Take four or five cantaloupes, quarter, and cover with vinegar; to stand twenty-four hours. Then measure off the vinegar, leaving out one quart. To each quart, add three pounds brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and mace to the taste. Place the spiced vinegar over the fire, and when it has boiled awhile, drop in the fruit, cooking it thirty or forty minutes.—Mrs. R. P.
Ripe Muskmelon Pickles.
Take hard melons, after they are sufficiently ripe to be well flavored. Slice them lengthwise, scrape out the seed, and lay the melon in salt over night; wash and wipe dry, put them in alum water one hour, wash and wipe them again; cut them in slices and pack in jars. Pour over them a syrup of vinegar seasoned with cinnamon and cloves; put three or four pounds of sugar to one gallon vinegar, and boil until it is right thick.—Mrs. A. C.
Sweet Watermelon Pickle.
Trim the rinds nicely, being careful to cut off the hard coating with the outer green. Weigh ten pounds rind and throw it in a kettle, and cover with soft water; let this boil gently for half an hour, take it off and lay it on dishes to drain. Next morning put one quart vinegar, three pounds brown sugar, one ounce cinnamon, one ounce mace, the white of one egg well beaten and thrown on top of the liquid (to clear it as you would jelly), three teaspoonfuls turmeric, all together in a kettle, and boil for a few minutes; skim off what rises as scum with the egg. Throw in the rind, and boil for twenty minutes. The peel of two fresh lemons will give a nice flavor, though not at all necessary.—Mrs. L. W. C.
Watermelon Pickle.
4 pounds watermelon rind.
2 pounds sugar.
1 pint vinegar.
Mace, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger to the taste.