35 



Plums and Plum Culture 



fruit and then a layer of sugar. Let this stand over 

 night. In the morning strain off the juice and bring 

 it to the boiling point. Then put in the plums, cook 

 very slowly until tender. Skim out the plums care- 

 fully with a spoon and lay them in jelly tumblers or 

 small jars. Boil the syrup till thick, and pour over the 

 fruit. Seal the tumblers or jars, tie them up with 

 brandied paper, or put a lump of paraffin as big as a 

 hickory nut on top. The paraffin will melt, if 

 put on while the fruit is hot, and will seal the 

 jar nicely. 



If plums are used which are not easily peeled, put 

 them into the large stone jars with sugar sprinkled be- 

 tween the layers as before. The jars should be put 

 into a kettle of cold water, brought to the boiling 

 point, and cooked very slowly until the plums are ten- 

 der. Do not allow them to boil to pieces. Take out 

 the plums carefully and put into the jars as directed 

 above; boil down the juice, pour over the fruit, and 

 seal. Damsons are sometimes preserved in this way; 

 but Damsons are not the best of plums for preserving, 

 though they are habitually used for this purpose in 

 some families. 



Spiced plums. — Make a syrup, allowing four 

 pounds of sugar and one pint of vinegar to each seven 

 pounds of plums; to this add a teaspoonful of allspice, 

 one of cloves, two of cinnamon and half-ounce of gin- 

 ger root, tying these spices into muslin, cooking them 

 in the syrup; when it boils, add the plums, bringing all 

 to the boiling point, then simmer slowly for fifteen 

 minutes, and stand in a cool place over night. Next 

 drain the syrup from the plums, put the plums into 

 stone or glass jars, and boil the syrup till quite thick, 

 then pour it over the fruit and set away. Some cooks 

 think it unnecessary to drain off the syrup before boil- 

 ing down the last time. Others think, on the other 



