CARE OF JAM JARS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 15 (Supplement)

CARE OF JAM JARS.

Now that the reason’s fresh fruit is making its appearance it behoves the housewife to look' try her jam jars. Collect sufflcient to hold the jam you intend to make. Fill a pan with fairly hot water and thoroughly scour jars inside and out. Be most careful to see that the bottom' ridge and neck of the jar are scrupulously clean. Rinse in clean, hot water, and turn downwards to drain, fory ’thoroughly with clean cloth. Place Jars in the oven, resting them on the grids, keeping them as far as possible from the flame of the burners.

Light the oven and turn down immediately until the flames are very small, as low.as. they .will go without extinction. This is essential, or glass jars will crack. Close the oven and leave until ready for jam. When your jam is cooked try your jars. They should by then be too hot to handle without a cloth. If the hand can be placed on them without discomfort, turn gas up a fraction for a few minutes. But this is very seldom necessary.

The next step is very important. Do not stand the jars on a cold surface after removing them from the oven, and make sure that the handcloth is perfectly dry or the jars will crack. The best day is to warm and dry some old newspapers and spread them on a wooden table..

Remove the jars as quickly as possible from the oven and pour jam in while still boiling hot. Fill jars to the very brim, as jam will evaporate when cooling, and leave to set for not less than 24 hours. Covering is important. Store your jam in a cool, dry place. If jam is kept in a damp cupboard it will soon became mouldy, and a place that is airless and too hot is equally bad.

COLOURED DAMASKS.

The most important point about your table arrangement is not to overcrowd your dining-table with unnecessary ornaments, and this is an all-too-common fault. Then great care should be taken in the choosing of your table linen, for naturally if you have a fine polished table you will not want to cover it with a cloth. For table mats and napkins you have a variety of materials and designs to choose from these days, the most attractive being those made of plain coloured damask or filet lace. Some of the latest damask table napkins have the owner’s initials embroidered on them in one comer, which gives them an additional smartness and is particularly effective if you have your dinner service treated in the same manner. Then there 1s the question of table glass. For this it is best to use coloured glass. Black glass is also most decidedly attractive, as it will make an effective contrast with the rest of the table arrangement.

“ASIDES” TO THE COOK.

You will be surprised at the improve-' ment if you— Add a small teaspoonful of volatile salts to your scone mixture. (Half a pound of flour, etc). Mix short pastry with milk instead of water and knead with the hands. Mix the nutmeg, mace, or other spice with the fruit before making plum cake. Beat the eggs first when making Yorkshire pudding. Add the merest suspicion of mace to fish dishes.

LAMB CUTLETS AND GREEN PEAS.

Fry the cutlets in breadcrumbs, dipping them first In white of egg. Boil the peas and pile them in the centre of a dish. Place the cutlets round the peas, with the. broad end of the dish and the bone epd upwards.

WHEN MAKING A ROLY-POLY.

When making a jam roly-poly, sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs in the paste before spreading in the jam. This prevents it running out of the roll when it is being cooked.