From Dishes & Beverages of the Old South

Franklin, p. 109, describes the jelly press as follows:

"A jelly or fruit press is an implement for pressing fruits and vegetables through small apertures. "

Presses were used in the kitchen for rendering lard or for crushing fruit to produce juice to be used in making jelly.

Presses came in many forms.

One type (Object 1 - shown top left) consisted of a perforated basket that holds fruit and a levered plate which presses food through perforations.

Using this type of press was simple. Pulling the handle up would remove the plate, and the food could be placed into the basket. The plate was then replaced and the handle pushed down, pressing the food. This type of press was sometimes called a ricer.

Another available type of press was a combined sausage stuffer, fruit and lard press. This type of press crushed the food down against perforated bottom of basket and from there out a straight spout into a bowl.

In Dishes & Beverages of the Old South, the recipe for 'Rendering Lard' suggests using a press for squeezing hot lard out of cracklings, which are the crisp bits that remain after rendering fat from meat or frying or roasting the skin of an animal.

The bottom left image displays a type of press which is simlar to that described in the recipe. It consists of two pieces of wood that are hinged at one end. The cracklings would be placed in a cloth bag and "pressed hard between two clean boards till no more fat runs from them."

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