Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

Wash and drain the plums, cut them quite to the stone with a silver fruit-knife, put them into the preserving-kettle, and place it over a moderate fire; stir the plums often enough to prevent burning, and as the stones rise to the surface in boiling skim them out ; simmer the plums until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve ; crack about a quarter of the stones, peel the kernels, and cut them in strips ; after the plums are tender, rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon or a potato-masher ; add the kernels, and weigh the pulp ; allow three-quarters as much sugar as there is fruit ; put them together into the preserving-kettle, stir them until they boil, and gently boil them for ten minutes, stirring constantly; then partly cool the marmalade, and put it up as already directed. PLUM-JAM. Wash, dry, and weigh the plums ; allow three-quarters of their weight in sugar ; put the plums over the fire, and boil them gently for three-quarters of an hour, stirring- them often enough to prevent burning; .remove the stones as they rise to the surface, and crack one-fourth of them ; at the end of three-quarters of an hour put in the sugar, and continue to boil the jam for fifteen minutes, stirring it constantly, and removing all scum as it rises; five minutes before it is done, put in the kernels ; when the jam is partly cool, put it in jars ; when it is quite cold, lay paper dipped in brandy in each jar, and seal them air-tight. PLUM-JELLY. Plum-jelly is made from equal parts of plum-juice; obtained by boiling the plums as apples are boiled for applejelly and white sugar; finish the jelly as directed in the recipe for apple-jelly. BRANDIED GREEN- GAGE PLUMS. Choose perfectly sound green-gage plums, not quite ripe ; wash them in cold water, and wipe them dry ; have plenty of peach or vine leaves washed and drained ; in the bottom of a preserving-kettle put a layer of leaves three deep ; weigh the plums, and to each pound allow a piece of alum as large as a grain of corn ; put the plums and leaves into the kettle in layers, with the alum pulverized and sprinkled among them ; cover the last layer of plums with a layer of leaves three deep, and pour over them just enough cold water to cover them; spread a clean towel over the top of the kettle, and then fit on a perfectly tight cover to keep in the steam ; place the kettle on the bapk of the stove, where its contents will heat gradually, and steam them for two hours ; do not allow the plums to boil, or they will soften and break ; when they are quite green, drain them and cool them, and put them into wide-mouthed glass jars. Make a sirup as follows : For each pound of plums allow half a pound of sugar and" half a pint of water ; put them into a preserving-kettle, and boil and skim the sirup until it clear; then cool it, and add to it an equal measure of the best French brandy ; when both plums and sirup are quite old, fill the jars with the sirup, and then cork aiid seal them j-tight. PRESERVED PEARS.