Pennsylvania German Recipes: Jams and Jellies
Traditional preserve recipes from the Pennsylvania Germans, including apple butter and a variety of jams and jellies.
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From The Pennsylvania German Cook Book by J.A. Keller, 1902.
Garret Strawberry Jam
Take equal weight of berries and granulated sugar. Let stand one hour, then boil seven minutes. Pour on platters or plates. Set in the garret under the slate roof. Let stand until juice thickens, then pour in glass jars.
Mrs. Kemagen.
Plum Jam
Boil plums in as little water as possible, when soft, strain through a sieve. Then take about three-fourths pound of granulated sugar to every lb. of plums, boil slowly and stir constantly until the juice seems to jell.
Any other fruit jam is made in a similar manner.
Jellies (General Rule)
Drain fruit without squeezing it. Measure as much sugar as juice. Boil twenty minutes, skim, then add sugar and boil ten minutes.
Apple Jelly
To every peck of apples add one lemon. Boil until thoroughly cooked. Put in jelly bag and drain. Boil a tin cup of this juice about five minutes, skim, have your sugar in the oven, first dampen it a little, then add sugar to jell. As soon as it jells on spoon, remove from stove, and pour into moulds, quince Jelly is made the same way. Only the core of the quince is used too. Grapes, currants and any juicy fruit, need not be boiled first, but strained through a cloth.
Quince Honey
Four large quinces grated, one quart of water, five pounds sugar. Boil all together half an hour. Excellent for hot cakes in winter. Hanover, Pa.
Peach Honey
One cup of peaches one cup sugar. Mash peaches with potato masher, add sugar and boil twenty minutes stirring constantly. Mrs C. O. Waltz.
To Make Preserves
Take fruit and sugar equal parts, melt sugar add a little water to keep it from burning, then clarify it by adding the white of an egg, mixed with a little water, skim. After it is clear add the fruit. Set where it will boil not too fast, keep it boiling, do not let it stop until done. Boil until the fruit looks clear and begins to settle to bottom of kettle. Skim it out and continue to boil syrup until it thickens. Be sure to boil it enough first time, for it darkens fruit to be heated over.
Apple Butter
Take one barrel of sweet cider, three large buckets of sweet apples pared and cored. Put cider in a large copper kettle. Skim as soon as it comes to a boil. When it is all boiled and scum taken off, and boiled down so that it will all go into the kettle, dip out half of this clearified cider into large clean crocks. Now pour in apples, and boil them until soft. As soon as they go to the bottom of the kettle stir them, and keep stirring until butter is done. Keep adding apples until all are in the kettle, then gradually keep adding the cider until the whole is added. Keep boiling gently and stirring until it is smooth and the proper thickness. Dip in earthen crocks. Do not let it stand in copper kettle, but take out as quick as possible. When rightly done, will keep years. (Add spices.)
To Make Peach Butter
Take twenty gallons of pared peaches, two large buckets of water, and boil in a large copper kettle, until peaches are soft and well dissolved. Then add sixty pounds of white sugar. Stir like apple butter, and finish the same way. After it is cold in crocks, grease writing paper, cut the shape of crock and tie it up. It needs looking after frequently, as it moulds easy.
Tomato Butter with Apples
Steam ripe tomatoes and rub them through a seive. Stew apples the same way. Thicken the tomatoes, with the apples. Make good and sweet with white sugar. Cook until quite thick Spices may be added if desired.
Elderberries
Ten pounds of berries, one pint of vinegar. Cook thoroughly. Add four pounds of sugar, two grated nutmegs. Stir constantly. Cook like jam. Put in sealed jars. Wholesome to eat as sauce, and makes nice pies.
Keller, J.A. The Pennsylvania German Cook Book. Scranton Printing Company, 1902.
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