Five pounds of ripe currants or cherries, five pounds of granulated sugar, two pounds of seeded raisins, the pulp of six oranges cut in small pieces, and the rind of two oranges cut fine. Boil three-quarters of an hour. Grapes can be used instead of currants or cherries.
[RED CURRANT JAM.]
Pick the currants from the stems, weigh them, and allow three-quarters of a pound of white sugar to a pound of the fruit. Put the currants in a preserving kettle, mash them a little to prevent them from sticking to the kettle, and boil for fifteen minutes, then add the sugar and boil rapidly for ten minutes. Bottle and seal tight.
[RED CURRANT JELLY.]
Berries for jelly must be picked when the weather is dry. Pick them over, taking out all leaves, etc., put them in the kettle and mash them a little to get enough juice to keep them from burning; stir constantly, and as soon as hot wring them dry through a cheese cloth. Measure the liquid and to every pint of juice allow one pound of sugar. Put the juice on the fire and boil fifteen minutes, then add the sugar and boil fifteen minutes more, skimming thoroughly. Pour into glasses while hot; let them stand until the next day and cover. Very often jelly is soft, and always from one of two reasons: either the berries have been picked immediately after a rain or the sugar is adulterated.
[RED CURRANT SYRUP.]
The currants must be fresh and perfectly ripe and picked in dry weather. Wash and put them in either a porcelain-lined or a granite-ware kettle, stir until they are tender, as for [currant jelly], then remove from the fire and wring them as dry as possible in a cheese cloth. Measure the juice and return it to the fire, let it cook fifteen minutes, then add a pound of granulated sugar to each quart of juice, boil gently fifteen minutes, skimming as long as the scum rises. Bottle and cork well and keep in a dark place. Raspberry and strawberry syrup are made in the same way, only mashing and straining the fruit and measuring the juice before cooking.
[BLACK CURRANT SYRUP.]
Pick from the stems and mash them, a few at a time, in a bowl or granite saucepan with a potato masher, then put them in a stone jar and let them stand for two days, stirring well each day. Wring them through a cheese cloth, and if wanted sweet cook with sugar as [red currant syrup]. The juice can be bottled without sugar or cooking, and will keep for years. It is used for sauces or fruit soups, etc.