When once sealed the contents can be used after a week, or be kept for almost any length of time, especially when the closing process has been carefully attended to. Hermetically-closing utensils both of metal and glass can now be had almost everywhere for this purpose; though bottles and jars answer equally well. The corks must be firm and new, and will fit very tightly if they are previously soaked in hot water, with a grain of salicylic acid to every pint of water ; this plan, which is also applicable to the home-bottling of wines, etc., insures absolute freedom from a corky taste. After corking, seal the bottles with a thin coat of wax. Jars are usually tied down with bladders softened and soaked in good brandy, and used whilst still quite damp. If there is any difficulty in removing this kind of covering when the contents are wanted a cloth wrung out of boiling water, and held round the mouth of the jar, will enable the operator to loosen the bladder without tearing it. Store the fruit in a cool, dry, airy place ; it is advisable not to use tco large utensils, but of the size PICKLING AND PRESERVING. Ill most convenient to the family requirements ; take a wooden or silver spoon to remove the contents, and never put back any quantity that is left over ; once it has been exposed to the air, it would spoil the rest of the preserve if replaced. Cover the remainder with a freshly-saturated paper after having smoothed the jam, etc., down to a level. All fruit to be used for preserving purposes should be barely ripe and gathered in dry weather; this is absolutely imperative to success. Greengages, peaches plums, etc., can, if desired, be preserved whole, but all large fruit is better halved or quartered as the case may be. Peaches, plums, pears, and apples must be boiled in a syrup of 28°; greengages, cherries, etc., in one of 25-’ ; fill the bottles with the separate kinds of fruit, and when the syrup is nearly cold, pour it in ; cork the bottles, tie them down with thin wire, wrap them round with rags or straw ; lay some hay at the bottom of a large pan, fill it with cold water, stand the bottles in it, and let the water boil up; when it has boiled for four minutes remove the pan, and let the contents cool during the night without touchin them ; next day, after unpacking the bottles, wipe them, plunge the neck in warm pitch or sealing wax, twisting round quickly, and store as directed. Fruit in Vinegar.- -The general rule to follow is this : Allow four pounds of fruit to every pint and a half of vinegar; to this add three-quarters of a pint o light white wine, some broken cinnamon, and a dozen cloves✪ Fruit in Vinegar. Make a syrup of these ingredients, and put the fruit in 112 COOKERY. for five minutes whilst the liquor is boiling ; take it out, strain, and pack it in jars ; boil the syrup up again, and pour it warm over the fruit. A good treatment for small vegetables and fruits consists in boiling them slightly and quickly for a few minutes, and straining them thoroughly. When all the moisture has drained off, put them into jars, and cover them with vinegar, which must previously have boiled and still be fairly hot. Cherries, plums of all kinds, apricots, pears, and melons, are all well suited to this treatment.

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When once sealed the contents can be used after a week, or be kept for almost any length of time, especially when the closing process has been carefully attended to. Hermetically-closing utensils both of metal and glass can now be had almost everywhere for this purpose; though bottles and jars answer equally well. The corks must be firm and new, and will fit very tightly if they are previously soaked in hot water, with a grain of salicylic acid to every pint of water ; this plan, which is also applicable to the home-bottling of wines, etc., insures absolute freedom from a corky taste. After corking, seal the bottles with a thin coat of wax. Jars are usually tied down with bladders softened and soaked in good brandy, and used whilst still quite damp. If there is any difficulty in removing this kind of covering when the contents are wanted a cloth wrung out of boiling water, and held round the mouth of the jar, will enable the operator to loosen the bladder without tearing it. Store the fruit in a cool, dry, airy place ; it is advisable not to use tco large utensils, but of the size PICKLING AND PRESERVING. Ill most convenient to the family requirements ; take a wooden or silver spoon to remove the contents, and never put back any quantity that is left over ; once it has been exposed to the air, it would spoil the rest of the preserve if replaced. Cover the remainder with a freshly-saturated paper after having smoothed the jam, etc., down to a level. All fruit to be used for preserving purposes should be barely ripe and gathered in dry weather; this is absolutely imperative to success. Greengages, peaches plums, etc., can, if desired, be preserved whole, but all large fruit is better halved or quartered as the case may be. Peaches, plums, pears, and apples must be boiled in a syrup of 28°; greengages, cherries, etc., in one of 25-’ ; fill the bottles with the separate kinds of fruit, and when the syrup is nearly cold, pour it in ; cork the bottles, tie them down with thin wire, wrap them round with rags or straw ; lay some hay at the bottom of a large pan, fill it with cold water, stand the bottles in it, and let the water boil up; when it has boiled for four minutes remove the pan, and let the contents cool during the night without touchin them ; next day, after unpacking the bottles, wipe them, plunge the neck in warm pitch or sealing wax, twisting round quickly, and store as directed. Fruit in Vinegar.- -The general rule to follow is this : Allow four pounds of fruit to every pint and a half of vinegar; to this add three-quarters of a pint o light white wine, some broken cinnamon, and a dozen cloves. Make a syrup of these ingredients, and put the fruit in 112 COOKERY. for five minutes whilst the liquor is boiling ; take it out, strain, and pack it in jars ; boil the syrup up again, and pour it warm over the fruit. A good treatment for small vegetables and fruits consists in boiling them slightly and quickly for a few minutes, and straining them thoroughly. When all the moisture has drained off, put them into jars, and cover them with vinegar, which must previously have boiled and still be fairly hot. Cherries, plums of all kinds, apricots, pears, and melons, are all well suited to this treatment.

Cookery