American Cookery

page 40

or sauce pan, with one quart of water, scald and skim it till it is very clear,
then put in your Quinces, let them boil in the sirup for half an hour, add
oranges as before if you like, then put them in stone pots for use.

      For preserving Strawberries.
Take two quarts of Strawberries, squeeze them through a cloth, add half a pint
of water and two pound sugar, put it into a sauce pan, scald and skim it, take
two pound of Strawberries with stems on, set your sauce pan on a chaffing dish,
put as many Strawberries into the dish as you can with the stems up without
bruising them, let them boil for about ten minutes, then take them out gently
with a fork and put them into a stone pot for use; when you have done the whole
turn the sirup into the pot, when hot; set them in a cool place for use.

Currants and Cherries may be done in the same way, by adding a little more
sugar.

      The American Citron.
Take the rine of a large watermelon not too ripe, cut it into small pieces, take
two pound of loaf sugar, one pint of water, put it all into a kettle, let it
boil gently for four hours, then put it into pots for use.

      To keep White Bullace, Pears, Plumbs, or Damsons, for tarts or pies.
Gather them when full grown, and just as they begin to turn, pick all the
largest out, save about two thirds of the fruit, to the other third put as much
water as you think will cover them, boil and skim them; when the fruit is boiled
very soft, strain it through a coarse hair sieve; and to every quart of this
liquor put a pound and a half of sugar, boil it, and skim it very well; then
throw in your fruit, just give them a scald; take them off the fire, and when
cold, put them into bottles with wide mouths, pour your sirup over them, lay a
piece of white paper over them, and cover them with oil.

      To make Marmalade.
To two pounds of quinces, put three quarters of a pound of sugar and a pint of
spring water; then put them over the fire, and boil them till they are tender;
then take them up and bruise them; then put them into the liquor, let it boil
three quarters of an hour, and then put it into your pots or saucers.

      To preserve Mulberries whole.
Set some mulberries over the fire in a skillet or preserving pan; draw from them
a pint of juice when it is strained; then take three pounds of sugar beaten very
fine, wet the sugar with the pint of juice, boil up your sugar and skim it, put
in two pounds of ripe mulberries, and let them stand in the sirup till they are
thoroughly warm, then set them on the fire, and let them boil very gently; do
them but half enough, so put them by in the sirup till next day, then boil them
gently again; when the sirup is pretty thick, and will stand in round drops when
it is cold, they are done enough, so put all into a gallipot for use.

      To preserve Goosberries, Damsons, or Plumbs.
Gather them when dry, full grown, and not ripe; pick them one by one, put them
into glass bottles that are very clean and dry, and cork them close with new
corks; then put a kettle of water on the fire, and put in the bottles with care;
wet not the corks, but let the water come up to the necks; make a gentle fire
till they are a little codled and turn white; do not take them up till cold,
then pitch the corks all over, or wax them close and thick; then set them in a
cool dry cellar.

      To preserve Peaches.
Put your peaches in boiling water, just give them a scald, but don't let them
boil, take them out, and put them in cold water, then dry them in a sieve, and
put them in long wide mouthed bottles: to half a dozen peaches take a quarter
pound of sugar,

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