612 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



To make currant jelly by the cold process follow the first rule 

 for jelly as far as dissolving the sugar in the strained juice. Fill 

 warm, sterilized glasses with this. Place the glasses on a board and 

 put the board by a sunny window. Cover with sheets of glass and 

 keep by the window until the jelly is set. The jelly will be more 

 transparent if the juice is strained through the flannel bag. Jelly 

 made by the cold process is more delicate than that made by boiling, 

 but it does not keep quite so well. 



Covering Jellies. Jellies are so rich in sugar that they are pro- 

 tected from bacteria and yeasts, but they must be covered carefully 

 to protect them from mold spores and evaporation. The following 

 methods of covering jellies are all good: 



Have disks of thick white paper the size of the top of the glass. 

 When the jelly is set, brush the top over with brandy or alcohol. 

 Dip a disk of paper in the spirits and put it on the jelly. If the 

 glasses have covers, put them on. If there are no covers, cut disks 

 of paper about half an inch in diameter larger than the top of the 

 glass. Beat together the white of one egg and a tablespoonful of 

 cold water. Wet the paper covers with this mixture and put over 

 the glass, pressing down the sides well to make them stick to the 

 glass; or the covers may be dipped in olive oil and be tied on the 

 glasses, but they must be cut a little larger than when the white of 

 egg is used. 



A thick coating of paraffin makes a good cover, but not quite 

 so safe as the paper dipped in brandy or alcohol, because the spirits 

 destroy any mold spores that may happen to rest on the jelly. If 

 such spores are covered with the paraffin they may develop under it. 

 However, the paper wet with spirits could be put on first and the 

 paraffin poured over it. If paraffin is used, have the coating about a 

 fourth of an inch thick. In cooling the paraffin contracts, and if 

 the layer is very thin it will crack and leave a portion of the jelly 

 exposed. 



Canned or Bottled Fruit Juices. Fruit juice is most desirable 

 for drinking or for culinary purposes. Grape juice is particularly 

 good as a drink. It may be canned with or without sugar but, ex- 

 cept where the grapes have a large percentage of sugar, as is the case 

 in California, some sugar should be added to the juice in canning. 

 Currant juice may be sterilized and canned without sugar. This 

 juice may be made into jelly at any season of the year. Fruit juices 

 that are designed for use in frozen creams and water ices should be 

 canned with a generous amount of sugar. For grape juice good 

 bottles are to be preferred to fruit cans. If you can get the self- 

 sealing bottles, such as pop or beer comes in, tne work of putting up 

 grape juice will be light. If bottles are employed, be very careful to 

 sterilize both bottles and corks. 



Grape Juice. Wash the grapes and pick from the stems. Put 

 the fruit in the preserving kettle and crush slightly. Heat slowly 

 and boil gently for half an hour. Crush the fruit with a wooden 

 spoon. Put a sieve or colander over a large bowl and spread a 



