40 



of nine ounces of sugar. 



The other New England fruits together with their vari- 

 ous products also offer additional sources of relatively cheap 

 energy in the form of sugars. Peach, pear, plum and grape 

 butter are among the cheaper products, while properly made 

 jams and preserves of the small fruits need not be expensive 

 and they too should be classed as cheap sources of energy. 



Nor must the housewife consider that all these delici- 

 ous and nutritious fruit products are beyond her means. 

 If she will forget the old and most of the new instructions 

 that are to be found in our books on canning, preserving, 

 etc., and will use ber own good common sense she will be 

 able to make most of these products at a cost which the 

 average family can afford. 



Now is a splendid time to break away from the old rule 

 of Shylock of a "pound for a poimd" and to make our pre- 

 serves, our butters and our jellies by reducing the amount of 

 sugar we use to one half or less than recommended in the 

 books. And one of the first noteworthy results will be that 

 with sugar double its normal price our pantry shelves may 

 still carry their accustomed load of fruit products at no 

 greater cost for the sugar. 



We can go a step further. We can make many of our 

 products by a still greater reduction of sugar, in many in- 

 stances dispensing with it altogether if we but first pull the 

 teeth of the acid. 



This reduction of sugar means that our fruit products 

 will be 40-60 percent sugar with a characteristic fruit flavor 

 instead of the rich sugary pa.s1»es colored and very slightly 

 flavored with fruit as always result from the application of 

 that old "pound for pound" rule. 



When are fruits in best condition for manufacturing in- 

 to their products? The answer to this question depends up- 

 on the one who is giving the desired information, or as is 

 often the case, the misinformation. There are some who say 

 that in making jellies the fruits must be used before they 

 are ripe. The reason given is that the jelly will be clear and 



