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FREEZE, CAN AND PRESERVE

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries and cranberriesall have limited growing seasons. But berries are so good to eat and soversatile that it is small wonder families want to preserve them for yearround eating through freezing, canning and food conservation.

FREEZING

Berries EFreeze: If you grow your own berries to freeze, plant varietiesthat freeze well. See chart, Page 4 for recommended varieties.

Let the berries ripen on the vine, tree or bush, then freeze freshlygathered berries. In this way you capture their delicate bouquet.

If you buy berries or pick your own, arrange for berries ahead of time,if possible, and get fresh ones. It is not easy to capture the bouquet of fruitunless you buy where the fruit is produced, though you can have an acceptableproduct with some well-handled shipped berries, such as cranberries orblueberries.

Try to determine the variety of berries you buy. All berries freezewell, but some varieties are better than others for freezing. See table,Page 4.

if You Raise o_r Buy: Handle fruit so that you will not bruise it. This meansno rough pouring of berries from containers. It means to pick berries inshallow containers and gently wash them quickly in icy cold water.

Quality Fruit: Freeze berries when they are ripe - not under- nor over—ripeThere is no mingling of flavors in freezing as there is when berries arecooked. A poorly flavored berry stays poorly flavored, and a green berrystays green. Ripeness is one of the most important single factors in havinggood frozen berries. A full-ripe berry is good flavored. An under-ripeberry lacks flavor, color, and volume. Over—ripe blackberries and dewberriesdevelop off-flavor. They may taste bitter or earthy.

Some soft berries in good condition may be pulped, sweetened and frozen asa puree.

How to Prepare: Wash berries in cold water. Be extra careful with thosethat have been sprayed, making sure you get rid of all spray and residue.(The residue, probably talc, that shows on the berry is the carrying agentfor the pesticide. The pesticide itself is invisible.)

Handle berries carefully. Berries, with the exception of thick skinned ones,such as blueberries and cranberries, are extremely sensitive to handling.Wash a few at a time under cold running water or a few at a time in a pan of

water, lifting gently from the water.

With the exception of blueberries and cranberries, cover berries with liquid.This may be the juice that dry sugar brings out of the fruit, sugar syrup, orextra squeezed juice sweetened and poured over the fruit.

To Sweeten: Freezing brings out tartness of berries. Sugar holdsflavor and protects texture and vitamins. Dry sugar keeps moreof the good fruit flavor than sugar syrup does unless the syrup ismade with fruit juice instead of water.

The amount of dry sugar you use in berries depends on variety,season, personal preference and other factors. The amountsgiven in the chart are generally used.

Sugar Syrup: To make syrup easily, put sugar and coolwater in a fruit jar. Cap jar. Mix by inverting jar atintervals. It is not necessary to heat the sugar and water.For a quart of 40% (light) syrup, use two cups sugar andthree cups water.For a quart of 50% (medium) syrup, use 2 2/3 cups sugar and2 2/3 cups water.

Selecting Freezer Container: If you use plastic (polyethylene) bags, buy thoseno less than 1 1/2 mil. thick. After filling, close them well. Press air out,twist top of bag, turn twist down and fasten with plastic covered Wire or rubberband. This seal is called gooseneck twist. The freezing glass jar, if it hasa good closure, protects food well, though it uses more Space and is heavierthan some other containers. A good grade of plastic carton is an acceptablecontainer.

Used metal cans - plastic-lined are best - make excellent containers if you getpolyethylene lids that fit. If lids are a wee bit small, let them stand in warmwater awhile, then stretch over the cans tops. The tighter the fit, the betterand the harder to take off. If lids fit a fraction larger than snug, dip them incold water. The water will freeze the lids to the cans. It will also evaporatein time and add to freezer frost. When ice disappears in the form of vapor,the berries will not be well packaged, so use this makeshift closure only ifabsolutely necessary. Plan ahead and buy the right supplies before you needthem.

Filling Containers: Fill containers full enough so that when berries expandthey will not leave extra space at the top, but not so full that contents will vbreak the closure or the container. The amount of space you leave at thetop - called headSpace - depends upon the size and shape of the containerand the amount of liquid in the berries. You learn by experience how muchspace to allow.

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Remember that water expands ten per cent. Syrup does not expand that much,but Where there is any moisture there is some expansion.

Package and Label: Put the name of the product and the date - also the berryvariety if you want to know it at eating time.

How to Freeze: When you close and label a package, put in the refrigeratortc-fk—ee—p cool until you finish the whole batch. Then place packages in yourfreezer where and how your freezer book says. In general this will be: Putpackages in the coldest part of the freezer and leave space between eachcontainer. Let them stay for 24 hours. Some freezers need to have thetemperature turned lower a few hours before food is frozen. Freeze berriesat temperatures colder than zero degrees Fahrenheit.

How t9 Store: When your packages have been properly placed in the freezerfor 24 hours, stack them in the storage part of the freezer. Be sure that yourfreezer holds a storage temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit or colder.USDA research shows that strawberries allowed to stay at plus twenty degreesFahrenheit for one day lose as much quality as those that stay at zero degreesFahrenheit for 365 days.

How to Thaw: As with other foods, thaw berries in unopened package. It isbest to thaw in the refrigerator. They will thaw quicker on the kitchen tableor under cool running water. There is a time when frozen thawed berries areat the "just right" stage to eat. If you eat them too cold you miss some flavor.If you hold them too long, some will be mushy. You have to learn by doing.

The way most berries hold up after thawing depends somewhat on the rateof freezing. The colder the freezing temperature the better the thawedproduct, in general.

Using Frozen-Fresh Berries: You can freeze berrries to preserve and forpies and other cooked desserts. But it seems wisest to use the frozen-freshberries uncooked and enjoy the bouquet you have caught and kept. Enjoy themfor breakfast, lunch, dinner and refreshments as you do fresh fruit whetherindoors or out.

BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS FOR FREEZING BERRIES

VARIETIES PREPARE PREPAREFRESH FROZEN RECOMMENDED FOR RAW USE _ FOR COOKED USEBlackberries Upright-Common Wild 1) Package clean, ripe Package clean, ripe ber—

Eldorado berries. Cover with 40% ries. Crush slightly andl crate (24 32—36 Trailing-Carolina syrup or 2) mix 1 cup mix with sugar 4—1 byquarts) pints (Dew — Boysenberry of sugar to 1 quart of weight or 1 cup sugar to1-1/3 to 1% 1 berries) Young crushed berries. 1 quart berries. Or pre-pints pint pare pie mix as desired.

Blueberries Eastern — Croatan Package clean, ripe Crush clean, ripe ber—Wolcott berries. Cover with ries slightly. Mix withMorrow 40% syrup. Or pack sugar 4 — l, or 5 — l

Mountains—Berkley unsweetened. by weight. Or mix 1 toBlue Crop 1—1/8 cups sugar to lCoville quart berries.JerseyWeymouthCommon wild

Cranberries Wild or from the Make orange-cranberry Pack clean berries firmlymarket. (or other mixtures)

relish. Package. Orpack dry to makerelish later.

into container. Use onlyenough 50% syrup to coverberries or pack unsweeten—ed.

Elderberries Wild or cultivated Package clean berries in40% syrup to cover. Orpackage unsweetened. Ormake pie mix.

Raspberries

l crate (24 24 pintspints)1 pint 1 pint

Black—CumberlandBristol

Red —LathamSeptemberSouthland

Package firm, ripeberries. Carefullymix with powdered orgranulated sugar 4 -l by weight. Or coverwith 40% syrup. Orpack unsweetened.

For jam, pack with drysugar. Crush some berriesso sugar dissolves.

Strawberries - See section "Strawberries Need Special Attention”

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STRAWBERRIES NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION

Sometime between 1598 and 1683 Izaak Walton said about the strawberry,"Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did. ”Even now with all of the other luscious berries in the world, many people agreewith Mr. Walton.

General Directions For Freezing Strawberries

1. Select fresh,“ red-ripe, firm strawberries of a good freezing variety.

2. Wash a few at a time gently in very cold water.

3. Place in colander to drain as you cap the berries carefully.

4. Slice, chop, or puree berries quickly. Or add sugar and then cut.

5. Add 1 pound of sugar to 4 or 5 pounds of strawberries by weight or about3/4 cup sugar to a quart of prepared berries. Mix the fruit and sugargently but well. Let sugar dissolve.

6. Put into a good frozen food container.

7. Leave some space at the top of container to allow for expansion.

8. Close container.

9. Label - product, variety, date.

10. Place in coldest part of refrigerator as you pack each container.

11. Put containers in freezer as soon as you finish. Leave space between eachpackage for air circulation and do not place against frozen food. Whenfrozen, stack in frozen storage.

If you freeze containers of whole strawberries, use Sugar syrup insteadof dry sugar.

More About Freezing Strawberries

Selection: Choose varieties of strawberries that freeze well. We suggest:Eastern and Piedmont area: Albritton, Earlibelle, Surecrop. Mountainarea: Tennessee Beauty, Earlibelle, SurecrOp, Titan. Entire State: Atlas,Apollo. These are new varieties released in 1970. Atlas is a mid-seasonstrawberry, firm with a glossy surface, medium red color, and a goodsubacid taste. Apollo is a late maturing strawberry. It is sweet, glossy andflavorful.

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If you pick from your, or a "pick-your-own, ” patch, let them ripen onthe vine to have the "bouquet" of a full-ripe berry. Handle tenderly. Anydamage that occurs prior to processing makes for a poor frozen strawberry.

If you buy berries, try to get freshly picked ones. It is better if you canspeak ahead for the berries and know when they will be picked so that you canarrange to capture and keep their bouquet and their Vitamin C when you freezethem.

Quality losses occur from delay in handling fresh berries and fromimproper handling of berries before and after they are frozen.

The freshly picked berry has a sheen or gloss that becomes dull uponstanding. The fresh berry has a fresh looking cap.

A fresh, firm, ripe, vine-sweet strawberry -- one that will keep itsdeep red color all the way through —- is ideal to freeze. If it is not possibleto get perfect berries in top-notch condition, you can still have an acceptableproduct if you handle them right.

Discard under—ripe, over-ripe, and bruised berries. Small berriestoo ripe (but not near- Spoilage) and culls that are a bit under-ripe makeacceptable strawberry puree.

Though tedious to pick and handle, wild strawberries are worth thetrouble to freeze. They take less sugar than others. You must handle themwith care.

Handling: Keep ripe berries cool on the trip from the vine to the freezer.Wash gently, a few at a time, in very cold water - preferably ice water. Thishelps keep the berries firm and cool. It prevents injury to the tender skinwhich holds the juice and flavor.

Don't soak the berries in water or they will become water-logged. Workquickly, but leave no sand or grit. Handle each berry with reSpect. It willreward you later with its beauty, flavor and Vitamin C .

Preparation: Freeze strawberries in small amounts at a time working asfast as you can work well.

Cap washed berries. You can buy a capper (huller) or use a small knife, Jsharp pointed Spoon, or anything else that works well for you. Take the cap \off without digging into the berry. This saves juice which saves flavor and *fragrance.

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Slice or chop or puree berries. Add sugar to prepared strawberries.

Or

Add sugar to whole berries then slice, chop, or puree. In either method, do

the job as quickly and gently as you can. Avoid bruising the berries. Mix

the sugar and berries well to get a uniform product.

Tuck in a few whole berries well-covered with the mixture if you want them

for garnish later.

For a container of whole berries, pack clean, capped berries into container

and cover with cold sugar syrup (2 cups sugar to 3 cups water. One way:Put sugar and cool water in quart fruit jar. Cap jar. Invert jar at intervals

to mix.) Leave space for expansion.

Preparation time is critical with strawberries. If you let them stand around,

their Vitamin C escapes. Though we enjoy their pretty color, nice aroma,

and good flavor, we get a bonus’in their vitamin content if we can hold on to

it.

Maintainig Quality: Temperature of the berries from the time they leave the

Vine until you swallow them helps determine their quality. At refrigeratortemperatures (around 40 degrees F.) quality changes in a short time and as

much as 20 per cent of Vitamin C may be lost each day.

As warm as plus 10 degrees F. strawberries lose their Vitamin C andquality fairly rapidly.

At zero degrees or colder, properly packaged strawberries keep their quality

and Vitamin C for a year.

If storage temperature fluctuates below zero, little loss takes place. If the

storage temperature goes above zero degrees, the rate of color, flavor, and

ascorbic acid loss in strawberries increases two to three times for each5-degree rise above zero. Lowering the temperature after a brief warm-updoes not repair the damage.

Containers: Package your strawberries in any good frozen food container.Choose one that is highly moisture-vapor resistant. The kind of packagesignificantly affects the goodness of frozen strawberries. Plastic lined metal

cans —- the ones you've bought with canned foods in them —- make goodcontainers if you get polyethylene lids that fit. If lids seem a tiny bit small,

let them stand in warm water for awhile then stretch over cans. The tighter

the fit, the better.

If, by misfortune, temperatures get warmer than zero degrees in the freezer,

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the better the container, the less damage the temperature rise will probably do.

Work Rapidly: Freeze as soon as you get them prepared. See GuidelinesPages 2 and 3. '

Using Strawberries: Thaw and eat frozen strawberries at their best. Time Uthe thawing to eat them just as soon as they thaw.

Eat on cereal, shortcakes, waffles, ice cream (though this added cold reducesthe strawberry flavor), as is, with cream, or any other way you think of.They are good any time of day.

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CANNING

Blackberries

Prepare a thin syrup by dissolving one part sugar in three parts berryjuice. Water may be used, but the flavor is better if juice is used. Allowabout one cup juice for each quart of canned berries. Bring to a quick boiljust before pouring over the berries.

Pack the drained berries in pre-heated jars, leaving 1/2. inch headspace.Shake jar gently while filling to get a full pack. Cover with boiling syrup.Remove air bubbles and wipe mouth of jar with a clean, wet cloth. Sealaccording to type lid used. Process pint jars 10 minutes and quart jars 15minutes in a boiling water bath canner -— 2.12 degrees.

Dewberries and blueberries may be successfully canned by this methodalso. Strawberries may be canned, but the berries collapse and are not quiteso satisfactory.

PRESERVES

Description: Preserves are a product made by cooking small whole fruit oruniform pieces of larger fruit in a syrup until the fruit is saturated. Whendone, the fruit should be similar to the original in size, shape, color andflavor, and the syrup medium to thick.

Fruits Used: Berries, cherries, grapes, pears, peaches, figs are used mostfrequently in making preserves. Others may be used.

It is best to prepare only small quantities of preserves at a time-—usuallytwo to four pounds of fruit. A kettle large enough to permit rapid boilingshould be used. Fruits tend to crush and may stick to the kettle if very largequantities are used.

General Directions f3 Making Preserves

1. Select firm, ripe fruit and prepare according to fruit used.

2. Weigh prepared fruit and sugar. The proportions are usually one poundfruit to 3/4 pound sugar.

3. Prepare Syrup, bringing the sugar and fruit juice or sugar and water to arolling boil.

4. Add prepared weighed fruit.

5. Cook rapidly in an open kettle until fruit is clear and translucent.

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When fruit is done, remove from syrup and place in a shallow dish orenamel pan. Be sure not to let foam stick to fruit.

If syrup is not thick enough, cook until it reaches the desired consistency--not quite jell stage. If a thermometer is used, this stage is usually reached t“about 222 degrees F. If a thermometer is not available, cool a spoonful . Qof syrup and test the consistency.

Skim off foam. Foam does not cause Spoilage, but it is unsightly. Pourhot syrup over fruit.

Cover pan With cheesecloth and let fruit mixture stand until cool. Duringthis time the fruit absorbs syrup and it will be a jucier product.

Sterilize jars by covering with water and boiling at least 10 minutes.Prepare lids according to manufacturer‘s directions.

Return fruit and syrup to a hot unit and bring just to boiling point. 22not re-cook.

Pack hot fruit into hot, sterilized jars and add syrup to 1/2 inch of top.

Remove air bubbles, wipe top of jar. Seal according to type lid used.Two piece lids should not be tightened after processing.

Cover jars of preserves with hot water and process at simmering point--180-200 degrees F. for 10 minutes.

Store in cool, dark, dry place.

Strawberries— -wild and cultivated

2 pounds berries2 pounds sugar1 1/2 cups berry juice or water

Wash, cap and stem strawberries. Make a syrup of sugarand juice or water; add berries. Cook until berries areclear and the syrup is thick. Follow general directions.

Blueberries ’ '1’2 quarts blueberries, washed and drained i:6 cups sugar 41/2 cup water

Mix sugar and water, heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.Add berries to boiling syrup and boil with frequent shaking

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of saucepan until the berries are translucent (clear) when liftedfrom syrup-- about 10 minutes. Pour into a flat pan to change

. the position of the berries and promote taking up syrup. Followq general directions.

‘i Blackberries and Dewberries

3 pints berries, firm ripe5 cups sugar1/3 cup berry juice1/2. cup lemon juice

Sort, wash and cap the berries before measuring. Put sugarand juice into a large saucepan. Stir and heat until sugar iswell dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add berries and boil rapidlyfor eight minutes. Start timing when rolling boil begins. Donot stir the mixture; shake the saucepan. Add lemon juice andboil rapidly for eight minutes longer. Continue to shake thesaucepan. Pour into a shallow, flat pan and shake occasionallyuntil cold. This causes the berries to absorb the syrup andremain plump and whole. Follow general directions.

JAM

Description: Jams differ from preserves in that fruit may be crushed orcooked to pieces and may take on a semi jelly-like consistency.

Fruits Used: The same fruits used in preserves are used in jams, butgenerally the riper, less firm ones are made into jams.

General Directions for Making Jams

l. Sterilize jars by covering with hot water and boiling at least 10 minutes.

2. Prepare fruit according to directions.

3. Usually one pound of fruit and 3/4 pound sugar are used. As in preservesand jelly, best results are obtained when small quantities are made at onetime.

“ 4. Put prepared fruit and sugar into kettle and enough water or fruit juice toprevent jam from burning. Stir and mash the fruit.

5. Cook slowly until the fruit and sugar form a rather thick mass-~or about22.1 to 223 degrees, depending on desired consistency.

6. Put hot jam into hot sterilized jars to within 1/2. inch of top. Remove airbubbles.

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7. Seal according to type lid used.

8. Cover hot jars of jam with hot water and process 10 minutes at simmeringpoint—-about 180-200 degrees F.

9. Store in dark, cool, dry place.

Strawberry

‘Wash and cap berries. Combine one pound of fruit and 3/4pound sugar. Follow general directions for jam.

Blueberry

4 1/2 cups crushed berries1 tablespoon lemon juice3 cups sugar

Combine berries and sugar; bring slowly to a boil, stirringoccasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost tojelling point. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to preventsticking. Follow general directions for jam. Yield: 3 to 4 pints.

Blackberry

Select wild berries, if possible, since they are well-flavoredand have small seeds. Use one pound of fruit to 3/4 pound ofsugar. Follow general directions for jam. Cultivated berriesmay also be used.

Elderberry

2 quarts crushed elderberriesl/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice6 cups sugar

Combine berries, sugar and vinegar or lemon juice. Bringslowly to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.Cook rapidly until thick. As mixture thickens, stir frequentlyto prevent sticking. Follow general directions for jam.Yields about three pints.

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Spiced Blueberry-Peach Jam

4 cups chopped or ground 5 1/2 cups sugarripe peaches 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups blueberries 1 stick cinnamon2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice

Peel, remove pits, and chop or grind peaches. Sort, washand remove any stems from fresh blueberries. Measurefruits into a kettle; add lemon juice and water. Cover,bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add sugar and salt and stir well. Add spices tied loosely incheesecloth. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly until the mixturethickens. Remove from heat and take out spice bag. Followgeneral directions for jam.

Strawberry- Pine apple Jam

2 cups mashed strawberries 4 cups sugar2. cups canned crushed 1 tablespoon lemon

pineapple juice

Combine strawberries and pineapple with sugar. Cook rapidlyuntil thick-—about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice a few minutesbefore cooking is complete. Follow general directions for jam.

MARMALADES

Description: Marmalades are made from one or a combination of fruits,often including the citrus. The fruit appears in small pieces through theclear, translucent jelly-like product.

General Directions for Marmalade

1. Cover jars with hot water and sterilize by boiling at least 10 minutes.

2. Prepare fruit according to directions.

3. Cook small quantities of prepared fruits and sugar together, to about221—222 degrees. Stir frequently.

4. Put hot marmalade in hot, sterilized jars.

5. Wipe tops of jars. Seal according to type lid used.

6. Cover jars of hot marmalade with hot water and process at simmeringtemperature--l80-ZOO degrees F. -— for 10 minutes .

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Strawberry- Pineapple Marmalade

2 1/2 cups finely chopped, 1 1/2 quarts stemmed strawberriescored, pared fresh pineapple 2 1/2 cups chopped orange pulp(1 medium) (4 medium)

1 teaspoon grated orange peel 7 cups sugar

Combine pineapple, orange peel, pulp and sugar. Bring slowlyto a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cookrapidly for 15 minutes. Add strawberries and continue cookingrapidly until thick--about 20 to 30 minutes. Follow generaldirections for marmalade.

CONSERVES

Description: Conserves are made from a mixture of several fruits oftencombined with raisins and/or nutmeats and sugar.

General Directions for Conserves

l. Sterilize jars by covering with water and boiling at least 10 minutes.

2. Select and prepare fruits, nuts and/or raisins.

3. Combine according to directions.

4. Cook a small quantity at a time to prevent burning.

5. Add nutmeats about five minutes before removing conserves from heat.

6. Pour hot conserves in hot sterilized jars, remove air bubbles and sealaccording to type lid used.

7. Cover jars of conserves with hot water and process 10 minutes atsimmering temperature--l80-200 degrees F.

Strawberry Conserve

3 pints strawberries 1 orange2 cups pineapple, chopped SugarJuice of one lemon 1/2 pound seedless raisins

Wash and cap berries and slightly crush. Put pineapple throughfood chopper and measure. Add lemon juice. Grind raisins andorange, combine all fruits. This should make about eight cupscrushed fruit. Add sugar equal to weight or measure of all fruit.Cook until thick, stirring frequently. Follow general directionsfor conserves.

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Blueberry Conserve

1/2 cup water 1 lemon, seeded and cut into1 quart fresh blueberries, thin slices

rinsed and drained 1/2 cup coarsely brokenSugar walnuts1/2 cup yellow raisins 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine water and blueberries. Cover and cook over low heat,crushing berries slightly. Add one cup of sugar for every cupof berries. Add remaining ingredients. Cook while stirringuntil jam is thick and holds its shape. Follow general directionsfor conserves.

JELLIES

Description: Jelly is a product made by cooking fruit juice with sugar untilthe jell stage is reached. Jelly should be clear and tender, yet firm so thatshape will be retained when cut.

Fruits Used: Grapes, plums, apples, crabapples and blackberries when justmature usually contain enough acid and pectin to be used successfully in jellymaking.

Selecting the Fruit: Only firm, ripe fruits should be used. Neither under-ripenor over-ripe fruits contain the acid and pectin necessary for good jelly.

General Directions for Making Jelly Stock

Extracting Juice: Cook fruit in as little water as possible to extract juice.See recipes for specific fruits. Follow directions for time carefully asovercooking destroys the pectin.

Straining: After cooking the fruit, strain through cheesecloth without pressing.Pressing may cause a cloudy jelly. The juice is then restrained througha jelly bag.

Jelly Bags: Jelly bags are usually made from a square of white flannelwith two adjacent sides French seamed. Loops may be added to the top sothe bag may be hung.

Processing: Sterilize jars by covering with hot water and boiling at least10 minutes. Pour hot juice——at least 190 degrees—-into hot, sterilized jars.Seal according to the type lid used. Cover jars of jelly stock with hot Waterand process at simmering temperature—-l80-ZOO degrees F. for 10 minutes .Store in cool, dark, dry place until ready to make jelly. When making jelly,leave any sediment that has deposited from the juice in bottom of jar.

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General Directions f9; Making Jelly

l. Sterilize jars by covering with hot water and boiling at least 10 minutes.

2. Re- strain fruit juice. This will make a clearer jelly.

3. Test fruit juice at room temperature for pectin by using the jelmeter test,preferably. Check manufacturer's directions for using jelmeter. Pectincontent determines the amount of sugar to be used.

4. Measure juice and sugar. Combine in a container large enough to permitrapid boiling. Better results will be obtained if jelly is made in smallquantities——about three to four cups of juice.

5. Place on hot unit and boil rapidly.

6. If a thermometer is used, the jell stage is reached about 222 to 223 degrees.If a thermometer is not available, the sheet test is often used. This isthe stage atwhich the jelly sheets off the Spoon.

7. Skim foam off jelly and pour immediately into hot, sterilized jelly jars.(Half-pint tapered jars are good). Cover With thin coat of melted parraffinbefore lid is put on jar.

8. Store in dark, cool, dry place. Jelly is much better when freshly made.If fruit stock is made and processed during the productive season, jellymay be made in small quantities as needed.

Blackberry Jelly

Use 3 to 4 cups strained stock. Test juice to determinethe amount of sugar to use. Combine sugar and juice andboil rapidly. Follow general directions for jelly making.

Blueberry Jelly

4 cups blueberry juiceSugar

Combine juice and sugar in a large saucepan. Place overhigh heat and bring to a rolling boil. Cook mixture rapidlyuntil the jellying point is reached. Follow general directionsfor jelly.

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JUICES

General directions for making jelly stock may be followed. Sugar--accordingto taste--may be added before the juice is canned--or when it is opened. Donot add artificial sweeteners before juice is canned-~an off-flavor may resultduring storage.

SYRUPS

Strawberry, blackberry, and blueberry syrup may be made by directionsbelow. If a sweeter or less sweet, syrup is desired, adjust sugar accordingto taste. This is delicious on ice cream, pancakes and other foods.

Wash, cap, crush and measure ripe berries. Add one pint boiling water toeach gallon crushed berries. Strain through cheesecloth. Let stand twohours. Strain again. Add two cups sugar to each quart of juice. Simmeruntil sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling and pour into hot sterilized jars. Process10 minutes at simmering point (180-200 degrees F.)

BERRY USES

Most berries are interchangeable as to use. They make good sherbets,sauces, ice cream, cakes, jams, jellies, perserves, conserves, syrups,omelets, purees, tarts, pies, waffles,bread, cold soups and juices.

Salads :

Berries fresh or frozen-fresh add distinction to many salads. Theyenhance any combination of fruits. Berry juices add flavor and color to saladdressings. Dark colored berries give an aristocratic look to a salad. Trya few blueberries or blackberries sprinkled over chicken or tuna salad.

Biscuits:Blueberry Train Biscuits

(outdoor or indoor)

Use your favorite drop biscuit dough but add to it 1 cup blueberries and2 tablespoons sugar. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in hot oven until brown.

Use blueberries in muffins, waffles, pancakes. If you use frozen ones,add them to the mixture while still frozen. These or fresh berries keep theircolor without fading into the biscuits.

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Casseroles:

Cranberry Apple Cas serole

A few people enjoy wild cranberries in North Carolina. Markets furnishothers with these tart, red berries. Use them alone or in combination withother foods. Try this delicious example:

In a greased casserole put 3 cups diced unpeeled apples; 2 cups rawcranberries; 1 cup sugar.

Top with a mixture of:1/2 cup melted butter1 1/2 cups oatmeal1/2 cup brown sugar1/3 cup flour1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Shortcakes:Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt4 tablespoons fat 1 teaspoon sugar4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in the fat and milk as for biscuits. Divide thedough into two equal parts. Turn out on a slightly floured board and roll eachpiece to 1/3-inch in thickness. Place one on top of the other with butter spreadbetween. Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes; then split open ready for fruit.Mash and sweeten to taste 1 quart strawberries. Spread between the two layersand on tOp of the Shortcake. Keep out a few whole berries to put on top forgarnish. Or use frozen berries.

This time-tested, delicious way is one recipe. Other recipes use butterfor fat and add egg. Others use commercial biscuit mixes with additions.

Some prefer a thin, criSp pastry with many layers of pastry and berries.One name for this: Stack cake. Put it together. Cut in wedges and eatimmediately. With this you have crisp texture of pastry with soft, smoothberry texture.

All berries make good shortcakes. Some are enhanced with additionsof other fruits as blueberries with a bit of lemon rind and lemon juice andstrawberries with rhubarb.

A berry mixture makes a good Shortcake; use any combination of flavorsand colors that you like.

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Breads:

Berry BreadFrench toast with berries

2 eggs 2 tablespoons melted butter1/2 teaspoon salt 6 bread slices1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 3/4 to 1 quart strawberries

fresh or frozen1/4 cup milk Sugar——Sweeten fresh strawberries

to taste

Beat first four ingredients together. Place butter in frypan. Dip breadin egg mixture until both sides are coated. Brown on both sides. Removeto platter. Mix enough sugar with strawberries (if fresh) to sweeten themand put 3 tablespoons of this on each slice of bread. Serve.

Use this recipe with any kind of berry. Cranberries may need theaddition of apples, oranges or some other fruit. Grind together and sweeten.

Use frozen or fresh home-made French toast with fresh or frozenberries - one kind or mixed.

Eat this dish for breakfast, or make it into a stack cake using two piecesof toast with berries in between. Top with a bit of whipped cream, if desired.This makes a big dessert for a light meal.

Pies:

Traditionally, berry pies are cooked. They can be made of fresh,frozen-fresh or canned berries. Or freeze the pie mix ready to make a pie.For example:

Mix 1 quart of cleaned, stemmed elderberries with 1/2 cup sugar and3 tablespoons flour. Package and freeze. For a 10-inch pie use:

1 quart frozen elderberry mix2 teaspoons lemon juice

Turn the frozen elderberries into an unbaked pie shell .

Sprinkle lemon juice over the top .

Cover the pie with a solid or a criss—cross top crust .

Bake the pie in a hot oven--450 degrees—-for 10 minutes, then in amoderate oven--350 degrees-~for 15 minutes, or until the filling bubbles.

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If you want to completely make a berry pie and freeze it, get it readyto bake, use a solid top crust, seal the edges 'well, package and freeze. Whenready to bake, cut vent holes in the upper crust. It is better to put the pie inthe oven frozen.

Pies using uncooked frozen-fresh berries or fresh ones are more desirablethan the cooked as far as freshness and flavor are concerned. Congealed pieson a cooked pastry, toasted coconut, or crumb crust and custard pies withberry toppings are two examples. Recipes abound in magazines, from homeeconomists and neighbors.

Mixtures:

Berry Mixtures

To have a good mixture of berries for Shortcake at any time of the yearor better still, calorie-wise, to have fruit cup as an appetizer, or dessert,consider these two ways;

In fresh season, freeze small containers of each kind of berry. Latermix in any berry combination you like or add tree fruits for more color andflavor variety.

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Select larger containers. Freeze the first berries to ripen in the bottomof these containers and cover with packaging material. As other berries orfruits ripen, add layers of them to the containers. Make the package materialthat tOps each layer fit tightly. . At the end of the growing season you have themakings of delicious fruit cups. They do not all need to be alike. One berrycan predominate in one and not in another. This method takes freezer spacewhile waiting for other fruits to ripen. If small amounts of space are at apremium in your freezer, use the small, individual containers. Decide suchthings according to your own situation.

Fresh:

Best of all, eat all the ripe fresh berries that you can. They will never beso good again. Some fresh berries may need a wee bit of sweetening, but donot smother their fresh—fruit flavor with sugar. Heat and cold each bring outtartness in berries and other fruits so canned and frozen berries need moresugar than fresh ones.

Serve fresh berries any hour for any occasion. Try sprinkling themwith a bit of confectioner's sugar.

Prepared by:Extension Food Specialists

Published byTHE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

North Carolina State University at Raleigh, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University at Greensboro, and the U. S.Department of Agriculture, Cooperating. State University Station, Raleigh, N. C., T. C. Blalock, Director. Distributed in furtheranceof the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. The North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service offers its programs to alleligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin, and is an equal opportunity employer.1-80-3M (reprint) Home Economics 173