Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Plum Jelly. — Put plums in colander and pour boiling water over them. Then place plums in preserving-kettle, with just enough water to cover, and boil until the plums are soft and the juice extracted. Pour off the liquid, strain it, and put the juice on to boil. Allow 1 lb. of sugar to a pint of juice, and put the sugar in shallow pans in the oven to heat until the juice has boiled twenty minutes. Add sugar, stir until dissolved, take at once from the fire, and pour into bowls or glasses rolled in hot water to prevent breaking, and you will have a most delicious jelly. Plums, Canned. — To 1 lb. of plums allow half the quantity of sugar, if they are very ripe or light -colored; moisten the sugar with water, and place over the fire in a preservingkettle, removing the scum as it rises, and when boiling add the fruit, setting on the back of the stove, where the plums will get heated through and juice commence to run before boiling. As soon as they boil up once, take from the stove and bottle immediately, keeping as whole as possible. Plums, Preserved. — Allow 1 lb. of sugar and a teacupful of water to I lb. of fruit, halved and stoned. Boil the syrup ten minutes before putting the plums in, skim, and then boil all together till tender. Take from fire and let stand overnight. The next day boil up again, adding a few of the blanched kernels taken from the stones. Pack the fruit in cans, pour over the syrup, and seal. Another way : — Pour boiling water over the egg or other large plum, then remove the skin. Make a syrup of 1 lb. of sugar and a teacupful of water to 1 lb. of fruit, and when boiling hot pour over the plums. Let it remain overnight, then drain, boil again, skim, and pour over plums. Let them remain in this another day. Then put over the fire in the syrup, and boil until clear ; remove with skimmer, pack carefully, in cans ; boil the syrup until thick, pour over plums, and seal. Quinces, Canned. — Cut them in thin slices. Make a syrup of one cupful and a half of sugar to one cupful of water ; when it is at the boiling-point, or begins to bubble, drop the sliced quinces in ; they will cook in a very short time and will be tender and clear. Put up in small cans. Quinces, Preserved. — Peel and quarter the fruit and remove the cores. Stew gently in a rich syrup till they become transparent. Quince Marmalade. — When quinces emit their peculiar strong odor it is a sign that they are fit for use. Peel the quinces, core them, slice them into a preserving-pan, and pour over them as much water as will barely cover them. Let them simmer very gently until they are soft, stirring them occasionally to keep them from burning Raspberry Jam PRESERVES, ETC Strawberries to the pan ; then beat them to a pulp with a wooden spoon. Weigh the fruit, and for I lb. allow % lb. of sugar. Put the sugar into a preserving-pan, with as much water as will moisten it, and boil it slowly till it is smooth and thick. Stir frequently while it is being boiled. The marmalade will be done enough when it will jelly when dropped upon a plate. Put it, while hot, into glasses or jars.