Like many people in rural areas, my great grandmother made jelly. Mostly, she made grape jelly because that is what we had. Sometimes there would be rhubarb, peach or strawberry, but most of the times it was grape. I learned how to make jelly from her and from a kindly neighbor lady across the street after Mammy passed.
When the jelly was done, it was usually put in recycled jars from just about anything. As long as there was a lid that met up with the jar (and there wasn't any odor that would affect the taste of the jelly lingering on the lid) it was fair game.
After the jelly was put in these jars, a layer of parafin wax was put over the jelly to seal it. I still remember this wax came in a box about the size of a pound of butter. There were sheets of wax about a half inch thick in it. Gulf was one of the brands. Mammy would melt that wax in an old tin can on real low heat on the stove, then carefully pour over the jelly.
Down to the root cellar those jars would go and all winter we had jelly!
These days, that's not the way we seal jelly. A much safer way to do it, using a hot water bath canner or a pressure cooker, is the only way to go now. I don't want anyone to think I'm suggesting they seal jelly in that manner. I am not.
Funny how those memories just pop into your head sometimes. When I opened that jar of jelly, for a very brief second I halfway expected to see wax on top!
1 comment:
I share those memories. And not a one of us ever got sick from sealing those jars with paraffin rather than doing the hot water bath.
My sister claims it was because we were clean and careful and definitely wanted to avoid botulism, and that these days a lot of people aren't very smart. (My sister always has an opinion.)
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