Showing posts with label currants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label currants. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Wednesday, July 15, 1936

plesant and cooler with northwest wind-
Wrote letter to Clara and sent Harry his glasses-
Made 6 more glasses of jelly and parafined and put it all away*-
Cooked over and wiped off all last years and took care of it-
The left over salmon I ate for dinner made me feel a little sick this afternoon
Aunty has been fine today


Don't even have to remove stems. Just cook down & strain

*Irene is making (red) currant jelly, if you have not been reading all along. I found a straightforward recipe the WinterWoman blog. (Oh, & for those who don't can, "parafined" means Irene put the wax on the top of the jelly to preserve it before covering the jar with a lid.)
I use my largest pot and fill it to the brim with [red currants] – which doesn’t take long if I don’t bother to stem them.  I just pull off clusters and put them in the pot!
Put them over a burner for about an hour until the juice is running out and the berries start to lose their color.  Watch it though!  You’ll have to turn the heat down at some point or they will bubble all over the top of your stove.
Strain the berries through cheese cloth and reserve the juice.
Measure 4 cups of juice into a deep pot.  Boil hard for 5 minutes.  Add 3 cups of sugar and boil hard for another 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 12-20 minutes.  You don’t need pectin, because currants contain so much pectin naturally.
Pour into sterilized jelly jars.  Cap with new lids (old rims are OK).  Screw lids on tightly.  Listen for the popping as the jars cool.


Monday, July 14, 2014

Tuesday, July 14, 1936

plesant and hot but coller breeze-
Aunty and I alone all day
Rec'd card from Clara mailed from Syracuse station 11-30 last night*-
found Harry's glasses in his coat pocket-
Made 12 glasses of currant jelly
picked the currants in the garden
and spread out on the grass Aunty's north bedroom carpet-


Front of the postcard Clara sent Irene

Back of above postcard. Postmark was stamped at 2:30 am on July 14, 1936


*"11:30 A.M. Dear Irene, Will you please look in Harry's coat and see if you can find the [glasses]. He thinks they are in the lining. Mother is fine All Aboard. Love to Auntie & you Clara" If anyone can tell me what Clara wrote instead of glasses, I would be very grateful.





Sunday, July 13, 2014

Monday, June 13, 1936

plesant but Hot
Aunty went to Vera's to pick currants and Clara went on to Ithaca to do last shopping
Mother was bad-
Clara finished her packing this afternoon and I got the currants picked over-
Harry came for supper and left for Lloyds in Montana about 9 o'clock taking the 11-43 train from Syracuse-
*Aunty and I are all alone-

Red currants are my favorite, not sure about Irene.


*This line is written vertically up the left hand side of the diary entry.