6 different old-fashioned ways to preserve raspberries
From the New-York Tribune (New York, NY) July 13, 1919
Raspberries are such a perishable fruit that they should be preserved as soon as possible after their arrival from market. To wash them, place a few in a colander and lift in and out of a pan of water twice; then lay on a wire sieve to drain.
The following tested recipes cover the best typical methods for “putting up” this delicious early summer fruit.
1. Red raspberry jam with currant juice (1919)
Wash and crush the fruit and to each quart of the berries allow half a cupful of strained currant juice. Let stand for ten or fifteen minutes, turn into a preserving kettle, bring to a boil, and let simmer for twenty minutes.
Have ready heated sugar, allowing three-quarters the quantity of the uncooked fruit, and cook down until a little of the syrup jells when tried on a plate. Store in jelly tumblers, covering with paraffin when cold.
2. Red raspberry jam recipe (1933)
From The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) July 27, 1933
For this jam recipe, you will need 4 cups (2 lbs.) prepared fruit, 6-1/2 cups (2-3/4 lbs.) sugar, and 1/2 bottle fruit pectin (4 ounces)
To prepare fruit, crush or grind about 2 quarts fully-ripe berries. Measure sugar and prepared fruit into large kettle, mix well, and bring to a full rolling boil over hottest fire. Stir constantly before and while boiling. Boil hard 1 minute.
Remove from fire and stir in fruit pectin. Then stir and skim by turns for just 5 minutes to cool quickly, to prevent floating fruit. Pour quickly. Paraffin hot jam at once. Makes about 10 glasses (6 fluid ounces each).
3. Raspberry jelly recipe (1919)
In making this delicious jelly, two-thirds raspberry juice and one-third currant juice (strained) should be combined. Heat the juices, cook for twenty minutes and add an equal measure of heated sugar to that of the strained juices. Cook until it “jells” and store in small tumblers.
By using the red raspberries and the red currants a bright, vivid jelly is produced, while, the blackberries and currants give dark, rich jelly that looks as delicious as it tastes.
4. Raspberry vinegar recipe (1919)
In making this delectable beverage, the berries may be used for this formula and then in the spiced raspberries, which are excellent to serve with cold meat.
For the vinegar, put four quarts of raspberries into an earthenware bowl, pour over it four cupsful of vinegar and leave covered in the icebox until the next day.
Strain off every particle of liquid and vinegar from the berries and pour it over four additional quarts of berries that have been placed in a clean bowl. (Save the berries for the spiced preparation.) Again, let the berries and vinegar stand overnight, and in the morning strain off the liquid and heat to the boiling point.
Add twelve cups of granulated sugar and boil for twenty minutes. Seal hot in air-tight bottles. Two or three tablespoonsful of this vinegar with cracked ice and chilled carbonated water makes a most delightful and refreshing drink on a hot day.
5. Old-fashioned spiced raspberries (1919)
Place the eight quarts of berries (used in the vinegar) in a preserving kettle and add eight cupsful of sugar, one cupful of boiling water, three broken sticks of cinnamon, two dozen whole cloves and two blades of mace (tied in a bit of cheesecloth).
Simmer slowly for forty-five minutes. After they begin to boil, take out the spices and store like marmalade.
6. Raspberry marmalade recipe (1939)
From The Daily Standard (Red Bank, New Jersey) June 7, 1939
You will need 4 cups prepared fruit, 7 cups sugar, and 1 bottle fruit pectin (Note: One bottle of Certo fruit pectin in 1939 was 8 ounces)
Peel off yellow rind of 2 oranges and 2 lemons with a sharp knife, leaving as much of white part on fruit as posible. Put yellow rind through fine knife of food chopper, add 1 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon soda, bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes.
Cut off white skin of peeled fruit and cut pulp from each section. Add pulp and juice to cooked rind. Crush or grind 1 quart fully ripe raspberries. Combine with orange mixture.
Measure sugar and prepared fruit into large kettle, filling up last cup with water if necessary, mix well. Bring to full rolling boil over hottest fire, stirring constantly. Boil gently 5 minutes.
Remove from fire, stir in pectin, then stir and skim by turns for 5 minutes to cool slightly and prevent floating fruit. Pour quickly and paraffin hot marmalade at once. Makes 11 medium sized glasses.
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