STATE PUMOLOGICAL SOCJETY. 59 



that it was any different from jelly made this year. We might do 

 well to study the question a little more although some things we do 

 know we don't quite live up to. We don't seem to realize how 

 much difference little things make. Suppose the apple skins are 

 not used for some time and left to be discolored, then if we should 

 cook them in an iron kettle and don't happen to skim them and 

 then put them in jars that are not perfectly clean we may be sure our 

 jelly would be of an inferior quality and would not keep well. We 

 must be careful of the details of the work. 



Whatever may be the name of this substance, whether pectin or 

 pectos and whether both may not be used, it is certain that it is a 

 gummy substance, it is not exactly gum or mucilage but something 

 like it. It would be classed under the same head as starch but 

 still it is not starch. It is that which gives the firmness to our 

 jellies. It seems lo be most abundant in fruits before they are 

 ripe and this shows why over ripe fruit makes a syrup rather than 

 a jelly When apples are used in making jelly if we put an undue 

 amount of water with them when cooking we have a good deal of 

 juice afterward, but it is not so much the juice of the apple as it is 

 the water we have added. It is best to have only enough water to 

 keep the fruit from burning. ]t is best to use an agate kettle and 

 an agate or wooden spoon in stirring. Apples make the best jelly 

 when they are not fully ripe. The proportion that is best is about 

 one pint of sugar to one pint of juice. We shall have a very 

 sweet jelly if the juice is mostly water that has been put in. The 

 jellies of different kinds of apples will act a little differently. 

 Late in the season we may combine other fruits with the apple. 

 We may improve an inferior apple very much, if we are obliged to 

 use an inferior apple. It is a very convenient fruit to combine 

 with other fruits. It combines well with the quince and with the 

 pine apple and with other fruits. Of course they will not be quite 

 equal to the fresh apple but will be quite good. 



Ques. In using apple parings should not great care be used in 

 having them perfectly clean ? 



A)LS. Certainly, any dark portion should be removed and the 

 apples should be wiped. Sometimes I use the cores with the skins. 

 Sometimes in making apple butter I flavor with almond to make up 

 that little almond flavor which we have in the seeds. Apples may 

 be simply baked and served as a vegetable with meats. Apple 

 stuflSng is good for goose. 



