 



If, instead of such very juicy fruits as those considered, the juice is to 

 be extracted from a less juicy fruit, such as apple, quince, and the like, 

 wash the fruit, discard any unsound parts, cut into small pieces (skins and 

 seeds included), cover with water, then proceed just as in the case of very 

 juicy fruits. Relying on the alcohol test for pectin, make as many extrac- 

 tions from the pulp as seem profitable. 



In making jelly from these extractions the writer generally prefers to 

 handle Extraction I by itself, since this is the more normal form of the 

 various extractions. But time will be saved if Extractions II and III are 

 mixed together for working up. 



THE JELLY TEST 



Although each housekeeper doubtless has her own satisfactory jelly 

 test, yet for reasons stated below it may be well to describe the one that 

 has given best results in our work. Our jelly test is one probably used by 

 many, and is that point at which the boiling mass " jells," sheets off, or 

 breaks off, as a portion of it is allowed to drop from the stirring spoon. 

 This is a quick test, and hence much better than the time-honored one of 



