Crab Apple Jelly
| Crab Apples, | 2 dozen |
| Sugar | |
| Water |
The crab apples make a very handsome jelly, and as they are very small, mother did not think two dozen would be too many for Adelaide to prepare.
These, mother said, you only needed to wipe clean with a damp cloth and remove the stem and blossom end. It was not necessary to cut them, just put them into the saucepan and nearly cover them with cold water.
Standing the saucepan over the fire, Adelaide put on the cover and let the apples cook slowly until very soft, stirring occasionally to keep from burning, then she poured them into the jelly bag and let the juice drip over night. In the morning she measured the juice, and for each cup of juice she measured a cup of sugar. The sugar was put in an earthenware dish and stood at the back of the range, to heat through, but not brown, while the juice was boiling rapidly for twenty minutes.
As soon as the juice was ready, Adelaide added the sugar gradually, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon until it had all dissolved. This she let come to the "jelly point," skimmed quickly, poured into a pitcher, and filled the sterilized small glasses at once.
Next she placed the jelly in a sunny window. When cold, she wiped each glass around the top and on the outside with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the jelly (shaking gently from side to side to exclude all air), pasted on the labels and stored away in the preserve closet.