348 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
on the surface by the aid of a wooden ladle. 
The stirring must not be done to excess, or the 
fruit is broken down unduly, an undesirable re¬ 
sult, except where pulp alone is required. In 
the case of such fruits as Strawberries and Rasp¬ 
berries it is important to retain the form of the 
fruit as far as possible; but though this can be 
accomplished with the first-named fruits it is 
very difficult with the others. Whole-fruit 
Strawberry jam has gained for some firms a 
considerable reputation, and commands prices 
well in advance of the pulped products. Special 
Fig. 1124.—Glass Jars for Jams. 
sorts must, however, be used, to which reference 
will be made later in this chapter. 
In the effort to produce a high-quality jam 
that will take a good place in the market it is 
important to turn it out bright and clear. Colour 
has a material effect on the selling value of fruit 
preserves, and a dull, muddv-looking compound 
has no chance side by side with a bright pro¬ 
duct which has a distinctly appetizing appear¬ 
ance. So well is this recognized that artificial 
colouring is resorted to for the purpose of im¬ 
proving dull-looking jams. These colouring 
matters are now manufactured largely, and 
analyses are published to show that they are 
free from all injurious substances, but the pure- 
fruit product must have the preference, and it 
only requires due care to ensure the desired 
effect. One of the chief points is absolute 
cleanliness in all respects, the fruit should be 
gathered when dry and clean, the utensils should 
be cleansed after every boiling, and the best 
sugars only should be employed. Common or 
imperfectly purified sugar will often spoil a 
large boiling of good fruit. 
For all the best jams neat and clean glass jars 
should be used, and though this is an expensive 
item in the small quantities such as 1-lb. or 2-lb. 
vessels, it is a needful provision and helps the 
sale considerably. The cheaper jams and fruit- 
pulps that are sold in 3-lb. to 7-lb. quantities 
are usually placed in stone jars, and in some 
populous districts there is a large demand for 
this quality at low rates. Where glass jars are 
used careful filling is required to ensure a uni¬ 
form appearance and to exclude air, but in all 
cases the latter must be ensured, or the jam will 
not keep well. The surface 
of the jam should be covered 
with a slip of specially-pre¬ 
pared, thin, oiled or waxed 
paper, and the mouth of the 
jars must be covered with 
bladder or vegetable parch¬ 
ment and tied down tightly 
and neatly. A tastefully- 
designed label indicating the 
character of the jam and the 
maker’s name should com¬ 
plete the operation. 
The only other questions 
to be considered are those 
relating to the storing and 
packing. In storing, a cool 
dry place should be chosen, 
where a fairly uniform tem¬ 
perature can be maintained, 
and where the jam is not exposed to full light. 
Under such circumstances well-prepared jam 
will keep good for a great length of time, but 
obviously there is no object in retaining such 
preserved fruit until the next season, except 
that an unusually heavy crop one season may 
be followed by a poor one the next, when good 
prices can be obtained. But to take full ad¬ 
vantage of such an occurrence it is necessary to 
prepare the preserve very cheaply, and even 
then, with the cost of storing, the possible losses, 
and the interest on the capital, it is not a very 
encouraging risk. Then, too, there is always 
the chance that a second “glut” may follow, 
which would mean a heavy loss. As a general 
rule, if jam is prepared so that it will keep sound 
for at least a year, it is all that is requisite, and 
most traders dispose of the bulk of the produce 
within a few months of the end of the fresh 
fruit season. 
In packing, straw is usually employed, but 
the coarse grades of wood wool are now cheap, 
and are preferable for all small consignments 
of glass jars. With well-constructed boxes or 
