THE CULTIVATION OF CITRUS FRUITS IN THE WEST INDIES. 445 



Eemove them from the water and gently press the pieces to get all the 

 water from them ; great care must be taken in doing this as the pieces 

 are apt to break, especially after they have been boiled. Put the pieces of 

 the pulp to boil in plenty of cold water, and allow them to boil until they 

 are tender, remove the water from the pieces of pulp, then weigh, and to 

 every pound of fruit allow 2 lb. of sugar. 



Place the sugar in a preserving pan, and when the syrup has boiled to 

 a thick consistency put in the pieces of pul$ and allow it to simmer 

 gently until all the syrup has been absorbed. The pulp should look 

 transparent. 



Remove very carefully and place on a dish and sprinkle with pounded 

 sugar and allow to dry, then store. 



If preferred, the rind can be left in syrup, but more sugar will be 

 required. 



The Sour and Seville Orange rind can be prepared in the same way 

 and makes a delicious preserve, but 1 lb. of sugar will be sufficient to 

 each pound of rind, and there is no need to soak the rind ; the addition 

 of a little of the juice just before removing from the fire will be found 

 a great improvement. 



This is usually served as a preserve in the jelly which is formed round 

 it, but if preferred the pieces can be dried. 



Put a little of the jelly between two pieces of the Orange rind, then 

 dry as Shaddock. 



In " Florida Fruits " Miss Helen Harcourt gives the following directions 

 for preserving Citron :— 



Citron. 



Dried Citron for home or market : — Pick the fruit when green, just as 

 it comes to maturity, cut into four or six pieces, soak in clear water 

 containing a little alum and a few handfuls of green grass (Guinea 

 preferred) or the leaves of the Citron tree ; pour this off, and boil half an 

 hour in the syrup, then weigh the Citron and add an equal weight of 

 white sugar to the syrup ; dip the Citron into the latter two or three 

 times ; dry in the sun one day ; the second day fill the cavities of the 

 Citron with the syrup, and continue to expose to the sun until thoroughly 

 dry. This makes an excellent article for commerce, being of superior 

 quality to that sold in the stores at 50 to 60 cents per lb. 



Preserved Citron. — Never use ripe Cifcron in any shape ; it will not 

 dry or make a good preserve. Take green Citron, full-grown but young 

 and tender ; cut into four pieces and take out the pulp and seeds ; lay the 

 Citron in salt and water for twenty-four hours ; take it out and scald it 

 two or three times until the bitter is extracted ; then make a moderately 

 thick syrup, and . boil the Citron in it gently until clear and translucent ; 

 then flavour syrup with lemon juice, all-spice berries, stick cinnamon, or 

 root ginger. 



