Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume V Part 15

VALUE OF JELLIES, PRESERVES, AND PICKLES

1. Like canning and drying, JELLY MAKING, PRESERVING, and PICKLING are methods of preparing perishable foods to resist decomposition and change. When treated by any of these three processes, fruits and vegetables will keep for long periods of time and will thus be ready for use during the seasons when they cannot be obtained fresh. The preservation of food by making it into jellies, preserves, and pickles does not, as in the case of canning, depend on the sterilization of the product, but rather on the use of certain ingredients that act as preservatives. These include sugar, spices, salt, and vinegar, all of which are considered harmless preservatives in both the home and the commercial preparation of foods.

2. The making of jelly, preserves, and pickles may seem like an extravagance in the expenditure of money for materials, as well as of time and energy on the part of the housewife. Whether this is the case or not is a matter that must be decided by the housewife herself. If these foods are not of enough value to her in the preparation of meals and the feeding of her family to make it worth her while to use her time and materials in storing them for winter use, then it is not wise for her to prepare them. But foods so preserved usually have sufficient merit to warrant the expenditure of the time and the money required in their making.

3. In the first place, it will often be necessary to throw away material that would make excellent jelly or jam unless the sugar can be supplied and the time given to make this material into something that is edible and at the same time attractive. As is well known, all through the canning season, there is some material, which may have been intended for canning, but which, for some reason, cannot be used in that way.

Such material should be utilized in the preparation of these foods. For instance, some of the berries and other fruits bought for canning may be found to be too ripe to make a good-looking product, but may be very satisfactory for the making of jars or jellies. Then, too, if the open-kettle method of canning is used, there is almost certain to be a superfluous amount of juice that would be wasted if it were not used in the making of jelly. Such material need not necessarily be used at the time, for it may be canned and then made up later at some more convenient time.

In addition to material of this kind, there is often a surplus of vegetables and fruits on hand, particularly if one has access to a garden. Much of this can be canned and dried, but what is not desired for these purposes might be wasted if it were not made up into appetizing jellies, preserves, and pickles.

4. Even though it were not necessary to consider the matter of waste and the utilizing of surplus fruits and vegetables, there would still be sufficient reason for the making of jellies, preserves, and pickles, because these foods, when properly prepared, have great value in the meal. Jellies and preserves, because of the large quant.i.ty of sugar used in them, are foods high in carbohydrate. In view of this fact, they should be considered as a part of the meal in which they are served, instead of being used extravagantly or regarded as something extra in an already sufficiently large menu.

Besides their importance in food value, they should have a place in the diet because they stimulate the appet.i.te through their attractive colors and delicious flavors. The familiar fact that a child will refuse to eat plain bread and b.u.t.ter, but will accept the same piece when it has been made attractive by the addition of a little jam, argues much for the use of foods of this sort in children's diet. As it is with children, so it is to a large extent with adults. During the winter months, when fruits and fresh vegetables are scarce and expensive, practically every one finds jellies and preserves appetizing, for these things, in a measure, take the place of the foods that are difficult to procure.

5. Not so much can be said of the various kinds of pickles, as they are not so valuable in the diet from the standpoint of food values. They are made from fruits and vegetables, as are jellies and preserves, but the preservatives used in their preparation are vinegar and spices. In addition to having no food value, such ingredients produce overstimulation and irritation in the alimentary tract, toughen the cellulose in the foods used, and consequently often cause indigestion and various gastric disturbances. For these reasons, pickles should not be included in the diet of children. However, because of the stimulation they produce in the stomach, foods of this kind, if taken in small quant.i.ties, are properly served as appetizers, and can be eaten by normal adults without fear of digestive disturbances. Then, too, as every one who has meals to prepare knows, they are valuable for relieving monotony in the diet, a point that should not be overlooked.

6. Because the preservation of food in jellies, preserves, and pickles is accomplished by the use of certain preservatives instead of by the sterilization of the food, as in canning, these preparations do not mold or spoil readily. Therefore, containers of a different nature from those used in canning may be used to store these foods. Jars having tightly sealed covers are not required, but such containers as wide-necked bottles, stone jars or crocks, gla.s.ses, etc. may be utilized for this purpose. In fact, containers of almost any description may be used for jellies, preserves, and pickles. They should, of course, be sealed in some way to prevent the entrance of bacteria, and various methods of accomplishing this have been devised. A very satisfactory way consists in pouring melted paraffin over the top of the food and then covering the container with a piece of heavy paper and tying this on securely with cord.

7. Since jellies, preserves, and pickles occupy a place of importance in the diet and at the same time provide an opportunity to utilize material that might otherwise be wasted, they are ent.i.tled to a certain amount of attention from the housewife. To equip her with the knowledge she needs for this work and give her practice in jelly making, preserving, and pickling, the details of these processes are taken up, step by step, in this Section.

JELLY MAKING

PRINCIPLES OF JELLY MAKING

8. JELLY MAKING consists in cooking fruit juice with sugar until, upon cooling, it will solidify, or jell. While this is not a difficult nor a complicated process, there are some housewives who do not have success with it. Often the result may be very good when a certain fruit is used, whereas it may be entirely unsatisfactory at another time, even though the same fruit is used and practically the same procedure is followed.

If the best results are to be a.s.sured in jelly making, the principles that are involved in this process must first be thoroughly understood and then the correct procedure must be painstakingly followed out.

9. To solidify properly and thus become a desirable jelly, the fruit juice that is used for this purpose must have the following characteristics and treatment: (1) it must contain certain jelly-making properties; (2) it must be extracted properly; (3) it must be combined with the correct proportion of sugar; and (4) it must be cooked the proper length of time. There are, of course, numerous degrees of solidity of jelly, varying from that which will barely retain its shape to that which is very tough and hard, but neither extreme is desirable.

To be right, the jelly should be firm enough to stand up well, but should be tender and soft when a spoon is cut into it.

10. Fruit is the princ.i.p.al ingredient in the making of jelly, as it is the source from which the juice is obtained. Such imperfections in fruits as poor shape or unattractive appearance do not count in this matter, since only the juice is used; but they must contain jelly-making properties in order that jelly can be made from them.

Green or slightly unripe fruits are better for jelly making than fruits that have become ripe. In fact, when in this immature state, fruits may be used to make jelly, whereas the same fruits, when perfectly ripe, often will not make jelly at all, or, if they do, will produce a jelly that is inferior in quality.

11. The chief requirement of fruits that are to be used for jelly making is that they contain acid and pectin. _Pectin_ is the real jelly-making property of fruits. When it is in the presence of acid and combined with the correct proportion of sugar and the combination is properly boiled, a desirable jelly is the result. Without pectin, however, it is impossible to make the juice solidify, or jell. Pectin is closely related to the carbohydrates, but as it does not yield heat energy nor build tissue, its food value is not considered. In this respect, it is like the cellulose of fruits and vegetables.

It is because green fruits contain more pectin than do ripe fruits that they are more suitable for jelly making. The lack of either acid or pectin need not, however, prevent the making of jelly from fruits, such as sweet fruits, that contain other jelly-making properties, for either or both may be supplied from some other source. In other words, jelly may be made from any fruit that will yield juice and flavor.

EQUIPMENT FOR JELLY MAKING

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1]

12. NECESSARY EQUIPMENT.--In the making of jelly, as in the preparation of many other foods, numerous utensils will be found convenient and may, if desired, be supplied to make the work easier. However, the necessary ones are comparatively few in number and, for the most part, are found in almost every kitchen. In Fig. 1 are shown a.s.sembled practically all the equipment used in the making of jelly, and if a housewife is provided with these things or subst.i.tutes for them, she will be well equipped for her work.

13. KETTLES.--As will be observed, two kettles are required in jelly making. The larger one is used for cooking the fruit, and the smaller one, to cook the juice and the sugar. These should have a perfectly smooth surface, and may be made of almost any material used for such utensils, except tin or iron. These two metals are undesirable, as they are liable to lend to the jelly a disagreeable flavor and in all probability an unattractive color. The one used to cook the fruit should generally be a little larger than the other. As about 6 gla.s.sfuls of jelly may be cooked at one time, the kettle in which the juice is boiled should be of adequate size to cook this amount without danger of its boiling over. When fruit juice and sugar are boiled together, the mixture often boils up and runs over if the vessel is not large enough.

14. JELLY BAG.--The jelly bag, which is used for straining the boiled fruit and thus obtaining the juice, may be a home-made one or, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration, one that is purchased for the purpose. If the bag is made at home, a heavy, closely woven material, such as flannel, should be selected, so as to prevent the tiny particles of fruit from pa.s.sing through with the juice. A liquid strained in this manner will be much clearer and will make better looking jelly than that which has been run through a coa.r.s.e material, such as cheesecloth. The juice can be strained very conveniently if the bag is attached to a wire arrangement, like the one shown, or to an upright standard that can be fastened to a chair or a table, for then the bag is held securely over the vessel into which the juice drips. Sometimes, especially when more than one extraction of the juice is to be made, the first extraction is made by means of a strainer or a colander and the juice thus obtained is then strained through the bag.

15. ADDITIONAL UTENSILS.--As accurate measurements are absolutely essential in jelly making, a measuring cup should be included in the equipment. Then, too, a quart measure will be found very convenient, especially if large quant.i.ties of materials are to be cooked at one time. A large spoon or two for stirring, skimming, and testing should also be provided. The spoon used for skimming will produce better results if the bowl contains holes that will permit the juice to drop back into the vessel, for then none of the juice will be wasted.

16. CONTAINERS FOR JELLY.--Various types of receptacles in which to keep jelly are in use, some turning out more attractive molds than others.

The shape of the mold, however, is a matter of minor importance. Almost any wide-mouthed gla.s.s receptacle with comparatively smooth sides will do very well, since the sealing of jelly is not a difficult thing to do.

Therefore, new receptacles should not be purchased if there is a supply of any suitable kind on hand, for many other containers besides purchased jelly gla.s.ses may be used for this purpose. The most convenient type, which may be bought in any store selling kitchen utensils, is that shown in Fig. 1. As will be observed, these are somewhat broad and not very tall. A mold of jelly turned from a tall, narrow gla.s.s does not stand up so well as that turned from a flat, wide one. Then, too, a tall gla.s.s is much more likely to tip and spill than a more shallow one.

17. Metal covers that fit the tops of the gla.s.ses, like the ones shown, are the most convenient kind that can be used, but they are not an absolute necessity. In their place may be used paper caps that fit the gla.s.ses, or the tops of the gla.s.ses may be covered with paper and then tied. Before a cover of any kind is put on a gla.s.s, paraffin, several cakes of which are arranged on a plate in Fig. 1, is melted and poured in a thin layer over the top of the jelly itself.

To designate the kind of jelly, it is advisable to label the gla.s.ses with neat labels, a box of which is included in the equipment here shown.

18. Paraffin-covered paper cups have been recommended to take the place of jelly gla.s.ses, and while they do very well in the case of scarcity of containers they have some disadvantages. In the first place, they can be used only once, as it is impossible to wash them. In addition, it will be necessary to wait until the jelly is partly cold before pouring it into such cups, as hot jelly will melt the paraffin on the surface of the paper.

PROCEDURE IN JELLY MAKING

19. When the necessary utensils have been conveniently placed and the desired fruit has been selected, the housewife may proceed at once to the work of making jelly. Each step is here outlined in the order in which it should be taken up in doing the actual work. The entire procedure should be properly followed out in order to insure the best results, and every part of the work should be carefully done so as to avoid any waste of material.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2]

20. COOKING THE FRUIT.--Prepare the fruit in whatever way is necessary.

The preparation needed will depend, of course, on the kind of fruit selected for the jelly, but usually not so much preparation is needed as in the case of canning. For instance, when crab-apple jelly is made, the stems are removed and the fruit is cut into halves or quarters, but they need not be peeled nor have the seeds taken out. Specific directions for the different varieties of fruits are given in the various recipes. The chief precaution to take in preparing the fruit, no matter what kind is used, is to see that it is thoroughly cleaned.

With the fruit prepared, put it into a large kettle and add enough water to start the cooking and prevent scorching. Some fruits will require more water than others, especially when they must be cooked a long time in order to soften them sufficiently to extract the juice. Juicy fruits, like plums, need only the minimum amount of water, while drier fruits, such as apples, require more. Place the kettle on the stove, as in Fig.

2, and allow the fruit to cook until it is soft or is reduced to a pulp.

The length of time for cooking will also depend entirely on the kind of fruit that is being used.

21. EXTRACTING JUICE.--When the fruit is thoroughly cooked, pour the pulp and the juice that has formed into the jelly bag and allow it to drip into a pan placed directly under the bag, as shown in Fig. 3.

Formerly, it was the custom to let the juice drip until no more remained in the bag. This method is followed to some extent at present, but it is falling into disuse, as it is not the most economical way of extracting the juice from the pulp. More juice can be obtained and more jelly made from the same amount of fruit if three extractions instead of one are made. Make the first extraction by pouring the pulp and juice into the bag and permitting the juice to drip only until it begins to run very slowly. Then return the pulp to the kettle, add a small quant.i.ty of water, and let it boil again for a few minutes. Pour it the second time into the jelly bag, and let it drip as before. Cook it the third time in the same way, and then allow it to drip until all the juice is extracted. At this point, mix the juice from the three extractions. They should not be used separately, for they are much different in quality, the third one being not so good as the second and the second, inferior to the first. On the other hand, when all three are mixed, an excellent quality is the result, provided all conditions are correct, and a larger quant.i.ty of juice is obtained for the jelly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3]

22. The quant.i.ty of juice that may be extracted depends on the quality as well as the kind of fruit. If the season is a rainy one, the fruits will be found to contain more juice than they would in a dry season.

Then, too, if the fruits are picked immediately after a rain, they will contain more juice than the same fruits before the rain. The amount of juice the fruit contains determines, of course, the quant.i.ty of water that should be added in the cooking. If only one extraction is intended, 3 to 4 quarts of water may be used for 8 quarts of fruit, depending on the kind of fruit; but if three extractions are to be made, less water should be added for each extraction. In case the extracted juice contains more water than it should have, either because the fruit contains an excessive amount of water or because too much water was added to the fruit in its cooking, the superfluous water will be extracted by boiling the juice with the sugar a little longer as the jelly is being made.

It is not always necessary to have the fleshy part of fruit for jelly making, for often the skins, seeds, and cores of fruits may be cooked with water and the juice then extracted from them. Another point to remember is that the pulp from which the juice is extracted may sometimes be used for jam or marmalade. If points like these are taken into consideration, it will not be necessary to waste any part of edible fruits.

23. TESTING THE JUICE FOR PECTIN.--When the juice has been extracted from the fruit, it should be tested for pectin in order to determine whether or not it will be satisfactory for the making of jelly. A test that can be applied by the housewife is ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 4. Into a tumbler, put a tablespoonful of juice and with this mix a tablespoonful of alcohol. If, upon adding the alcohol, the fruit juice turns into a gelatinous, or jelly-like, ma.s.s that may be easily gathered up on the spoon, it may be known that pectin is present. As has already been stated, the presence of this substance in fruit juice insures the fact that jelly can be made from the juice.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 4]

24. USING JUICE LACKING IN PECTIN.--If, in the test for pectin, the addition of alcohol to the fruit juice does not turn the juice into a jelly-like ma.s.s, pectin is not present. Such juice, or juice that contains only a small amount of pectin, will prove unsuccessful in jelly making unless some substance or juice high in pectin is added to it. The white skin from the inside of orange, lemon, or grapefruit peelings or the juice from apples, crab apples, currants, green gooseberries, or other fruit containing a large quant.i.ty of pectin may be used for this purpose. Also, commercial pectin may be purchased and used with fruits according to the directions that accompany it.

It is always necessary to supply pectin in some way to such fruits as strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, pears, etc.

To the sweet ones, like peaches and raspberries, lemon juice or other acid fruit juice also must be added if satisfactory jelly is desired.

25. DETERMINING PROPORTION OF SUGAR.--The only other ingredient used in jelly making, besides the fruit juice, is sugar. After the juice has been strained from the fruit, the next step is to determine how much sugar must be used. This is of extreme importance, as the success of the jelly depends very largely on whether or not the correct proportion is used. If too much sugar is added to the juice, a greater quant.i.ty of jelly will result, but it will not stand up as it should when it is turned out of the gla.s.s. On the other hand, if too little sugar is used, a smaller quant.i.ty of jelly than the required amount will be made and it will be tough and sour.