[820]CHAPTER XXIIIFRUIT-STEWS AND JAMS2952—PLAIN STEWED FRUITFruit for stewing is used whole, halved or quartered, and cooked or poached in a syrup, of a flavour in keeping with the fruit.Dish these preparations in tazzas, bowls or deep dishes; cover them with their syrup, reduced or not; and, in certain cases, thicken the latter with arrowroot. They may be served hot or cold; but in any case, the fruit used should not be too ripe.2953—MIXED STEWED FRUITThese preparations generally consist of stewed, fresh fruit of one or several kinds; combined with fruit purées.Quince and apple jellies are greatly used, either in coating the preparations or in bordering them with dice, &c.With this class of stewed fruits, which are merely a matter of fancy and taste, candied and preserved fruits are almost always used as auxiliary constituents.2954—JAMSUnder this generic title the following preparations areclassed:—(1) Those in which the fruit is treated directly with thesugar:—(2) Those in which the juice alone, owing to its gelatinous nature, produces, together with the sugar, consistent jellies.The amount of sugar used is subject to the nature of the fruit and its sweetness; but in the case of nearly all tart fruits, the weight of sugar should equal that of the fruit, or nearly so.If too much sugar be used, the flavour is impaired; while crystallisation will follow very shortly afterwards; if too little be used, the jam has to be overcooked in order to be made sufficiently consistent, and the flavour is once more impaired by protracted evaporation; finally if the time allowed for cooking be inadequate, rapid fermentation will be the result.[821]In making jam, therefore, the operator should base his measure of sugar upon the nature of the fruit he intends treating.2955—THE COOKING, POTTING, AND SEALING OF JAMSThe time allowed for cooking any jam whatsoever can only be approximately decided, and it is a gross mistake to suppose the case otherwise, since the matter is wholly dependent upon the intensity of the fire, and the resulting speed of the evaporation of the vegetable moisture. Theoretically, a jam is all the better for having been cooked quickly, seeing that it may thus more easily preserve its colour and flavour.For all that, unless great care and attention be exercised, a whole-fruit jam ought not to be made on a too violent fire, lest it burn. Conversely, when jellies are in question, wherein the juice alone of the fruit is treated, the fire should be as intense as possible; in order that the required degree of consistence, which marks the close of the operation, may be reached as speedily as possible.The degree of consistence is the same for all jellies, and may be ascertained thus: when the steam given off by the preparation loses its density, and the boiling movement becomes perceptible, it may be concluded that evaporation has ceased, and that the real cooking-process, which is very rapid, has begun. At this stage frequently take the skimmer out of the saucepan.The jam adhering to it falls off, at first very quickly; then, in a few minutes, it is seen to accumulate towards the centre of the skimmer and to fall therefrom slowly at lengthy intervals, in large drops.This stage, which is indubitably indicative of the cooking being at an end, is called the “nappe” and is equivalent to thelarge-threadstagein the cooking of sugar; and, as soon as it is reached the jam should be taken off the fire. Allow it to cool for seven or eight minutes, and pour it into pots, which, if of glass, should be gradually heated, lest they crack.The following day, set a round piece of white paper saturated with rectified glycerine, on each pot, and drop these pieces of paper directly upon the jam. Rectified glycerine will be found preferable by far to the commonly-used sugared brandy.Then close the pots with a double sheet of paper, fastened on with string, and place them somewhere in the dry.2956—APRICOT JAMCut the apricots in two, and use very ripe fruit, grown in the open, if possible. Break the stones, skin the almonds, and cut them in two. Allow three-quarters lb. of loaf-sugar per lb. of fruit. Put this sugar in a preserving pan with one-third pint of water per[822]two lbs. of sugar, and, when the latter is dissolved, boil for a few minutes, carefully skimming the while. Add the apricots, set the whole to cook on a moderate fire, and stir incessantly, especially towards the end, when the jam is more particularly prone to burn on the bottom of the saucepan. Take the jam off the fire as soon as it reaches the “nappe” stage, as explained above, and mix the almonds with the jam.2957—CHERRY JAMStone the cherries, and allow one and a half lbs. of loaf-sugar per two lbs. of the fruit; taking care to have equal weights of sugar and fruit if the latter be not over sweet. Put the sugar in the preserving pan; moisten it with water that it may dissolve, and boil it for five minutes, skimming carefully the while. Add the cherries and a half-pint of red-currant juice, and cook over a fierce fire until the“nappe” stageis reached.Remarks:—(1) The addition of red-currant juice is advocated for this jam, seeing that by ensuring the proper consistence it obviates prolonged cooking; and, as I have already pointed out, red fruit is all the better, and preserves a more perfect colour, when it is cooked rapidly.(2) When the fruit begins to boil, carefully skim it, otherwise the scum hardens, and not only spoils the jam but often sets it fermenting.2958—STRAWBERRY JAMThis is one of the most difficult jams to make. There are several ways of preparing it, and the one I give strikes me as the quickest and simplest. Clean the fruit, which should be just ripe. Only wash it when absolutely necessary, as, for instance, when mould has stuck to it.Allow twelve oz. of sugar per lb. of fruit. Put this sugar in a preserving pan, sprinkle it with water that it may dissolve, and cook it to thelarge-ball stage(see No.2344), taking care to skim thoroughly when boiling begins. Throw the strawberries into the sugar, and set the preserving pan on the side of the fire for seven or eight minutes; that is to say, until the moisture of the fruit has dissolved the sugar to a syrup.Return the saucepan to a fierce fire, and cook the strawberries for ten or twelve minutes, remembering to carefully remove the scum that forms.Then withdraw the strawberries by means of a slice and drain them in a basin. Continue cooking the syrup rapidly, until the“nappe” stageshows signs of appearing, then return the[823]strawberries for five minutes; that is to say, until the“nappe” stageis completely reached.Fill the pots, little by little, that the strawberries may be well distributed in them and not rise in a mass to the top, as often happens when the receptacles are filled too quickly.2959—ORANGE MARMALADESelect some oranges about equal in size, of a good colour, free from blemishes, and with thick and soft rinds. The latter consideration is important, seeing that the parboiling operation is effected more perfectly when the rinds are thick and supple.Prick them somewhat deeply with a small, pointed stick (in order to precipitate the cooking process), and throw them into a preserving pan of boiling water. Boil for thirty minutes; drain the oranges, cool them, and put them under a running tap for twelve hours, or more if possible; or soak them in constantly changed, cold water for twenty hours. The object of this operation is to soften the rinds and extract their bitterness.This done, drain the oranges; quarter them, remove their pips and filaments, and rub them through a coarse sieve.Take the same weight of sugar as of orange purée. Melt the former in the preserving pan, and boil it for five or six minutes, skimming carefully the while. Then add the orange purée, and one-quarter pint of good apple juice per lb. of the former.During the first stage of the cooking process, skim with great care, and during the second stage, stir almost incessantly until the“nappe” stageis reached.2960—PLUM JAMAllow twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of stoned plums.Dissolve the sugar; skim, set it to boil for seven or eight minutes, and proceed for the cooking as directed under apricot jam.Remarks:—(1) It is a mistake to let the plums macerate in the sugar for some hours previously, for the acid they contain causes them to blacken, and the colour of the jam is thus spoiled. (2) In order to have greengage jam of a fine, green colour, do not cook more than from six to eight lbs. of it at a time, and cook that quantity as quickly as possible.2961—RHUBARB JAMRhubarb jam is one of the most difficult and tedious to make owing (1) to the abundant moisture contained by the vegetable; (2) to its proneness to burn on the bottom of the saucepan, especially towards the close of the cooking process.If it be desired very green, select suitable natural rhubarb; if it be desired pink, only take the central stalks which are bordered[824]with red, or use forced rhubarb. In any case, it is best not to make more than five or six lbs. at once.Suppress the ends of the stalks, cut what remains into pieces; by means of a small knife, scrape off the adhering skin and cut the stalks into three-inch lengths. Allow thirteen oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of rhubarb. Dissolve the former, boil it for seven or eight minutes and then throw the rhubarb into it. Cover the preserving pan and, put it on the side of the stove for about twelve minutes that the fibres of the rhubarb may be disaggregated, and at the end of that time become like vermicelli.Then set the saucepan upon a fierce fire, and stir constantly until the preparation reaches the“nappe” stage, whereupon the jam is finished.2962—TOMATO JAMThere are also several ways of making this jam, of which the following seems the most expeditious:The first fact that should be grasped is that the amount of pulp that can be used represents about one-fifth of the tomato, and this itself depends upon the kind of tomato used, and whether it be just ripe, nearly so, or very ripe.In order to obtain one lb. of pulp, therefore, five lbs. of tomatoes should be used, or thereabouts.Finely slice the tomatoes, and rub them through a sieve. Put the juice and the purée into the jam-saucepan, and boil for five minutes, stirring the while.This done, pour the whole into a napkin, stretched between the four legs of an overturned stool, as for straining a jelly; and let it drain thoroughly.At the end of the operation, therefore, all that remains on the napkin is the mere vegetable pulp, freed of all moisture.Allow the same weight of sugar as of pulp. Put the former into the jam-saucepan, together with a small glassful of water; let it dissolve, and cook it to thesmall-ballstage(see the cooking of sugar); taking care to skim it well as soon as it begins to boil. A stick of vanilla may be put with the sugar before boiling it; or the jam may be flavoured with a good tablespoonful of vanilla sugar when it is taken off the fire; in any case, the jam ought to be flavoured with vanilla.When the sugar has reached thesmall-ballstage, add the tomato pulp to it, and one-fourth pint of red-currant juice per lb. of pulp. Owing to the fact that tomato pulp of itself has no cohesive properties the mixing of red-currant juice with it is essential.[825]Set the preserving pan upon a fierce fire, stirring incessantly the while, until the“nappe” stageis reached; then let the jam cook for a few more minutes.2963—BLACK-CURRANT JELLYTake some very ripe black-currants: clean them; put them into the preserving-pan with half a glassful of water per two lbs. of fruit, and let them boil.While this preparatory operation is in progress, the skins of the currants burst, and their juice flows into the pan. At this stage, transfer the fruit to a sieve lying on a bowl—a much simpler method than crushing and pressing them in a twisted towel.Allow as many lbs. of sugar as there are quarts of juice; put this sugar into the preserving-pan; dissolve it, and cook it to thesmall-ballstage; thoroughly skimming the while. Add the black-currant juice, combined per quart with half pint of white-currant juice.Move the utensil to the side of the stove for a few minutes, that the sugar may dissolve, and then cook the jelly on a fierce fire, carefully skimming the while, until the“nappe” stageis almost reached.Remarks: The object of adding the white-currant jelly is to modify the blackness of pure black-currant jelly.2964—QUINCE JELLYSelect very ripe fruit; cut it into slices; peel and pip these, and throw them into a basin of fresh water.Then put them into a preserving-pan with three and a half pints of water per lb. of quinces, and cook them without touching them. This done, transfer them to a sieve, and let them drain. Return the juice to the pan, together with twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb.; dissolve the sugar; and set the whole to cook on a fierce fire, meanwhile skimming with care, until the“nappe” stageis almost reached.As soon as the jelly is cooked, strain it through a piece of muslin stretched over a basin; and by this means, a perfectly clear jelly will be obtained.2965—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method A)Take some red and white currants, in the proportion of two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter, and combine with them, per two lbs., three oz. of raspberries. Crush the three products together in a basin, and then press them in small quantities at a time, in a strong towel, in order to extract their juice. Put the juice in the preserving-pan, together with eight oz. of loaf-sugar per pint. Thoroughly dissolve the sugar, and set the[826]whole to cook over a very fierce fire; meanwhile skimming carefully—more particularly at first, until the“nappe” stageis reached.N.B.—The yield of juice from red-currants equals about two-thirds or three-fourths the weight of the raw fruit.2966—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method B)Take the same quantities of white and red currants, and of raspberries, as above. Carefully clean the fruit; wash it in cold water, and put it into the preserving-pan, with one wineglassful of water per lb.Cook the whole gently on the side of the stove for ten or twelve minutes; transfer the fruit to a sieve, lying on a basin, and let it drain.Put the juice into the preserving-pan, with twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb., and proceed with the cooking as before.2967—RED-CURRANT JELLY (Method C)Take the same quantities as above of white-currants, red-currants, and raspberries. Remove the currants from their stalks by means of a fork, and collect them in a basin; clean the raspberries, and allow twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of the fruit.Dissolve the sugar in the preserving-pan with a little water and cook it to thesmall-ballstage; meanwhile skimming carefully.Throw the currants and the raspberries into it; put the pan on the side of the fire for seven or eight minutes, that the juice may exude from the fruit; and then cook on a fierce fire, skimming very carefully the while, until the“nappe” stageis reached.2968—WHITE-CURRANT JELLYThis is made from fresh, very ripe white-currants and two oz.of raspberries per lb. of the latter. Any one of the three methods given above may be followed in its preparation, although Method C will be found to yield the clearest jelly.2969—RED-CURRANT JELLY, PREPARED COLDPrepare the juice as directed under No.2965. Add to it one lb. of icing-sugar per quart, and keep the whole in the cool for two or three hours, taking care to stir it frequently with a silver spoon in order to dissolve the sugar. Fill the pots and keep them uncovered for two or three days.This done, cover them in the usual way, and set them in the sun for two or three hours per day for two days.[827]This jelly is as fragile as it is delicate, and should be kept in the dry.2970—ORANGE JELLYIn order to make one quart of orange jelly, take twelve oranges, each weighing about five oz.; one-third pint of good apple juice, one lb. of loaf-sugar, and a tablespoonful of grated orange sugar. The latter is obtained by rubbing the rinds of the oranges with loaf-sugar, and then grating the sugar so coloured and flavoured with a hard knife.If the jelly be desired garnished, insert a fair-sized, candied orange-rind cut into small strips.Preparation:—Thoroughly press the oranges and filter the juice; prepare the apple juice, and set the sugar to dissolve with a few drops of water.Add the orange and apple juice to the sugar, and cook the jelly like the preceding ones. Leave it to cool for ten minutes; mix with it the orange sugar and the candied rind, and pour it into pots.2971—APPLE JELLYProceed exactly as for quince jelly, and strain the apple juice without pressing the fruit. Do not cook the latter over much, lest the juice becomes mixed with pulp. Nevertheless, this should be very carefully poured away; for, in spite of the greatest care, there is always a certain amount of deposit.Put the juice into the preserving pan, with thirteen oz. of loaf-sugar and one-third of a stick of vanilla per quart.Cook, and strain through muslin, as in the case of quince jelly.2972—TOMATO JELLY (1st Method)Prepare the tomatoes as directed under No.2962.Per lb. of drained juice allow one good pint of apple jelly, twenty oz. of sugar, and a large vanilla stick.Put into the preserving-pan the sugar, the apple jelly, and the vanilla-flavoured tomato juice, and put the utensil on the side of the fire for five minutes.This done, set the whole to cook on a fierce fire, until the“nappe” stageis reached.2973—TOMATO JELLY (2nd Method)Take the same amount of juice as in the preceding case.Use red-currant jelly instead of apple jelly, and prepare the former from red and white currants in the proportion of one-third of the former to two-thirds of the latter. Use the same amount of vanilla as above. Put the latter into the preserving-pan;[828]dissolve it with a little water; add the vanilla, and cook it to thesmall-crackstage; remembering to skin carefully at the start.Add the tomato pulp and the red-currant jelly to the cooked sugar; put the whole on the side of the stove for a moment in order to reduce the sugar; and then proceed with the cooking on a very fierce fire until the“nappe” stageis reached.
Fruit for stewing is used whole, halved or quartered, and cooked or poached in a syrup, of a flavour in keeping with the fruit.
Dish these preparations in tazzas, bowls or deep dishes; cover them with their syrup, reduced or not; and, in certain cases, thicken the latter with arrowroot. They may be served hot or cold; but in any case, the fruit used should not be too ripe.
These preparations generally consist of stewed, fresh fruit of one or several kinds; combined with fruit purées.
Quince and apple jellies are greatly used, either in coating the preparations or in bordering them with dice, &c.
With this class of stewed fruits, which are merely a matter of fancy and taste, candied and preserved fruits are almost always used as auxiliary constituents.
Under this generic title the following preparations areclassed:—
(1) Those in which the fruit is treated directly with thesugar:—
(2) Those in which the juice alone, owing to its gelatinous nature, produces, together with the sugar, consistent jellies.
The amount of sugar used is subject to the nature of the fruit and its sweetness; but in the case of nearly all tart fruits, the weight of sugar should equal that of the fruit, or nearly so.
If too much sugar be used, the flavour is impaired; while crystallisation will follow very shortly afterwards; if too little be used, the jam has to be overcooked in order to be made sufficiently consistent, and the flavour is once more impaired by protracted evaporation; finally if the time allowed for cooking be inadequate, rapid fermentation will be the result.
[821]In making jam, therefore, the operator should base his measure of sugar upon the nature of the fruit he intends treating.
The time allowed for cooking any jam whatsoever can only be approximately decided, and it is a gross mistake to suppose the case otherwise, since the matter is wholly dependent upon the intensity of the fire, and the resulting speed of the evaporation of the vegetable moisture. Theoretically, a jam is all the better for having been cooked quickly, seeing that it may thus more easily preserve its colour and flavour.
For all that, unless great care and attention be exercised, a whole-fruit jam ought not to be made on a too violent fire, lest it burn. Conversely, when jellies are in question, wherein the juice alone of the fruit is treated, the fire should be as intense as possible; in order that the required degree of consistence, which marks the close of the operation, may be reached as speedily as possible.
The degree of consistence is the same for all jellies, and may be ascertained thus: when the steam given off by the preparation loses its density, and the boiling movement becomes perceptible, it may be concluded that evaporation has ceased, and that the real cooking-process, which is very rapid, has begun. At this stage frequently take the skimmer out of the saucepan.
The jam adhering to it falls off, at first very quickly; then, in a few minutes, it is seen to accumulate towards the centre of the skimmer and to fall therefrom slowly at lengthy intervals, in large drops.
This stage, which is indubitably indicative of the cooking being at an end, is called the “nappe” and is equivalent to thelarge-threadstagein the cooking of sugar; and, as soon as it is reached the jam should be taken off the fire. Allow it to cool for seven or eight minutes, and pour it into pots, which, if of glass, should be gradually heated, lest they crack.
The following day, set a round piece of white paper saturated with rectified glycerine, on each pot, and drop these pieces of paper directly upon the jam. Rectified glycerine will be found preferable by far to the commonly-used sugared brandy.
Then close the pots with a double sheet of paper, fastened on with string, and place them somewhere in the dry.
Cut the apricots in two, and use very ripe fruit, grown in the open, if possible. Break the stones, skin the almonds, and cut them in two. Allow three-quarters lb. of loaf-sugar per lb. of fruit. Put this sugar in a preserving pan with one-third pint of water per[822]two lbs. of sugar, and, when the latter is dissolved, boil for a few minutes, carefully skimming the while. Add the apricots, set the whole to cook on a moderate fire, and stir incessantly, especially towards the end, when the jam is more particularly prone to burn on the bottom of the saucepan. Take the jam off the fire as soon as it reaches the “nappe” stage, as explained above, and mix the almonds with the jam.
Stone the cherries, and allow one and a half lbs. of loaf-sugar per two lbs. of the fruit; taking care to have equal weights of sugar and fruit if the latter be not over sweet. Put the sugar in the preserving pan; moisten it with water that it may dissolve, and boil it for five minutes, skimming carefully the while. Add the cherries and a half-pint of red-currant juice, and cook over a fierce fire until the“nappe” stageis reached.
Remarks:—(1) The addition of red-currant juice is advocated for this jam, seeing that by ensuring the proper consistence it obviates prolonged cooking; and, as I have already pointed out, red fruit is all the better, and preserves a more perfect colour, when it is cooked rapidly.
(2) When the fruit begins to boil, carefully skim it, otherwise the scum hardens, and not only spoils the jam but often sets it fermenting.
This is one of the most difficult jams to make. There are several ways of preparing it, and the one I give strikes me as the quickest and simplest. Clean the fruit, which should be just ripe. Only wash it when absolutely necessary, as, for instance, when mould has stuck to it.
Allow twelve oz. of sugar per lb. of fruit. Put this sugar in a preserving pan, sprinkle it with water that it may dissolve, and cook it to thelarge-ball stage(see No.2344), taking care to skim thoroughly when boiling begins. Throw the strawberries into the sugar, and set the preserving pan on the side of the fire for seven or eight minutes; that is to say, until the moisture of the fruit has dissolved the sugar to a syrup.
Return the saucepan to a fierce fire, and cook the strawberries for ten or twelve minutes, remembering to carefully remove the scum that forms.
Then withdraw the strawberries by means of a slice and drain them in a basin. Continue cooking the syrup rapidly, until the“nappe” stageshows signs of appearing, then return the[823]strawberries for five minutes; that is to say, until the“nappe” stageis completely reached.
Fill the pots, little by little, that the strawberries may be well distributed in them and not rise in a mass to the top, as often happens when the receptacles are filled too quickly.
Select some oranges about equal in size, of a good colour, free from blemishes, and with thick and soft rinds. The latter consideration is important, seeing that the parboiling operation is effected more perfectly when the rinds are thick and supple.
Prick them somewhat deeply with a small, pointed stick (in order to precipitate the cooking process), and throw them into a preserving pan of boiling water. Boil for thirty minutes; drain the oranges, cool them, and put them under a running tap for twelve hours, or more if possible; or soak them in constantly changed, cold water for twenty hours. The object of this operation is to soften the rinds and extract their bitterness.
This done, drain the oranges; quarter them, remove their pips and filaments, and rub them through a coarse sieve.
Take the same weight of sugar as of orange purée. Melt the former in the preserving pan, and boil it for five or six minutes, skimming carefully the while. Then add the orange purée, and one-quarter pint of good apple juice per lb. of the former.
During the first stage of the cooking process, skim with great care, and during the second stage, stir almost incessantly until the“nappe” stageis reached.
Allow twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of stoned plums.
Dissolve the sugar; skim, set it to boil for seven or eight minutes, and proceed for the cooking as directed under apricot jam.
Remarks:—(1) It is a mistake to let the plums macerate in the sugar for some hours previously, for the acid they contain causes them to blacken, and the colour of the jam is thus spoiled. (2) In order to have greengage jam of a fine, green colour, do not cook more than from six to eight lbs. of it at a time, and cook that quantity as quickly as possible.
Rhubarb jam is one of the most difficult and tedious to make owing (1) to the abundant moisture contained by the vegetable; (2) to its proneness to burn on the bottom of the saucepan, especially towards the close of the cooking process.
If it be desired very green, select suitable natural rhubarb; if it be desired pink, only take the central stalks which are bordered[824]with red, or use forced rhubarb. In any case, it is best not to make more than five or six lbs. at once.
Suppress the ends of the stalks, cut what remains into pieces; by means of a small knife, scrape off the adhering skin and cut the stalks into three-inch lengths. Allow thirteen oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of rhubarb. Dissolve the former, boil it for seven or eight minutes and then throw the rhubarb into it. Cover the preserving pan and, put it on the side of the stove for about twelve minutes that the fibres of the rhubarb may be disaggregated, and at the end of that time become like vermicelli.
Then set the saucepan upon a fierce fire, and stir constantly until the preparation reaches the“nappe” stage, whereupon the jam is finished.
There are also several ways of making this jam, of which the following seems the most expeditious:
The first fact that should be grasped is that the amount of pulp that can be used represents about one-fifth of the tomato, and this itself depends upon the kind of tomato used, and whether it be just ripe, nearly so, or very ripe.
In order to obtain one lb. of pulp, therefore, five lbs. of tomatoes should be used, or thereabouts.
Finely slice the tomatoes, and rub them through a sieve. Put the juice and the purée into the jam-saucepan, and boil for five minutes, stirring the while.
This done, pour the whole into a napkin, stretched between the four legs of an overturned stool, as for straining a jelly; and let it drain thoroughly.
At the end of the operation, therefore, all that remains on the napkin is the mere vegetable pulp, freed of all moisture.
Allow the same weight of sugar as of pulp. Put the former into the jam-saucepan, together with a small glassful of water; let it dissolve, and cook it to thesmall-ballstage(see the cooking of sugar); taking care to skim it well as soon as it begins to boil. A stick of vanilla may be put with the sugar before boiling it; or the jam may be flavoured with a good tablespoonful of vanilla sugar when it is taken off the fire; in any case, the jam ought to be flavoured with vanilla.
When the sugar has reached thesmall-ballstage, add the tomato pulp to it, and one-fourth pint of red-currant juice per lb. of pulp. Owing to the fact that tomato pulp of itself has no cohesive properties the mixing of red-currant juice with it is essential.
[825]Set the preserving pan upon a fierce fire, stirring incessantly the while, until the“nappe” stageis reached; then let the jam cook for a few more minutes.
Take some very ripe black-currants: clean them; put them into the preserving-pan with half a glassful of water per two lbs. of fruit, and let them boil.
While this preparatory operation is in progress, the skins of the currants burst, and their juice flows into the pan. At this stage, transfer the fruit to a sieve lying on a bowl—a much simpler method than crushing and pressing them in a twisted towel.
Allow as many lbs. of sugar as there are quarts of juice; put this sugar into the preserving-pan; dissolve it, and cook it to thesmall-ballstage; thoroughly skimming the while. Add the black-currant juice, combined per quart with half pint of white-currant juice.
Move the utensil to the side of the stove for a few minutes, that the sugar may dissolve, and then cook the jelly on a fierce fire, carefully skimming the while, until the“nappe” stageis almost reached.
Remarks: The object of adding the white-currant jelly is to modify the blackness of pure black-currant jelly.
Select very ripe fruit; cut it into slices; peel and pip these, and throw them into a basin of fresh water.
Then put them into a preserving-pan with three and a half pints of water per lb. of quinces, and cook them without touching them. This done, transfer them to a sieve, and let them drain. Return the juice to the pan, together with twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb.; dissolve the sugar; and set the whole to cook on a fierce fire, meanwhile skimming with care, until the“nappe” stageis almost reached.
As soon as the jelly is cooked, strain it through a piece of muslin stretched over a basin; and by this means, a perfectly clear jelly will be obtained.
Take some red and white currants, in the proportion of two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter, and combine with them, per two lbs., three oz. of raspberries. Crush the three products together in a basin, and then press them in small quantities at a time, in a strong towel, in order to extract their juice. Put the juice in the preserving-pan, together with eight oz. of loaf-sugar per pint. Thoroughly dissolve the sugar, and set the[826]whole to cook over a very fierce fire; meanwhile skimming carefully—more particularly at first, until the“nappe” stageis reached.
N.B.—The yield of juice from red-currants equals about two-thirds or three-fourths the weight of the raw fruit.
Take the same quantities of white and red currants, and of raspberries, as above. Carefully clean the fruit; wash it in cold water, and put it into the preserving-pan, with one wineglassful of water per lb.
Cook the whole gently on the side of the stove for ten or twelve minutes; transfer the fruit to a sieve, lying on a basin, and let it drain.
Put the juice into the preserving-pan, with twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb., and proceed with the cooking as before.
Take the same quantities as above of white-currants, red-currants, and raspberries. Remove the currants from their stalks by means of a fork, and collect them in a basin; clean the raspberries, and allow twelve oz. of loaf-sugar per lb. of the fruit.
Dissolve the sugar in the preserving-pan with a little water and cook it to thesmall-ballstage; meanwhile skimming carefully.
Throw the currants and the raspberries into it; put the pan on the side of the fire for seven or eight minutes, that the juice may exude from the fruit; and then cook on a fierce fire, skimming very carefully the while, until the“nappe” stageis reached.
This is made from fresh, very ripe white-currants and two oz.of raspberries per lb. of the latter. Any one of the three methods given above may be followed in its preparation, although Method C will be found to yield the clearest jelly.
Prepare the juice as directed under No.2965. Add to it one lb. of icing-sugar per quart, and keep the whole in the cool for two or three hours, taking care to stir it frequently with a silver spoon in order to dissolve the sugar. Fill the pots and keep them uncovered for two or three days.
This done, cover them in the usual way, and set them in the sun for two or three hours per day for two days.
[827]This jelly is as fragile as it is delicate, and should be kept in the dry.
In order to make one quart of orange jelly, take twelve oranges, each weighing about five oz.; one-third pint of good apple juice, one lb. of loaf-sugar, and a tablespoonful of grated orange sugar. The latter is obtained by rubbing the rinds of the oranges with loaf-sugar, and then grating the sugar so coloured and flavoured with a hard knife.
If the jelly be desired garnished, insert a fair-sized, candied orange-rind cut into small strips.
Preparation:—Thoroughly press the oranges and filter the juice; prepare the apple juice, and set the sugar to dissolve with a few drops of water.
Add the orange and apple juice to the sugar, and cook the jelly like the preceding ones. Leave it to cool for ten minutes; mix with it the orange sugar and the candied rind, and pour it into pots.
Proceed exactly as for quince jelly, and strain the apple juice without pressing the fruit. Do not cook the latter over much, lest the juice becomes mixed with pulp. Nevertheless, this should be very carefully poured away; for, in spite of the greatest care, there is always a certain amount of deposit.
Put the juice into the preserving pan, with thirteen oz. of loaf-sugar and one-third of a stick of vanilla per quart.
Cook, and strain through muslin, as in the case of quince jelly.
Prepare the tomatoes as directed under No.2962.
Per lb. of drained juice allow one good pint of apple jelly, twenty oz. of sugar, and a large vanilla stick.
Put into the preserving-pan the sugar, the apple jelly, and the vanilla-flavoured tomato juice, and put the utensil on the side of the fire for five minutes.
This done, set the whole to cook on a fierce fire, until the“nappe” stageis reached.
Take the same amount of juice as in the preceding case.
Use red-currant jelly instead of apple jelly, and prepare the former from red and white currants in the proportion of one-third of the former to two-thirds of the latter. Use the same amount of vanilla as above. Put the latter into the preserving-pan;[828]dissolve it with a little water; add the vanilla, and cook it to thesmall-crackstage; remembering to skin carefully at the start.
Add the tomato pulp and the red-currant jelly to the cooked sugar; put the whole on the side of the stove for a moment in order to reduce the sugar; and then proceed with the cooking on a very fierce fire until the“nappe” stageis reached.