PRESERVATION OF FRUIT. 373 



Apples and pears must be peeled, and, if not too large, only cored, 

 otherwise they have to be halved or quartered. Melons are 

 peeled and cut into strips. Quinces are steamed until soft, then 

 peeled as clean as possible, quartered, and the cores removed. 

 After this preparation the fruit is brought into the preserving 

 kettle and as much water as is necessary for boiling added. 

 Boiling should be done very slowly and continued until the fruit 

 commences to get soft. It should not be boiled too soft, but only 

 sufficiently to enable it to absorb the sugar-liquor. When this is 

 the case the fruit is taken from the fire and strained ; with the 

 liquor a syrup of the following composition is prepared : For 

 each pound of fruit take one pound of sugar and soak it in ^ 

 pint of the liquor. It is then placed upon the fire and the re- 

 sulting syrup skimmed. When it boils the fruit is introduced 

 and slowly boiled, or rather simmered, because it must not fall to 

 pieces, for five to ten minutes, according to its softer or harder 

 nature. The fruit while still warm is then brought into the jars 

 in which no vacuum must remain. Hence they must be filled up 

 to the cork, or, if bladder or parchment paper is used, for closing 

 them up to the rim. In the latter case it is advisable to place 

 upon the surface a close-fitting piece of paper, previously satu- 

 rated with a concentrated solution of salicylic acid in rum. Cur- 

 rants, barberries, and grapes are sometimes preserved in their 

 natural clusters. They are first washed in fresh water, then 

 slowly boiled soft, and strained. With the liquor a syrup of the 

 previously mentioned composition is prepared, which is boiled 

 and skimmed and poured upon the fruit in the jars. 



Fine table pears are sometimes preserved in the following 

 manner : 8 large pears are placed in a syrup prepared from 6 

 ounces of sugar, 3 ounces each of cloves and allspice, J pint of 

 water, and J pint of port-wine or other sweet red wine. In this 

 syrup they are boiled very slowly as much as 3 hours until 

 soft, and, while still warm, are brought together with the syrup 

 into jars, which are treated in the manner previously described. 

 By taking equal parts of pears and of fine plums a very beautiful 

 product is obtained. 



The boiling down of fruit in large stoneware pots is frequently 

 accompanied by mishaps, and is more and more superseded by 



