The "Queen" cookery books: Pickles and Preserves

and freshly scalded, but quite dry, tammy or fine sieve, and pack this pulp into clean, dry, widemouthed bottles (but without any sugar) , cork these down tightly, covering the bottles with moistened bladder ; set these bottles in a kettleful of cold water, well up to the shoulders of the bottles, bring this water very gently to the boil, and keep it boiling steadily for twenty-minutes ; then lift the kettle off the fire or turn off the gas, and let it all stand till the next day, when the bottles may be lifted out, well wiped, and stored in a dry place. Any fruit pulp can be preserved in this way, and is deliciously fresh to taste. The above directions, if carefully carried out, will answer for almost all fruit, so that many individual directions are needless ; still a few may be given as typical of the various kind of preserving. Apricots , &c., to bottle. — The following is a French recipe, and if followed exactly, answers admirably for apricots, peaches, greengages, &c., and even cherries. Have ready good, wicle-mouthed, very clean and dry bottles ; fill these with fruit, then into each bottle shake lightly about ^lb. of caster sugar, cork the bottles down tightly, and place them in a large kettle or pan, separated by hay bands or old cloths, and packed as closely as may be. Fill the kettle with cold water, set it on the fire, and bring it gently to the boil ; as soon as the water really boils draw the pan to the side of the stove and let it cool, and when perfectly cold, lift out the bottles, wipe and seal them up, and stand them upright in a cool place. The fruit for this purpose should be just in perfection, and at the point when the stalks can be easily lifted out. Strawberries to bottle. — Choose sound (not too ripe, but richly coloured) fruit, as even in size as possible ; pack them carefully and closely in delicately clean, wide-mouthed bottles, then pour on to them some very clear, plain syrup, till the bottles are three-quarters full and the fruit thoroughly covered. Cork the bottles down closely, and cook in the bain-marie in the usual way, putting them on in oold water, and bringing this slowly to 200 deg., when the pau is drawn aside, and the bottles left untouched till the next day ; they are then lifted out, wiped, sealed, and stored in straw, necks downwards, in a dry place. Or : Choose the fruit as before, and fill the bottles closely with the fruit, then cork closely, covering the corks with damp bladder, tightly tied down ; now cook in the bain-marie in the ordinary way, bringing the cold water gently to the boil, and then allowing it to boil for fifteen to twenty minutes, finish and store as in the preceding recipe. The bottles must be looked at daily, and the fruit gently but well shaken together for just three weeks — this ensures their keeping. If the bladder on the corks blister while cooking rub it smooth with your moistened finger. Do not preserve fruit in this way in too large bottles, as, once opened, the contents must be used up at once. Also be very careful to have the bottles perfectly dry before using them. To ensure this, the instant before they are filled, hold them neck down, and hold two or three lighted matches in the bottle, being careful to drop in the fruit at once before the vapour escapes.