The hearthstone; or, Life at home

allow one-half pound of sugar; to every six pounds of fruit allow one pint of red currant-juice, and to every pint of juice one pound of sugar. Weigh the fruit before stoning, and allow half the weight of sugar; stone the cherries, and boil them in a preserving-pan until nearly all the juice is dried up; then add the sugar, which should be crushed to powder, and the currant-juice, allowing one pint to every six pounds of cherries (original weight), and one pound of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil all together until it jellies, which will be in from twenty minutes to one-half hour; skim the jam well, keep it well stirred, and, a few minutes before it is done, crack some of the stones and add the kernels ; these impart a very delicious flavor to the jam. Time — according to the quality of the cherries, from threequarters to one hour to boil them ; twenty minutes to one-half hour with the sugar. Raspberry Jam. — Use three-fourths of a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit. Put the fruit on alone, or with the addition of one pint of currant-juice to every four pounds of raspberries. Boil half an hour, mashing and stirring well ; add the sugar, and cook twenty minutes more. Blackberry jam is very good made in the same way, only omitting the currant-juice. Orange Marmalade {superior). — To one pound of crushed sugar allow one pound of oranges, with the rinds. Then pour off the yellow rind of half the oranges, and put it over the fire in cold water ; cover very tight and simmer till tender ; grate the yellow rind of the remaining oranges, and set aside ; quarter the oranges, and squeeze out all the juice and pulp, removing all the seeds and white skin. Put the sugar in the kettle, and to each poundallow one pint of cold water; allow the white of one egg to every two pounds of sugar."When the sugar is all dissolved, put it over the fire, let it boil, and skim till quite clear and thick ; take the boiled parings and pound to a paste in a mortar ; put this in the syrup, boil and stir ten minutes, then add the pulp, juice and grated rind ; boil all together for half an hour, till it is a transparent mass. Lemons may be prepared in the same way, but require more sugar. 5o6 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. Brandy Pineapple. — Cut your pines in thin slices ; four pounds of fruit to three pounds of sugar ; lay the sugar in between the slices, and pour one pint of white brandy over them. Mouldiness. — Preserves and jellies may be kept from mouldiness by covering the surface with pulverized loaf-sugar. Thus protected they will keep for years. The following list gives the amount of sugar for a quart jar, and the number of minutes for boiling fruit in the jars : Cherries . . . . . 6 ounces, 8 minutes. Raspberries Blackberries . Strawberries Whortleberries Ripe currants Grapes Peaches Bartlett pears Pineapples . Crab apples Sour apples Plums Pie-plants Quinces . Fruit Flavoring. — Below are instructions by which all confectioners may extract and preserve their own fruit essences, and so guard the health and add to the pleasure of all for whom they provide. Among the juicy fruits are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries and currants ; among non-juicy fruits are the apple, pears, peaches, quinces, apricots and plums.