The Book of Household Management Part 197

The addition of the currant juice is a very great improvement to this preserve, as it gives it a piquant taste, which the flavour of the raspberries seems to require.

_Time_.--1/4 hour to simmer the fruit without the sugar; 1/4 hour after it is added.

_Average cost_, from 6d. to 8d. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--Allow about 1 pint of fruit to fill a 1-lb. pot.

_Seasonable_ in July and August.

RASPBERRY JELLY.

1589. INGREDIENTS.--To each pint of juice allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Let the raspberries be freshly gathered, quite ripe, and picked from the stalks; put them into a large jar, after breaking the fruit a little with a wooden spoon, and place this jar, covered, in a saucepan of boiling water. When the juice is well drawn, which will be in from 3/4 to 1 hour, strain the fruit through a fine hair sieve or cloth; measure the juice, and to every pint allow the above proportion of loaf sugar. Put the juice and sugar into a preserving-pan, place it over the fire, and boil gently until the jelly thickens when a little is poured on a plate; carefully remove all the sc.u.m as it rises, pour the jelly into small pots, cover down, and keep in a dry place. This jelly answers for making raspberry cream, and for flavouring various sweet dishes, when, in winter, the fresh fruit is not obtainable.

_Time_.--3/4 to 1 hour to draw the juice.

_Average cost_, from 9d. to 1s. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient._--From 3 pints to 2 quarts of fruit should yield 1 pint of juice.

_Seasonable_.--This should be made in July or August.

RHUBARB JAM.

1590. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of rhubarb allow 1 lb. of loaf sugar, the rind of 1/2 lemon.

_Mode_.--Wipe the rhubarb perfectly dry, take off the string or peel, and weigh it; put it into a preserving-pan, with sugar in the above proportion; mince the lemon-rind very finely, add it to the other ingredients, and place the preserving-pan by the side of the fire; keep stirring to prevent the rhubarb from burning, and when the sugar is well dissolved, put the pan more over the fire, and let the jam boil until it is done, taking care to keep it well skimmed and stirred with a wooden or silver spoon. Pour it into pots, and cover down with oiled and egged papers.

_Time_.--If the rhubarb is young and tender, 3/4 hour, reckoning from the time it simmers equally; old rhubarb, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 5d. to 7d. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--About 1 pint of sliced rhubarb to fill a lb. pot.

_Seasonable_ from February to April.

RHUBARB AND ORANGE JAM, to resemble Scotch Marmalade.

1591. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart of finely-cut rhubarb, 6 oranges, 1-1/2 lb.

of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Peel the oranges; remove as much of the white pith as possible, divide them, and take out the pips; slice the pulp into a preserving-pan, add the rind of half the oranges cut into thin strips, and the loaf sugar, which should be broken small. Peel the rhubarb, cut it into thin pieces, put it to the oranges, and stir altogether over a gentle fire until the jam is done. Remove all the sc.u.m as it rises, put the preserve into pots, and, when cold, cover down. Should the rhubarb be very old, stew it alone for 1/4 hour before the other ingredients are added.

_Time_.--3/4 to 1 hour. _Average cost_, from 6d. to 8d. per lb. pot.

_Seasonable_ from February to April.

RASPBERRY AND CURRANT, or any Fresh Fruit Salad.

(_A Dessert Dish_.)

1592. _Mode_.--Fruit salads are made by stripping the fruit from the stalks, piling it on a dish, and sprinkling over it finely-pounded sugar. They may be made of strawberries, raspberries, currants, or any of these fruits mixed; peaches also make a very good salad. After the sugar is sprinkled over, about 6 large tablespoonfuls of wine or brandy, or 3 tablespoonfuls of liqueur, should be poured in the middle of the fruit; and, when the flavour is liked, a little pounded cinnamon may be added. In helping the fruit, it should be lightly stirred, that the wine and sugar may be equally distributed.

_Sufficient._--1-1/2 pint of fruit, with 3 oz. of pounded sugar, for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ in summer.

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM.

1593. INGREDIENTS.--To every pint of picked strawberries allow 1/3 pint of cream, 2 oz. of finely-pounded sugar.

_Mode_.--Pick the stalks from the fruit, place it on a gla.s.s dish, sprinkle over it pounded sugar, and slightly stir the strawberries, that they may all be equally sweetened; pour the cream over the top, and serve. Devons.h.i.+re cream, when it can be obtained, is exceedingly delicious for this dish; and, if very thick indeed, may be diluted with a little thin cream or milk.

_Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, with cream at 1s. per pint, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 2 persons.

_Seasonable_ in June and July.

STRAWBERRY JAM.

1594. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit allow 1/2 pint of red-currant juice, 1-1/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Strip the currants from the stalks, put them into a jar; place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer until the juice is well drawn from the fruit; strain the currants, measure the juice, put it into a preserving-pan, and add the sugar. Select well-ripened but sound strawberries; pick them from the stalks, and when the sugar is dissolved in the currant juice, put in the fruit. Simmer the whole over a moderate fire, from 1/2 to 3/4 hour, carefully removing the sc.u.m as it rises. Stir the jam only enough to prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pan, as the fruit should be preserved as whole as possible. Put the jam into jars, and when cold, cover down.

_Time_.--1/2 to 3/4 hour, reckoning from the time the jam simmers all over.

_Average cost_, from 7d. to 8d. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient._--12 pints of strawberries will make 12 lb. pots of jam.

_Seasonable_ in June and July.

PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES IN WINE.

1595. INGREDIENTS.--To every quart bottle allow 1/4 lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar; sherry or Madeira.

_Mode_.--Let the fruit be gathered in fine weather, and used as soon as picked. Have ready some perfectly dry gla.s.s bottles, and some nice soft corks or bungs. Pick the stalks from the strawberries, drop them into the bottles, sprinkling amongst them pounded sugar in the above proportion, and when the fruit reaches to the neck of the bottle, fill up with sherry or Madeira. Cork the bottles down with new corks, and dip them into melted resin.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in June or July.