Every Step in Canning Part 9

In boiling water or homemade outfit, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 90.

In condensed steam outfit, 90.

In water-seal outfit, 214 degrees Fahrenheit, 75.

In steam-pressure outfit, 5 pounds, 60.

In pressure-cooker outfit, 10 to 15 pounds, 45.

CHAPTER VI

JELLIES, JAMS, PRESERVES, MARMALADES, FRUIT JUICES AND SIRUPS

For jelly making select firm, slightly underripe fruit that is fairly acid and contains a large amount of pectin. Fruit that is just a little underripe contains more pectin than the mature or overripe fruits. Pectin is the substance that makes jelly harden. This fundamental jelly-making quality does not exist in all fruits. Such fruits as currants, crab apples and grapes contain much pectin and are, therefore, considered excellent jelly-making fruits.

The white inner skin of grapefruit is also a prolific source of pectin, but as it has a bitter taste we seldom use it for jellies, though we find it valuable in making orange, grapefruit and other marmalades.

Rhubarb, strawberries and cherries all lack pectin, but can be made into good jellies if we add the white skins of oranges and lemons to them while cooking.

So the very first thing we must know about jelly making is whether or not a fruit contains pectin. There will be no tears shed over jelly that will not "jell" if all young housewives will learn the simple test for pectin; to find out whether a juice contains pectin or not is a very easy matter.

Take one tablespoonful of grain alcohol--90 to 95 per cent.--and add to it one tablespoonful of _cooked_ juice that has been cooled. The effect of the alcohol is to bring together the pectin in a jelly-like ma.s.s. If a large quant.i.ty of pectin is present it will appear in one ma.s.s or clot which may be gathered up on a spoon. You will notice I said _cooked_ juice. It is peculiar that this pectin frequently is not found in the juices of raw fruits, though it is very plentiful in the cooked juices. Therefore the test must be made with cooked juice.

There is little pectin in the juice of raw apples, raw quince, raw grapes, and yet the cooked juices are full of pectin.

This test not only indicates the amount of pectin present, but it also gives some idea of the proper proportions of sugar to juice. If three-fourths or more of the juice forms a gelatinous ma.s.s or clot this indicates that you should use three-fourths as much sugar as juice. If the pectin is slightly gelatinous or is less than three-fourths of the whole volume of juice, use less sugar. If the pectin is less than one-half add some form of pectin to make the jelly, or can the juice for use as a beverage, for flavoring ice cream or some form of cooking.

By employing this test, sugar can often be reduced, and thus the jelly texture will be fine, less rubbery and the flavor will be better.

After the fruit has been selected and prepared as usual by washing, stemming, and so forth, it is ready to be heated in an acid-proof kettle. With juicy fruits use just enough water to prevent burning--about one cup of water to every four or five quarts of fruit.

The juicy fruits are currants, raspberries, and so forth. With less juicy fruits, as apples or quinces, use enough water to cover, or follow the rule, half as much water as fruit. Use the cores, skins and seeds; these improve the flavor and color of the jelly.

Berries can be mashed. Heat the fruit slowly in a covered kettle, stirring once in a while to obtain an even cooking. When the simmering point is reached, crush the fruit with a well-soaked wooden masher.

When the fruit is tender or has a transparent appearance, it is ready to strain.

The jelly bag must be of closely woven material; one with a large mouth is advisable. If cheesecloth is used double it and tie opposite corners together. When a very clear jelly is desired use a flannel or felt bag for straining the juice.

What drips into the dish or pan is called Extraction One. When this Extraction One is fairly drained out, which takes about thirty minutes, do not squeeze the pulp for a second grade jelly as so many housewives do; instead, make another juice extraction. To do this, empty the contents or pulp in the bag into the preserving kettle, cover with water, and stir until thoroughly mixed; then cover, bring slowly to a boil as before and drain again. The juice that drips out is called Extraction Two.

The pectin-alcohol test can be used here again to find out whether there is much or little or no pectin left. If much pectin is present, you can repeat the operation and get Extraction Three.

Three extractions usually exhaust the pectin, but sometimes you can get as many as five extractions.

You may say, "Why bother with extractions--why not squeeze the juice and be done with it?" You will get clearer, better-flavored and more gla.s.ses of jelly if you will make the extractions than if you squeeze the jelly bag.

I always make the jelly from Extraction One by itself, but usually combine Extraction Two and Three.

The next step in jelly making is vitally important--that is, how much sugar to use to a given amount of fruit juice. This is where many housewives "fall down" on jelly making. They use the same proportion of sugar to all juices.

To make jelly that does not crystallize the right proportion of sugar must be added to the juice. To make jelly that is not tough or unpleasantly sour, the right proportion of sugar and juice must be used.

Currants and unripe or partly ripened grapes are so rich in pectin that they require equal amounts of sugar and juice--that is, to every cup of extracted currant and grape juice we add one cup of sugar.

Red raspberries and blackberries require three-fourths of a cup of sugar to every cup of juice. All fruits which require much water in the cooking take three-fourths of a cup of sugar to every cup of juice. Crab apples and cranberries are examples.

It is harder to make jellies from the fruits to which a large amount of water is added than from the juicy fruits.

I am frequently asked, "When should you add the sugar to the fruit juice in jelly making? Do you add it at the beginning of the boiling, in the middle of the process, or at the end, and should the sugar be hot when added to the juice?" It is better to add the sugar in the middle of the jelly-making process than at the beginning or the end.

Skim the juice well before adding the sugar, so as to lose as little sugar as possible.

If the sugar is hot when added it will not cool the juice, and thus the cooking time will be shortened. To heat the sugar put it in a granite dish, place in the oven, leaving the oven door ajar, and stir occasionally. Be careful not to scorch it.

After the juice is put on, the jelly making should be done as quickly as possible. No simmering should be allowed and no violent boiling. A steady boiling, for as few minutes as possible, will produce good results.

Currant, blueberry and grape jelly usually can be made in from eight to ten minutes. The hot sugar is added at the end of four or five minutes.

Raspberry, blackberry and apple jelly take from twenty to thirty minutes. The sugar is added at the end of ten or fifteen minutes.

The jellying point is hard to determine. If you have a cooking thermometer or candy thermometer always use it when making jelly. It is the one sure, reliable test.

The temperature for jellies is 221 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want a very soft jelly, boil it 220 degrees. If you want to use it immediately, then boil it to 222 degrees.

If you do not have a thermometer the next best test is to pour the boiling sirup from the side of a clean, hot spoon, held horizontally.

If the sirup is done two drops will break simultaneously from the side of the spoon.

Another test is to take a little jelly on a cold plate and draw a path through it with the point of a spoon; if the path stays and the juice does not run together, the jellying point has been reached.

When the jellying point has been reached, remove the kettle from the fire, skim the jelly and pour immediately into hot, sterilized gla.s.ses, which have been set on a cloth wrung out of hot water to prevent breaking. Fill the gla.s.ses not quite full.

Never attempt to make more than six to eight gla.s.ses of jelly at one time. If new at the game make only four, because there is danger of the juice jellying in the kettle before it can be removed.

When the jellies are well set cover them with _hot_, not merely melted, paraffin. The paraffin if hot will kill any germs that may fall on the surface of the jelly. Then cover with the clean tin or aluminum covers and store the jelly in a dry, cool place after proper labeling.

STEPS IN JELLY MAKING

1. Select firm, slightly underripe fruit that is fairly acid and contains a large amount of pectin.

2. Prepare fruit as usual by washing, stemming, and so forth.

3. Heat slowly in acid-proof kettle until fruit is tender. Mash berries before beginning to cook them. A little water may be added if necessary to keep from burning. Cut hard fruits into small pieces; add half as much water as fruit.

4. Pour into dampened bag.

5. Drain through closely woven bag.

6. Make alcohol test for pectin to determine minimum amount of sugar to use, also the character of the fruit. The amount of pectin, the fundamental jelly-making property, varies in different fruits. To make the pectin test add to one tablespoonful of cold cooked fruit juice one tablespoonful of grain alcohol. Shake gently. Allow to stand one-half hour. If three-fourths or more of the juice forms a lump add three-fourths as much sugar as juice in making jelly. If the precipitate--pectin--is not held together in a lump or is less than three-fourths of the whole volume of juice, add less sugar in proportion to juice. If less than one-half forms a lump, add pectin to make the jelly, or can the juice for use as a beverage, flavoring, and so forth.