juice first through cheese cloth and
without pressure. If the cloth is double the juice will be quite clear.
When a very clear jelly is desired the strained juice should pass
through a flannel or felt bag. The juice may be pressed from the fruit
left in the strainer and used in marmalade or for a second-quality
jelly.

To make jelly that will not crystallize (candy) the right proportion of
sugar must be added to the fruit juice. If the fruit contains a high
percentage of sugar, the quantity of added sugar should be a little less
than the quantity of fruit juice. That is to say, in a season when there
has been a great deal of heat and sunshine there will be more sugar in
the fruit than in a cold, wet season; consequently, 1 pint of currant
juice will require but three-quarters of a pint of sugar. But in a cold,
wet season the pint of sugar for the pint of juice must be measured
generously.

Another cause of the jelly crystallizing is hard boiling. When the sirup
boils so rapidly that particles of it are thrown on the upper part of
the sides of the preserving kettle they often form crystals. If these
crystals are stirred into the sirup they are apt to cause the mass to
crystallize in time.

The use of the sirup gauge and care not to boil the sirup too violently
would do away with all uncertainty in jelly making. The sirup gauge
should register 25 deg., no matter what kind of fruit is used. (See p.
15.)

Jellies should be covered closely and kept in a cool, dry, dark place.

CURRANT JELLY.

The simplest method of making currant jelly is perhaps the following:
Free the currants from leaves and large stems. Put them in the
preserving kettle; crush a few with a wooden vegetable masher or spoon;
heat slowly, stirring frequently.

When the currants are hot, crush them with the vegetable masher. Put a
hair sieve or strainer over a large bowl; over this spread a double
square of cheese cloth. Turn the crushed fruit and juice into the cheese
cloth, and let it drain as long as it drips, but do not use pressure.
To hasten the process take the corners of the straining cloth firmly in
the hands and lift from the sieve; move the contents by raising one side
of the cloth and then the other. After this put the cloth over another
bowl. Twist the ends together and press out as much juice as possible.
This juice may be used to make a second quality of jelly.

The clear juice may be made into jelly at once, or it may be strained