La cuisine creole

Take fine pineapples, cut off all the rough parts, and each apple in quarters, shaping each pièce alike. Boil the pineapples in just enough water to cover them, and put to this water ail the cuttings, so as to make the syrup as rich in flavor as possible. When the pièces are tender, take them out, weigh them, and make a syrup of a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit, allowing a cup of the water the pineapples were boiled in, to each pound of fruit. Strain the water over the sugar, mix it, and let it boil fifteen minutes, by itself ; skim it, and put in the pineapples, letting them boil until they are clear and perfectly tender. Pears done in this way make a delicious préserve. The usual way of putting them in the syrup without previous boiling, makes them little better than sweetened leather, as it makes them tough and stringy. TO PRESERVE CRAB APPLES^ GREEN. Wash the apples and boil them in a very little water, cover them with vine leaves, while on the fire simmering, and they will then be very yellow. Take them out and spread them on a large dish to cool. Pare and core them, put them back in the kettle, with f resh leaves to cover them. Hang them over the fire, or on the stove in a preserving kettle until they are green; then take them out of the pot, let them cool, weigh them, and allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Put only water suffiicient to dissolve the sugar, as the fruit having been already boiled, will require very little water — a small cupful to each pound being quite enough. Boil this syrup, skim it, and put in your green apples, and boil them until they are clear and tender. Put the apples in jars, tum the juice on to them, and when cold tie them up, or rather seal them in this Southern climate. PEACH OR APPLE COMPOTE FOR DESSERT. Dissolve and boil a pound of loaf sugar in a pint of water; skim it, pare six or eight apples, or a dozen peaches, throw them into the boiling syrup, and cook until tender and transparent. Lemon improves the apples, but peaches are better without it. PRESERVED HUCKLEBERRIES. Take them just as they begin to ripen, pick and weigh them, allow a pound of fruit to a pound of sugar, then stew them until quite clear, and the syrup becomes thick. These make nice tarts when fruit is scaree, PLUM PRESERVES. Get plums before they are dead ripe; allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, dissolve and boil the sugar and water (allowing half a pint of water to a pound) . Boil the syrup until it is thick, then put in the plums and boil them until they are transparent; then put them in sealed jars. FIG PRESERVES. Boil the sugar and water syrup as directed in previous recipe. Let the figs be firm, not dead ripe or they will boil to a mass. They should be laid in alum the day before they are to be preserved, then taken ont, washed, and put into the boiling syrup. Boil for three hours, or until transparent; then bottle as usual and seal up with wax. MYRTLE ORANGE PRESERVE OR HOME-MADE LIMES. Pluck the oranges before they turn yellow; they should be a rich dark green; cut a hole in the stem end and take out all the white pulp and seeds ; scrape them carefully, grate the rind so as to break the oil cells, and allow the strong oil to escape. Wash them and throw them into strong sait and water ; let them stay in it for three days, then soak them in fresh water three days. When you wish to préserve them you must boU them in clear water, slowly, in a brass kettle; cover them with a few orange leaves while boiling, which will green them, and boil until they are tender, then set them up to cool. Weigh as much sugar as you have oranges, and allow pound for pound ; boil the syrup clear and then put in the oranges; boil gently for half an hour, or until green and yellow. Use only a silver spoon in making this preserve.