  Preserving Fruits and Vegetables. Only the best quality of fruit should be used for preserving, and the preserves must be kept in a cool dry place. Glass jars are the best to put up preserves; tin cans must be soldered and this cannot very well be done at home. The kettle in which the preserves are cooked should be clean and kept for this purpose only. The spoon or ladle used for stirring is best of silver or new wood. The jars should be clean and scalded before using. They must have good rubbers and be closed so tightly that not a drop will come out when turned upside down. No. 1—STRAWBERRIES.
Preparation: The strawberries must be dry and sound. Clean them, pour water on and let stand for a few minutes, then drain in a colander. Now weigh the fruit and take ½ lb. of sugar to every pound of fruit. Boil the fruit and sugar a few minutes over a slow fire, then fill it at once into the jars. Close these tightly and set them upside down to test the covers. When they are cold, store them in a cool, dry place. Can also be made according to No. 13, but cook only 20 minutes instead of 2 hours. No. 2—RASPBERRIES.
Preparation: The preparation of the raspberries is the same as that of strawberries. See No. 1, Strawberries. No. 3—PINEAPPLE.
Preparation: Pare and slice the pineapple, which is best done with a silver knife. Weigh the fruit after it is sliced and take to every pound of fruit ¾ lb. of sugar and small cupful of water. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, skim it and put in the fruit to boil 20 minutes until it is transparent, skim it again and put it hot into the jars; then treat the jars as in No. 1 and store them in a cool, dry place. No. 4—PEACHES AND APRICOTS.
Preparation: Peel the peaches or apricots very thin, cut in halves and stone them. To one pound of fruit take ½ lb. of sugar and ¼ cup of water. Boil the sugar, water and 4 crushed stones 5 minutes, skim and add the fruit and boil a few minutes longer until it is soft. Do not let it get mushy. Skim the fruit again and fill it hot into the jars. Then treat the jars again as in No. 1 to test the covers. Store them in a cool, dry place. Remarks: The peelings may be used for jelly. See Preparation of Jelly. No. 5—PEACHES IN JELLY.
Preparation: Cut the small peaches into pieces, stone them, weigh them, boil until tender in the water and drain in a colander. Now put the sugar into the fruit syrup and boil until thick, skim it and put the large peeled peaches into it whole. Boil until the fruit is tender but not mushy, then put it carefully into the jars, pour the thick syrup on, place a brandy paper over and close the jars up tightly. No. 6—APRICOTS IN JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of apricots is the same as that of peaches. See No. 5, Peaches in Jelly. No. 7—PICKLED PEACHES.
Preparation: Peel the peaches, leave them whole and weigh them. Boil the given quantity of water with sugar, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim and add the peaches. When the fruit is soft, put it into the cans or jars and pour the syrup over. If there is too much syrup, boil it down to fill the cans or jars. Cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly. The stone jars may be tied up with parchment paper. No. 8—PICKLED APRICOTS.
Preparation: The preparation of pickled apricots is the same as that of pickled peaches. See No. 7, Pickled Peaches. No. 9—APRICOTS OR PEACHES IN BRANDY.
Preparation: Peel and weigh the apricots or peaches. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes and skim, then put in the fruit, boil a few minutes and put into the jars. Let the syrup boil down and pour it onto the fruit hot, then pour the brandy on top, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Remarks: To every pound of fruit use 1 glass of brandy. No. 10—STRAWBERRIES IN JELLY.
Preparation: Prepare the large strawberries as in No. 1, and drain off the water. Treat the small berries the same way, put the latter on the stove with the sugar, boil until soft, then rub through a sieve or a white, clean cloth so the juice will run into a dish. Put this juice back into the kettle, add to this the lemon juice and boil it down to jelly. Then add the large strawberries and boil 3 to 4 minutes. Put carefully into the jars, boil down the syrup if it is too much and pour it on the fruit hot. Cover with brandy paper and close the jars tightly. Treat them as in No. 1, to test the covers and when cold, store them in a cool, dry place. Melted paraffine is often used to make jars air-tight. No. 11—RASPBERRIES IN JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of raspberries is the same as that of strawberries. See No. 10, Strawberries in Jelly. No. 12—STONED SOUR CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wash the cherries, stone them and weigh them. To every pound of cherries take ¾ lb. of sugar, boil 5 minutes and fill hot into the jars. Cover with a brandy paper and treat the jars as in No. 1. No. 13—LARGE SWEET CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wipe the cherries with a cloth and place them into the jars. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, skim it and pour over the cherries. Close the jars, but not tightly. Put the jars into a boiler with water reaching nearly to the top of the jars. Cover the boiler, boil for 2 hours, take out the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Remarks: The cherries may be stoned. Put a tray or several thicknesses of cloth on the bottom of the boiler, also hay or cloth between the jars. No. 14—COGNAC CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wash and dry the cherries, prick them with a needle, and trim the stems with a pair of scissors. Fill a jar half full with them. Boil down the sugar and water to one-third of the quantity and add the brandy. When this syrup is cold, pour it into the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 15—MIRABELLE PLUMS, No. 1.
Preparation: Mirabelles are the small, round, yellow plums; they must be firm and sound when preserved. Rub them with a cloth and prick them with a needle a few times. Boil sugar and water 5 minutes, skim, add the plums, boil a few minutes and put into the jars. Boil down the syrup and pour it over the plums hot. Treat the jars as in No. 1 and store in a cool, dry place. No. 16—MIRABELLE PLUMS, No. 2.
Preparation: Treat the plums as before. After they have been rubbed with a cloth and pricked, fill a jar half full. Boil the sugar and water 10 minutes and pour over the plums hot. Close the jars, but not tightly, then place into a boiler with water to boil 2 hours. After that time take out the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Remarks: Put a piece of brandy paper inside before closing them up tightly. No. 17—PLUMS.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth. Boil the sugar and water for 5 minutes, skim and add the plums. Let them boil up a few times; as soon as they begin to crack, skim and put them carefully into the jars. Boil the syrup down and fill into the cans hot. Then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 18—PEELED PLUMS.
Preparation: Put the large, blue plums into hot water for a minute and skin them. With a sharp knife make a slit into the side of each plum and take out the stone; place them into the jars in layers. Boil the sugar and water with cinnamon and vinegar for 5 minutes, skim and pour it hot over the plums. Close the jars and boil them in a boiler for 45 minutes. Then take them out, close them tightly and treat the jars as in No. 1. Remarks: Plums must be prepared quickly, as they will easily turn brown. To avoid this, one may sprinkle some of the sugar over as soon as they are skinned. No. 19—PLUMS IN RED WINE.
Preparation: Wipe the ripe, blue plums with a cloth. Boil the sugar, red wine, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim, add the plums and boil a few minutes. Take them out as soon as the skins begin to crack and put them into the jars. Boil down the syrup and fill it hot into the jars. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 20—PICKLED PLUMS.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth, prick with a toothpick several times and place carefully into a stone jar. Boil the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves a few minutes, skim and pour over the plums boiling hot. This process is repeated 3 times. When the juice boils for the third time, the plums are put in, let boil up a few times, then all is put back into the stone jar or cans and tightly closed or tied up. These pickled plums are nice to serve with meat. No. 21—GOOSEBERRIES.
Preparation: Clean, wash and drain nice, large gooseberries, which are not overripe. Boil the sugar, water and cinnamon until clear and jelly like, then add the berries, boil a few minutes and put into jars. Boil down the syrup and pour it into the jars. Close tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Remarks: If after 1 day the syrup is too thin, pour it off and boil it once more. No. 22—PICKLED PEARS.
Preparation: Peel the pears, cut them into halves and core them, then put into cold water or rub with lemon juice to keep them white. Boil the sugar, water and vinegar 5 minutes with the cloves and cinnamon tied into a white cloth, skim, add the pears and boil until soft but not mushy. Fill the fruit into jars and close them tightly, then treat them as in No. 1. No. 23—PICKLED CRAB APPLES.
Preparation: Wipe the little red crab apples with a cloth, leave the stems on. Boil the sugar, water, vinegar and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim, add the apples and boil 10 minutes. They must not cook to pieces and the skin must stay whole if possible. Place the apples carefully into the jars, boil down the syrup and pour it on hot. Then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 24—BLUEBERRIES, HUCKLEBERRIES.
Preparation: Pick the berries over, wash and drain them, then boil in sugar and vinegar or lemon juice a little while. When still hot, pour them into jars, close tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 25—GREEN GAGES.
Preparation: The genuine green gages which have red dots are the best for preserving. Wipe them with a cloth, shorten the stem and prick the plum to the stone several times No. 26—PEELED GREEN GAGES.
Preparation: Peel and stone the plums. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, add the plums and boil until tender, then skim and put them into the jars. If there is too much syrup, boil it down and pour it over the plums hot, then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 27—CRANBERRIES.
Preparation: The American cranberries are in the market in winter to be used fresh, while the German cranberries are in the market in summer to be preserved for the winter. Pick them over and wash, them in much water, then drain in a colander. Boil the sugar and water 1 minute, add the berries and boil until they are light red and transparent, skim and fill into cans or stone jars. Boil syrup 15 to 20 minutes longer and pour boiling hot over the berries. Cover with a piece of brandy paper and close the cans or tie up the jars tightly. If you put them into jars, let the fruit cool off before you put on the brandy paper and tie up the jars. No. 28—CURRANTS.
Preparation: Only the largest currants are used for preserves. Strip them from the stems, wash in cold water, drain well and weigh them. Boil the sugar and berries slowly for 10 minutes, skim and put into jars hot. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 29—BLACKBERRIES.
The Preparation is the same as that of currants, but let them boil only a few minutes instead of 10 minutes. No. 30—MELONS.
Preparation: Peel ripe but firm melons, cut them in halves and scoop out the seeds with a silver spoon, then cut into small pieces and weigh. Boil the sugar, water, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, add the melon and boil until transparent and soft. Now fill them into jars, boil down the syrup and pour it on the fruit hot. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 31—QUINCES.
Preparation: Pare the quinces, slice them very thin and boil in water. When partly done, take them out and drain on a cloth. Boil the sugar, 2 cups of water, cinnamon, lemon rind and cloves 5 minutes, skim, add the partly boiled quinces and boil until soft. Then put them into jars with the syrup, close the jars tightly and treat as in No. 1. No. 32—QUINCES IN COGNAC.
Preparation: Pare the quinces, cut them into small pieces and put at once into cold water. When they are all cut up, put them into boiling water and boil until tender. Boil the sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind 1 minute, add the quinces and boil slowly for 5 minutes. Put the quince into jars, boil down the syrup until it gets thick, add the cognac and pour it hot over the fruit. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 33—PUMPKIN.
Preparation: Peel the pumpkin, cut in halves, scoop out the seeds and all juicy or thready matter. Cut the flesh into slices ¼ inch thick and put into 1 qt. of cold vinegar mixed with 2½ qts. of cold water. Let it stand 12 hours. Then boil the sugar, ½ qt. of water and the spices tied into a white cloth 1 minute. Add the sliced pumpkin after draining it well, No. 34—GREEN OR SMALL YELLOW ORANGES.
Preparation: Prick the oranges with a fork and blanch them in water for 5 minutes. Then cover them with water and let them stand 10 days, changing the water twice daily. On the eleventh day boil the sugar and ¾ qt. of water 5 minutes, skim and pour cold on the well drained oranges. On the twelfth day pour off the sugar water and boil it until it gets thick. Put in the oranges, let them boil a few minutes and then fill the jars. If necessary, boil the sugar water a little more, pour it over the oranges, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. No. 35—PICKLED WALNUTS.
Preparation: The walnuts must be picked before they form a hard shell. Clean the walnuts well and let stand in water 14 days, changing the water once a day. Then drain well and boil until tender in fresh water. Boil the sugar, water and cinnamon 1 minute, add the nuts and boil a few minutes, pour into a porcelain dish and let stand 3 days, then boil again a few minutes and fill the nuts into jars. Boil the syrup if it is not thick enough and pour it over the nuts cold, then close the jars well. No. 36—GREEN ALMONDS.
Preparation: The almonds must be green, but soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Mix the wood ashes and 4 qts. of water and boil until the mixture feels greasy. Now put in the almonds and boil them until the skin can be pulled off. After skinning them, put them into fresh water, pierce them with a fork, put into hot water, set them on the stove and let them simmer, but not boil, until they are soft. Pour off the water, put on fresh cold water and let stand until the next day. Now boil the sugar in 1 pt. of water until it gets thick and pour it cold over the well drained almonds. The next day pour off the sugar water, boil it again, and when cold, pour over the nuts and let stand another day. The third day repeat the cooking again, add the bishop extract, when cold, pour it over the almonds in the jars and close them tightly. No. 37—GRAPES.
Preparation: Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, pour over the grapes and let stand for 12 hours. After this time pour off the sugar water, bring it to boil, add the grapes, let them boil a few minutes and put into jars. Boil the syrup down thick, pour over the grapes hot, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Remarks: The little seeds are taken out with a skimmer. How to Make Jelly, Marmalade and Jam. No. 38—STRAWBERRY MARMALADE.
Preparation: Rub the prepared strawberries through a sieve, then mix with sugar and boil down to a thick marmalade, stirring constantly. Fill it into jars, let it get cold, put on a piece of brandy paper and close the jars well, or tie them up with parchment paper. No. 39—RASPBERRY JELLY.
Preparation: Clean and wash the currants and raspberries, then put on the stove with the water and boil until the berries burst and are soft; then pour them through a thin white cloth and let the juice drain off into another dish. Weigh this juice and to 1 pound of juice take ¾ pound of sugar or to 1 pt. of juice take 1 lb. of sugar and boil 5 minutes or until it jellies when a little of it is cooled in a dish. Put into jars or glasses and when cold, cover with the brandy paper and tie up well with parchment paper. No. 40—CURRANT JELLY.
Preparation: Clean and wash the ripe, red currants, press through a white cloth, squeezing out all juice. This juice is left to stand over night. The next day slowly pour off the clear juice from the settlings. To each pint of juice take 1 pound of sugar, boil it until it jellies when cold. Put it hot into glasses or jars, let it get cold, cover with brandy paper and tie it up or close the jars well. No. 41—BLACK CURRANT JELLY.
The preparation of black currants is the same as that of red currants. See Currant Jelly, No. 40. No. 42—ROSE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash the unpeeled apples, cut them up and boil without stirring, in a covered kettle with 3 pts. of water until they are soft. When nearly done, put in the currants and boil a while until the berries burst. Now pour the whole mass into a white muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. Let it stand for a while, then carefully pour it off the settlings into the preserve kettle. Add the sugar and rosewater and boil until it jellies when cold. Stir in the drop of rose oil, fill the jelly into glasses, let it get cold, cover them with paraffine or tie them up. No. 43—BLUEBERRY JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of blueberry jelly is the same as that of Currant Jelly, see No. 40. No. 44—APPLE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash and quarter the unpeeled apples and boil slowly in 4 qts. of water until tender, but do not stir them. Then pour the mass into a muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. When settled, pour the juice into the kettle and boil down to one-half the quantity. Then add sugar, wine, lemon juice and vanilla and cook until it jellies; fill it into glasses, when cold, cover with a piece of brandy paper and tie them tightly. No. 45—CRAB APPLE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash and quarter the crab apples, put on with water to barely cover the apples, then cover the kettle and cook until tender. When they are done, pour them into a white muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. Carefully No. 46—QUINCE JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation is the same as that of apple jelly. See No. 44, Apple Jelly. No. 47—PEACH MARMALADE.
Preparation: The peaches are peeled very thin, cut into pieces and boiled in the water until soft. Rub through a sieve. Moisten the sugar with water and boil 5 minutes, skim it, add the fruit and boil 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour it into glasses or jars, cover with a brandy paper when cold and close up the glasses or jars tightly. Remarks: You can add to the marmalade some kernels of peaches and cut the peaches into very small pieces without rubbing them through a sieve. Through the long cooking much of the fruit flavor is lost. No. 48—APRICOT MARMALADE.
The preparation is the same as that of peach marmalade. See No. 47, Peach Marmalade. No. 49—PLUM MARMALADE.
Preparation: Peel and stone the plums, then slice into narrow strips. Boil the sugar and water 1 minute, skim, add the sliced plums and boil until soft and thick but not mushy. Then fill them into glasses or jars, cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly. No. 50—RASPBERRY MARMALADE.
The preparation of raspberry marmalade is the same as that of strawberry marmalade. See No. 38, Strawberry Marmalade. No. 51—PLUM JAM.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth, stone them and boil 4 hours while stirring constantly with a wooden ladle. After this time put in the spices and boil the jam until it is thick, then pour it into stone jars, put these into the oven to dry a little over the top and tie them up with paper, or strew cinnamon on thickly before tying them up. Store the jam in a cool, airy place but never in the cellar; this way it will keep for years. No. 52—PEAR JAM.
Preparation: Quarter the pears and boil in the water until tender. When you preserve pears, you may use the peelings for jam by boiling them with the pears and rubbing them through a sieve. Then put the jam back on the stove and boil it until it gets thick, stirring constantly. While it is boiling, add sugar and cinnamon; fill it into stone jars, cover with ground cinnamon when cold, tie up the jars well and keep them in a dry, airy place. No. 53—MIXED MARMALADE.
Preparation: Wipe the fruit with a cloth, slice it and boil with the water and cinnamon until very soft. Then rub through a fine sieve, add the sugar and boil until it thickens, stirring constantly. Fill it into jars or glasses; when cold, cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly. No. 54—GRAPE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash the grapes, boil with a little water until they burst, then pour them into a muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. After it has settled, pour the clear juice off carefully from the settlings and to every cup of juice take one cup of sugar. Now boil it down until it jellies, skim it and fill into glasses, cover with a brandy paper when cold and close up tightly. The Preparation of Fruit Juices or Syrups. No. 55—RASPBERRY SYRUP.
Preparation: Put the berries into a deep dish or jar in alternating layers with sugar and let it stand for 2 days. Strain the juice into clean bottles through a white muslin or linen bag, cork tightly and then boil ½ hour in water, being careful that the bottles stand upright and do not touch. Put a tray or cloth on the bottom of the boiler or kettle and pack hay between the bottles. Put a cover on the boiler or kettle. No. 56—STRAWBERRY SYRUP.
The preparation of this syrup is the same as that of raspberry syrup. See No. 55, Raspberry Syrup. No. 57—CHERRY SYRUP.
Preparation: Take nice, sour cherries, pick off the stems and crush the cherries with the stones in a mortar or in a fruit press. The next day pour off the clear juice from the settlings and boil 15 minutes with sugar and cinnamon, skimming it frequently. When cold, strain it and fill into bottles; into each bottle of syrup pour 1 teaspoonful of fine oil, cork the bottles well and seal them with sealing wax. Before using the syrup, dip off the oil with cotton batting. No. 58—RASPBERRY WINE.
Preparation: Dissolve the tartaric acid with the water in a stone jar, add the raspberries and let stand for 30 hours. Press through a white muslin or linen bag and let it stand a while, then carefully pour it off from the settlings, add the sugar and stir the syrup for ½ hour. Fill it into clean, dry bottles, cork them loosely or put cotton batting on top of the bottles. Let stand 8 weeks before using and then strain the juice because the impurities have come to the top. No. 59—WILD STRAWBERRY WINE.
The preparation is the same as that of raspberry wine, see No. 58, Raspberry Wine. No. 60—BLUEBERRY JUICE.
Preparation: Crush the berries and press through a white muslin bag. Put the juice into a cool place to clarify. Carefully pour the clear juice off from the settlings and boil it 10 minutes with the sugar and cinnamon. When cold, strain it, fill it into bottles and cork well. No. 61—ORANGE JUICE.
Preparation: Clean the oranges and the lemon with a cloth and grate off the rind with the lump sugar. Mix the sugar, water, grated rind of oranges and lemon and boil 1 minute, then add orange and lemon juice, boil another minute, strain through a cloth, fill into bottles and cork well. No. 62—QUINCE JUICE.
Preparation: Take nice, yellow quinces, clean them with a cloth, grate them down to the granular part, press out and put into glasses or jars over night to clarify or settle. The next day carefully pour off the clear juice, boil 3 minutes with the sugar and when cold, fill it into bottles, and cork well. No. 63—CURRANT JUICE.
Preparation: Clean the currants, press through the fruit press and let stand for a few hours to clarify. Then carefully pour off the settlings, boil sugar and water 5 minutes, skim and put in the juice. Boil 10 minutes, skim and when cold, fill into bottles. Into each bottle pour 1 teaspoonful of fine oil; cork well, seal the bottles and keep them in the cellar. Before using, dip off the oil with cotton batting. No. 64—BLACKBERRY JUICE.
Preparation:. The preparation is the same as that of currant juice. See No. 63, Currant Juice. No. 65—TUTTI-FRUTTI IN ARRACK.
Preparation: The fruit must be ripe but not soft. Take each fruit as it appears in the market, clean it and put into a large jar. For instance, if strawberries are in the market, prepare these, wash and drain them, put them first into the jar with ½ lb. of sugar and ½ pt. of arrack. Close the jar well and if it is a stone jar, tie it up well. Continue to put in the rest of the fruit as it comes and use the rest of the sugar and arrack, closing the jar or can well every time. Peaches, pears and apricots must be peeled and quartered before they are put in and pears should be boiled partly done in sugar and water. Remarks: After the fruit has all been used, the juice may be used for pudding sauce. Preserved Vegetables. No. 66—ASPARAGUS.
Preparation: Take nice, white, thick stalks of asparagus, peel carefully and cut into small pieces that will fit into a jar. Economy jars may be used for asparagus. Pack the asparagus with heads downward into the jars. Mix 1 teaspoonful of salt into each qt. of water and fill up the jars with this salt water. Close the jars and place them into a wash boiler with cold water enough to cover the jars by 1 inch. Place a cloth on the bottom of the boiler, if it has no tray, cover the boiler and boil for 3 hours. After that, take out the jars, dry them and keep them in a cool, airy place. No. 67—WAX BEANS No. 1.
Preparation: Wash the beans, string and slice them, and boil until tender in boiling salt water. Drain the water off and pack them into the jars. Boil the water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and cloves a few minutes, skim and pour it over the beans boiling hot. Close the jars tightly and place them upside down to test the covers and rubbers. Remarks: The syrup should have quite a sweet-sour taste. The jars must be well filled with the beans. No. 68—WAX BEANS No. 2.
Preparation: The beans must be very tender. String the beans and leave them whole. Wash them and fill the jars with them. Mix the salt water and pour over the beans, close them and boil them in a covered wash boiler as before, for 3 hours. Then take out the jars, which may be Economy jars, and test the covers. If some of them are not tight, put on others and place the jars into the boiler to boil 15 minutes longer. No. 69—GREEN BEANS.
Preparation: The preparation of these beans is the same as that of wax beans No. 2, see No. 68, Wax Beans No. 2. No. 70—SALTED GREEN BEANS.
Preparation: Wash, string, and slice the beans, and pack in layers with salt into stone jars. Each layer of beans must be stamped down with a wooden pestle. Through this process some juice will collect on the beans when they are all in. Now place a white piece of muslin on them, a little board weighted with a stone on top of that and keep them cool. When using, soak them in water to take out some of the salt. Look to it that there is no mould forming on them. The cloth, board and stone must be cleaned occasionally. No. 71—YOUNG CARROTS.
Preparation: The young carrots should be of a uniform size. Clean and wash them, put them into boiling salt water until they are partly done, pour them into a colander and drain off the water. Place them in Economy jars, the first layer must have the points up and the second layer the points down. Make the jars ¾ full and pour on the cooled salt water in the proportions given above, close the jars tightly and boil them for 1½ hours in a boiler, as stated before. No. 72—RED BEETS.
Preparation: Clean the beets, boil until tender in boiling water, skin them and slice them about 1/10 inch thick into a No. 73—GREEN PEAS.
Preparation: Shell the peas, wash them and put into Economy jars. Boil the salt water, cool it and fill the jars with it. Close the jars and boil in a covered wash boiler for 3 hours. Then take them out, dry them and test the jar covers. If these are not tight, put on other covers and boil the jars for ½ hour longer. The peas must not be yellow but tender and sound. If there are bad ones among them, they must be carefully selected or the preserves will not keep. No. 74—CORN.
Preparation: Cut the kernels from the cobs and put into the jars, press the juice out of the cobs and pour it over the corn. Close the jars and boil in a covered wash boiler for 5 hours. After cooling, take out the jars, test them as to the rubbers and covers, close them up tightly and treat them as in No. 1. Covers that are not tight must be replaced by others and the jars put back into the boiler to cook another 15 minutes. Remarks: Everything must be very clean. No. 75—WHOLE TOMATOES.
Preparation: Dip the tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute and skin them, put into Economy jars. Strew the salt into the jar and fill it with cold water. Close the jars and boil them in a covered boiler for 1 hour. The water in the boiler must be ½ inch above the jars. No. 76—PICCALILLI.
Preparation: Slice the tomatoes and strew with 1 cup of salt. Peel the onions and put into salt water. Let both tomatoes and onions stand until the next day. Now take both out of the salt water and bring them to boil in weak vinegar water. When that turns yellow, strain it, put the tomatoes and onions back into the kettle, add sugar, 7 cups of vinegar and spices and boil until nearly done. Fill into cans or stone jars and close them tightly. No. 77—TOMATO MARMALADE.
Preparation: Put the tomatoes into boiling water for one minute, skin them, slice thin and bring slowly to a boil. Boil to a marmalade, stirring constantly. When you think it is thick enough, mix in the sugar and boil 15 minutes more. Put into jelly glasses and tie them up well. Remarks: If you like, the tomatoes may be pressed through a sieve before the sugar is added. No. 78—PLAIN TOMATOES FOR SOUP.
Preparation: Peel the tomatoes, boil until tender and fill into jars. Close tightly and put in a dry, cool place. No. 79—SWEET TOMATOES.
Preparation: Put the medium-sized, red tomatoes into boiling water for a minute and skin them. Boil the sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon and ginger 1 minute, skim, add the tomatoes and boil slowly until they are tender but not too soft. Fill them carefully into the jars. Boil the syrup thick, pour it over the fruit and close the jars tightly. Treat the jars as in No. 1 and store them in a cool, dry place. No. 80—TOMATO CATSUP.
Preparation: Peel and slice nice, ripe tomatoes, add the spices and boil until thick. Strain through a fine sieve, put it back into the kettle, boil until of the consistency of thick cream, fill into bottles and when cold, cork them well. No. 81—RHUBARB.
Preparation: Skin the rhubarb, cut into small pieces and pack into jars or bottles. Close them well and boil in a covered wash boiler with a tray or cloth on the bottom for 45 minutes. The water is put into the boiler cold and must be ½ inch above the jars or bottles. When they are cooled off, take them out, test the covers, treat them as in No. 1. Before using the contents, put sugar in and boil it a little, then serve cold. No. 82—RHUBARB MARMALADE.
Preparation: Skin the rhubarb, cut into small pieces, bring slowly to boil in a little water, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add sugar, fill it into jars and close them up tightly. No. 83—SAUERKRAUT.
Preparation: Remove the bad outer leaves, cut the cabbage in halves, cut out the heart, slice the cabbage in fine shreds and put into a clean barrel or stone jar. First place whole cabbage leaves over the bottom of the jar or barrel, pack on a layer of sliced cabbage, strew it with salt and pepper-corns, pack on another layer and so on until the cabbage is all used up. Stamp it down firmly so the liquor will cover the cabbage, then cover it with a clean piece of white muslin, a board and a stone to hold it down. Look after it occasionally and clean the cloth, board and stone. After the cabbage has fermented enough, which you will know by its sour odor, put it into a cool place. No. 84—PARSLEY.
Preparation: Wash the parsley, cut off the stems and wipe dry. Pack in layers with salt into jars, close the jars tightly and keep them like preserves. Remarks: When using, soak in water to take out some of the salt and close the jar well every time. No. 85—TO KEEP RED AND WHITE CABBAGE.
Preparation: The cabbage heads must be firm. Remove all bad leaves, tie the heads in paper and hang them up in the cellar. They will keep all winter. No. 86—PARSLEY, CARROTS, CELERY AND BORAGE FOR THE WINTER.
Preparation: The sand must be fine and dry. Pour it into the cellar on the cement floor or into a box. Cover each vegetable with it. In this way they will keep all winter. No. 87—TO PRESERVE PEARL ONIONS.
Preparation: Salt the onions well and leave in the salt for 8 to 10 days, peel and partly cook them in vinegar. Put them into jars with sufficient salt to cover them and close the jars well. No. 88—CHAMPIGNONS OR MUSHROOMS.
Preparation: There are forest champignons and manure champignons. The former are whiter and easily turn soft. They grow wild while the latter are cultivated. The champignons to be preserved must be firm; if they have been exposed to the air too long, they are not good for preserving. Wash them in 2 qts. of water mixed with 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Cut off the stems and brush both the stems and caps of the champignons in the vinegar water until they are white. Rinse them in 1 qt. of fresh water mixed with 1 tablespoonful of vinegar. The quart of water mixed with 2 tablespoonfuls of salt is brought to boil. As soon as you have prepared a handful of champignons, throw them into the boiling salt water and let them boil until the second handful is prepared. Now take the boiled champignons out with a skimmer, put them into the jars and continue the boiling until the jars are ¾ full, pour on the liquor to fill the jars completely. Close up the jars or if you are using tin cans, solder them, and boil them in a boiler ¾ to 1 hour. Remarks: Only in this careful manner, white champignons are obtained and preserved. No. 89—CHAMPIGNONS IN VINEGAR.
Preparation: The champignons must be firm and small. Clean them by rubbing each one with salt and brushing them with a brush, rinse them in cold water mixed with 1 tablespoonful of vinegar. Bring the one quart of vinegar to boil with 1 tablespoonful of salt and pepper, and add the champignons. As soon as they begin to get tender, fill them into the jars and when cold, close tightly. No. 90—TRUFFLES.
Preparation: Put the truffles in water for 1 hour and brush them until they are perfectly black and clean. Then put them immediately into boiling water for ½ hour and put into jars. Boil 1 pt. of water mixed with 1 tablespoonful of salt, let it get cold and fill the jars with it, close them and boil in water in a covered boiler for 1 hour. No. 91—SALT PICKLES No. 1.
Preparation: Brush the pickles in fresh water, pack into a stone jar in alternate layers with cherry leaves and chopped dill, the uppermost layer being leaves and dill. Boil the water and salt, let it get cold and pour it on the pickles to cover them by 1 to 2 inches. Leave them in a warm place for about a week until they have fermented sufficiently, then set them into a cool place. They can soon be used. Remarks: If you want these pickles for the winter, pack them into a cask, pour the brine over to completely fill the cask and close the cask tightly, except for a bunghole in the cover through which it can work off. Put the cask into the sun for a while and when the pickles have fermented sufficiently, put a new cork into the bunghole and carry the cask into the cellar. Examine the cask from time to time to see if there is sufficient brine on it. If there is not enough, add fresh cold brine and close up the bunghole. No. 92—SALT PICKLES No. 2.
Preparation: Wash the pickles and pack them into a stone jar with salt about ? inch thick. Pour cold water over to cover them well and place a weight on them. After 3 weeks the pickles are taken out, washed and the water drained off. Then put them back into the jar in layers with dill, herbs, cloves, pepper-corns, and a small piece of ginger, the uppermost layer being herbs. Now boil one-half the quantity that the jar would hold of equal parts water and vinegar and a handful of salt and pour it warm over the pickles. The liquid should cover the pickles by 2 inches. Cover with a round, white muslin bag in which you put yellow and green mustard flour and place a weight on them. No. 93—VINEGAR PICKLES No. 1.
Preparation: Cut the blossoms and stems off and put the pickles in fresh water for several hours, drain through a colander, strew thickly with salt and let stand over night. The next morning rub the salt off, pack them, closely into a stone jar. Make layers of pickles, herbs and spices, the latter on top. Boil enough wine vinegar to cover them by 2 inches and pour it hot over them. After 4 days, pour it off again, boil and skim it, let it get cold, then pour it over again. If there is not enough to cover them, boil some more. Put a weight on the pickles, and set in a cool place. No. 94—VINEGAR PICKLES No. 2.
Preparation: Wash the cucumbers and put on to boil with the vinegar. As soon as they begin to boil, take them off, drain them and let them get cold. Put in layers in a stone jar with herbs and spices, the latter on top. Then cook fresh wine vinegar and pour on sufficient to cover the pickles by 1½ inches. The vinegar must be hot. After 8 days, drain off the vinegar, cook it again and pour it hot over the pickles. When it is cold, cover them, put a weight on and keep them in a cool place. No. 95—MUSTARD PICKLES.
Preparation: Peel the cucumbers, cut in halves, scoop out the seeds and cut the vegetable into desirable pieces. Cover thickly with salt and let stand over night. The next morning rub the salt off, pack the cucumbers into stone jars or cans and put all herbs and spices named between them. To every quart of vinegar take one tablespoonful of salt, boil it, and when cold, pour it over the cucumbers. The next day pour it off and cook it again and pour on cold. Repeat this process for the third time. The vinegar should cover the cucumbers by 1 to 2 inches. Tie up the jars or close the cans tightly. After three weeks they will be ready to serve. No. 96—SPICED PICKLES.
Preparation: Peel the cucumbers, cut in halves, scoop out the seeds and cut the vegetable into desirable pieces. Over every 3 lbs. of cucumbers, sprinkle 1 oz. of salt and leave them over night. The next day rub off the salt well and boil them in a pickle of 1 pint of vinegar, ½ pint of water, 1 lb. of sugar, 1 stick of cinnamon 3 inches long, 6 cloves, 10 pepper-corns and 1 tablespoonful of mustard seeds. When it boils, put in the cucumbers and boil them until they are transparent. Fill them into jars and close up tightly. No, 97—MIXED PICKLES.
Preparation: Prepare each vegetable in the proper way. Break the cauliflower into little roses. Cauliflower, beans, onions and carrots should be separately cooked in salt water and drained. Put salt on the cucumbers and radishes and let stand over night, the next day rub off the salt. When all is prepared, arrange nicely according to color in jars and strew the pepper-corns, tarragon and bay-leaves, nutmeg, slices of lemon, cubes of horse radish over each layer. Then boil the vinegar, cool it and pour it over to cover well. After a few days, repeat this process with the vinegar and close the jars tightly. No. 98—DRIED PEARS.
Preparation: Peel the pears, cut them in halves or quarters and place on very clean baking pans. Cover the bottom of the oven with bricks and start a fire to produce moderate heat. Then place the pans on the bricks and dry the pears, turning them occasionally. This will require fully one day. Store the dried pears away in bags. No. 99—DRIED APPLES.
Preparation: The process of drying apples is the same as that of drying pears. See No. 98, Dried Pears. Air the apples for a few days. No. 100—SUGARED LEMON AND ORANGE RIND.
Preparation: Peel the oranges or lemons very thin and cut the rind, pack into jars and cover thickly with sugar. Close the jars well. No. 101—GREEN COLOR FOR COLORING ICES OR OTHER FOOD.
Preparation: Rinse the coffee beans, and set aside in the beaten white of an egg for 12 hours in a covered dish; the nicely colored white of egg will then be found convenient to color ices or other sweetmeats. No. 102—GLAZED CHESTNUTS.
Preparation: Boil the chestnuts in salt water until they can be easily pierced with a pin or needle. Drain the water off and take off the brown thick shell and then the thin white skin underneath. String 4 to 5 chestnuts on a toothpick or thin stick so they do not touch. Boil the water and sugar until it is jelly-like, dip the stick with chestnuts in and turn them around in the sugar, take them out and dip and turn them once more, then hand them to a second person who will turn them until the sugar is cooled. Place them in an upright position into a dish and put in a dry place until you strip them from the stick to serve. No. 103—ROASTED ALMONDS.
Preparation: Boil the sugar, water and vanilla for 15 minutes and add the blanched almonds. Stir them until they pop, then pour them into oiled dishes. No. 104—SALTED ALMONDS.
Preparation: Put blanched, sweet almonds into clean, boiling lard for 1 minute. Then take them out with a skimmer and place on pans lined with blotting paper to drain off the lard. Dust them with very fine salt and dry them in the oven. No. 105—CANNED SPRING CHICKEN.
Preparation: Dress the chickens, cut into desirable pieces, wash and pack into Economy jars. Salt and pepper to taste, pour on cold water to fill the jars, close them and boil in a wash boiler with cold water enough to cover the jars by 1 inch. Cover the bottom of the boiler with several thicknesses of cloth. Put the cover on the boiler and boil for 3 hours. When cold, take out the jars and store them in a cool place. No. 106—CANNED SALMON OR OTHER LARGE FISH. Preparation: Dress and wash the fish and remove the backbone. Cut it into pieces that will go into a jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fill the jars with cold water. Close the jars and boil them in a boiler as before for 3 hours. When cold, store them in a cool place. No. 107—CANNED FRIED CHICKEN, DUCK OR WILD GAME.
Preparation: Carefully dress and prepare the fowl, bake quickly in the oven for 20 minutes, then cut into desirable pieces, leaving the bones in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fill the jars with the hot meat. Make a gravy from the drippings and pour it on hot to cover the meat well. Close the jars and boil in a covered boiler as before for 3 hours. The water in the boiler must cover the jars by 1 inch. When they are cold, put them into a cool place. No. 108—MINCE MEAT. For About 22 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Chop tomatoes fine, let boil 5 minutes, run No. 109—SPICED GREEN TOMATOES. For About 12 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Put the tomatoes through a meat grinder, add salt and let stand all night. Drain and squeeze out the juice. Mix well and pack cold into jars, closed tight. No. 110—SWEET-SOUR SLICED CUCUMBER PICKLES. For About 15 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Peel and slice fine cucumbers and onions, sprinkle with salt and let stand one hour. Drain and add remaining ingredients; let come to a boil and seal while hot. No. 111—CHILI SAUCE. For About 6 Pint Bottles.
Preparation: Peel and slice tomatoes; add peppers and onion, cut very fine. Boil one-half hour, and add the rest of the ingredients and boil two hours. Put in jars while hot and seal well. No. 112—ENGLISH CHOW CHOW. For About 24 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Put cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, and cabbage through the food chopper. Mix all together and put into stone jars with a sprinkling of salt. Let stand 24 hours and drain off the brine. Put the vegetables in a kettle over the fire and stir in the turmeric, red pepper chopped fine, mustard seeds, allspice and ground mustard. No. 113—CHILI SAUCE. For About 18 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Chop tomatoes fine and strain, add all other ingredients, boil about two hours, fill-glasses while hot and close up tight. No. 114—DILL PICKLES. For About 14 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Place a layer of cucumbers in a stone jar and sprinkle over some of the spices; continue until all are used, laying the dill and leaves between each layer. Put a tight, well weighted cover over them. No. 115—MUSTARD PICKLES. For About 20 Pint Glasses.
Preparation: Slice the tomatoes, cut the cauliflower in small pieces, and salt vegetables over night. In the morning drain thoroughly. Mix mustard with vinegar. When the vinegar boils, put all in and boil one-half hour. Bottle while hot. |
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