When Adelaide came to "conserves," mother told her she had only a very few recipes, but that what they lacked in numbers they made up for in quality.

"Have you the recipe for 'Peach conserve'?" asked Adelaide anxiously.

"Oh, yes, dear, that is our favorite, and I don't know how many people have asked me how to make it. I couldn't possibly keep house without it," answered mother.

Conserves, mother explained to Adelaide, were very similar to jams, with the addition of lemon or orange juice, raisins and nuts.

Rhubarb Conserve

Mother picked out the pinkest, prettiest rhubarb she could find, then Adelaide washed and wiped each stalk and cut it into small pieces. When she had filled the cup with rhubarb twice she put it into the saucepan and poured over it two cups of sugar and a dessert spoon of lemon juice.

Adelaide next measured out a fourth of a pound of seedless raisins. Upon these she poured boiling water which stood a minute or two, then she drained them. After looking them over carefully to remove any stems, she added them to the rhubarb, sugar, etc. Twelve or fourteen large walnuts were sufficient to crack. The meats Adelaide put through the meat chopper and added to the rest of the good things.

After standing three hours the saucepan was placed on the fire and the conserve came slowly to the boiling point. Adelaide stirred the mixture frequently with a wooden spoon while it boiled for twenty minutes. It was then ready to pour into the sterilized tumblers.

When the conserve was cold, Adelaide wiped around the top and the outside of each tumbler with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the top (which she shook gently from side to side to exclude all air), pasted on the labels and stored the glasses away in the preserve closet.

Apricot Conserve

Adelaide wiped the apricots thoroughly with a damp cloth, then cut them in halves with a silver knife and removed the stones. These she placed in a saucepan, poured over them two cups of sugar, a dessert spoon each of lemon and orange juice, and the grated rind of half a lemon and half an orange. Next she measured out a fourth of a pound of seedless raisins and covered them with boiling water for a few minutes, after which she drained them and picked off any stems. Twelve or fourteen large walnuts were sufficient to crack, and the walnut meats and the raisins Adelaide put through the meat chopper, then added these to the fruit in the saucepan.

Placing the saucepan over the fire she heated it through slowly and let the fruit boil for forty minutes. Adelaide stirred the contents of the saucepan constantly with a wooden spoon, and when it was done, poured it at once into the sterilized tumblers.

As soon as it was cool she wiped the tops and outsides with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the conserve, shaking the tumblers from side to side to exclude all air, pasted on the labels and stored the jars away in the preserve closet.

Peach Conserve

To remove the skins from the peaches easily, Adelaide poured boiling water over them. Letting them stand for a minute or two, she then peeled off the skins with a silver knife and sliced the peaches into small pieces, throwing away the stones. Placing the peaches into a saucepan she added two cups of sugar. After weighing out one-fourth of a pound of seedless raisins she covered them with boiling water for about a minute, drained, and picked off any stems. The walnuts (twelve or fourteen large ones) she cracked and put with the raisins.

The rind of the orange she grated over the sugar and peaches, and then, after removing the seeds, Adelaide put the pulp of the orange, the raisins and the nuts through the meat chopper.

When everything was in the saucepan together, Adelaide placed it over the fire and let it come slowly to the boiling point, and then cook gently for an hour. Adelaide stirred frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent burning, and when the conserve had cooked sufficiently she poured it into the sterilized tumblers.

As soon as it was cold, she wiped around the top and outside of each tumbler with a damp cloth, poured melted paraffin over the conserve (shaking it gently from side to side to exclude all air), pasted on the labels and stored the glasses away in the preserve closet.

Plum Conserve

After washing and wiping the plums thoroughly, Adelaide cut them in halves with a silver knife, and removed the stones. Placing them in the saucepan she poured two cups of sugar and the grated rind of half an orange over them. Twelve or fourteen large walnuts were cracked and the meats taken out. Over the quarter of a pound of raisins (which she weighed) Adelaide poured boiling water. These stood thus for about a minute, then she drained off the water and picked out the stems.

The raisins, the walnut meats, and the pulp of the half orange Adelaide put through the meat chopper and added to the plums, etc. in the saucepan. Placing the saucepan over the fire she let the contents come slowly to the boiling point, stirring it occasionally with the wooden spoon. It cooked gently for one hour, and then Adelaide poured the conserve at once into the sterilized tumblers.

When it was cold the tops and outsides were wiped off carefully with a damp cloth, melted paraffin was poured over the top and shaken gently from side to side to exclude all air, the labels were pasted on and then the conserve was stored away in the preserve closet.

The green-gage plums and the large red plums would make an equally delicious conserve, mother said, and she thought it would be nice to substitute figs sometimes in place of raisins. As the foregoing recipes were all she had, mother told Adelaide that it was just as well to leave further experimenting until another year. Adelaide was very willing, as she was eager to try "Spiced Fruits."