Weigh the lemons, and to every pound of them allow a pound and one-quarter of sugar. Grate the rind from half of the lemons, and peel the others. Chop the fruit, removing the seeds as you do so. Press all the juice that you can upon the sugar, add a little water to this, and put it over the fire. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then boil for five minutes, skimming off the scum. Stir in the chopped lemons and the grated rind, and boil for half an hour. Put up in jelly glasses.
Preserved peaches
Peel, stone and weigh firm white peaches, allowing to each pound of fruit a pound of white sugar. Arrange fruit and sugar in alternate layers in a broad preserving kettle, and set the kettle at the side of the stove where the contents will heat slowly. Stew for about half an hour after the preserves come to a boil, or until the peaches are tender when pierced by a fork. With a perforated skimmer take the peaches from the syrup, and spread them on a platter while you boil the syrup until clear and thick, skimming often. Pack the fruit in jars, fill these to overflowing with the boiling liquid, and seal immediately. Stand the jars in a pan of hot water while filling them.
Preserved citron rind
Peel and cut the rind into pieces of uniform size, rejecting all the seeds. Lay the rind in salted water for two hours, then drain and lay in cold fresh water for six or seven hours, changing the water three times during that period. Drain, put the citron on to boil in a gallon of water, to which you have added two teaspoonfuls of alum. Stew until tender, drain, and lay in cold water.
Make a thick syrup of sugar and water, and when it boils cook the rind in it for fifteen minutes. Remove the rind, pack in jars, add to the syrup in the kettle enough lemon juice and ginger root to flavor it.
When very thick, fill the jars with the boiling syrup, and seal.
Preserved chestnuts
Shell and blanch three dozen large chestnuts, stew slowly until tender, and drain. Make a syrup of a cupful, each, of sugar and of water, and boil until thick. Drop in the nuts, bring to a boil, add a few drops of lemon juice and vanilla, and remove from the fire.