July, 1911 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS xiii 
HELPS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE 
If the readers of AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS desire any information concerning the subjects treated under this 
department, write to the Household Editor and receive such assistance as may be desired. All letters accompanied by return postage will 
be answered by mail. Replies that are of general benefit will be published in this department. 
Possibilities of Small Fruits—Cherries Served in Appetizing Variety 
By PHEBE WESTCOTT HUMPHREYS 
ROM the time the first sweet cherries 
are at their best, in mid-June, until 
the last of the sour pie cherries and 
morillas are enjoyed, in August, they are 
the small fruit par excellence for giving de- 
licious variety in desserts and salads, and 
in canning, preserving and jelly making for 
winter use. 
For plain canned cherries, the early cher- 
ries—the oxhearts and other big, plump, 
sweet varieties—are the best. For the can- 
ning use less sugar than for the preserves, 
jams or jellies; half a pound of sugar to 
each pound of fruit will be sufficient. Pull 
the stems from the fruit, but do not stone 
the big cherries that are to be canned whole. 
Make a syrup by boiling the sugar with a 
little water (only enough to keep it from 
burning), then place in the cherries and boil 
gently until the fruit is done, without break- 
ing. Pack the cherries closely in glass jars; 
pour over sufficient syrup to fill each jar; 
have perfect rubbers and caps, screw on the 
tops while the fruit is hot, and just before 
setting away in the dark preserve closet, 
when cold, give the tops a final screw, being 
sure that they are air-tight. 
FOR WINTER USE 
For the preserves and jellies the sour 
cherries are the best. Use pound for pound 
of fruit and sugar. In preparing the jel- 
lies, quantities of the cherries may be 
stewed with the sugar syrup to secure 
plenty of juice, and this may be poured 
from the fruit for the jelley and the fruit 
then cooked with a little fresh sugar and 
water syrup, and cooked down rather thick, 
to make a stiff preserve. The cherries should 
be stoned before beginning the jelly making, 
then none of the fruit need be wasted after 
straining off of the juice. The fruit that 
is broken and mashed in the jelly making 
will be as fine for the jams as fresh fruit 
cooked for the purpose. Not onlv the jel- 
lies, but the stiff jams and preserves may 
be placed in jelly glasses or small pars, the 
tops covered with a thin layer of paraffin; 
and metal or paper caps will then “keep” 
the fruit perfectly, with no danger of sour- 
ing or moulding. 
CHERRY SALADS 
It is a comparatively new idea to utilize 
cherries in salads, and only those who have 
tested their possibilities in this form, for 
serving with cold or hot meats, have fully 
appreciated the sour cherries. For plain 
cherry salad, stone large sour cherries—pre- 
ferably the big, juicy, almost black morillas 
—cut in half, pile on small white leaves of 
curly lettuce and serve with mayonnaise 
dressing. Select small, round, ripe toma- 
toes, cut out the stem ends, scoop out the 
centers, fill with chopped sour cherries, set 
each tomato on a leaf of lettuce and cover 
the whole with French salad dressing. 
Chopped sour cherries and thin slices of 
oranges miake another pleasing form of 
salad, to be eaten with game or poultry. 
Finely chopped gooseberries and cherries. 
with lemon juice, form another distinctive 
salad with rich tart flavor, and variety may 
also be imparted by serving with different 
forms of egg dressing, the thin French 
dressing of olive oil, vinegar, pepper, salt 
and mustard, or the rich, thick mayonnaise 
dressings usually preferred with fruit 
salads. 
CHERRY DUMPLINGS OR CHERRY 
DOUGHNUTS 
This novel form of dessert may also be 
called cherry croquettes, or cherry balls, 
according to the form in which the dessert 
is molded before cooking in hot fat. Make 
a batter of one cupful of flour (sifted with 
a quarter of a teaspoonful of baking pow- 
der) one tablespoonful of olive oil, two 
tablespoonfuls of sugar, the yolk of one 
egg, and just enough cold water to form a 
“drop batter.” Stir in a pinch of salt, and 
at the last stir in quickly the beaten white 
of the eggs and a cupful of stewed cherries 
that have been drained from their juice, 
sweetened and chopped. This thick batter 
may be formed with the hands, after flour- 
ing, into small balls, tiny dumplings or 
twisted doughnuts. Drop in hot fat and 
fry quickly to a golden brown, coat with 
powdered sugar. They are delicious served 
hot, with vanilla sauce, and when made in 
quantity may also be served cold as cherry 
doughnuts. Cherry dumplings may also 
be made the same as apple dumplings (for 
boiling or baking), with a big handful of 
cherries in each dumpling. 
CHERRY PUDDING OF DIXIELAND 
The good old Southern puddings of sour 
cherries and corn meal batter, boiled in a 
bag, are hard to beat either north or south. 
Make a good corn meal batter, as for 
“Johnny cake,” with a cup of fine corn 
meal, half a cup of flour, a tablespoonful of 
butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, one egg, a 
teaspoonful of baking powder and enough 
sweet milk to make a very stiff batter, as the 
juice from the cherries will thin it while 
cooking. Stir in all the rich, ripe, sour 
cherries that the batter can be made to 
hold, allowing half a cup of sugar to each 
cup of cherries. The pudding should be 
so full of cherries that the batter simply 
holds them together. Place in a long pud- 
ding bag, drop into a pot of boiling water 
and boil without ceasing until the pudding is 
done. Rip the bag open at the end and 
down one side, roll out the firm, whole 
pudding, cut into thick juicy slices and 
serve hot with vanilla sauce, with butter 
and sugar creamed together, or with any 
rich pudding sauce. : 
CHERRY JUNKET 
To one quart of new milk allow one ren- 
net tablet, or three-fourths of a tablespoon- 
ful of liquid rennet. Ailow the milk to be- 
come lukewarm on the back of the range, 
Y our 
home—— 
needs the protection and 
feeling of security 
that comes with the 
ownership af a 
Smith F Wesson revolver 
You need one in 
your home. 
RAL] 
MERE 
We have a beautiful booklet that 
Send for it. 
SMITH & WESSON 
Manufacturers of Superior Revolvers 
416 Stockbridge Street 
SIP IRAIN CIBSTIIILI ONS ~ NGA. 
wil interest you . 
Distinctive Lamps 
Handel Lamps are striking and artistic. The 
colors blend perfectly, making the light soft and 
attractive. The entire effect is one of elegance 
and good taste. 
Style No. 5351, illustrated above, is for the burning of oil. 
It affords the mellow glow so characteristic of a perfect oil 
lamp. Price $20 (electric attachment $5 additional). 
Leading jewelers and lighting fixture dealers sell Handel Lamps 
(for gas, electricity, or oil). Write us forthe name of the Handel 
dealer in your town, also giving your dealer's name. We will send 
you our handsome Catalogue, containing helpful suggestions for good 
lighting and illustrating the many styles of Handel Lamps and Fixtures. 
THE HANDEL COMPANY 
393 E. Main Street, MERIDEN, CONN. 
New York Showrooms, 64 Murray Street 
The Burlington Venetian Blind 
will make your rooms shady and your porch cool and 
comfortable. It can be raised or lowered at will, 
and can be adjusted to any angle to suit the height of 
the sun. 
Enclose your porch and see what a change it will 
make in your whole home. It will give you a cozy, 
secluded room. The air will circulate freely and you 
will get all the advantages of open air; at the same 
time you will not be subjected to an inquisitive public 
gaze. The Burlington Venetian Blind will give you a 
place to read, sew or entertain-~a place for the children 
to play, too. 
Write for our iliustrated booklet; it 
will tell you about the various styles 
Burlington Venetian Blind Co. ,339 Lake St.,Burlington, Vt. 
