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Cordial Jelly (bærsaft)

Clarified cordial jelly from Erken's Stor kokebok 1914: berry cordial, water, sugar, and gelatin are clarified with egg white and eggshell, strained, and set in a mold. Served with vanilla custard sauce or whipped cream.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 495 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the chapter on jellies in Stor kokebok (1914). Cordial jelly was the housewife's simplest version of the clarified jellies: summer's berry cordial stretched with water and set with gelatin. Clarifying with egg whites and crushed eggshells produced the bright, transparent jelly that was the era's beauty ideal for desserts.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Soak the gelatin

    Put the gelatin sheets in plenty of cold water for 10 minutes until soft. Squeeze out the water.

  2. 2

    Mix everything cold

    Put the cordial, water, sugar, soaked gelatin, lemon juice, and the egg whites with crushed eggshells into an enameled or stainless pot. Whisk everything together well while it is still cold.

  3. 3

    Clarify the jelly

    Set the pot over medium heat and whisk vigorously and steadily until the mixture comes to a boil. Take it off the heat at once and let it stand undisturbed for a few minutes so the foam gathers.

  4. 4

    Strain

    Pour the jelly through a warm, wrung-out cloth. Strain it again through the same cloth until the jelly is completely clear.

  5. 5

    Set

    Pour the jelly into a rinsed mold or glass and chill for 4–5 hours until firm.

  6. 6

    Serving

    Turn the jelly out onto a platter and serve with vanilla custard sauce or whipped cream.

Changes from the original

Measures converted to modern units (deciliters/grams), gelatin given as sheets or powder, and "treat as wine jelly" written out as complete steps. The citric acid amount of "like 2 peas" is estimated at ¼ teaspoon.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 495) → Modernised~91% of the text changedremovedadded
½ l. saft ½ l. vand 5 dl bærsaft (f.eks. rips-, bringebær- eller solbærsaft). 5 dl vann. 200 gr. sukker g sukker. 45 gr. g gelatin (plater, bløtlagt i kaldt vann). 2 stk eggehviter og eggeskal saft av ½ citron (med knuste, skylte eggeskall). 0,5 stk sitron (saften; eller citronsyre som 2 erter. Saft, vand, ¼ ts sitronsyre). Legg gelatinplatene i rikelig kaldt vann i 10 minutter til de er myke. Klem ut vannet.. Ha saft, vann, sukker, den utbløtte gelatin, citronsaften, 2 gelatinen, sitronsaften samt eggehviter og 2 eggeskal. Alt vispes koldt sammen knuste eggeskall i en emaljert gryte eller rustfri kjele. Visp alt godt sammen mens det ennå er kaldt.. Sett kjelen over middels varme og behandles ellers som vingelé. Serveres visp kraftig og jevnt til blandingen koker opp. Ta den straks av platen og la den stå i ro noen minutter så skummet samler seg.. Hell geléen gjennom et varmt, oppvridd klede. Sil om igjen gjennom samme klede til geléen er helt klar.. Hell geléen i skylt form eller glass og sett kaldt i 4–5 timer til den er stiv.. Hvelv geléen på fat og server med vaniljesaus eller fløtekrem.

Note on Modernised

Mål omgjort til moderne enheter (desiliter/gram), gelatin angitt som plater eller pulver, og «behandles som vingelé» er skrevet ut som fullstendige trinn. Sitronsyre-mengden «som 2 erter» er anslått til ¼ teskje.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the point of the egg whites and eggshells in the jelly?
They are used for clarifying. Everything is whisked together cold in an enameled pot and heated up; the egg white and crushed shell bind impurities so the jelly turns out clear. The mixture is strained before it is poured into the mold.
How much gelatin do I need for this amount?
45 grams of gelatin for 1 liter of liquid (½ l cordial and ½ l water) and 200 g sugar. The gelatin is soaked before use.
Why is the total time so long – 5 hours?
The preparation itself is quick, but the jelly must set in a cold place. Allow several hours in the refrigerator or a cool spot before it can be turned out and served.
What is cordial jelly served with?
According to the recipe it is served with vanilla custard sauce or whipped cream. Lemon juice from ½ lemon, or citric acid about the size of two peas, gives the jelly a fresh note.

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