CHERRY MARMALADE
To three pounds of sweet and one pound of sour cherries allow two pounds of sugar. Weigh the cherries when stemmed and pitted. Make a syrup of the sugar, add cinnamon bark and cloves. Put in the sweet cherries first, adding the sour ones half an hour later; boil down thick and cover the jars with brandied paper.
GRAPE CONSERVE
Remove the stems and skins from five pounds of grapes and boil the pulp until tender; then press it through a sieve. Boil the skins of three juicy oranges until tender, then chop fine. Put the grape skins and the pulp into a saucepan; add the orange juice, the boiled skins, five pounds of sugar, one pound of raisins--the muscat seeded--and one pound of sh.e.l.led walnuts and boil until quite thick.
PLUM CONSERVE, No. 1
Wash five pounds of blue plums or German Prunes, cut them in halves and remove the stones. Peel four oranges, slice them fine and cut each slice in half. Cut the rind of two of the oranges into small squares, add one pound of seeded raisins. Take a measure of sugar and a measure of the mixture, place in preserving kettle on the stove and let come slowly to the boiling point and cook steadily for several hours until the fruit is clear and thick. Put in jelly gla.s.ses or jars.
PLUM CONSERVE, No. 2
Wash three pounds of German prunes, remove the stones and cut them into small pieces. Mix one pound of seeded raisins, two oranges cut in small pieces, the juice of two lemons, one pound English walnuts broken in chunks, and three pounds of sugar. Place all the ingredients in the preserving kettle on the stove and let come slowly to the boiling point and cook steadily until the fruit is clear and thick. Put in jelly gla.s.ses or jars.
PEACH SYRUP
This is very nice for all kinds of griddle cakes. Use the peelings of your peaches when you are through canning and preserving. Add 1/3 of the peach kernels and put all on to boil in a stone jar on the back of the stove with a little water. When soft, strain through a jelly-bag by letting it drip all night. In the morning add the juice of two or three lemons and boil as you would jelly. Set a pint of juice on to boil and boil for five minutes. Add a pound of sugar and boil five minutes more, but it must boil very hard. Bottle in wide-mouthed bottles or jars.
Seal.
PEACH b.u.t.tER
Weigh the peaches after they are pared and pitted. Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Cook the peaches alone until soft, then add 1/2 of the sugar and stir frequently. In half an hour put in the remaining sugar. Now watch carefully, stirring almost constantly for two hours. Boil slowly, and add 1/4 of the peach kernels. Spice with cinnamon and cloves, using whole spices.
RAISIN COMPOTE
Peel six oranges (California), cut the skin in very small narrow strips, or run through a food chopper. Slice the oranges very thin and quarter the slices. Let it stand overnight in three pints of cold water. Place this in a preserving kettle with three pounds of seeded raisins, three quarts of currants (picked and washed) and three pounds of granulated sugar. Boil all together for two hours and put in gla.s.s jars, closing them while hot.
If preferred, three pints of currant juice strained may be used instead of the whole fruit. This compote will keep perfectly well after the jar is opened.
PICKLED PEACHES
Brush but do not peel the peaches. Select medium-sized ones. When all are well brushed, stick each peach quite full of cloves.
Make a thick syrup of half a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Cook the peaches in the syrup until they may be easily pierced with a broom splint. Then carefully skim them from the syrup and after they have cooled on the platters put them in gla.s.s jars or stone crocks. To the syrup in the kettle add a few pieces of stick cinnamon and a few whole allspice. Add half a pint of good cider vinegar and a tablespoon of tarragon vinegar to each quart of syrup, and when the syrup just comes to a boil after adding the vinegar pour it over the peaches. Delicious with cold chicken.
SPICED GRAPES
Pulp seven pounds of Concord grapes; cook the pulp and skins until soft; put them through a fine sieve; then add four and one-half pounds of granulated sugar, one pint of cider vinegar, two tablespoons of ground cinnamon, and two tablespoons of ground cloves. Bring to a boil; then cook slowly for one and one-half hours. Put in an earthen crock when cool.
This recipe may also be used with currants; use five pounds of sugar instead of four and one-half pounds.
GREEN OR YELLOW PLUM TOMATO PRESERVES
Wash and dry four pounds of small yellow or green tomatoes and p.r.i.c.k each one in five or six places. Stir three pounds of sugar in one-half cup boiling water until dissolved; add the tomatoes and cook until clear. When half done add the juice and the rind of two lemons sliced very thin. When the fruit is clear remove it with a skimmer; put in small jars, filling them two-thirds full. Boil the syrup fast for a few minutes longer or until thick and syrupy, fill up the jars; cover with a cloth until the next day; then cover closely and stand away in a cool place.
SPICED OR PICKLED APPLES
Pare the apples, "Pound Sweets" are best; crab-apples may be pickled the same way, but do not pare. Leave on the stems and put into a kettle with alternate layers of sugar; take four pounds of white sugar to nine pounds of fruit, and spice with an ounce of cinnamon bark and half an ounce of cloves, removing the heads. Heat slowly to a boil with a pint of water; add the vinegar and spices, and boil until tender. Take out the fruit with a perforated skimmer and spread upon dishes to cool. Boil the syrup thick; pack the apples in jars and pour the syrup over them boiling hot. Examine them in a week"s time, and should they show signs of fermenting pour off the syrup and boil up for a few minutes, and pour over the fruit scalding, or set the jars (uncovered) in a kettle of cold water and heat until the contents are boiling, and then seal.
PRESERVED BLACKBERRIES
Weigh the fruit and allow a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit. Tie spices in a bag, such as cloves and cinnamon, and make a thick syrup of the sugar before you put in the berries. Boil half an hour and seal when cold.
PICKLED CRAB-APPLES
Select tart, firm, red or yellow crab-apples, three quarts; remove all decayed spots but leave the stems. Put three cups of cider vinegar, three cups of sugar, and one cup of water in preserving kettle; let boil two minutes, add two tablespoons of cloves and two sticks of cinnamon broken; these spices must be tied in a bag, and let cook ten minutes.
Lift out carefully with perforated skimmer, put in gla.s.s jars. When all the apples have been cooked, pour over enough syrup to cover; set spice bag away in a cup. Cover jars and let stand twenty-four hours. Pour off syrup and boil again. Wait two days, then boil apples, sugar, with spice bag until apples are tender but firm. Place apples in jars; cover to keep hot. Boil down syrup a little and fill the jars to overflowing with the hot syrup and seal.
WATERMELON PICKLE
Do not throw away the rind of melons. It can be preserved and will make a delicious relish. Remove the green rind of watermelon and the inside pink portion that is left on after eating it. Cut it into two-inch pieces and pour over it a weak brine made in proportion of one cup of salt to a gallon of hot water. Let this stand overnight, then drain and add clear water and one level tablespoon of alum. Boil in this water until the rind has a clear appearance. Drain and pour ice water over the rind and allow it to stand a short time. In a bag put one teaspoon each of cloves, allspice, cinnamon and ginger and place this in the preserve kettle with the vinegar and sugar. Allow one cup of sugar and one cup of vinegar (dilute this with water if too strong) to every pound of rind.
Thin slices of lemon will give it a pleasant flavor--allow one lemon to about four pounds of rind. Bring this syrup to the boiling point and skim. Add the melon and cook until tender. It is done when it becomes perfectly transparent and can be easily pierced with a broom straw. A peach kernel in the cooking syrup will improve the flavor. Housewives who object to the use of alum can omit this and merely wash the rind after removing from brine to free it from all salt and then cook it slowly as per directions given above. The alum keeps the rind firm and retains its color. In this case the rind will require long and steady cooking; say 3/4 of an hour or longer. As soon as rinds are cooked they should be put into the containers and covered with the syrup.
PICKLED PLUMS
p.r.i.c.k the plums with a large needle then weigh them, and to every seven pounds of fruit use four pounds of white sugar, two ounces of stick cinnamon, one ounce of cloves and a pint of best pickling vinegar. Boil the vinegar, sugar and spices, and pour boiling hot over the fruit, which must be packed in a large jar; repeat this three times. While the vinegar boils the third time, pack the plums in gla.s.s jars and pour the syrup over the plums. When cold seal.
PICKLED CANTALOUPE OR MUSKMELONS
Take fine, ripe melons, pare, take out the seeds and wash, cut into slices about three inches long and two inches wide, lay them in a stone jar and cover with vinegar for twenty-four hours or longer. Then lay the fruit on a clean board to drip; and throw away one quart of the vinegar to each quart remaining. Allow three pounds and 1/2 of white sugar to a dozen small cantaloupes, three ounces of stick cinnamon, one ounce of cloves (remove the soft heads) and two ounces of allspice (whole spices). Boil the spices, vinegar and sugar, adding a pint of fresh vinegar to the old. When well skimmed put in the melons, boil fifteen minutes, twenty is still better; take out the fruit, put it in jars and boil the syrup awhile longer. Skim it again and pour boiling hot upon the fruit. Seal when cold.
PICKLED HUSK TOMATOES
This tomato looks like an egg-shaped plum and makes a very nice sweet pickle. p.r.i.c.k each one with a needle, weigh, and to seven pounds of tomatoes take four pounds of sugar and spice with a very little mace, cinnamon and cloves. Put into the kettle with alternate layers of sugar.
Heat slowly to a boil, skim and add vinegar, not more than a pint to seven pounds of tomatoes. Add spices and boil for about ten minutes, not longer. Take them out with a perforated skimmer and spread upon dishes to cool. Boil the syrup thick, and pack as you would other fruit.
SPICED OR PICKLED CHERRIES
Take the largest and freshest red cherries you can get, and pack them in gla.s.s fruit jars, stems and all. Put little splints of wood across the tops of the fruit to prevent rising to the top. To every quart of cherries allow a cup of best pickling vinegar, and to every three quarts of fruit one pound of sugar and three sticks of whole cinnamon bark and one-half ounce of cloves; this quant.i.ty of spices is for all of the fruit. Boil the vinegar and spices and sugar for five minutes steady; turn out into a covered stoneware vessel, cover, and let it get cold.