ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 285 



then remove them. Repeat this process 

 for two or three days; then take the 

 gooseberries from the syrup, and spread 

 them out on sieves near the fire to dry. 

 This syrup may be used for other pres- 

 erves. When the gooseberries are quite 

 dry, store them in tin boxes or layers of 

 paper. 



GOOSEBERRIES, Red, to Keep.— Pick 

 gooseberries when fully ripe, and for each 

 quart take a quarter of a pound of sugar 

 and a gill of water ; boil together until 

 quite a syrup ; then put in the fruit, and 

 continue to boil gently for fifteen min- 

 utes; then put them into small stone 

 jars ; when cold, cover them close ; keep 

 them for making tarts or pies. 



GRAPES, To Keep.— 1. They must 

 not be too ripe. Take off any imperfect 

 grapes from the bunches. On the bottom 

 of a keg put a layer of bran that has 

 been well dried in an oven, or in the sun. 

 On the bran put a layer of grapes, with 

 bran between the bunches so that they 

 may not be in contact. Proceed in the 

 same way with alternate layers of grapes 

 and bran, till the keg is lull ; then close 

 the keg so that no air can enter. 2. In 

 a box first lay a paper, then a layer of 

 grapes, selecting the best bunches and 

 removing all imperfect grapes, then an- 

 other paper, then more grapes, and so 

 until the box is full ; then cover all with 

 several folds of paper or cloth. Nail on 

 the lid, and set in a cool room where it 

 will not freeze. We use small boxes, so 

 as not to disturb more than we want to 

 use in a week or so. Give each bunch 

 plenty of room so they will not crowd, 

 and do not use newspapers. Some seal 

 the stems with sealing wax and wrap 

 each bunch by itself, but we get along 

 without that trouble. The grapes should 

 be looked to several times during the 

 winter. Should any mold or decay, they 

 should be removed and the good ones 

 again repacked. By this means we have 

 had, with our pitcher of cider and basket 

 of apples, our plate of grapes daily, 

 besides distributing some among our 

 friends and the sick of the neighborhood. 

 3. {Chinese Method.) It consists in cutting 

 a circular piece out of a ripe pumpkin or 

 gourd, making an aperture large enough 

 to admit the hand. The interior is then 

 completely cleaned out, the ripe grapes 

 are placed inside, and the cover replaced 



and pressed in firmly. The pumpkins 

 are then kept in a cool place — and the 

 grapes will be found to retain their fresh- 

 ness for a very long time. We are told 

 that a very careful selection must be 

 made of the pumpkin, the common field 

 pumpkin, however, being well adapted 

 for the purpose in question. 



HAMS, to Cure. — The committee on 

 bacon hams of the Second Annual Exhi- 

 bition of the Frederick (Maryland) County 

 Agricultural Society awarded the first pre- 

 mium to Mrs. George M. Potts, and the 

 second to W. H. Lease, Esq., and ob- 

 served " that the hams were remarkable 

 for their excellent flavor, and were at the 

 same time juicy and tender." The fol- 

 lowing are the recipes : 



Mrs. Potts' Recipe. — To each green; 

 ham of eighteen pounds, one dessert- 

 spoonful of saltpetre; one-fourth pound 

 of brown sugar applied to the fleshy side 

 of the ham and about the hock; cover 

 the fleshy side with fine salt half an inch 

 thick, and pack away in tubs ; to remain 

 from three to six weeks, according to 

 size. Before smoking rub off any salt 

 that may remain on the ham, and cover 

 well with ground pepper, particularly 

 about the bone and hock. Hang up and 

 drain for two days; smoke with green 

 wood for eight weeks, or until the rind 

 assumes a light chestnut color. The 

 pepper is an effectual preventive of the 

 fly. I never bag hams. This recipe took 

 the first premium. 



Mr. Lease's Recipe. — When the- 

 hams were cool he salted them down in a 

 tight cask, putting a bushel of salt, well 

 mixed with six ounces of saltpetre, to 

 about one thousand pounds of pork; after 

 it had been salted down four or five days, . 

 he made a strong brine, sufficient to float an 

 egg, and cured the meat with it, and then 

 let it remain five weeks longer ; then hung 

 it up, dusting the fresh sides with black 

 pepper; then smoked with green wood. 



Another. — After cutting out the pork, . 

 rub the skin-side with about half a tea- 

 spoonful of saltpetre, well rubbed in. Rub 

 the pieces all over with salt, leaving them 

 well covered on the fleshy side. Then 

 lay the hams in large, tight troughs, skin- 

 side down. Continue this process until 

 it is all salted down. Let them remain 

 in the troughs without touching or troub- 

 ling them for tour, or five weeks, accord- 



