AND H O 11 T I C U L T U k A L REGISTER. 



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PUI!LrSHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultubal Warehouse.) 



vol.. XIX.] 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER a3, 1840. 



£NO. la. 



N 



E . FARMER 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



The month of September is tlje month for prc- 

 servin;^ fruits, &c., iiiid for the benefit of our lady 

 readers, who wisli to furnish for their tables a sup- 

 ply of fashionable sweetmeats^ pickles, &c., we do- 

 vote this ciiapter of our domestic economy to those 

 subjects e.\clusively. 



Where the fruits to be preserved nre very deli- 

 cate, or sweetmeats of a superior quality are desir- 

 ed, wliite or loaf sugar will be best; but for most 

 kinds of fruit, or ordinary preserves, good brown or 

 maple sui^ar will do very well. Brown sugar re- 

 quires clarifying or cleansing, which is done by 

 dissolving it in a small quantity of water with a 

 j gentle heat, then, after cooling, stirring in the 

 i whites of eggs well beaten, and gradually heating 

 the syrup until all the impurities rise to the sur- 

 1 face, when they are to be skimmed off, and the 

 I clarified syrup left pure for preserves. 

 I Any kind of fire -proof ware will do for the ma- 

 ! king of preserves, with the exception of iron; but 

 i as most of the fruits contain more or less acid, brass 

 j or coppered vessels tinned are the best. In no 

 case should they be allowed to stand in any such 

 I vessel to cool, as injurious consequences might en- 

 I sue. Stone, or china, or glass, make the best ves- 

 i sels for depositing sweatmeats in, as they furnish 

 I nothing injurious for the acids to act upon. After 

 i preserves are made, the pots must be covered close, 

 kept in a cool place, frequently looked to, and if 

 about to ferment, let the syrup be poured off, scald- 

 ed, and returned to them while hot. A paper wet 

 in good brandy and laid on the surface of the 

 sweetmeats, will assist much in their preservation. 

 As a general rule, a pound of sugar to a pound of 

 fruit is sulRcient ; but some kinds of fruit require 

 more, and others will do with less than an equal 

 quantity, according to its rijieness or the acid it con- 

 tains. 



Pears. — When made into preserves this fruit ro- 

 quires three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound 

 of pears. Syrup made as directed from brown su- 

 gar is good. Put the pears in the syrup and boil 

 them till soft. The astringent or choke pears are 

 good for preserving. A little ginger tied in a bag 

 and boiled with the fruit improves iheir flavor, or 

 lemon, or orange sliced, may be added at pleasure. 

 To make Pear mnnnaluile, boil the pears with the 

 skins on ; when soft rub them through a sieve, and 

 put to each pound of pulp three fourths of a pound 

 of sugar. Stew it slowly till it is a thick jelly. 



: fire, and boiled gently, always having sufficient 

 I syrup to cover the quinces. When a small splinter 

 twill go through them easily, they are done, and are 

 ' to be turned out. In about a week turn off the sy- 

 rup and boil it down so that there will be just 

 enough to cover the fruit. They must be ripe to 

 preserve good in this way. The parings and cores 

 of quinces are used for mnrmrilade, which is made 

 by stewing them in a small quantity of water over 

 a fire till soft, then rubbing them through a seive, 

 and adding to each pound of strained ([uince a 

 pound of sugar. Put the vessel on a few coals, 

 and stir constantly for one hour. When cold, it 

 cuts smooth if sufficiently stewed, making a jelly of 

 the richest kind. 



Plums. — This fruit requires equal weights of su- 

 gar and fruit. Boilthe plums slowly in the syrup 

 fiir ten minutes; turn them in a dish and let them 

 remain four or five days; then boil again till the 

 syrup appears to have penetrated the plums fully. 

 Put tliem in jars, and in about a week turn off the 

 syrup, scald it carefully, and return it while hot. 



.Apples. — Tart mellow apples are the best for 

 preserves, and they must be pared and the cores 

 taken out with a small knife. Three fourths of a 

 pound of sugar, a tea spoonful of ginger tied in a 

 bag, and water to cover the apples, is allowed to a 

 pound of fruit. The apples must be put into the 

 prepared syrup when it is lukewarm ; boil them till 

 they are transparent ; and when taken up and part- 

 ly cooled, put in a little essence of lemon. In a 

 week turn off the syrup, boil it, and return it hot to 

 the fruit. The Siberian crab apple makes a supe- 

 rior sweetmeat, preserved as above, whole and with- 

 out paring. 



Bitrberrits. — Barberries preserved, approach in 

 their qualities the nearest to the East Indian lama- 

 rinds, and like them are frequently found useful in 

 fevers. The fruit should be fully ripe and allowed 

 to remain on the stems. The syrup must bo rich, 

 using as much sugar as fruit ; when made, and 

 lukewarm, put in the barberries and boil them till 

 they appear penetrated by the syrup. An orange 

 sliced isthoughtby some to improve the flavor. 



Tomatoes. — An experienced lady gives the fol- 

 lowing directions for preserving this fruit. " Take 

 them while quite small and green, put them in cold 

 clarified syrup, with an orange cut in slices to every 

 two pounds of tomatoes. Simmer them gently 

 over a slow fire for two or three hours. There 

 should be equjl weights of sugar and tomatoes. If 

 very superior preserves are wanted, allow two fresh 

 lemons to three pounds of tomatoes, pare thin Ihe 



Marmalades must be stirred constantly, or they j^ind of the lemons so as to get none of ihe white 



burn on the Kettle. I part, squeeze out the juice, mix the parings, juice 



Qnmcf. — This fruit niakes the best of preserves j and cold water suliicient to cover the tomatoes, and 



and one the least injurious to health. Pare and i put in a few peach leaves, and powdered ginger 



cut the fruit in slices an inch thick, taking out the 

 cores carefully, so that the slices remain in the 

 form of a ring. One pound of sugar is required 

 for a pound of fruit, and white sugar is to be pre- 

 ferred. Dissolve the sugar in cold water, a quart 



tied up in bags. Boil the whole gently for three 

 fourths of an hour — take up the tomatoes, strain 

 the liquor, and put to it a pound and a half of white 

 sugar for each pound of tomatoes. Put in the to- 

 natoes and boil tiiem gently till the syrup appears 



to a pound, put in the sliced quinces and let them j to have entered them. In the course of a week 

 remain half a day. They are then put over a slow turn the syrup from them, heat it scalding hot, and 



turn it onthe tomatoes. Prepared in this way, they 

 resemble West India sweetmeats." 



fVater .Melon Rinds. — The rind of a good ripe 

 water melon cut into s.nall strips and boiled in wa- 

 ter ti'l tender, with a leaspooiiful of salseratus and 

 a dozen peach leaves to two quarts of water. The 

 rinds are then to bi' taken ont and soaked in alum 

 water an hour. For tlie syrup, allow us much su- 

 gar as riiid. Put the rinds in the syrup while cool, 

 with ginger tied in a bag. Boil till the rinds are 

 soft, and when partly cooled, add some essence of 

 lemon. In the course of two or three days, take 

 out the ginger, turn off the syrup, and boil it till 

 there is just enough to cover the rinds ; return it 

 to them while hot. 



Pickling — general directions. — Brass should be 

 use for vessels in the process, thoroughly cleansed 

 before using, and no vinegar allowed to cool in 

 them. Tills precaution is necessary to prevent the 

 formation of verdigris, an active poison. lioil alum 

 and salt in the vinegar, in proportion of half a tea 

 cap of salt and a table spoonful of alum to three 

 gallons of vinegar. Vessels that have any grease 

 about them will not do for pickles. Stone and 

 wood are the only proper materials in which to 

 keep pickles when made. All pickles should bo 

 stirred up occasionally. When any scum rises, 

 the vinegar needs scalding. Pickles may be spiced 

 or not at pleasure ; and when the vinegar becomes 

 weak from use, it may be thrown away and fresh 

 vinegar substituted. Good, but not the sharpest 

 vinegar, is tlie best for pickles. 



Cucumbers. — The best are those that are small 

 and green, and those of a quick growth. Turn 

 boiling water on them as s.<on as picked ; let them 

 remain five hours, and then put them in cold vine- 

 gar, with alum and salt in the proportion of a 

 spoonful of the former and a tea cup of the latter 

 to a gallon of vinegar ; add vinegar as you add cu- 

 cumbers; and when you have done collecting cu- 

 cumbers, turn the vinegar from them, and scald and 

 skim it till it is clear, then put in the pickles and 

 let them scald without boiling for a few minutes, 

 and return them to their vessel while hot. Cucum- 

 bers may be preserved in salt or saturated brine, 

 for any length of tiuie, and then prepared for pick- 

 ling by soaking and scalding. In the preparation 

 of these pickles, no salt will be needed in the vine- 

 gar. Peppers are added to the vinegar while hot, 

 and before it is turned over the pickles. 



Peppers. — Take those that are fresh and green, 

 soak them in salt and water eight or nine days, 

 changing the brine each day, and keeping them in 

 a warm place. If they are not wanted very fiery, 

 make a slit in them and extract the seeds, being 

 careful not to mangle the pepper. If it is desired 

 to stuff them, cho[i white cabbage fine, season it 

 highly with mace,' cinnamon, cloves, and nasturti- 

 ums if liked, and fill the peppers with the mixture. 

 Sow them up carefully and put them in cold spiced 

 vinegar. Tomatoes may be treated in the same 

 way, and when green are very good pickled with 

 the peppers. Peppers are one of the best of pick- 



