104 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



country at about i}£ cents a pound. The grape 

 juice purchased in market does not possess the 

 same body as that made from ripe grapes on the 

 farm. I cannot help suspecting it contains a good 

 deal of water and some preservative to cheapen the 

 cost and reduce the amount of sugar that would 

 have to be used to keep it from spoiling. The grape 

 juice I make is used mostly during spring and 

 summer. 



" I select perfectly ripe fruit. The riper and 

 sweeter the grapes, the more delicious the flavor 

 of the juice. After washing and stemming, I crush 

 the berries with a potato masher. This, I think, 

 is as good a way as any. There are several small 

 presses on the market for this purpose, but my 

 method answers my need. 



" After crushing I put the grapes on the stove to 

 simmer, not boil. Nearly enough water is added 

 to cover the mass of crushed grapes. After the 

 fruit is cooked soft I strain through a jelly bag 

 that has been carefully washed. When the bag has 

 become cool enough to be squeezed without burn- 

 ing the hands, the last of the juice can be pressed 

 out. If the juice were to be used for jelly making, 

 this would not be done, as it would render the jelly 

 cloudy. 



" The amount of sugar to be put in depends on 

 how sweet one wants the juice. It is safest to have 

 it very sweet to prevent fermentation. I put the 

 juice up in catsup bottles, using the same precau- 

 tions that I do in canning fruit. It is a safe rule to 

 use half the quantity of sugar that I have of juice, 

 by measure. If there is too little sugar the juice 

 may ferment and break the jars. 



"In canning, one very important thing is to have 

 new rubbers. It is never safe to use old ones, or 



