The rinds are cut in various fancy forms; make a strong salt and water; put them in with cabbage leaves as for greening; keep them near the fire, turning them very often, till they become yellow; have a kettle of alum water ready; wash the rinds, and put them in the kettle with cabbage leaves over and under them and between every layer; put the kettle on the fire; do not let them come to a boil, but keep them scalding over two hours; when they are green, put them in cold water for three days; change the water several times. Some persons make two syrups; but one will be sufficient, by making a syrup of a pound and a quarter of sugar to one of melon; drop in some ginger; boil twenty-five minutes.
PINE APPLE PRESERVES.
Pack the pine apple, after it is peeled and cut into slices, in a jar with a layer of sugar on every layer of the fruit; set the jar for fifteen minutes in a kettle of boiling water; cover it tight, and keep it in a dry place.
TO PRESERVE CRAB APPLES.
Make a syrup of a pound of sugar for a pound of fruit; put in the apples after skimming the syrup; let them boil till they are clear. Some persons make a second syrup, and keep the first for cordial.
TO DRY PEACHES LIKE FIGS.
Pare and cut the peaches in slices; make a syrup of half a pound of sugar to one of fruit; put the peaches in and let them scald; then take them out, put them on a flat dish, and set the syrup away; next day repeat the process; then put them in the oven, after the bread comes out, on a flat dish; do this till they are dry; pack them in jars, sprinkling sugar over each layer. The syrup will make cordial.
TO PRESERVE LIMES.
Get the limes green; take out all the inside very carefully with a pen-knife, then lay them for twenty-four hours in salt and water; take them out, wash and scald them till all of the salt is out; make a syrup with three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of limes; skim it, and put in the fruit; let them boil till clear. It is better to boil the limes in water for twenty minutes before they go in the syrup.