Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

[advanceguard]

Hello All,

Can anyone shed light on a proper container for jam or jelly. I need to pack a box from home for an immersive event based on actual letters noting the contents. I have reviewed the archives, but I am still stumped. All my period glass jars are way too large, as is my period crockery. Also, in one of the letters, the soldier requests and receives a quart tin pail of butter, what would this look like?

Thank you in advance!!

[Michael Comer]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

Sean,

Here is a link that might prove helpful to you. It has quite a bit of info on period jars etc.

http://www.sha.org/bottle/food.htm

[advanceguard]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

Thanks, I checked that out. Still searching for small crockery or glass jar for this project. Otherwise i'm going to have to package a quart or jam...since all my period canning jars are that size ;)

[Michael Comer]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

I've seen some bottles at Hobby Lobby that are very good repros of some of the bottles pictured on the website I linked. It might be worth a look if you are in need of smaller containers.

[Little Jo]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

I would search dollar or thrift stores for small glass tumblers. Brush brandy on a round piece of paper and place on top of the jam in the glass. Seal with square piece of paper washed with egg white, this will dry like glue. Have used this method many times with no issues.

[advanceguard]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

Josephine,

Thanks, I've planned on the brandied paper, etc. Would that have been the appropriate vessel for the jam? Not being picky, just trying to make this package as accurate as humanly possible. I want to have it packed two weeks prior and left out in the elements to account for delays in transport ( typically the packages arrived to the lads in 3-5 days---but I want to test the extreme). Do you possibly have images of the ones you've made so I can have a better visual? Thanks again for responding!

[PogueMahone]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Homw

Be careful of some of the jars/bottles sold at Hobby Lobby and the like. For a while some of the them bore labels denoting "Not Food Safe", but they no longer have these labels. I noted it was only on the bottles made of colored glass. The last time I looked, these labels were not in use, but I am leery.

[Utley]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

When I did the period sutlery, I used jars like this http://www.save-on-crafts.com/honeyjars1.html for jams and jellies, as well as some I got at Hobby Lobby that were very similar but straight sided. They were clear and I never saw any of those with the "not food safe" stickers, so you should be good. They are in their own section at Hobby Lobby, usually next to the raw wood items. Hobby Lobby also has the "swing" top lid glass jars, and one trick is to remove the swing top lid and wire and replace with some waxed paper and string tie.

[crabby]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

Sean,
Both Joe and Chris have given good info. The thing I question about the jars in Chris's link is the
bump on both sides- supposed to look like handles?
Since this is a box from home I checked several of my period cook books. In The Cooks Own Book there are many jelly receipts and directions include: 'put them into pots, when cold put brandy paper over and tie white paper all' 'pour it into glasses or jars and when cold tie them down' 'put into jars' 'put it into jelly glasses'.
And from Civil War Cooking: The Housekeepers Encyclopedia 'Put over jelly when cold a tissue paper wet in brandy, and cover the jars or moulds with paper cut to fit and notched, wet with the white of eggs beaten stiff.'
I have used the above method to seal jelly jars and when the egg white dries, the paper sticks to the rim of the jar and is very taut. However, the paper can be pierced easily. Not sure what you plan to pack the box with but I would suggest something like sawdust rather than straw as the former is less likely to pierce the jelly papers. This will be especially good with your plan to let the box "weather".
While I can not find the source at this time, I believe it was a civilian discussion group, the topic of jelly glasses was covered. The census was that they were very close in size and appearance to modern juice glasses.
If you would like more details feel free to contact me.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

Beth,

Concerning the mention of sealing the jars with tissue paper and sealing with egg white: It says to cover with paper 'cut to fit and notched'. Just what is meant by notching the paper? Why would that be necessary? I'm having a hard time visualising that.

[crabby]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

I think they they are saying to cut narrow wedges out. This would
help eliminate the extra paper. I did not notch mine and had to do
'fold overs' to take up the excess since the circle of paper needs to
be large enough to go over the lip and down the sides a little. I
did use tissue paper and found it easier to just dip the entire paper
in the egg white, rather than painting it on.

[Little Jo]

Re: Jam and Jelly, Comforts from Home

New Receipts for Cooking, Eliza Leslie 1854

Put the jelly immediately into tumblers, or white jars, and cover it at once; first, with double white tissue-paper, cut to fit exactly the inside of the top; and then with writing-paper, cut larger, so as to turn downward, round the outside of the top. Paste the paper firmly on, and set the jelly away in a dry, cool place. Notch the edge of the paper, with scissors.

Put the jelly warm into tumblers or other widetopped glasses. Cover it with double-tissue paper, which must be white, and cut exactly to fit the surface of the jelly. Lay it nicely and smoothly inside the top of the glass, pressing it down with your fingers all round the edge. Then paste white paper over the top, and a little way down the sides of the glass, notching it round with scissors to make it fit the better

If more convenient, you can put the jam into tumblers, pasting thick white paper closely over each.

Ive used 100% vegetable parchment paper for sealing the tops. I don't have any pics of the jars Ive made up, will have to take one next time.

I try to look for tumblers like this. From a mid 19th century wreck.



Commercial Jelly from the Bertrand