Certo: A Short Cut to Better Jams and Jellies

by General Foods Corporation

7½ cups (3¼ lbs.) sugar

½ bottle Certo

To prepare fruit, pit about 3 pounds fully ripe fruit. Do not peel. Cut into small pieces and crush thoroughly. Add ½ cup water and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. (Sour, cling-stone plums give best color and flavor. If sweet plums or free-stone prunes are used, substitute ½ cup lemon juice for ½ cup of the prepared fruit specified.) Measure sugar and prepared fruit into large kettle, mix well, and bring to a full rolling boil over hottest fire. Stir constantly before and while boiling. Boil hard 1 minute. Remove from fire and stir in Certo. Stir and skim for 5 minutes. Pour quickly. Paraffin at once. Makes about 11 glasses (6 fluid ounces each).

[CHERRY JAM]

4 cups (2 lbs.) prepared fruit

7 cups (3 lbs.) sugar

1 bottle Certo

To prepare fruit, pit about 2½ pounds fully ripe cherries. Crush thoroughly or grind. (If sweet cherries are used, substitute ¼ cup lemon juice for ¼ cup of the prepared fruit specified. For stronger cherry flavor, add ¼ teaspoon almond extract before pouring.) Measure sugar into large kettle. Add prepared fruit, packing each cup solidly and filling up the last cup with water, if necessary. Mix well and bring to a full rolling boil over hottest fire. Stir constantly before and while boiling. Boil hard 1 minute. Remove from fire and stir in Certo. Then stir and skim by turns for just 5 minutes to cool slightly, to prevent floating fruit. Pour quickly. Paraffin at once. Makes about 11 glasses (6 fluid ounces each).

SWEET CHERRY CONSERVE

Use recipe for Cherry Jam ([above]), adding juice and grated rind of 2 medium lemons, ½ pound chopped, seeded raisins, and 1 cup finely chopped nut meats when sugar is added to prepared fruit. Makes about 13 glasses (6 fluid ounces each).