METHODS OF FEUIT PRESERVING. 



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The juice may be pressed from the fruit left in the strainer and used in marma- 

 lade or for a second-quality jelly. 



To make jelly that will not crystallise (candy) the right proportion of sugar 

 must be added to the fruit-juice. If the fruit contain a high percentage of 

 sugar, the quantity of added sugar should be a little less than the quantity o 

 fruit-juice. That is to say, in a season when there has been a great deal of 

 heat and sunshine there will be more sugar in the fruit than in a cold, wet 

 season ; consequently 1 pint of Currant juice will require but three-quarters of 

 a pint of sugar. But in a cold, wet season the pint of sugar for the pint of juice 

 must be measured generously. 



Another cause of the jelly crystallising is hard boiling. When the syrup 

 boils so rapidly that particles of it are thrown on the upper part of the sides of 

 the preserving-kettle they often form crystals. If these crystals are stirred into 

 the syrup they are apt to cause the mass to crystallise in time. 



Jellies should be covered closely and kept in a cool, dry, dark place. 



The late Prof. Goff, of the Wisconsin Experimental Station published 

 some recipes for canning and preserving American Plums, including the 

 following : — 



The native Plums, especially those with firm pulp, after being treated by 

 any of the methods mentioned below, are well adapted to all purposes for which 

 the foreign Plums are used. As a rule, more sugar is required for the native 

 Plums, but the preparations are rich in proportion. The harshness in the skin 

 and stone of some native Plums is readily removed by steaming them in an 

 ordinary cooking steamer until the skin cracks ; or pour over them boiling 

 water to which has been added common baking soda in the proportion of half 

 a teaspoonful to a quart. The thicker-skinned varieties may be readily peeled 

 by placing them in boiling water two or three minutes. The recipes follow : — 



Canning. — Pick the fruit when well coloured but a little hard, steam or 

 cook in a porcelain-lined kettle until tender, put in cans that have first been 

 treated to boiling water, and cover with boiling syrup made of equal parts of 

 granulated sugar and water, filling the can to the top ; then run a silver knife 

 around the can inside and let out the air, and seal at once. Plums cooked in 

 the syrup are likely to be tough. Canned Plums may be used for pies and for 

 mixing with or flavouring other fruit. Plums are often canned without sugar 

 to be used in winter for making fresh Plum butter. The juice of canned Plums 

 makes excellent jelly. One lady recommends splitting native Plums to the 

 stone on one side before cooking to avoid crumbling. 



Drying. — De Soto, Wyant, and doubtless other varieties may be pared, 

 pitted, and spread on plates, lightly sprinkled with sugar and dried, first in the 

 oven and later in the sun. Cook like dried Peaches. 



Plum Jelly.— The fruit should be gathered when only part ripe — about 

 half-coloured. This point is very essential. Put Plums in a large granite or 

 porcelain kettle — the latter is best — with barely enough water to cover them. 

 Cook until tender, but not until they are in a pulpy mass. Having previously 

 covered a large jar with a cloth, strain the fruit in and let the juice drop through, 

 but do not squeeze. When all has drained through, strain once or twice more 

 through another cloth until the juice is perfectly clear To one measure of 

 juice provide one measure of granulated sugar, but do not put together at once. 

 A very important point in the making of all jelly is that only a small quantity 

 should be cooked at one time. Into a medium-sized kettle put, say. four 

 tumblers of juice ; let it boil briskly fifteen or twenty minutes, then add the four 

 tumblers of sugar, and in a very short time — usually from three to ten minutes — 

 the jelly will be finished, light, clear, and delicious. To test the jelly dip a 

 spoon in the boiling juice and sugar and hold it up ; when the jelly clings to 



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