Scientific Jelly Making by May McGuire Telford

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 6, 1916

Scientific Jelly Making

By May McGuire Telford

JELLY making is one of the long-practiced arts, but nevertheless the failures that frequently result show that difficulties still exist.

In the process of making jelly the extracted juice should be boiled rapidly, and never allowed to simmer. If it is allowed to stand for some time before the jelly is made, fermentation sets in.

There is only one certain method to tell just how much sugar to add—to use the sirup gauge which has graduations, and the fruit juice contains just enough sugar when it reads twenty-five degrees. If the reading is above twenty-five degrees, more unsweetened fruit juice must be added, and if below twenty-five degrees, more sugar must be added. As the cost of the gauge is less than a dollar, no housewife who makes much jelly can afford to be without it.

It is nearly always wise to boil the juice in small amounts—say a quart or less. The wide-bottomed, shallow preserving kettle serves best, as it permits free evaporation from a large surface. In many cases results are more certain if the sugar is heated in the oven before it is added to the boiling juice; this prevents cooling and longer heating. As the boiling progresses, the jelly may be tested by pouring a few spoonfuls in a saucer to cool. As soon as a sample hardens, the remainder should at once be poured into glasses. The glasses should be stored in a cool, dry place when the paraffin cover hardens.

Jellies naturally fall into two classes; currant and apple jelly are good types of the two. Currants do not require the addition of water, while apples do.

Currant Jelly

Remove the stems, wash the currants carefully, place them in a preserving kettle, and mash them with a wooden potato masher. Place the kettle over a slow fire; as soon as the currants are heated through, pour them into a jelly bag, suspend the bag, and without applying pressure allow the juice to drain overnight into an earthen crock. In the morning measure the juice, place it on the stove in a clean preserving kettle, and bring it rapidly to a boil. Then add as much sugar as there was currant juice. Continue the boiling until the tested juice hardens; this usually requires not more than two minutes. Pour the jelly at once into jelly glasses, and when it has hardened, cover it with melted paraffin.

Apple Jelly

Select a variety of apples that produces good jelly. Cut them into small pieces without removing the cores, place them in a clean preserving kettle, cover them with water, and boil them until they are thoroughly cooked.

Pour both fruit and juice into a jelly bag, and allow draining to take place overnight without pressure. In the morning put the extracted juice into a clean preserving kettle and quickly bring it to a boil. Continue the boiling ten minutes, or longer, depending upon the amount of water that was added. When the juice has boiled down to half the original quantity, measure it and add an equal amount of granulated sugar. Continue the boiling until the tested juice hardens. Then pour at once into jelly glasses.

Grape Jelly

Select grapes not too sweet nor too ripe. Wash the bunches carefully and remove the fruit from the stems. Put the grapes into the preserving kettle, add a little water to prevent scorching, and boil them until they burst open. Place them in a jelly bag and allow the juice to drain without pressure. Measure the extracted juice, add an equal amount of sugar, and cook rapidly in a porcelain kettle, skimming and testing frequently. When it hardens, pour it at once into jelly glasses.

If a light-colored jelly of mild flavor is desired, an equal amount of apple juice extracted from tart apples may be added to the grape juice. If the jelly does not become firm quickly, a little vinegar or lemon juice may be added.—May McGuire Telford, in the Pictorial Review.