| Damson Plums, | 1 quart |
| Sugar | |
| Water |
The Damson plums Adelaide wiped thoroughly, and pricked each one with a silver fork twice. Then she weighed the fruit. To each pound she measured three-quarters of a pound of sugar. To each pound of sugar Adelaide measured one cup of water. The sugar and water she put in the saucepan and placed over the fire. When the syrup boiled, Adelaide skimmed it and added the plums. The plums Adelaide cooked until they were tender, stirring them carefully with a wooden spoon so as not to break the fruit, then filled the sterilized pint jar to overflowing. A silver knife was inserted between the fruit and jar to let all air bubbles rise to the top and break. The new rubber was dipped in boiling water, placed over the top smoothly and the jar sealed quickly. This Adelaide stood upside down out of the way of any draft. In the morning the jar was carefully examined to see that it did not leak, all stickiness was wiped off with a damp cloth, the label was pasted on, and then Adelaide stored the jar away in the preserve closet.
Preserved Currants
| Currants, | 1 quart |
| Sugar |
The currants Adelaide picked over carefully and put into the colander. This she placed in a pan of clear cold water and dipped up and down several times until quite clean. After they had drained well she weighed them, and to each pound of fruit she measured a pound of sugar. Half of the currants Adelaide put in the saucepan and placed on the fire to heat through. When they were thoroughly warmed she removed the saucepan from the fire and mashed the currants with the wooden potato masher, then she strained the juice through the jelly bag.
The juice and sugar Adelaide put into the saucepan and boiled gently for fifteen minutes, after which she added the other half of the currants. It took the currants only five minutes to just cook through and they remained whole in the jelly.
This was poured into sterilized tumblers. When cold the tumblers were wiped free from all stickiness, and Adelaide sealed them by pouring melted paraffin over the top, shaking it gently from side to side to exclude all air. Pasting on the labels she stored them away in the preserve closet.
Preserved Currants and Raspberries
| Currants, | 1 pint |
| Raspberries, | 1 quart |
| Sugar |
The currants and raspberries Adelaide picked over and kept separate. She did not forget to look carefully in the center of each raspberry to be sure that there were no little worms. After washing the currants, placing them in the colander and dipping it up and down several times in a pan of clear cold water she poured them into the saucepan and mashed them with the wooden potato masher. Adelaide washed the raspberries in the same manner, but stood them aside to drain while the currants were cooking. The currants simmered slowly for half an hour (or until the currants looked white), and then the juice was strained through the jelly bag. Adelaide returned the juice to the saucepan, and added the sugar. (The currants and berries had been weighed after washing them, and to each pound of fruit she measured three-fourths of a pound of sugar.)