First peel and core sound sour apples, and put on to stew with just enough water to cover. Cook until the apples are almost a mush, put in a jelly-bag, and let hang overnight. Do not squeeze. Next day measure the juice and let boil twenty minutes, skimming whenever necessary. While it is cooking, heat an equal quantity of granulated sugar in the oven and stir it in. Cook five minutes longer, or until the jelly forms when dropped on a cold saucer. Stand jelly glasses in a dripping-pan, surround with boiling water, pour in the jelly, and set aside until firm. When solid, if covered with one-quarter inch of melted paraffin, it will not mould, nor will tin covers be necessary.
CRAB APPLE JELLY
Crab apple jelly is made in the same way as the apple jelly, but the fruit is simply wiped off and quartered,—not peeled.
GRAPE JELLY
Pick grapes from the stem, wash, crush, and boil twenty minutes. Then put in jelly-bag to drip overnight, but do not squeeze. Next day measure juice, boil ten minutes, add an equal amount of sugar that has been warming, boil three minutes, or until a drop jellies on a cold dish, then turn into glasses.
About half as much juice as drips will be left in the bag, and it can afterward be squeezed out and boiled separately, (for it will be cloudy), or the entire contents of the jelly-bag can be put through the colander, sweetened and spiced to taste, and cooked until of the desired thickness. This makes a nice marmalade.
FRUIT COMBINATION
At a time when other fruits are very high, the plain apple jelly, so delicate in flavor itself, can be mixed when ready to pour with any kind of preserved fruit, ready to be put up, even in the proportion of one-fourth, and it will not be noticeable. Since the pure food law went into effect and manufacturers have had to print their formulas on the bottles, we have been able to gather a few trade secrets; and one of our best-known firms has this admission on its jam labels:
"These goods are compounded from forty per cent, each fresh fruit and granulated sugar, with addition of ten per cent. each fresh apple juice and corn sirup, to prevent crystallization."
Their jams are very good, but why pay twenty cents a pound for a mixture of apple juice and corn sirup?