Ingredients.—To every lb. of fruit allow ¾ lb. of loaf sugar. Mode.—Let the fruit be gathered on a fine day; weigh it, and then strip the currants from the stalks; put them into a preserving-pan with sugar in the above proportion; stir them, and boil them for about ¾ hour. Carefully remove the scum as it rises. Put the jam into pots, and, when cold, cover with oiled papers; over these put a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg; press the paper round the top of the pot, and, when dry, the covering will be quite hard and air-tight. Time.—½ to ¾ hour, reckoning from the time the jam boils all over. Average cost, for a lb. pot, from 6d. to 8d. Sufficient.—Allow from 6 to 7 quarts of currants to make 12 1-lb. pots of jam. Seasonable.—Make this in July.
JAM-POT.
CURRANT JELLY, Black.
Ingredients.—Black currants; to every pint of juice allow ¼ pint of water, 1 lb of loaf sugar. Mode.—Strip the currants from the stalks, which may be done in an expeditious manner, by holding the bunch in one hand, and passing a small silver fork down the currants: they will then readily fall from the stalks. Put them into a jar, place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer them until their juice is extracted; then strain them, and to every pint of juice allow the above proportion of sugar and water; stir these ingredients together cold until the sugar is dissolved; place the preserving-pan on the fire, and boil the jelly for about ½ hour, reckoning from the time it commences to boil all over, and carefully remove the scum as it rises. If the jelly becomes firm when a little is put on a plate, it is done; it should then be put into small pots, and covered the same as the jam in the preceding recipe. If the jelly is wanted very clear, the fruit should not be squeezed dry; but, of course, so much juice will not be obtained. If the fruit is not much squeezed, it may be converted into a jam for immediate eating, by boiling it with a little common sugar: this answers very well for a nursery preserve. Time.—About ¾ hour to extract the juice; ½ hour to boil the jelly. Average cost, from 8d. to 10d. per ½-lb. pot. Sufficient.—From 3 pints to 2 quarts of fruit should yield a pint of juice. Seasonable.—Make this in July.
CURRANT JELLY, Red.
Ingredients.—Red currants; to every pint of juice allow ¾ lb. of loaf sugar. Mode.—Have the fruit gathered in fine weather; pick it from the stalks, put it into a jar, and place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and let it simmer gently until the juice is well drawn from the currants; then strain them through a jelly-bag or fine cloth, and if the jelly is wished very clear, do not squeeze them too much, as the skin and pulp from the fruit will be pressed through with the juice, and so make the jelly muddy. Measure the juice, and to each pint allow ¾ lb of loaf sugar; put these into a preserving-pan, set it over the fire, and keep stirring the jelly until it is done, carefully removing every particle of scum as it rises, using a wooden or silver spoon for the purpose, as metal or iron ones would spoil the colour of the jelly. When it has boiled from 20 minutes to ½ hour, put a little of the jelly on a plate, and if firm when cool, it is done. Take it off the fire, pour it into small gallipots, cover each of the pots with an oiled paper, and then with a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. Label the pots, adding the year when the jelly was made, and store it away in a dry place. A jam may be made with the currants, if they are not squeezed too dry, by adding a few fresh raspberries, and boiling all together, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. As this jam is not worth storing away, but is only for immediate eating, a smaller proportion of sugar than usual will be found enough: it answers very well for children’s puddings, or for a nursery preserve. Time.—From ¾ to 1 hour to extract the juice; 20 minutes to ½ hour to boil the jelly. Average cost, from 8d. to 10d. per ½-lb. pot. Sufficient.—8 quarts of currants will make from 10 to 12 pots of jelly. Seasonable.—Make this in July.
Note.—Should the above proportion of sugar not be found sufficient for some tastes, add an extra ¼ lb. to every pint of juice, making altogether 1 lb.
CURRANT JELLY, White.
Ingredients.—White currants; to every pint of juice allow ¾ lb. of good loaf sugar. Mode.—Pick the currants from the stalks, and put them into a jar; place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer until the juice is well drawn from the fruit, which will be in from ¾ to 1 hour. Then strain the currants through a fine cloth or jelly-bag; do not squeeze them too much, or the jelly will not be clear, and put the juice into a very clean preserving-pan, with the sugar. Let this simmer gently over a clear fire until it is firm, and keep stirring and skimming until it is done; then pour it into small pots, cover them, and store away in a dry place. Time.—¾ hour to draw the juice; ½ hour to boil the jelly. Average cost, from 8d. to 10d. per ½-lb. pot. Sufficient.—From 3 pints to 2 quarts of fruit should yield 1 pint of juice. Seasonable in July and August.