The economical cook book

Take cantaloupes fit for the table, cut them in half, scrape out all the seeds, slice and pare them, put them in an earthen pan, and cover them with good cider-vinegar; let them stand twenty-four hours, then strain off the juice and vinegar, measure one quart of juice for each preserving-kettle of fruit that you may have, and to every quart add three pounds of light-brown sugar, half an ounce of cloves, the same of cinnamon in sticks, and half an ounce of blades of mace; put the vinegar and spice over the fire with the melon and boil fifteen minutes; take out the melon and lay it in jars three parts full; boil the syrup fifteen minutes more and pour over hot. When cold, close the jars. This is very nice. To Stew Pears for Winter use. Pare and cut them in half, take out the cores; put them in a large kettle, pour on them cold water, not quite covering them, and let them boil until very tender; then put on them half their weight in light brown sugar and a teacup of molasses to every ten pounds of fruit; cook them several hours, until the syrup is rich and thick. Put them in large jars, and when entirely cold, cover closely. These are very good on pie-crust, or for luncheon. * Fox-grape Jelly. Fill a kettle with the grapes picked from their stems, put on them a pint of water, and boil them until the skins burst; then mash them, strain them through a sieve, and to every pint of juice allow a pound of sifted sugar; boil together half an hour, put the jelly into glasses, and next day cover closely. Ton may use either green or ripe fox-grapes. PRESERVING AND CANNING FRUITS. 279 * Grapes for Winter Pies. After the first frost, pick the wild grapes, either fox-grapes or the little winter-grapes, pick them from their stems, and put them in a large stone jar, patting a thick layer of grapes and sprinkling plentifully with good brown sugar, until the jar is Wed ; then cover them with boiling molasses, and tie them over the top with a paper cover; set them on the top of the range or stove in a pan of boiling water for several days. Small blue plums may be prepared in the same way, and make very good winter pies. * Orape Jam. Pick ripe fox-grapes from their stems, slip them from their skins, put the pulp in a kettle with a teacup of water, and boil them until the seeds separate from the pulp; strain them through a sieve to remove the seeds; allow a pound of sugar to every pint of pulp, put them into the kettle with the sugar and half the skins ; boil them until the skins are tender, or about three-quarters of an hour; put it in forms, bowls or glasses. When firm and cold, seal up. Candied Orange-peel. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife without any of the white pulp; put the peel over the fire in a preserving-kettle, cover it with boiling water, simmer ten minutes and change the water; simmer again, and again change the water, and boil until the peel is tender. Make a syrup of two pounds of sifted sugar and a pint of cold water; when the sugar is dissolved, set it over a moderate fire; when it boils, skim it, and keep boiling until no more scum arises; drain the orange-peel, and put it in an earthen pan; pour the syrup boiling hot over the peel, and let it stand two days; then drain off the syrup, put it in the kettle with a handful more sugar; bring it to a boil, and again pour it over the peel, and let it lie two days more. Make a fresh syrup, the same as the first; boil it until, when you dip a perforated skimmer in it and blow through the holes, a bubble will form on 280 COOKER'Y FROM EXPERIENCE.