CONSERVES.—One quart of rhubarb (do not peel), one pint of red raspberries, one pint red currants, one pound raisins, one pound English walnuts, two oranges (sliced very thin), two lemons (sliced very thin); a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Cook until thick as jelly. Put in jelly glasses and cover with paraffin. (Delicious.)
APPLE BUTTER.—Fill a preserve kettle with peeled, cored and sliced apples. Add a slight flavoring of cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Cover with fresh, sweet cider and boil slowly, stirring frequently until the whole becomes a dark brown jam with only juice enough to keep it soft and buttery. Remove from fire and place in covered jars or seal. Do not use for several weeks. Good spread for bread for children. Select firm apples that cook to a soft, smooth apple sauce. Bell-flowers, Greenings, Baldwin or Maiden Blush apples make good apple butter.—Mrs. Whitehead.
CURRANT COMPOTE.—Pick nice large red currants from stems after washing well. Put one half of them into a preserve kettle. Press juice out of remaining half; add enough sugar to make a syrup, heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly and pour over the currants in preserve kettle. Bring to a boil and seal in pint jars. The currants will be whole and taste much like fresh fruit with jellied juice around them.—Mrs. Whitehead.
Wines
"A cup of wine sir?
A cup of wine that's brisk and fine."—Shakespeare.
GRAPE WINE.—For five gallons of wine use twelve and one half pounds of concord grapes, twelve and one half pounds of wild grapes, twelve and one half pounds sugar. Wash the grapes then pick from stems and put in stone jars and mash; let stand from seven to ten days, then press through wine press or jelly bag. Add sugar and water enough to fill a five gallon keg. Put in cool cellar; let bung hole remain open but cover it with cheese cloth and let grapes ferment; change cloth frequently and after six weeks cork the keg tightly and let lie until March, then seal in bottles. May be made from bull berries or other fruit by same process. Same recipe for choke cherries.—Mrs. J. Bruegger.
RHUBARB WINE.—Take five pounds of rhubarb and cut into small pieces, add one gallon of cold water and put in a crock for eight days, stirring it well two or three times a day, then strain and to every gallon add four pounds of white sugar, the juice and half the rind of one lemon. Dissolve half an ounce of gelatine in a little of the liquid and add. Cover it for a month, then strain through a muslin bag and bottle.—Mrs. Schollander.
CHOKE CHERRY WINE.—To one gallon of fruit allow two gallons of water, mash fruit to get the juice, let stand nine days, then press through a fruit press. When the juice is all extracted strain through a cloth. To each gallon of juice allow three pounds of granulated sugar, or loaf sugar, let stand several days and when thoroughly mixed, the sugar all dissolved, strain through flannel bag, into keg or jug, leaving it uncorked, but should be covered with some perforated cover or cloth to avoid dirt or flies, or anything to get into the keg. Let this ferment until it stops, which takes several weeks and be sure to keep it full, there is always loss when it bubbles over, therefore it is advisable to reserve a quart of juice to fill up with (plain sugar water will answer the same purpose). When it ceases to ferment cork tight, (air tight), let alone until the month of March then draw into bottles, cork tight and it will be ready for use.—Mrs. George Bruegger.