302 



CURING AND STORING. 



set the can in a vessel containing hot 

 water, and allow it to remain in boiling 

 water until the fruit becomes heated 

 through. This will require, if a quart can 

 be used, from twenty to thirty minutes. 

 When heated sufficiently, seal at once by 

 heating the cover and pressing it at once 

 firmly into place, and allowing a weight 

 sufficient to keep down the cover to re- 

 main upon it until the cement hardens. 

 The proper temperature of the lid is easily 

 and conveniently ascertained by putting 

 a piece of resin, about the size of a small 

 pea, on the cover when it is put on the 

 stove; as soon as the resin melts, the 

 cover is ready to put in place. This pre- 

 caution is- necessary, as the solder with 

 which the parts of the lid are joined to- 

 gether easily melts. It is not absolutely 

 necessary to use sugar in this process, but 

 as it assists in the preservation of the 

 fruit, they can be sealed at a lower tem- 

 perature than if not used. As sugar is 

 used to render the fruits palatable, there 

 can be no objection to using it when pre- 

 paring the fruit for family use, as it will, 

 in any case, be necessary, and there is no 

 reason why the sugar should not be used 

 before the can is sealed. 



If soft peaches are preferred, they 

 should be cut up as if intended to be eaten 

 with cream, and must not be placed in 

 water. When ready, they should be put 

 in cans and heated as described above. 

 It is not necessary to heat them in the 

 can, but a larger quantity may be more con- 

 veniently heated together and put into 

 the cans or jars while hot and sealed. 

 A flat stewpan, lined with porcelain, will 

 be found well adapted to this purpose. 

 It must not, of course, be placed directly 

 over the fire, but in a vessel of water 

 which is set directly on the fire. By this 

 means soft peaches may readily and cer- 

 tainly be preserved for winter use in such 

 condition as scarcely to differ at all from 

 the fresh peach. A most delicious des- 

 sert may thus be secured much more 

 readily and at less expense, and much 

 more palatable than the ordinary pre- 

 serve. This method of preserving fresh 

 peaches has been fully tested and may 

 be relied npon. 



QUINCES, Preserved, Whole or Half.— 

 Into two quarts of boiling water, put a 

 quantity of the fairest golden pippins, 

 in slices not very thin, and not pared, 



but wiped clean. Boil them very quickly, 

 close covered, till the water becomes 

 a thick jelly ; then scald the quinces. To 

 every pint of pippin jelly, put one pound 

 of the finest sugar; boil it and skim it 

 clear. Put those quinces that are to 

 be done whole into the syrup at once, 

 and let it boil very fast ; and those that 

 are to be in halves by themselves ; skim 

 it, and when the fruit is clear, put some 

 of the syrup into a glass to try whether it 

 jellies before taking it off the fire. The 

 quantity of quinces is to be one pound of 

 sugar and one pound of jelly, already 

 boil ed wi th the sugar. 



RHUBARB," Preserved. — Cut without 

 peeling or splitting, six pounds of ordin- 

 ary-sized rhubarb into pieces about an 

 inch long; put it in with the rind of a 

 lemon, into the stewpan, in which must 

 be about a tablespoonful of water to keep 

 it from burning; let it boil till tender, 

 then, with a strainer, take out the fruit, 

 and add to the juice five pounds of sugar; 

 boil this forty minutes, then again put in 

 the fruit and boil ten minutes. This is a 

 delicious preserve. 



RASPBERRIES, Preserved. — These 

 may be preserved wet, bottled, or made 

 jam or marmalade of, the same as straw- 

 berries. Raspberries are very good dried 

 in the sun or in a warm oven. They are 

 very delicious stewed for table or tarts. 



STRAWBERRIES, Preserved. — Use 

 ripe strawberries, but not soft. Make a 

 syrup of one pound of sugar to a pound 

 of berries. Sugar should be double-re- 

 fined (though refined sugar will answer), 

 as it makes the preserves have a more 

 brilliant color than simply refined sugar. 

 To each pound of sugar put a tea-cup of 

 water; set it over a gentle fire and stir it 

 until totally dissolved. When boiling 

 hot put in the fruit, having picked off 

 every hull and imperfect berry ; then boil 

 very gently in a covered kettle, until by 

 cutting one open, you find it cooked 

 through; that will be known by it having 

 the same color throughout. Take them 

 from the syrup with a skimmer and 

 spread them on flat dishes, and let them 

 remain till cold ; boil the syrup until quite 

 thick ; then let it cool and settle; put the 

 fruit into jars or pots, and strain or pour 

 the syrup carefully over, leaving the sedi- 

 ment which will be at the bottom of the 

 pitcher. The next day cover with several 



