Vegetarian cookery

Pour boiling water upon the plums, and let them remain till the skins will peel off ; then weigh the fruit, allowing an equal weight of sugar ; put about a tea-cupful of water to each four pounds of sugar ; stir till dissolved ; then boil till clear ; put in the fruit, and boil gently half an hour, taking out the stones ; and when boiling, pour it into sweetmeat-pots. No. 613. — Pine Apples. Allow an equal weight of fruit and sugar ; slice, and cut the pine apple in quarters ; put about a tea-cupful of water into an earthenware jar, put in the fruit, and then part of the sugar in pieces at the top ; set it in the oven, and when done, take the jar out, and let it remain till the next day ; drain the syrup through a colander, and put it into a pan with the remainder of the sugar ; let it boil, and put in the fruit ; when it has boiled about two minutes, take out the fruit and put it into jars ; let the syrup boil again, and pour it hot over the fruit. No. 614. — Kaspberries. When picked, break up the fruit with a wooden spoon, and make it hot over the fire ; have ready an equal weight of finelypounded loaf sugar, made very hot in the oven, stir it with the raspberries, and when dissolved, pour the fruit into cups, or small jars, and cover them in the usual way. No. 615. — Rhubarb. Peel two pounds of the finest rhubarb, and cut it in pieces about two inches in length ; add one pound and a half of white sugar, the juice of two lemons, and the rinds, grated ; put all into a preserving pan, and simmer gently till the rhubarb is quite soft ; take it out carefully with a silver spoon, and put it into jars ; then boil the syrup about half an hour, and pour it over the rhubarb. No. 616. — Siberian Crabs. When the crabs are quite ripe, take off the stalks ; then prick, and put them into a jar ; pour boiling water over them, and cover closely till the next day ; pick out any that may be shrivelled, and to a pint of the water in which they were scalded, put half a pound of loaf sugar ; boil and skim it ; then pour it upon the crabs, and let them remain three days ; take them from the syrup ; add more sugar ; boil it, and when cold, put in the crabs ; set them on a moderate fire, and boil them two or three times till they look clear, and the syrup becomes thick. No. 617. — Strawberries. To each pound of fruit, allow an equal weight of loaf sugar ; dissolve it in red-currant juice while cold ; set it on the fire, and when it boils, put in the fruit ; let it scald, but not boU, six or eight minutes ; then take out the fruit carefully into a bowl with a slice or colander-spoon ; boil the syrup a few minutes ; skim, and pour it hot on the fruit ; cover, and let it remain till quite cold ; boil the syrup several times ; allowing it to boil five or six minutes each time, skimming, and pouring it hot upon the fruit ; when boiling the syrup the last time, just scald the fruit in it ; then put the fruit carefully into jars, pouring the syrup upon it, and paper as before directed. It may easily be ascertained when the syrup is sufficiently boiled, by dropping a little on a plate, and when it becomes thick, like jelly, it will be ready. The small scarlet strawberries are the best for preserving. No. 618. — Strawberries.