TOMATO PRESERVE

Choose ripe, sound, well-colored tomatoes and rub them through a sieve; put the juice and the purée into an earthenware pan and boil for five minutes, stirring all the time, then let it drain through a napkin stretched out as for jelly straining; weigh all that remains on the napkin, and for each pound of pulp allow one pound of sugar. Put the sugar into a pan with half a pint of water, let it dissolve, and cook it till it reaches 236° F., or the “small ball” (i. e., on dipping the finger and thumb first into cold water and then into the syrup, and again into cold water, the sugar from the fingers forms a small ball), keeping it well skimmed; then add the tomato pulp and half a cupful of red currant juice for every pound of the pulp.

Place on the fire and stir continuously till it reaches 220° F.; then let the preserve cook for three minutes more and pot in the usual way.