der to 3 of water.

CIDER PEAR SAUCE.

Cooking pears may be preserved in boiled cider the same as sweet apples.
If one prefers the sauce less sour, 1 pint of sugar may be added to each
quart of boiled cider.

METHODS OF MAKING JELLY.

In no department of preserving does the housekeeper feel less sure of
the result than in jelly making. The rule that works perfectly one time
fails another time. Why this is so the average housekeeper does not
know; so there is nearly always an element of uncertainty as to the
result of the work. These two questions are being constantly asked: "Why
does not my jelly harden?" "What causes my jelly to candy?"

It is an easy matter to say that there is something in the condition of
the fruit, or that the fruit juice and sugar were cooked too short or
too long a time. These explanations are often true; but they do not help
the inquirer, since at other times just that proportion of sugar and
time of cooking have given perfect jelly. In the following pages an
attempt is made to give a clear explanation of the principles underlying
the process of jelly making. It is believed that the women who study
this carefully will find the key to unvarying success in this branch of
preserving.

PECTIN, PECTOSE, PECTASE.

In all fruits, when ripe or nearly so, there is found pectin, a
carbohydrate somewhat similar in its properties to starch. It is because
of this substance in the fruit juice that we are able to make jelly.
When equal quantities of sugar and fruit juice are combined and the
mixture is heated to the boiling point for a short time, the pectin in
the fruit gelatinizes the mass.

It is important that the jelly maker should understand when this
gelatinizing agent is at its best. Pectose and pectase always exist in
the unripe fruit. As the fruit ripens the pectase acts upon the pectose,
which is insoluble in water, converting it into pectin, which is
soluble. Pectin is at its best when the fruit is just ripe or a little
before. If the juice ferments, or the cooking of the jelly is continued
too long, the pectin undergoes a change and loses its power of
gelatinizing. It is, therefore, of the greatest importance that the
fruit should be fresh, just ripe or a little underripe, and that the
boiling of the sugar and juice should not be continued too long.

Fruits vary as to the quantities of sugar, acid, pectin, and gums in
their composition. Some of the sour fruits contain more s