Always make preserves in a porcelain or brass kettle. If the latter, have it scoured first with sand, then with salt and vinegar. Then scald it and put in the sugar and water for the syrup. In peeling fruit, throw it into cold water to keep it from turning dark, and let it remain there till you are ready to throw it in the boiling syrup. Bear in mind that exposure to the air turns peeled fruit dark. Boil rather quickly. In preserving fruit whole, boil it a short time in the syrup, take it out, let it get cold, and then put it again in the kettle. Cut sugar is best for preserves which you wish to be clear and light-colored, but nice brown sugar is best for dark-colored jams and marmalades, such as those made of blackberries, raspberries, whortleberries, etc. The best peaches for preserving, brandying, or pickling, are white freestone peaches, not quite ripe enough to eat with Set the jar of preserves, if they become dry or candied, in a pot of cold water, which allow to come gradually to a boil. If the preserves ferment, boil them over with more sugar. The great secret of making nice fruit jelly is to boil the syrup well before adding the sugar (which should always be loaf or cut), and you should allow a pound of sugar to a pint of the juice in acid fruit jellies, though less will answer for sweet fruit. By boiling the syrup well before adding the sugar, the flavor and color of the fruit are retained. Keep the jelly in small, common glasses. Sweetmeat Preserves. Cut the rind in any shapes fancied (such as flowers, fruits, leaves, grapes, fish, etc.), put it in brine strong enough to float an egg, cover closely with grape leaves, and set away the jar. When ready to make the preserves, soak the rind in fresh water, changing it till all taste of salt is removed from the rind. Dissolve four tablespoonfuls pulverized alum in one gallon water. Lay the rind in this, covered closely with grape or cabbage leaves. Simmer till it becomes a pretty green, then soak out the alum by throwing the rind in soft water. Pour boiling water on half a pound white ginger, and let it Set the kettle away for four days and then boil again as before, adding two pounds sugar and more water, if necessary. Repeat the boiling six or seven times, till the syrup is rich and thick and sufficient to cover the rind. The quantity of seasoning given above is for three gallons rind. Allow two pounds sugar to each pound fruit. This sweetmeat keeps indefinitely and never ferments.—Mrs.F.M.C. Watermelon or Muskmelon Marmalade. Weigh twelve pounds rind, previously soaked in brine, and the salt extracted by fresh water, parboil, put on with twelve pounds sugar made into a thin syrup, and boil to pieces. Add the peelings of twelve oranges and twelve lemons, previously soaked in water, cut in strips and boiled extremely soft, the water being changed three times while boiling. Stir constantly from the bottom with a batter-cake turner. Cook very thick. Put in wide-mouthed glass jars.—Mrs.S.T. Ripe Muskmelon or Watermelon Preserves. During the summer, peel and slice indifferent cantaleupes (such as you do not care to eat), especially such as are not quite ripe. Throw them into brine, together with your thickest watermelon rinds, peeling off the outside skin. When you have enough, weigh them, throw them in fresh water, which change daily till the salt is extracted. Boil in a preserving kettle till soft enough to pierce with a straw. Make a syrup, allowing one pound sugar for each pound fruit. When it boils, put the rind in it and simmer steadily till the rind is transparent and the syrup thick. When cool, add the juice and grated rind of Ripe Muskmelon Preserves. Peel and slice the melons, soak them twenty-four hours in salt water, twenty-four hours in alum water, and twenty-four hours in fresh water, changing the latter several times. Then make a strong ginger tea, in which boil them slowly till they taste of ginger. Make a syrup, allowing a pound and a half sugar to each pound fruit, and adding mace and sliced ginger (the latter must be soaked in boiling water twelve hours before it is wanted). Cook the melon in the syrup till clear and tender. You may use sliced lemons as a seasoning instead of ginger.—Mrs.R.L. Pineapple Preserves. Parboil the pineapples, then peel and cut in thick slices, carefully taking out the cores, which, if allowed to remain, will cause the preserves to ferment. Put a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, and let it remain all night to make the syrup. Boil then till done, without adding a drop of water to the syrup. —Mrs.F.C. Orange Preserves. Peel a thin rind off the oranges and make a hole in each end, getting out all the seed. Pour boiling water over them and let them stand till next morning. If the water tastes bitter, search for seed. Pour boiling water over them every day, as long as the bitterness remains. Boil till soft enough to run a straw through them. Add a pound and a half sugar to each pound fruit. Make a thin syrup of half the sugar, and boil the oranges in it a short time. Let them stand in the syrup three days, then pour the syrup from the fruit, put the rest of the sugar to Orange Marmalade. Peel the oranges, taking all the seed and tough skin out of them. Cut the peel in small pieces, put in cold water and boil till tender. Make a syrup, one pound sugar to one pint water. Put a pound of the oranges (mixed with the peel) to a pint of the syrup, and boil all for two hours.—Mrs.C.C. McP. Orange Marmalade. The day before making, peel one dozen oranges (no matter how sour and indifferent). Throw the peel in a bucket of water, take out the seed, cut up the pulp fine with a pair of old scissors. Then take the peel, cut it in thin strips and throw it into fresh water. Pare and slice pippins (or any other nice apple). Weigh six pounds of them, stew with a little water till perfectly done, and set away. Next day, run this pulp through a colander into a preserving kettle. Add six pounds sugar and boil slowly, constantly scraping from the bottom. Take the orange peel (which should have been left in soak all night), boil till perfectly soft and free from bitterness, changing the water three times while boiling. In another preserving kettle, simmer this with the orange pulp and two pounds sugar. When both are nearly done, turn the oranges into the apples and cook them very thick. Cool in a bowl, and then put in a glass jar with a screw top.—Mrs.S.T. Sliced Lemon Preserves. Take large, firm lemons, not quite ripe, cut in slices one-quarter inch thick, and take out the seed. Soak in brine a week. Then soak several days in clear water, changing the water twice a day. When all the salt and the bitter taste are extracted, weigh the lemons and boil till tender enough to pierce with a straw. Make a thin syrup, allowing one pound of sugar to Lemon Marmalade. Every housekeeper should keep a large jar, or other nice vessel, filled with brine, in which she may throw lemon peels after being deprived of the grated rind and juice, used for creams, jellies, etc. These may remain any length of time, to suit one's convenience. Before preserving, soak in pure water till all the taste of salt is extracted. Boil till soft enough to pierce with a straw. Then put in a preserving kettle nine pounds cut sugar and one quart water. As soon as it boils, add six pounds lemon peel and three pounds nice sliced apples (pippins are best). Boil till very thick.—Mrs.S.T. Lemon Preserves May be made of lemon peel, prepared exactly by the above recipe. Put the peel in a preserving kettle and keep covered, while boiling in clear water, till you can run a straw through it. Then throw it into a rich syrup (one pound sugar to one of lemon peel), and boil a long time. Put in a bowl till the next day; then take the syrup (which will be somewhat thin) and boil again till very thick. Pour it over the lemon, and when cold it will be jellied.—Mrs.S.T. Peach Preserves. Pare white freestone peaches, not quite ripe. Split in half, take out the stones, and throw the peaches in a bucket of water to prevent them from turning dark. Make a syrup of white sugar, using as many pounds of sugar as you have pounds of peaches. When it has boiled thick, put in as many peaches as Peach Preserves. Pare, and add to a pound of peaches one and one-quarter pounds best sugar. Cook very fast for a few moments, in a porcelain kettle. Turn out in a bowl, cover with muslin or cambric, set in the sun, stirring every day till they seem quite transparent. They retain their flavor much better this way than when cooked on the fire. Put in jars, cover with paper saturated with brandy, and tie up tightly to exclude the air.—Mrs.P.W. Peach Marmalade. Boil twelve pounds soft peaches in a little water. When reduced to a pulp, run through a colander and boil again till very thick, constantly scraping from the bottom. Add half a pound sugar to one pound fruit. Cool in a bowl, and then put in glass jars with screw tops. Pear marmalade may be made by the same recipe, and also apple marmalade, except that you flavor the last with lemon juice and rind.—Mrs.S.T. Brandy Peaches. For twelve pounds large freestone Heath peaches, not quite ripe and delicately pared, make a syrup of four pounds sugar. Scald a few peaches at a time in the syrup, till all have gone through this process. Place on dishes to cool. Then put in Brandy Peaches. Put the peaches (a few at a time) in boiling lye. Let them remain five minutes, to loosen the fur. Then take them out and wipe perfectly clean and white. Then drop them in cold water. Boil them gently in a rich syrup till a straw will pierce them. Then put in a jar, and mix equal parts of French brandy with the syrup. Carefully exclude the air.—Mrs.G.N. Pear Preserves. Scald the fruit, but do not let it remain till it comes to pieces. Boil till clear, in a syrup made of as many pounds of sugar as you have of fruit.—Mrs.J.J.A. Preserved Apples for Winter Use. Pare and slice pippins. Put to each pound apples half a pound sugar, and to every eight pounds thus sweetened one quart water, a few cloves, the thin rind and juice of a lemon. Stew till clear, and eat with cream.—Mrs.B.J.B. Apple Mange. Stew and mash well three pounds pippins, then add three pounds sugar. Just before they are done, add a few drops lemon juice. Put in moulds and it will keep two years. Turned out and sliced, it is a nice dish for tea. Quinces are as nice as apples, prepared this way.—Mrs.B.J.B. Crab Apple Preserves. Put the crab apples in a kettle, with some alum, keeping Quince Jam. Pour boiling water over them and let them remain till the skin rubs off easily. Then peel them and cut off the fair slices. To each pound put twelve ounces sugar, and let them stew together till the syrup is sufficiently thick. Quince preserves may be made by the same recipe as that used for pears. Damson Preserves. With a sharp penknife, cut a long slit lengthwise in each damson. Spread in dishes and set in the sun till the seed comes out readily. Then boil till thoroughly done in a thick syrup made of as many pounds sugar as there are pounds of damsons. Preserve green gage plums and other plums by the same recipe.—MissP. Fox Grape Preserves. Seed the grapes, then pour scalding water on them and let them stand till cold; then draw off the water, put one pound sugar to one pound of grapes, and boil gently about twenty minutes.—Mrs.A.D. Cherry Preserves. Wash, pick and stone the cherries, saving the juice. Allow one pound sugar to each pound fruit. Boil the juice and sugar to a thick syrup, then put in half the cherries and stew till nearly done. Take them out with a perforated spoon and lay on dishes. Pat in the other half, let them stew as long as the first; then take out and lay in dishes. Meantime boil the syrup Scarlet short stems and large wax cherries are best for preserving.—Mrs.S.T. Strawberry Preserves. Cap the berries. Put one and a half pounds sugar to each pound fruit. Let them stand two or three hours, and then boil thirty minutes. Strawberry Jam. Cap and wash the berries, and put them on to stew with a very small quantity of water. Stir constantly. When thoroughly done and mashed to a soft pulp, add one pound sugar to each pound fruit. The advantage of adding sugar last is that it preserves the color and flavor of the fruit. Stew till sufficiently thick, scraping constantly from the bottom with a batter-cake turner.—Mrs.S.T. Raspberry Jam. Wash and pick the berries, boil with a little water, mashing and scraping from the bottom as they simmer. When reduced to a thick pulp, add one-half pound sugar to each pound berries. Stew till very thick, scraping constantly from the bottom. Cool in a large bowl, then put in a glass jar with screw top. Blackberry, Dewberry, and Whortleberry Jam may be made by the same recipe. Fig Preserves. Pick the figs fully ripe the evening before. Cut off about half the stem, and let them soak all night in very weak salt and water. Drain off the salt water in the morning and cover them with fresh. Make a thick syrup, allowing three-quarters pound loaf sugar to each pound fruit. When it boils, drop the figs carefully in and let them cook till they look clear. When done take from the fire and season with extract of lemon or ginger. The figs must not be peeled, as the salt water removes the roughness from the skin and keeps the fruit firm and hard.—Miss A.S. Tomato Preserves (either ripe or green). The day before preserving, peel and weigh eight pounds pale yellow, pear-shaped or round tomatoes, not quite ripe; spread on dishes alternate layers of tomato and sugar, mixing with the latter the grated rind and juice of four lemons. In the morning, drain off the juice and sugar and boil to a thick syrup. Drop in half the tomatoes and boil till transparent. Take up with a perforated spoon and put on dishes to cool. Then carry the other half through exactly the same process. Then strain the juice, wash the kettle, and put in the juice again. When it boils hard, put in again the first boiled tomatoes. Take them out when they become amber color, and put in the rest. When they are all boiled to an amber color, and cooled on dishes, put them in half-gallon glass jars, and add the syrup after it has been boiled to a thick jelly.—Mrs.S.T. Green Tomato Sweetmeats. Slice the tomatoes and soak them a day and night in salt and water, then in fresh water for an hour or two, then scald in alum water with grape leaves. When taken out of alum water, put in cold water to cook. Scald in ginger-tea and again put in cold water, while you make the syrup. To each pound tomatoes put one and a quarter pounds sugar and a few races of white ginger. Cook the tomatoes till clear, the syrup till thick. When cool, season the syrup with essence of lemon and pour over the tomatoes.—Mrs.C.M. Recipe for putting up Fruit. For fruit not very acid, weigh one-quarter of a pound white sugar to one pound fruit perfectly ripe. After sprinkling the fruit with sugar, put it in a preserving kettle and let it just come to a boil. Then put it quickly in glass self-sealing cans, Candied Fruit. Preserve the fruit, then dip it in sugar boiled to a candied thickness, and dry it. Grapes and some other fruits may be dipped in uncooked. Lemon Conserves. Wash and dry ten lemons. Pare the yellow rind off clear of the white, and beat it in a mortar with double its weight of sugar. Pack closely in a jar and cover with part of the sugar.—Mrs.T. Orange Conserves. Cut the peel in long, thin strips, and stew in water till all bitterness is extracted. Drain off this water and stew again in a thick syrup, allowing one pound sugar to each pound peel. Put away in a cool place for flavoring puddings, pies, etc. Peach Conserves. Pare the peaches and cut from the stone in thick slices. Make a syrup, allowing three-quarters pound sugar to each pound fruit. Boil the peaches and put them on dishes to dry. As they dry, roll them in granulated sugar, and pack in jars or boxes.—Mrs.W.P. Golden Syrup. Five pounds white sugar; one quart water. Let it boil two or three minutes, then add two pounds strained honey. It will keep for months.—Mrs.D.C. Blackberry Jelly. Crush one quart blackberries with one pound best loaf sugar. Cook it over a gentle fire till thick, then add one gill best brandy. Stir it while over the fire, then put it in pots.—Mrs.E. Currant Jelly without cooking. Press the juice from the currants and strain it. To one pint Currant Jelly. Pick ripe currants from the stem, and put them in a stone jar. Then set the jar in an iron pot and let the fruit boil till the juice is extracted. Pour in a flannel bag and let it drip through—without squeezing, however, as this makes it cloudy. To each pint of juice add one pound good white sugar. Boil about twenty minutes and keep it well skimmed. Put in the glasses while hot, and sun daily.—Mrs.P.W. Cranberry Jelly. Wash and pick the cranberries, put them in the preserving kettle with a very small quantity of water, cover closely and stew till done. Pour through a jelly bag or coarse towel, without squeezing, as this will prevent it from being clear. Measure and pour the liquid into the preserving kettle. Let it boil up and remove the scum, then add the sugar, cut or loaf, one pound to a pint. Boil about twenty minutes, or until it jellies. It preserves the color of fruit jellies to add the sugar as late as possible.—Mrs.S.T. Apple Jelly. Take half a peck of pippin apples, wash them clean, slice them from the core, put them in a preserving kettle with a quart of water. Boil till entirely soft, then strain through a flannel bag. To each pint of juice add one pound white sugar and the juice of three lemons. Boil till jellied. Do not stir while boiling.—Mrs.P.W. Apple Jelly. Pare and stew sour, juicy apples (Greenings are best), in enough water to cover them. Strain as for currant jelly. Apple Jelly. Take any number of juicy apples, put them in a porcelain kettle, and boil to rags. Then strain them through a cloth or sieve. Put a pound of loaf sugar to each pint of the juice, and boil till it jellies. Flavor with the seed beaten in a mortar, and put in while the apples are cooking.—Mrs.G.W. Crab Apple Jelly. Slice the apples, take out the cores and seed, as they make the jelly bitter. Put them in a kettle cover with water, and boil till quite soft, keeping it well skimmed. Pour the pulp in a jelly bag, and let it drip through. To each pint of juice, add one pound and a half of sugar. Pour in the glasses while hot. Delicious with meats.—Mrs.P.W. Quince Jelly. Make the same as apple jelly, only do not pare or core the fruit, as much of the jelly is contained in those parts. Or, you may take the sound parings and cores, stew them and strain the liquor twice, and you will have a jelly as nice as that made from the fruit. To each pound of juice allow one pound of sugar. Boil fifteen minutes.—Mrs.M.B.B. Orange Jelly. Grate the rinds of two Seville and two China oranges, and two lemons. Squeeze the juice of six oranges and three lemons. Add one and a quarter pounds of loaf sugar and one-quarter of a pint of water, and boil till it jellies. Have ready a quart of isinglass jelly, made quite stiff. Put it to the syrup and let it boil up once. Then strain it and put it in a mould.—Mrs.V.P.M. Jelly Oranges. Dissolve one package gelatine in one cup cold water, afterwards adding two cups boiling water to thoroughly dissolve it. Add then three cups white sugar, one-quarter teaspoonful cinnamon, grated rind of three oranges, juice of twelve fine oranges. Strain through a flannel bag into a pitcher, without shaking or squeezing. Extract the pulp from the orange, by making a hole in one end of it large enough to admit a mustard spoon. Soak the rind a few hours, and then pour the jelly into each orange through the hole at the end. Then set aside to congeal. Garnish with orange leaves. Cut each orange in two. A very ornamental dish.—Mrs. McG. Green Grape Jelly. Gather Catawba grapes before ripening. Pick them from the stem, wash them, and put them in a stone jar. Set the jar in a kettle of cold water over a hot fire. When the juice comes out of the grapes, take the kettle off and strain the grapes. To each pint of juice put one pound of the best loaf sugar. Boil twenty minutes in the kettle. Ripe grape jelly may be made in the same way.—Mrs.E. Grape Jelly. The chief art in making jelly is to boil it continuously, slowly and gently. It will not harden well if the boiling stops, even for a few moments. To preserve the true color and flavor of fruit in jellies or jams, boil well before adding the sugar; in this way the water contained in all fruit juices is evaporated. Heat the sugar before adding it. In making grape jelly, pick the grapes from their stems, wash them, put them over the fire in a vessel containing a little water, to keep them from burning. Stew a few moments; mash gently with a silver spoon, strain, and to every pint of juice, allow one pound of white sugar. After the juice comes to the boiling point, boil twenty Remedy for Mouldiness in Fruit Jellies. Fruit jellies may be preserved from mouldiness by covering the surface one-quarter of an inch deep with finely pulverized loaf sugar. Thus protected, they will keep for years.—Mrs.R.C.M.W. Tomato Jelly. Take ripe tomatoes, peel them carefully, cutting out all the seams and rough places. To every pound put half a pound of sugar. Season with white ginger and mace. Boil to a stiff jelly, then add enough good cider vinegar to keep it.—Mrs. Dr.P.C. Sugar Candy. Two cupfuls sugar, one cupful water, one wineglassful vinegar, one tablespoonful butter. Cook ten or fifteen minutes.—Mrs. Dr.J. Sugar Candy. Three cupfuls sugar, half a cupful vinegar, half a cupful water, juice of one lemon. Boil without stirring, till brittle. Pour on a buttered dish and pull till white and light.—Mrs. McG. Sugar Kisses. Whisk the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth and stir in half a pound sifted white sugar. Flavor as you like. Lay it when stiff in heaps the size of a small egg, on white paper. Lay on a board half an inch thick and put in a hot oven. When a little yellowish, slip off two of the kisses with a knife and join the bottom parts together. Continue till all are thus prepared.—Mrs.R. Nut Candy. Make sugar candy by one of the foregoing receipts, but instead Cream Candy. Two pounds of sugar, half a cup water, two tablespoonfuls vinegar, one tablespoonful butter. Boil twenty minutes. Season with lemon or vanilla, just as you take it off. Put in a dish and stir till cold.—Mrs. McN. Molasses Candy. Boil one quart molasses in a rather deep vessel. Boil steadily, stirring from sides and bottom. When a little, poured in a glass of cold water, becomes brittle, it is done. Pour in a buttered dish and pull as soon as cool enough to handle, or you may stir in, when it is nearly done, some picked kernels of the common black walnut. Boil a little longer, pour on a buttered dish, and cut in squares just before it gets cold.—Mrs.S.T. Caramels. One cake (half a pound) of Baker's chocolate broken up, four pounds brown sugar, half a pound fresh butter, one pint of milk. Pour the milk in a preserving kettle and pour the other ingredients into this. Let it boil at least half an hour, stirring frequently. When done, a crust of sugar will form on the spoon and on the side of the kettle. Pour in a large tablespoonful extract of vanilla, take from the fire and stir rapidly till it begins to thicken like mush. Then pour quickly into buttered dishes or pans, and when nearly cold cut into small squares.—Mrs.S.T. Caramels. Three pounds white sugar, half a pound of chocolate, one pint Chocolate Caramels. Two and one-half pounds of sugar, three-quarters pound of chocolate, one quarter pound of butter, half a pint of milk or cream.—Mrs.W.C.R. Cream Chocolate. One cupful of cream, with enough white sugar to thicken it. Boil till thick, and when cold, roll up in little balls and put them on a dish on which has been poured some melted chocolate. Then pour over them with a spoon some melted chocolate. When quite cool, cut apart and trim off the edges, if uneven. This cream should be seasoned with a few drops of vanilla and the dish should be buttered.—MissN. Cocoanut Caramels. One-quarter pound Baker's chocolate (half cake), one-quarter pound butter, two pounds nice brown sugar, one teacup rich milk. Stew half an hour or till thick. Add a grated cocoanut. Stir till it begins to boil again. Take from the fire, stir in a tablespoonful vanilla, and pour into buttered dishes. When cool enough to handle, make into balls, the size of a walnut and place on buttered dishes.—Mrs.S.T. Cocoanut Caramels. Pour a teacup of boiling milk over one-quarter cake of pounded chocolate. Let it steep an hour, then add one and one-quarter pounds of white sugar, and the milk of a cocoanut. Boil till perfectly done. Then remove from the fire, adding the grated cocoanut. Season with vanilla, pour in buttered dishes, and cut in blocks.—Mrs.W.C. Cocoanut Balls. Wet two pounds of sugar with the milk of a cocoanut. Boil Cocoanut Drops. The white part of a grated cocoanut, whites of four eggs well beaten, one-half pound sifted white sugar. Flavor with rose water or lemon. Mix all as thick as can be stirred; lay in heaps half an inch apart, on paper or on a baking-pan, in a hot oven. Take them out when they begin to look yellowish.—Mrs.R. Almond Macaroons. One-half pound almonds, blanched and pounded, with a teaspoonful essence of lemon, till a smooth paste. Add an equal quantity of sifted white sugar and the whites of two eggs. Work well together with a spoon. Dip your hand into water and work them into balls the size of a nutmeg. Lay them on white paper an inch apart, then dip your hand in water and smooth them. Put them in a slow oven for three-quarters of an hour. Cocoanut may be used instead of almonds.—Mrs.M.G.H. |