Part 17 (1/2)

320. _To Preserve Apples._

Apples for preserving should be tart and mellow--pare them, and take out the cores with a small knife. Allow for each pound three-quarters of a pound of sugar, a tea-spoonful of powdered ginger, tied in a bag, and sufficient water to cover the apples. Make the syrup, then take it from the fire, and put in the apples, when it is just lukewarm. Boil them till transparent, take them up--when partly cooled, put in a little essence of lemon. Turn the syrup from them in the course of a week, boil it, and turn it back on the apples while hot.

321. _Cymbelines, or Mock Citron._

Cut into small pieces, and sc.r.a.pe the rind of cymbelines--put them into strong salt and water--let them remain in it three days, then in fair water a day, changing the water several times--soak them in alum water an hour--tie up oyster sh.e.l.ls in a cloth, and boil them with the cymbelines. When the cymbelines are tender, take them up, and put them back into the alum water. Make the syrup for them, allowing a pound and a half of sugar to one of the cymbelines. When clarified, let it get cold--then rinse the cymbelines, and boil them three-quarters of an hour. When partly cooled, put in a little essence of lemon to flavor them. These are good eaten like any other sweetmeats, or used instead of citron for cake.

322. _Watermelon Rinds._

Take the rind of a nice ripe watermelon--cut it into small strips, and boil them, till they begin to grow tender, in water, with saleratus and peach leaves in it, in the proportion of a tea-spoonful of saleratus and a dozen peach leaves to a couple of quarts of water. Take the rinds out of the water, and soak them in alum water an hour. Make a syrup, allowing the same weight of sugar as rinds. When clarified and cooled, rinse the rinds, and put them in the syrup, together with powdered ginger, tied up in a small bag. Boil them till they are quite soft--when partly cooled, add a little essence of lemon. Turn the syrup from them in the course of two or three days, take out the bags of ginger, and boil the syrup till there is just sufficient of it to cover the rinds, and turn it on them while hot.

323. _Muskmelons._

Procure muskmelons that are perfectly green, and of a quick growth, and as late in the season as possible. If preserved while the weather is very hot, they are apt to ferment. Sc.r.a.pe off the skin of the rind, being careful not to sc.r.a.pe any of the green part. Cut them through the middle, and take out the seeds--then cut them in rings, an inch in thickness. Soak them in salt and water a day, then in fair water three or four hours, changing the water several times. Soak them in alum water an hour--rinse and put them in fair water, with a handful of peach leaves to four or five pounds of the melon, and a table-spoonful of ginger, tied up in small pieces of cloth. The peach leaves turn the melon a fine green color. Boil the melons till they begin to grow tender, then put them in alum water, together with the ginger. Make a syrup of white sugar, and put in the melons and ginger, (which should be previously rinsed.) Boil them in the syrup as long as you can, without their breaking to pieces. In the course of a week turn the syrup from them, scald it, and turn it on to the melons. Add sufficient essence of lemon to flavor it, just before turning it on to the melons. Keep them covered tight, in a cool place, with a paper wet in brandy on them.

324. _Pine Apples._

Take those that are ripe, and perfectly fresh--pare off the rind, and cut the apples in slices an inch thick. Powder the same weight of white sugar as you have pine apples--lay the pine apples in a deep dish, and sprinkle part of the powdered sugar between each layer of apples.

Reserve about half of the sugar. Let the apples remain till the succeeding day--then turn the syrup from them, and mix it with the reserved sugar, and half a pint of water, for three or four pounds of pine apple. Boil the syrup, take it from the fire, and when cool, put in the apples, simmer them gently till tender, let them remain in a deep dish for several days--they should be covered up tight, and kept in a cool place. Whenever there is any appearance of fermentation, turn the syrup from them, scald it, and turn it back hot on to the pine apples.

Keep them in gla.s.s or china jars, covered tight, and in a cool place.

325. _Pumpkin Chips._

Take what quant.i.ty you choose of a good sweet pumpkin, (the b.u.t.ter pumpkin makes the nicest sweetmeats.) Halve the pumpkin, take out the seeds, and cut it into chips of the size of a dollar. For each pound of the pumpkin to be preserved, allow a pound of fine white sugar, and a gill of lemon-juice. Put the chips in a deep dish, and sprinkle on each layer a layer of the sugar. Turn the lemon-juice over the whole. Let it remain a day--then boil the whole together, with half a pint of water to three pounds of the pumpkin, a table-spoonful of powdered ginger, tied up in bags, and the peel of the lemons, cut into small pieces. When the pumpkin becomes tender, turn the whole into a preserve pot. In the course of a week, turn the syrup from the pumpkin, boil it to a rich syrup, and turn it back hot.

326. _Gages._

Allow equal weights of sugar and gages. Make a syrup of white sugar, and just water enough to cover the plums. Boil the plums slowly in the syrup ten minutes--turn them into a dish, and let them remain four or five days, then boil them again, till the syrup appears to have entered the plums. Put them in a china jar, and in the course of a week turn the syrup from them, scald it, and turn it over them hot.

327. _Strawberries._

Procure Chili or field strawberries, and hull them. Take equal quant.i.ties of berries, and powdered white sugar--put a layer of each in a preserving pan, having a layer of strawberries at the bottom. Let them remain an hour, then put in a gill of cold water, to prevent their burning to the bottom of the pan. Set them on a very moderate fire--when the juice runs freely, increase the fire, until they boil briskly. Let them boil half an hour, then turn them into a dish--when lukewarm, put them in wide-mouthed bottles, or small gla.s.s jars, cork and seal them tight, and keep them in dry sand.

328. _Raspberry and Blackberry Jam._

For each pound of berries, allow a pound of sugar. Put a layer of each alternately in a preserving dish. Let them remain half an hour--then boil them slowly, stirring them frequently, to keep them from burning.

When they have boiled half an hour, take a little up in a cup, and set it in a dish of cold water--if it appears of the consistency of thick jelly, take the whole from the fire--if not, boil it till it becomes so.

329. _Strawberry, Raspberry, and Blackberry Jelly._