Rhubarb Conserve

Rhubarb (cut up), 2 cups
Sugar,2 cups
Lemon juice,1 dessert spoon
Seedless raisins,¼ lb.
Walnut meats,¼ lb.

Mother picked out the pinkest, prettiest rhubarb she could find, then Adelaide washed and wiped each stalk and cut it into small pieces. When she had filled the cup with rhubarb twice she put it into the saucepan and poured over it two cups of sugar and a dessert spoon of lemon juice.

Adelaide next measured out a fourth of a pound of seedless raisins. Upon these she poured boiling water which stood a minute or two, then she drained them. After looking them over carefully to remove any stems, she added them to the rhubarb, sugar, etc. Twelve or fourteen large walnuts were sufficient to crack. The meats Adelaide put through the meat chopper and added to the rest of the good things.

After standing three hours the saucepan was placed on the fire and the conserve came slowly to the boiling point. Adelaide stirred the mixture frequently with a wooden spoon while it boiled for twenty minutes. It was then ready to pour into the sterilized tumblers.

When the conserve was cold, Adelaide wiped around the top and the outside of each tumbler with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the top (which she shook gently from side to side to exclude all air), pasted on the labels and stored the glasses away in the preserve closet.

Apricot Conserve

Apricots,1 dozen
Sugar,2 cups
Lemon juice,1 dessert spoon
Orange juice,1 dessert spoon
Grated rind of half a lemon
Grated rind of half an orange
Seedless raisins,¼ lb.
Walnut meats,¼ lb.

Adelaide wiped the apricots thoroughly with a damp cloth, then cut them in halves with a silver knife and removed the stones. These she placed in a saucepan, poured over them two cups of sugar, a dessert spoon each of lemon and orange juice, and the grated rind of half a lemon and half an orange. Next she measured out a fourth of a pound of seedless raisins and covered them with boiling water for a few minutes, after which she drained them and picked off any stems. Twelve or fourteen large walnuts were sufficient to crack, and the walnut meats and the raisins Adelaide put through the meat chopper, then added these to the fruit in the saucepan.