Preserving

Equal weights or amounts of fruit and sugar are used in preserving.

Select perfect fruit, weigh or measure absolutely accurately, and always cook the fruit long enough to kill all life,—small fruits, one hour, and large fruits until thoroughly tender.

Preserved Apples

Wash, pare, and quarter apples; keep in water until ready to use. Cook sugar and water five minutes; add apples, cook until tender; add lemon juice and rind. Fill jars with apples, then with sirup, and seal.

Preserved Crab Apples

Wash crab apples, and cook in sugar and water sirup until tender; add lemon juice, fill jars with fruit, then with sirup, and seal.

The fruit is much more attractive if the skin is left on, but may be removed if preferred.

Preserved Blackberries

Look over berries and wash. Cover with sugar and let stand two hours. Simmer until the boiling point is reached, boil one minute; cool, bring to the boiling point again, boil one minute; fill jars first with fruit, then with juice, and seal.

Preserved strawberries, raspberries, thimbleberries, and gooseberries are prepared in the same way.

Preserved Cherries

Wash cherries; remove stems and stones. Cover cherries with sugar, let stand two hours; then set on stove, and bring slowly to the boiling point; cook until cherries are tender. Fill jars first with cherries, then with sirup; seal.

Preserved currants and huckleberries are prepared in the same way.

Preserved Citron

Wash citron, cut in halves, remove seeds; cut each half into eighths, cover with salt, then with water; let stand over night, then drain. Cover with cold water, let stand over night. Drain, remove skin, and cook in sirup of sugar and water until citron is tender. Remove each piece carefully to a platter. When cool, fill jars with citron, and then with boiling sirup. Seal.

If the citron lacks flavor, the juice and rind of four lemons and a small piece of ginger root may be boiled with the sirup.

If the citron is placed in the jars while it is hot, the pieces will not keep their shape.

Preserved Peaches

Pare, cut in halves, and take out stones. Arrange peaches and sugar in layers in preserving kettle; let stand over night. In morning simmer until peaches are tender; fill jars with fruit, boil sirup five minutes, fill jars with sirup, and seal.

Preserved Pineapple

Prepare in the same way as [Preserved Peaches].

Preserved Pears

Wash, pare, and cut pears in halves. Put in cold water. Make a syrup of sugar and water; cook only enough pears to fill a jar at a time; when tender fill jars with fruit, then with sirup, and seal.

Preserved Apricots

Prepare in the same way as [Preserved Pears].

Preserved Plums

Pick over and prick plums. Arrange alternate layers of plums and sugar in bowl, let stand over night; in the morning drain off sirup, boil, and skim; add plums and cook until tender. Cool plums on platter, fill jars with plums, then with boiling sirup, and seal.

Preserved Quinces

Wash, wipe, pare, core, and cut quinces in quarters. Put in preserving kettle, cover with boiling water. Simmer until tender. Cool on platters. Mix sugar with one pint of water in which quinces have been cooked; boil ten minutes. Add quinces a few at a time, cover kettle, and cook slowly until quinces are of a rich red color. Fill jars with quinces, then with boiling sirup, and seal.

One half quinces and one half apples may be used in this receipt.

Preserved Green Tomatoes

Wash tomatoes and cut in slices; add sliced lemons, sugar, water and ginger root. Simmer two hours, cool, then simmer two hours more. Pour into jars and seal.

Preserved Ripe Tomatoes

Prepare in same manner as [Preserved Green Tomatoes], except that the tomatoes must have skins removed before slicing them.

Brandied Peaches

Cut peaches in halves, remove stones, and cook in sugar and water sirup five minutes; take out, remove skins, and cook again in sirup five minutes. Remove kettle from range, and let peaches stand in sirup over night. In morning reheat, pack peaches in jars, and fill jars with an equal quantity of sirup and brandy. Seal.

Brandied Plums

Prepare in the same manner as [Brandied Peaches], but prick plums with knitting needle several times before cooking.

Peach Butter

Pare and cut peaches in small pieces; add cider and lemon juice, boil until thick, stirring constantly; add sugar, if not sufficiently sweet. Fill jars and seal.

Grape Butter

Cook all together until thick; press through a sieve to remove seeds. Fill glasses and seal.

Tutti-frutti

Put the orange pulp into an earthen crock; add one pound sugar, and two tablespoons alcohol; add this same amount of sugar and alcohol every time a pound of fruit is added. Keep covered with a cloth and tight-fitting cover.

Apple or Crab Apple Jelly

Wash and wipe fruit. Remove stems; cut in pieces, put in preserving kettle, nearly cover with cold water; cook very slowly until apples are tender. Pour into jelly bag and drain thoroughly, but do not squeeze. Measure juice, allow one pound of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil juice twenty minutes; add sugar which has been heated on a platter in the oven; stir until sugar is dissolved; boil five minutes or until it jellies. Skim when necessary. Have jelly glasses standing in hot water; pour jelly into them; let stand until hard and cover first with paper or melted paraffine and the tin cover, or paste white paper over the glass. Keep all jellies in cool, dry, dark place.

A rose geranium leaf cooked with the apples gives a pleasant flavor.

Blackberry Jelly

Mash blackberries and squeeze in jelly bag. Measure juice, allowing one pound of sugar to each pint of juice. Follow directions for [Apple Jelly].

Damson, strawberry, cherry, and raspberry jellies are made in the same way.

Cranberry Jelly

Wash cranberries, mash, add water, and boil twenty minutes. Press through sieve, add sugar, and cook three minutes. Pour into glass and cover.

Cucumber Jelly

Pare the cucumbers and cut in small pieces. Peel the onion and slice. Cover onion and cucumber with cold water and cook until tender. Press through a sieve, add the gelatine and seasonings. Chill, and serve with [Mayonnaise Dressing].

Currant Jelly

Wash and drain currants thoroughly. Do not remove stems. Mash a few in the bottom of the kettle. Cook until the juice seems to be extracted from the currants, and the currants look white. Press through a coarse colander, then drip through a jelly bag, but do not squeeze.

Allow one pound of sugar for each pint of juice. Boil juice twenty minutes. Add hot sugar and boil hard three minutes; skim when necessary. Strain into hot glasses; let stand till stiff. Cover.

Currant and Raspberry Jelly

Use equal parts of currants and raspberries, and proceed as for [Currant Jelly].

Barberry Jelly

Use two quarts of apples for every four quarts of barberries and just enough water to keep berries from burning. Follow directions for [Currant Jelly].

Wild Grape Jelly

Remove stems from grapes, wash and crush, put in preserve kettle, add all ingredients, except sugar. Cook until mixture begins to look white. Strain through jelly bag. Measure juice, allow one pint of sugar for every pint of juice. Cook juice twenty minutes, add sugar, boil three minutes. Pour into glasses, cover when cold.

Grape Jelly

Remove stems from grapes. Mash; boil twenty minutes; strain, but do not squeeze; proceed as for [Currant Jelly]. Half ripe and half green grapes make the best jelly.

Mint Jelly

Follow receipt for [Apple Jelly]. Allow four sprigs of mint for every four quarts of fruit. When the juice has cooked twenty minutes, color with leaf green, add sugar, and proceed as with [Apple Jelly].

Quince Jelly

Wipe and cut quinces in thin slices, and follow directions for [Apple Jelly].

A delicious jelly is made by using one half quinces and one half Porter apples.

Apple Ginger

Pare, core, and chop apples; wash, remove seeds, and chop lemons; add sugar and ginger root, and cook very slowly six hours. Pour into glasses and cover.

Chipped Pears

Pare, core, and chip pears; wash lemons, remove seeds, and chop; add chopped ginger and sugar; cook very slowly four hours. Pour into glasses and cover.

Currant and Raspberry Preserve

Remove stems from currants, mash, cook thirty minutes, and strain in jelly bag. Cook sugar and juice ten minutes, add raspberries, bring to the boiling point, fill jars first with berries, then with juice, and seal.

Apple Marmalade

Apples with considerable flavor are best for marmalade. Wash, core, and cut apples in slices; put in kettle, add enough water to keep apples from burning. Cook slowly until mushy, press through a sieve, add equal amounts of sugar and apples, and flavor with orange or lemon juice. Cook until water is evaporated; fill glasses, and cover.

All fruits may be made into marmalades by following the above directions. If the fruit lacks flavor, lemon juice, lemon rind, or ginger root may be cooked with the fruit.

Orange Marmalade No. 1

Peel oranges, cut peel in quarters, cover with boiling water, and cook until tender. Drain, scrape to remove white, and cut scraped peel in shreds. Slice oranges, rejecting seeds and stringy portions; add sugar, cook slowly forty minutes; add rind, cook two hours. Pour into jars or glasses. Seal, and keep in cool place.

Orange Marmalade No. 2

Slice oranges and lemons in very thin slices, reject seeds, cover with sugar, and cook slowly until of a thick consistency, about two hours. Pour into jars or glasses. Seal, and keep in cool place.

Orange and Rhubarb Marmalade No. 1

Wash oranges and lemons and slice in thin slices, remove seeds. Cover with cold water, and let stand two hours. Add rhubarb cut in one half inch pieces; cook one hour; add sugar and simmer three hours. Fill glasses, seal, and keep in cool place.

Orange and Rhubarb Marmalade No. 2

Remove skin from oranges and cook in boiling water until soft; drain; scrape off white part and cut peel in strips. Cut oranges and lemons in slices, remove pith and seeds. Cut rhubarb in inch pieces. Cook oranges, lemons, and rhubarb one hour; add sugar and peel and simmer two hours. Pour into glasses and cover when cold.

Grape Fruit Marmalade No. 1

Wash grape fruit, slice thinly, remove seeds and pulpy portion, add sugar, and cook slowly two or three hours. Pour into glasses and cover.

Grape Fruit Marmalade No. 2

Wash the fruit and cut in thin slices, removing the seeds and as much of the white skin as possible. Cover with water and let stand over night. Cook slowly two hours; add sugar and simmer until thick. Fill glasses, seal, and keep in cool place.

Peach Marmalade

Wipe and cut peaches in halves, remove stones, cut peaches in pieces; add sugar and cook slowly two hours; add lemon juice. Pour into glasses and cover.

Quince, apricot, plum, and prune marmalade may be made like Peach Marmalade.

Blackberry Jam

Wash and pick over blackberries, heat, then press through a sieve. To this purée add sugar and boil one half hour. Pour into glasses and cover.

Black, Red, or White Currant Jam

Stem currants, crush slightly; add sugar, let stand over night; in the morning cook slowly one half hour, stirring often. Turn into glasses and cover.

Green or Ripe Grape Jam

Wash and stem grapes. Separate skins from pulp. Cook skins until tender, press through a sieve. Cook pulps ten minutes, press through a sieve. Combine purées; add one pound of sugar to every quart of purée; boil one half hour, stirring often. Pour into glasses and cover.

Raspberry or Strawberry Jam

Mash berries; add sugar; cook thirty minutes, stirring very often. Pour into glasses and cover.

Green Tomato Jam

Wash tomatoes and cut in pieces; add remaining ingredients and cook until clear, about two hours. Strain through coarse strainer to remove seeds. Fill sterilized jars and seal.

Spiced Currants

Remove stems and wash currants, add remaining ingredients, and boil twenty minutes. Keep in stone jar.

Spiced Gooseberries

Tie spices in bag. Cook vinegar and sugar five minutes. Add spice and remaining ingredients, cook slowly one hour. Keep in stone jar.

Spiced Peaches

Boil sugar and vinegar. Scald peaches, remove skins, and cook in sirup. Tie spices in bag and cook with peaches. When peaches are tender, pour into stone jars, reheat sirup every day for a week, pouring when boiling over peaches.

All kinds of small fruits may be spiced in this manner.

Sweet Tomato Pickle

Slice tomatoes, add onions and salt, and let stand twelve hours. Drain, add water and two cups vinegar, and boil one half hour. Drain; to tomatoes add remaining ingredients, and cook one half hour. Keep in stone jar in cool, dry place.