JAM MAKING AND FRUIT PRESERVING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 31

JAM MAKING AND FRUIT PRESERVING.

To Preserve Pears.—Gather the pears before they ore soft; weigh them, and pare them at thinly as possible. As the fruit is likely to keep longer if the seeds are removed, scoop these out from the end with a fruit knife or with a bodkin. Place the pears in a'preserving pan; cover them with a thin syrup made with 41b of cane sugar to each pint of water, and let them simmer gently until they are sufficiently tender to be pierced easily with a needle. But they must not be allowed to break. Turn them, into a bowl, pour the syrup over them, and leave them to soak for two days. Brain off the syrup and add to it a. further quantity of sugar, so that there will be the same weight of sugar a,s there was ox fruit in the first instance, together with 4or, of whole ginger, and the juice and thinly prepared rind of a lemon to each quart of syrup. Boil for ten minutes. Skim carefully. Put in the pears, and let them simmer gently until they look clear. When they are done enough they may either be drained from the syrup and dried in the sun or in a gentle oven, or they* may be kept in the syrup and dried as they are wanted.

To Preserve Jargonelle Pears.—Time, fa bout half an hour to simmer the pears in water; five minutes in the syrup. Take Jargonelle pears, and to every pound of fiuit rather more than half a pint of water and cne pound of cane sugar are hneoessary. Pare, soma- Jargonelle pears f( very thin, and simmer them in just suffix' oient water to cover them until they are tender, but do not allow them to break. Boil and skinx the sugar and water for five minutes or six minutes, skimming it clear-, then put in the pears, previously drained fro in the woter, and simmer them in the syrup for about five minutes. Repeat tlio simmering for three or four days baking ©are that the pears do not break) until they are clear, then drain and dry them in the sun, or put them in a cool oven

for a, very short time. They may be then kept in the syrup- and dried when wanted, which makes them more moist and rich. Bed Currant .Telly.—Time, forty minutes. To one pint of currant juice take onepound of sugar. Pick the currants from the stalks into a broad earthenware pan. To about one gallon of the picked currants put tlb of sugar. Put the .sugar over the picked currants the day before you make the jelly. Set the currants over a slow* fire to simmer gently for about twenty minutes; the slower they simmer the greater quantity of juice they will discharge. There should be an equal quantity of red and white currants. When all the juice is discharged, strain it through a hair sieve, and then through a jellybag- while quite hot. INow to each quart of juice put lib of sugar. Put it into a preserving pan, and set it over a- quick stove to boil for twenty minutes. If any scum rises, skim it off. When done put it into small white pots or little glasses, and cover it with branded paper. Tie them down.

Bed Currant Jam.—Time, from threequarters to one hour. Take fib sugar to every pound of currants. Pick the stalks from the currants when they are quite ripe and dry; put them into a preserving pan with fib sugar to every pound of fruit. Bring it gradually to a boil, and then let it simmer for three-quarters or one hour, removing the scum as it rises, and stirring it constantly. When done, put it into pots with brandy paper over them, and tie them closely over.

‘White Currant Jelly.—Time, one hour and a quarter. White currants, to every pint of juice add fib sugar. Pick the currants when quite ripe and dry; put them into a stone jar. Place the jar in a- deep saucepan of boiling water, and let it simmer for nearly an hour. Then strain the fruit carefully through a fine cloth without pressing them too much, and put the juice.with the sugar into a preserving pan. Del it simmer slowly until clear and well set, and keep it constantly stirred all the time, carefully removing the scum as it rises, or the jelly will not be clear. Pour if into nots. cover it over, and keep it in a dry place.

Brack Currant Jam,—-Time, front threequarters to one hour. To- every lib currants allow fib of sugar. Gather the currants when they are thoroughly rinc? and dry and pick them from the stalks. Bruiser them lightly in a large bowl, and to every pound oi fruit put £lb of sugar; put sugar and fruit in a- preserving, pan, and boil them from tiiree- - quarters to one hour, skimming as tne scum rises l , and, stirring constantly. Then put the iatn into potscover tnern with brandy paper, and tie them closely over.

Bxack Currant Jeiiy. To every five quarts of currants.allow rather more than half a pint of water; to every pint of juiceallow one pound of sugar. Gather the currants' when, ripe on "a dry day. strip them from the stalks, and put them into an earthen, pan or jam, and to every five quarts' allow the above proportion of water-. Tie the pan over, and set it in an oven for an hour and a-quarter; then, squeeze out the juice through a coarse cloth, and to every pint of juice put one pound of- sugar. Boil it for three-quarters of an hoar, skimming it well; then pour it into small pots, and when cold put brandy paper over , them, and tie them closely over. Iced Currants for Dessert.—Time to dry r about three hours. Take red or white currants, quarter of a pint o-f water, canesugar, and the whites of two eggs. Procure some of the finest bunches of red or white • currants; beat the whites of two eggs, and mix them with a- quarter of .% pint of water. Dip each bunch of currants separately into the egg and water. Drain them for two minutes, and roll them in some sugar; repeat the rolling in sugar, and lay them carefully on sheets of paper to dry, when the sugar will become crystallised. Arrange them on a, dish, or with a mixture of any other fruit. Plums, grapes, or any fruit may be iced in the same manner for dessert-

Tn healthy years in England the air travels a't an average rate of 44 miles an hour; in unhealthy 34 miles.