878 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



vitriol, vinegar, or salt, to turn it green. It is dangerous, however, to 

 use tlie blue vitriol ; too great a quantity causing the water to turn 

 bluish, the fruit will then become black. If used, put not more than 3 

 grains to a quart of water, and when the fruit is whitened, put it in 

 water for twenty-four hours, changing four or five times. 



To be assured the water or fruit does not contain any part of the 

 vitriol, plunge a well polished bar of iron into the water ; if it is not 

 covered with a copper tint there is no danger. 



When plums or other fruit are to be whitened, if the water is to be 

 used again, let it cool before using until it becomes lukewarm, and leave 

 the fruit in it awhile before heating ; this is why the use of steam is so 

 helpful. 



Fruit with a tough skin requires longer to whiten, and time, according 

 to its quality; hence the following notices of the time required to pre- 

 serve each kiud of fruit. 



SUGARING FRUIT. 



After the whitening process is completed, great care is still required 

 to properly preserve thein in sugar. If the fruit is too firm or hard, or 

 not ripe enough, on being removed from the whitening process it must 

 be put in sugar reduced to a sirup of 23°; the water contained in the 

 fruit will be eliminated and tiie sirup reduced to 20°; it will be neces- 

 sary the next day, for the first operation, to increase it to 25°. Cover 

 the fruit and boil it, pour it out gently into an earthen dish, and place 

 it in the cellar in a cool and dry spot to avoid fermenting. Continue 

 cooking it from day to day, making it one or two degrees thicker. 

 Covered when boiling. 



Ordinarily this process is repeated from five to eight times, thicken- 

 ing to 36°, or more, according to the maturity of the fruit. If the fruit 

 is soft or too ripe it will be necessary to cook the sugar more to harden 

 it and preserve it from falling into marmalade. Eeduce the sugar to 

 28° for the first shape or condition, increasing 2° each day for each 

 shape. It is sometimes necessary to give two shapes each daj', morning 

 and evening. In that case increase the sugar only 1° each time, and 

 only simmer the fruit; afterwards put it in the cellar. If it is desired 

 to preserve the fruit very clear and white, it is necessary to change the 

 sirup in the middle of the shape. In such case it is necessary to thicken 

 the sirup with apple jelly or glucose, to prevent its candying. When 

 the fruit is sufficiently preserved, it is left in a cool and dry place from 

 eight to fifteen days, in order that all the water may escape and it be- 

 come impregnated with the sugar. 



It is necessary that the fruit be well drained at each shape or stage 

 of the process, because if reduced sirup remains at the bottom of the 

 vessel into which the fruit has been poured, aud a covered boiling or 

 simmering has been neglected, it will contribute to its fermentation. 



A spigot at the base of the vessel for the purpose of draining the 



