The Century Cook Book Part 112

Fill pint jars with as many berries as they will hold; pour over them a hot syrup of 32 (see page 513). After standing a few minutes they will shrivel, and more berries should be added. Cover and cook them in a boiler as directed for preserved pears and canning.

Strawberries require more sugar than other fruits to preserve their color, therefore they do not can well.

Strawberries, if carefully prepared by either of the foregoing receipts, will resemble the Wiesbaden preserves.

=RASPBERRY PRESERVE=

Raspberries are preserved the same as strawberries.

=CITRON PRESERVE=

Pare and core the citron; cut it into strips and notch the edges; or cut it into fancy shapes. Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and to six pounds of the fruit allow four lemons and a quarter of a pound of ginger root. Tie the ginger in a cloth, and boil it in a quart and a half of water until the flavor is extracted; then remove it, and add to the water the sugar and the juice of the lemons; stir until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear; take off any sc.u.m; then add the citron, and cook until it is clear, but not soft enough to fall apart.

Can and seal while hot.

CANNING

APPLES, PEACHES, PEARS, PLUMS, CHERRIES, BERRIES, ETC.

[Sidenote: Proportions.]

[Sidenote: Red fruits.]

[Sidenote: Cooling.]

Canning does not differ from preserving, except in the amount of sugar used. A quarter of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit is the rule, but none at all need be used, as the fruit will keep just as well without it if it is thoroughly sterilized by heat and immediately sealed. Fruits that require sugar when eaten fresh need sugar in like proportion when canned. The fruit may be boiled in a syrup of 14, which is made of one pound of sugar to a quart of water, and bottled the same as when preserved, but an easier and better way is to cook it in the jars. Pack the fruit tightly in the jars and cover it with a syrup of 14; red fruits need more sugar to preserve their color, and should have a syrup of 24, which is one pint of water to a pound of sugar. Place the jars in a boiler of water, half covering them; raise them off the bottom of the boiler by standing them on m.u.f.fin-rings or slats of wood. Do not let them touch. Cover the boiler, and let them cook until the fruit is tender; the fruit will fall a little, so the jars will have to be filled up again; use for this the contents of another jar, or plain boiling water; adjust and fasten the tops at once, and place them where the air will not strike them while cooling.

Another way is to pack the dry jars full of fruit, fasten down the tops at once, place them in a boiler of cold water nearly covering them, raise it to the boiling-point and cook for an hour, and leave them in the water until cold again.

In this way they are cooked in their own juice, and are said to retain their flavor better than where water is used.

Canned apples make a very good subst.i.tute for fresh ones for pies, compotes and apple-sauce.

JAMS OR MARMALADES

[Sidenote: Testing.]

Use three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.

Place the fruit, pared and cored, in layers with the sugar in the preserving kettle. Let it stand a few minutes to extract some of the juice from the fruit; then place it on the fire and cook until it becomes a thick, consistent ma.s.s. Stir it frequently to break the fruit. When it has become tender, use a potato-masher to crush it. When it looks clear, put a little on a plate, and if it thickens, it is done. Put it into tumblers and cover. This does not require to be hermetically sealed. In making preserves it is well to reserve all the fruit which is not perfect and make it into jam.

=QUINCE MARMALADE=

Pare, core, and cut into pieces the fruit. Put the skins and cores into a kettle; cover them with water, and boil thirty minutes, or until tender; strain off the water through a colander, and as much pulp as will pa.s.s without the skins. To this add the rest of the fruit and three quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. Boil it until it becomes a jelly-like ma.s.s. Mash the fruit as much as possible. It may be colored red, if desired, with cochineal. Turn it into gla.s.ses, tin boxes, or wooden salt-boxes. It becomes solid, and is served cut into slices. The Russians cut it into inch squares, and serve it as a bonbon.

=ORANGE MARMALADE=

Allow the juice and grated rind of one lemon to every five oranges.

Weigh the fruit before cutting it, and allow three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Remove the peel in quarters, and boil it in plenty of water until it is tender enough to pierce easily with a broom-straw; then drain off the water and let it cool. Remove the seeds and as much of the skin as possible from the pulp. Boil the pulp with the sugar until the orange is well cooked. When the peel is cool take one piece at a time in the palm of the hand, and with a tablespoon cut out all the white pithy part, leaving the thin yellow rind. Place a number of these pieces together, and with a sharp knife cut them into thin shreds. By cutting many together in this way it is done quickly.

Add the shredded rinds to the cooked oranges and let them cook until of the right consistency. It should be very thick, but not solid like jelly. This is a very good marmalade, and resembles the Dundee brand.

=APPLE MARMALADE=

Make the same as directed for jams.

=BRANDY PEACHES=

Cook the fruit the same as directed for preserving peaches; but for this purpose the peaches are left whole, the skin left on or not, as desired.

If the skins are retained they should be carefully brushed to remove all the down; use only fine fruit. When the jars are filled, add to each quart a half cupful of brandy, and seal; or, after filling the jars with fruit, boil down the syrup until it is very thick, and to each cupful of syrup add a cupful of brandy; pour it over the fruit and seal.

California brandy serves very well for this purpose.

JELLIES

CURRANT OR ANY BERRIES

To make clear jelly use only the perfect fruit. Pick it over carefully and remove the stems. Place it in a porcelain-lined kettle and crush it enough to give a little juice so it will not burn. Cook it slowly until the fruit is soft, then turn it into a heavy cloth and press out all the juice. Strain the juice several times if necessary, to make it clear.

Pa.s.sing it through filter paper is recommended. Measure the juice, and to each pint allow a pound of sugar. Put the sugar in the oven to heat, but do not let it burn. Put the strained juice into the kettle and let it boil twenty minutes; then add the hot sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the juice is clear again. Pour it into gla.s.ses and let it stand until set. Grapes and cherries do not jelly easily, and a little gelatine added will insure success. When fruit does not jelly it is usually because it is over ripe. The fruit should not be gathered after a rain, nor should it be washed.

=APPLE JELLY=

Wash the apples; cut them in pieces without peeling or coring, but remove any imperfect parts. Barely cover them with water and boil slowly until they are tender, then strain off the liquor through cheese-cloth without pressing. Measure the juice, and to each pint of juice allow a pound of sugar. Put the juice in the preserving kettle and let it boil five minutes; then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue to boil it until a little dropped on a cold plate will jelly. It will take twenty to thirty minutes. Turn it into tumblers and cover. This jelly spread on the apple used in tarts improves them very much.

=CRAB-APPLE JELLY=

Make the same as apple jelly.

=QUINCE JELLY=

Make the same as apple jelly.

=SPICED GRAPES=

Prepare the grapes as for preserving, by removing the skins, boiling the pulp, and straining out the seeds. To seven pounds of fruit (weighed before the seeds are removed), add a cupful of strong vinegar, a cupful of grape-juice taken from the grapes used for preserves, two ounces of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves (tie the spices in a cloth so they can be removed), three and one half pounds of sugar. Boil until it becomes thick like a marmalade, which will take about an hour and a half. When done turn it into gla.s.ses. This is good with roast meats.

=PLUM SAUCE FOR MEATS=