Fruits commonly rich in pectose or pectin in-
clude guavas, quinces, some apples, crab-
apples, partially ripened grapes, black cur-
rants, and red currants when not over-ripe.
There is also pectin in the white portion of
orange peel, and in green citron melon. Rasp-
berries, elderberries, even blueberries ^ when
in good condition, can be made into jelly.
Fruits lacking in pectin include strawberries,
peaches, cherries, rhubarb. These are not
desirable for jelly, unless other fruit juice
rich in pectin, such as apple, is added to them.
The best jelly is made from slightly acid fruit
juice, rich in pectose or pectin, with just the
right amount of sugar added to unite with
the pectose or pectin, and consequently "jell"
properly. If too much sugar is added for
the pectin present in the juice, the result
will be syrupy rather than solid, with possi-
bilities of crystallization; if too little sugar
is added, the jelly will be tough. Jelly is apt
to be spoiled, however, by using too much
rather than too little sugar. The correct pro-
portion varies, approximately, from ^ to i
cupful of sugar to each cupful of juice. Ex-
cept in the case of currant jelly, Ya, is usually
the better measure.
To prevent waste of sugar and fruit, and to in-
sure a good jelly, it is sometimes wise to test
' the collected fruit juice for pectin before making
1 "Principles of Jelly-Making," N.E. Goldthwaite, Ph.D.,
Bulletin, University of Illinois, Urbana, 111.
200 FOOD AND FREEDOM
it up into jelly. The United States Department
of Agriculture gives the following test:
Put I tablespoonful 95 per cent, grain
alcohol and an equal quantity of cooled fruit
juice into a glass tumbler; shake gently;
let stand for half an hour. The effect of the
alcohol is to bring the pectin together in a
jelly-like mass.
If much pectin is present, it will appear in
one mass or clot when poured from the glass;
this indicates that equal quantities of juice
and sugar may be used — i cupful sugar to i
cupful juice.
If pectin is separated in small clots, not slip-
ping from the glass in one mass, less sugar will
be required — ^ cupful sugar to i cupful juice.
If pectin is very thin, and much separated,
the juice is hardly desirable for jelly-making;
it may be improved, however, by cooking
apples, the white portion of orange rind, or
some green citron melon with it, or adding
other fruit juice rich in pectose or pectin.
Correct time for boiling the fruit juice and
adding the sugar at the proper moment are
also important factors. Some jelly may be
made complete in 10 or 15 minutes; other jelly
may require 20 or 30 minutes. The sugar —
heated — should be added to the juice midway
in the process, or a little toward the end — as
nearly as can be determined.^ The whole process
1 This point is debatable, however, and is best decided
by individual preference or success,
PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD 201
of jelly-making should be done as quickly as
it consistently can, however; to insure this,
work in small quantities. Long cooking tends
to destroy the pectin; the action of the acid
on the sugar during long cooking is also un-
favorable, producing in the end a syrup rather
than a jelly. ^
Method:
Jelly -making incluaes the following steps:
I. Extracting the juice from the fruit:
Food and freedom
1918Page 82
Presented as published in 1918. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
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Fruits commonly rich in pectose or pectin in-
clude guavas, quinces, some apples, crab-
apples, partially ripened grapes, black cur-
rants, and red currants when not over-ripe.
There is also pectin in the white portion of
orange peel, and in green citron melon. Rasp-
berries, elderberries, even blueberries ^ when
in good condition, can be made into jelly.
Fruits lacking in pectin include strawberries,
peaches, cherries, rhubarb. These are not
desirable for jelly, unless other fruit juice
rich in pectin, such as apple, is added to them.
The best jelly is made from slightly acid fruit
juice, rich in pectose or pectin, with just the
right amount of sugar added to unite with
the pectose or pectin, and consequently "jell"
properly. If too much sugar is added for
the pectin present in the juice, the result
will be syrupy rather than solid, with possi-
bilities of crystallization; if too little sugar
is added, the jelly will be tough. Jelly is apt
to be spoiled, however, by using too much
rather than too little sugar. The correct pro-
portion varies, approximately, from ^ to i
cupful of sugar to each cupful of juice. Ex-
cept in the case of currant jelly, Ya, is usually
the better measure.
To prevent waste of sugar and fruit, and to in-
sure a good jelly, it is sometimes wise to test
' the collected fruit juice for pectin before making
1 "Principles of Jelly-Making," N.E. Goldthwaite, Ph.D.,
Bulletin, University of Illinois, Urbana, 111.
200 FOOD AND FREEDOM
it up into jelly. The United States Department
of Agriculture gives the following test:
Put I tablespoonful 95 per cent, grain
alcohol and an equal quantity of cooled fruit
juice into a glass tumbler; shake gently;
let stand for half an hour. The effect of the
alcohol is to bring the pectin together in a
jelly-like mass.
If much pectin is present, it will appear in
one mass or clot when poured from the glass;
this indicates that equal quantities of juice
and sugar may be used — i cupful sugar to i
cupful juice.
If pectin is separated in small clots, not slip-
ping from the glass in one mass, less sugar will
be required — ^ cupful sugar to i cupful juice.
If pectin is very thin, and much separated,
the juice is hardly desirable for jelly-making;
it may be improved, however, by cooking
apples, the white portion of orange rind, or
some green citron melon with it, or adding
other fruit juice rich in pectose or pectin.
Correct time for boiling the fruit juice and
adding the sugar at the proper moment are
also important factors. Some jelly may be
made complete in 10 or 15 minutes; other jelly
may require 20 or 30 minutes. The sugar —
heated — should be added to the juice midway
in the process, or a little toward the end — as
nearly as can be determined.^ The whole process
1 This point is debatable, however, and is best decided
by individual preference or success,
PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD 201
of jelly-making should be done as quickly as
it consistently can, however; to insure this,
work in small quantities. Long cooking tends
to destroy the pectin; the action of the acid
on the sugar during long cooking is also un-
favorable, producing in the end a syrup rather
than a jelly. ^
Method:
Jelly -making incluaes the following steps:
I. Extracting the juice from the fruit: