Preserving Fruits and Vegetables.
Only the best quality of fruit should be used for preserving, and the preserves must be kept in a cool dry place.
Glass jars are the best to put up preserves; tin cans must be soldered and this cannot very well be done at home.
The kettle in which the preserves are cooked should be clean and kept for this purpose only. The spoon or ladle used for stirring is best of silver or new wood.
The jars should be clean and scalded before using. They must have good rubbers and be closed so tightly that not a drop will come out when turned upside down.
No. 1—STRAWBERRIES.
Preparation: The strawberries must be dry and sound. Clean them, pour water on and let stand for a few minutes, then drain in a colander. Now weigh the fruit and take ½ lb. of sugar to every pound of fruit. Boil the fruit and sugar a few minutes over a slow fire, then fill it at once into the jars. Close these tightly and set them upside down to test the covers. When they are cold, store them in a cool, dry place.
Can also be made according to No. 13, but cook only 20 minutes instead of 2 hours.
No. 2—RASPBERRIES.
Preparation: The preparation of the raspberries is the same as that of strawberries. See No. 1, Strawberries.
No. 3—PINEAPPLE.
Preparation: Pare and slice the pineapple, which is best done with a silver knife. Weigh the fruit after it is sliced and take to every pound of fruit ¾ lb. of sugar and small cupful of water. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, skim it and put in the fruit to boil 20 minutes until it is transparent, skim it again and put it hot into the jars; then treat the jars as in No. 1 and store them in a cool, dry place.
No. 4—PEACHES AND APRICOTS.
Preparation: Peel the peaches or apricots very thin, cut in halves and stone them. To one pound of fruit take ½ lb. of sugar and ¼ cup of water. Boil the sugar, water and 4 crushed stones 5 minutes, skim and add the fruit and boil a few minutes longer until it is soft. Do not let it get mushy. Skim the fruit again and fill it hot into the jars. Then treat the jars again as in No. 1 to test the covers. Store them in a cool, dry place.
Remarks: The peelings may be used for jelly. See Preparation of Jelly.
No. 5—PEACHES IN JELLY.
Preparation: Cut the small peaches into pieces, stone them, weigh them, boil until tender in the water and drain in a colander. Now put the sugar into the fruit syrup and boil until thick, skim it and put the large peeled peaches into it whole. Boil until the fruit is tender but not mushy, then put it carefully into the jars, pour the thick syrup on, place a brandy paper over and close the jars up tightly.
No. 6—APRICOTS IN JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of apricots is the same as that of peaches. See No. 5, Peaches in Jelly.
No. 7—PICKLED PEACHES.
Preparation: Peel the peaches, leave them whole and weigh them. Boil the given quantity of water with sugar, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim and add the peaches. When the fruit is soft, put it into the cans or jars and pour the syrup over. If there is too much syrup, boil it down to fill the cans or jars. Cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly. The stone jars may be tied up with parchment paper.
No. 8—PICKLED APRICOTS.
Preparation: The preparation of pickled apricots is the same as that of pickled peaches. See No. 7, Pickled Peaches.
No. 9—APRICOTS OR PEACHES IN BRANDY.
Preparation: Peel and weigh the apricots or peaches. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes and skim, then put in the fruit, boil a few minutes and put into the jars. Let the syrup boil down and pour it onto the fruit hot, then pour the brandy on top, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
Remarks: To every pound of fruit use 1 glass of brandy.
No. 10—STRAWBERRIES IN JELLY.
Preparation: Prepare the large strawberries as in No. 1, and drain off the water. Treat the small berries the same way, put the latter on the stove with the sugar, boil until soft, then rub through a sieve or a white, clean cloth so the juice will run into a dish. Put this juice back into the kettle, add to this the lemon juice and boil it down to jelly. Then add the large strawberries and boil 3 to 4 minutes. Put carefully into the jars, boil down the syrup if it is too much and pour it on the fruit hot. Cover with brandy paper and close the jars tightly. Treat them as in No. 1, to test the covers and when cold, store them in a cool, dry place. Melted paraffine is often used to make jars air-tight.
No. 11—RASPBERRIES IN JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of raspberries is the same as that of strawberries. See No. 10, Strawberries in Jelly.
No. 12—STONED SOUR CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wash the cherries, stone them and weigh them. To every pound of cherries take ¾ lb. of sugar, boil 5 minutes and fill hot into the jars. Cover with a brandy paper and treat the jars as in No. 1.
No. 13—LARGE SWEET CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wipe the cherries with a cloth and place them into the jars. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, skim it and pour over the cherries. Close the jars, but not tightly. Put the jars into a boiler with water reaching nearly to the top of the jars. Cover the boiler, boil for 2 hours, take out the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
Remarks: The cherries may be stoned. Put a tray or several thicknesses of cloth on the bottom of the boiler, also hay or cloth between the jars.
No. 14—COGNAC CHERRIES.
Preparation: Wash and dry the cherries, prick them with a needle, and trim the stems with a pair of scissors. Fill a jar half full with them. Boil down the sugar and water to one-third of the quantity and add the brandy. When this syrup is cold, pour it into the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 15—MIRABELLE PLUMS, No. 1.
Preparation: Mirabelles are the small, round, yellow plums; they must be firm and sound when preserved. Rub them with a cloth and prick them with a needle a few times. Boil sugar and water 5 minutes, skim, add the plums, boil a few minutes and put into the jars. Boil down the syrup and pour it over the plums hot. Treat the jars as in No. 1 and store in a cool, dry place.
No. 16—MIRABELLE PLUMS, No. 2.
Preparation: Treat the plums as before. After they have been rubbed with a cloth and pricked, fill a jar half full. Boil the sugar and water 10 minutes and pour over the plums hot. Close the jars, but not tightly, then place into a boiler with water to boil 2 hours. After that time take out the jars, close them tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
Remarks: Put a piece of brandy paper inside before closing them up tightly.
No. 17—PLUMS.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth. Boil the sugar and water for 5 minutes, skim and add the plums. Let them boil up a few times; as soon as they begin to crack, skim and put them carefully into the jars. Boil the syrup down and fill into the cans hot. Then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 18—PEELED PLUMS.
Preparation: Put the large, blue plums into hot water for a minute and skin them. With a sharp knife make a slit into the side of each plum and take out the stone; place them into the jars in layers. Boil the sugar and water with cinnamon and vinegar for 5 minutes, skim and pour it hot over the plums. Close the jars and boil them in a boiler for 45 minutes. Then take them out, close them tightly and treat the jars as in No. 1.
Remarks: Plums must be prepared quickly, as they will easily turn brown. To avoid this, one may sprinkle some of the sugar over as soon as they are skinned.
No. 19—PLUMS IN RED WINE.
Preparation: Wipe the ripe, blue plums with a cloth. Boil the sugar, red wine, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim, add the plums and boil a few minutes. Take them out as soon as the skins begin to crack and put them into the jars. Boil down the syrup and fill it hot into the jars. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 20—PICKLED PLUMS.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth, prick with a toothpick several times and place carefully into a stone jar. Boil the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves a few minutes, skim and pour over the plums boiling hot. This process is repeated 3 times. When the juice boils for the third time, the plums are put in, let boil up a few times, then all is put back into the stone jar or cans and tightly closed or tied up. These pickled plums are nice to serve with meat.
No. 21—GOOSEBERRIES.
Preparation: Clean, wash and drain nice, large gooseberries, which are not overripe. Boil the sugar, water and cinnamon until clear and jelly like, then add the berries, boil a few minutes and put into jars. Boil down the syrup and pour it into the jars. Close tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
Remarks: If after 1 day the syrup is too thin, pour it off and boil it once more.
No. 22—PICKLED PEARS.
Preparation: Peel the pears, cut them into halves and core them, then put into cold water or rub with lemon juice to keep them white. Boil the sugar, water and vinegar 5 minutes with the cloves and cinnamon tied into a white cloth, skim, add the pears and boil until soft but not mushy. Fill the fruit into jars and close them tightly, then treat them as in No. 1.
No. 23—PICKLED CRAB APPLES.
Preparation: Wipe the little red crab apples with a cloth, leave the stems on. Boil the sugar, water, vinegar and cinnamon 5 minutes, skim, add the apples and boil 10 minutes. They must not cook to pieces and the skin must stay whole if possible. Place the apples carefully into the jars, boil down the syrup and pour it on hot. Then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 24—BLUEBERRIES, HUCKLEBERRIES.
Preparation: Pick the berries over, wash and drain them, then boil in sugar and vinegar or lemon juice a little while. When still hot, pour them into jars, close tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 25—GREEN GAGES.
Preparation: The genuine green gages which have red dots are the best for preserving. Wipe them with a cloth, shorten the stem and prick the plum to the stone several times with a darning needle. Then boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, put in 8 to 10 plums, boil them until the skin begins to burst, take them out immediately and put them into the jars. Continue this until all plums are cooked. Pour the syrup over, close the jars and put them into a boiler with water to cook for 45 minutes. Then take them out, close the covers tightly and when cold, store them in a cool place.
No. 26—PEELED GREEN GAGES.
Preparation: Peel and stone the plums. Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, add the plums and boil until tender, then skim and put them into the jars. If there is too much syrup, boil it down and pour it over the plums hot, then close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 27—CRANBERRIES.
Preparation: The American cranberries are in the market in winter to be used fresh, while the German cranberries are in the market in summer to be preserved for the winter. Pick them over and wash, them in much water, then drain in a colander. Boil the sugar and water 1 minute, add the berries and boil until they are light red and transparent, skim and fill into cans or stone jars. Boil syrup 15 to 20 minutes longer and pour boiling hot over the berries. Cover with a piece of brandy paper and close the cans or tie up the jars tightly. If you put them into jars, let the fruit cool off before you put on the brandy paper and tie up the jars.
No. 28—CURRANTS.
Preparation: Only the largest currants are used for preserves. Strip them from the stems, wash in cold water, drain well and weigh them. Boil the sugar and berries slowly for 10 minutes, skim and put into jars hot. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 29—BLACKBERRIES.
The Preparation is the same as that of currants, but let them boil only a few minutes instead of 10 minutes.
No. 30—MELONS.
Preparation: Peel ripe but firm melons, cut them in halves and scoop out the seeds with a silver spoon, then cut into small pieces and weigh. Boil the sugar, water, vinegar, cloves and cinnamon 5 minutes, add the melon and boil until transparent and soft. Now fill them into jars, boil down the syrup and pour it on the fruit hot. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 31—QUINCES.
Preparation: Pare the quinces, slice them very thin and boil in water. When partly done, take them out and drain on a cloth. Boil the sugar, 2 cups of water, cinnamon, lemon rind and cloves 5 minutes, skim, add the partly boiled quinces and boil until soft. Then put them into jars with the syrup, close the jars tightly and treat as in No. 1.
No. 32—QUINCES IN COGNAC.
Preparation: Pare the quinces, cut them into small pieces and put at once into cold water. When they are all cut up, put them into boiling water and boil until tender. Boil the sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind 1 minute, add the quinces and boil slowly for 5 minutes. Put the quince into jars, boil down the syrup until it gets thick, add the cognac and pour it hot over the fruit. Close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 33—PUMPKIN.
Preparation: Peel the pumpkin, cut in halves, scoop out the seeds and all juicy or thready matter. Cut the flesh into slices ¼ inch thick and put into 1 qt. of cold vinegar mixed with 2½ qts. of cold water. Let it stand 12 hours. Then boil the sugar, ½ qt. of water and the spices tied into a white cloth 1 minute. Add the sliced pumpkin after draining it well, and boil until tender and transparent. Put into jars, boil down the syrup until it thickens, fill up the jars with it while boiling hot, cover with a brandy paper, close and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 34—GREEN OR SMALL YELLOW ORANGES.
Preparation: Prick the oranges with a fork and blanch them in water for 5 minutes. Then cover them with water and let them stand 10 days, changing the water twice daily. On the eleventh day boil the sugar and ¾ qt. of water 5 minutes, skim and pour cold on the well drained oranges. On the twelfth day pour off the sugar water and boil it until it gets thick. Put in the oranges, let them boil a few minutes and then fill the jars. If necessary, boil the sugar water a little more, pour it over the oranges, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
No. 35—PICKLED WALNUTS.
Preparation: The walnuts must be picked before they form a hard shell. Clean the walnuts well and let stand in water 14 days, changing the water once a day. Then drain well and boil until tender in fresh water. Boil the sugar, water and cinnamon 1 minute, add the nuts and boil a few minutes, pour into a porcelain dish and let stand 3 days, then boil again a few minutes and fill the nuts into jars. Boil the syrup if it is not thick enough and pour it over the nuts cold, then close the jars well.
No. 36—GREEN ALMONDS.
Preparation: The almonds must be green, but soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Mix the wood ashes and 4 qts. of water and boil until the mixture feels greasy. Now put in the almonds and boil them until the skin can be pulled off. After skinning them, put them into fresh water, pierce them with a fork, put into hot water, set them on the stove and let them simmer, but not boil, until they are soft. Pour off the water, put on fresh cold water and let stand until the next day. Now boil the sugar in 1 pt. of water until it gets thick and pour it cold over the well drained almonds. The next day pour off the sugar water, boil it again, and when cold, pour over the nuts and let stand another day. The third day repeat the cooking again, add the bishop extract, when cold, pour it over the almonds in the jars and close them tightly.
No. 37—GRAPES.
Preparation: Boil the sugar and water 5 minutes, pour over the grapes and let stand for 12 hours. After this time pour off the sugar water, bring it to boil, add the grapes, let them boil a few minutes and put into jars. Boil the syrup down thick, pour over the grapes hot, close the jars tightly and treat them as in No. 1.
Remarks: The little seeds are taken out with a skimmer.
How to Make Jelly, Marmalade and Jam.
No. 38—STRAWBERRY MARMALADE.
Preparation: Rub the prepared strawberries through a sieve, then mix with sugar and boil down to a thick marmalade, stirring constantly. Fill it into jars, let it get cold, put on a piece of brandy paper and close the jars well, or tie them up with parchment paper.
No. 39—RASPBERRY JELLY.
Preparation: Clean and wash the currants and raspberries, then put on the stove with the water and boil until the berries burst and are soft; then pour them through a thin white cloth and let the juice drain off into another dish. Weigh this juice and to 1 pound of juice take ¾ pound of sugar or to 1 pt. of juice take 1 lb. of sugar and boil 5 minutes or until it jellies when a little of it is cooled in a dish. Put into jars or glasses and when cold, cover with the brandy paper and tie up well with parchment paper.
No. 40—CURRANT JELLY.
Preparation: Clean and wash the ripe, red currants, press through a white cloth, squeezing out all juice. This juice is left to stand over night. The next day slowly pour off the clear juice from the settlings. To each pint of juice take 1 pound of sugar, boil it until it jellies when cold. Put it hot into glasses or jars, let it get cold, cover with brandy paper and tie it up or close the jars well.
No. 41—BLACK CURRANT JELLY.
The preparation of black currants is the same as that of red currants. See Currant Jelly, No. 40.
No. 42—ROSE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash the unpeeled apples, cut them up and boil without stirring, in a covered kettle with 3 pts. of water until they are soft. When nearly done, put in the currants and boil a while until the berries burst. Now pour the whole mass into a white muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. Let it stand for a while, then carefully pour it off the settlings into the preserve kettle. Add the sugar and rosewater and boil until it jellies when cold. Stir in the drop of rose oil, fill the jelly into glasses, let it get cold, cover them with paraffine or tie them up.
No. 43—BLUEBERRY JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation of blueberry jelly is the same as that of Currant Jelly, see No. 40.
No. 44—APPLE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash and quarter the unpeeled apples and boil slowly in 4 qts. of water until tender, but do not stir them. Then pour the mass into a muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. When settled, pour the juice into the kettle and boil down to one-half the quantity. Then add sugar, wine, lemon juice and vanilla and cook until it jellies; fill it into glasses, when cold, cover with a piece of brandy paper and tie them tightly.
No. 45—CRAB APPLE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash and quarter the crab apples, put on with water to barely cover the apples, then cover the kettle and cook until tender. When they are done, pour them into a white muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. Carefully pour the juice off the settlings, add to each cup of juice one cup of sugar, put in vanilla as much as you like and boil the whole to jelly, which will take about 10 minutes. Pour it into glasses or jars, when cold, cover with a brandy paper and close up tightly.
No. 46—QUINCE JELLY.
Preparation: The preparation is the same as that of apple jelly. See No. 44, Apple Jelly.
No. 47—PEACH MARMALADE.
Preparation: The peaches are peeled very thin, cut into pieces and boiled in the water until soft. Rub through a sieve. Moisten the sugar with water and boil 5 minutes, skim it, add the fruit and boil 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour it into glasses or jars, cover with a brandy paper when cold and close up the glasses or jars tightly.
Remarks: You can add to the marmalade some kernels of peaches and cut the peaches into very small pieces without rubbing them through a sieve. Through the long cooking much of the fruit flavor is lost.
No. 48—APRICOT MARMALADE.
The preparation is the same as that of peach marmalade. See No. 47, Peach Marmalade.
No. 49—PLUM MARMALADE.
Preparation: Peel and stone the plums, then slice into narrow strips. Boil the sugar and water 1 minute, skim, add the sliced plums and boil until soft and thick but not mushy. Then fill them into glasses or jars, cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly.
No. 50—RASPBERRY MARMALADE.
The preparation of raspberry marmalade is the same as that of strawberry marmalade. See No. 38, Strawberry Marmalade.
No. 51—PLUM JAM.
Preparation: Wipe the plums with a cloth, stone them and boil 4 hours while stirring constantly with a wooden ladle. After this time put in the spices and boil the jam until it is thick, then pour it into stone jars, put these into the oven to dry a little over the top and tie them up with paper, or strew cinnamon on thickly before tying them up. Store the jam in a cool, airy place but never in the cellar; this way it will keep for years.
No. 52—PEAR JAM.
Preparation: Quarter the pears and boil in the water until tender. When you preserve pears, you may use the peelings for jam by boiling them with the pears and rubbing them through a sieve. Then put the jam back on the stove and boil it until it gets thick, stirring constantly. While it is boiling, add sugar and cinnamon; fill it into stone jars, cover with ground cinnamon when cold, tie up the jars well and keep them in a dry, airy place.
No. 53—MIXED MARMALADE.
Preparation: Wipe the fruit with a cloth, slice it and boil with the water and cinnamon until very soft. Then rub through a fine sieve, add the sugar and boil until it thickens, stirring constantly. Fill it into jars or glasses; when cold, cover with a brandy paper and close them up tightly.
No. 54—GRAPE JELLY.
Preparation: Wash the grapes, boil with a little water until they burst, then pour them into a muslin bag and let the juice run into a dish. After it has settled, pour the clear juice off carefully from the settlings and to every cup of juice take one cup of sugar. Now boil it down until it jellies, skim it and fill into glasses, cover with a brandy paper when cold and close up tightly.
The Preparation of Fruit Juices or Syrups.
No. 55—RASPBERRY SYRUP.
Preparation: Put the berries into a deep dish or jar in alternating layers with sugar and let it stand for 2 days. Strain the juice into clean bottles through a white muslin or linen bag, cork tightly and then boil ½ hour in water, being careful that the bottles stand upright and do not touch. Put a tray or cloth on the bottom of the boiler or kettle and pack hay between the bottles. Put a cover on the boiler or kettle.
No. 56—STRAWBERRY SYRUP.
The preparation of this syrup is the same as that of raspberry syrup. See No. 55, Raspberry Syrup.
No. 57—CHERRY SYRUP.
Preparation: Take nice, sour cherries, pick off the stems and crush the cherries with the stones in a mortar or in a fruit press. The next day pour off the clear juice from the settlings and boil 15 minutes with sugar and cinnamon, skimming it frequently. When cold, strain it and fill into bottles; into each bottle of syrup pour 1 teaspoonful of fine oil, cork the bottles well and seal them with sealing wax. Before using the syrup, dip off the oil with cotton batting.
No. 58—RASPBERRY WINE.
Preparation: Dissolve the tartaric acid with the water in a stone jar, add the raspberries and let stand for 30 hours. Press through a white muslin or linen bag and let it stand a while, then carefully pour it off from the settlings, add the sugar and stir the syrup for ½ hour. Fill it into clean, dry bottles, cork them loosely or put cotton batting on top of the bottles. Let stand 8 weeks before using and then strain the juice because the impurities have come to the top.
No. 59—WILD STRAWBERRY WINE.
The preparation is the same as that of raspberry wine, see No. 58, Raspberry Wine.