not be allowed to pass to the stage of over-ripeness, for decay will follow quickly. This is especially true when making currant jelly. Watch the market, and use the various fruits when they can be had in perfection. Fruit is generally cheapest when in its prime. Utensils Needed when Preserving. Many people look upon the work of preserving as hard and uncertain as to results. When an oil or a gas stove is used, the objection to the heat is removed ; and if the directions given in this chapter be followed carefully, there need be no fear of failure. When preserving is to be done, there should be plenty of large earthen mixing- bowls, a grocer's tunnel (one with a mouth much broader than ordinary tunnels have), two or three long-handled wooden spoons, a long-handled skimmer, two preserving- kettles, either granite-ware or porcelain-lined, two large milk-pans, scales, a quart measure, two squares of cheese- cloth, a colander, a puree-sieve, and a pointed flannel bag. What Kind of Jars to Use. In small families it is more economical to use pint jars than those of larger size, for small fruits. If the fruits always be put up in the self-sealing jars, the amount of sugar can be varied to suit individual tastes, as sugar is not essential to the preservation of the fruit when such jars are used. A Few General Directions. Peaches, pears, crab-apples, damsons and other plums are preserved whole, a syrup being prepared for them. Having the fruit ready, put in only such a quantity as will float freely in the syrup, and cook slowly until tender. Pears should be cooked for about fifteen or twenty minutes ; peaches, ten to fifteen minutes ; plums, PRESERVING. 829 three to five minutes. Pears and peaches should be dropped into cold water as they are pared, so that they may not become discolored. In order to pare peaches, put them into a wire basket, and plunge into boiling water for about two minutes ; then the skin will come off readily. White plums are skinned in the same way, and damsons should not be skinned at all. The jars in which fruit is to be put should be heated gradually in a pan of water. After they have been nearly filled with hot fruit, boiling syrup should be poured over them. The covers, if glass, also should be heated, and should be fastened upon the jars while hot. Under these conditions — provided, of course, that the covers be fastened securely — the fruit may be kept an indefinite time ; indeed, any fruit that is made boiling hot, and is at once put into jars in the way just described, may be kept as long as one pleases, even if no sugar has been used in the course of cooking, though the flavor will not be so fine as when some sugar is used, — much or little, as one's taste dictates." To Make and Clarify Syrup. When it is desired to have the fruit and syrup exceed- ingly clear, it is necessary to clarify the syrup with the white of an egg. Syrup for fruits which are very" juicy should be rich, and that tor fruits which are rather dry and require long cooking, should be rather thin. The proportions of a rich syrup are one pint of sugar to half a pint of water; the two ingredients to be boiled together for a quarter of an hour. A light syrup is made of equal quantities of sugar and water.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

not be allowed to pass to the stage of over-ripeness, for decay will follow quickly. This is especially true when making currant jelly. Watch the market, and use the various fruits when they can be had in perfection. Fruit is generally cheapest when in its prime. Utensils Needed when Preserving. Many people look upon the work of preserving as hard and uncertain as to results. When an oil or a gas stove is used, the objection to the heat is removed ; and if the directions given in this chapter be followed carefully, there need be no fear of failure. When preserving is to be done, there should be plenty of large earthen mixingbowls, a grocer's tunnel (one with a mouth much broader than ordinary tunnels have), two or three long-handled wooden spoons, a long-handled skimmer, two preservingkettles, either granite-ware or porcelain-lined, two large milk-pans, scales, a quart measure, two squares of cheesecloth, a colander, a puree-sieve, and a pointed flannel bag. What Kind of Jars to Use. In small families it is more economical to use pint jars than those of larger size, for small fruits. If the fruits always be put up in the self-sealing jars, the amount of sugar can be varied to suit individual tastes, as sugar is not essential to the preservation of the fruit when such jars are used. A Few General Directions. Peaches, pears, crab-apples, damsons and other plums are preserved whole, a syrup being prepared for them. Having the fruit ready, put in only such a quantity as will float freely in the syrup, and cook slowly until tender. Pears should be cooked for about fifteen or twenty minutes ; peaches, ten to fifteen minutes ; plums, three to five minutes. Pears and peaches should be dropped into cold water as they are pared, so that they may not become discolored. In order to pare peaches, put them into a wire basket, and plunge into boiling water for about two minutes ; then the skin will come off readily. White plums are skinned in the same way, and damsons should not be skinned at all. The jars in which fruit is to be put should be heated gradually in a pan of water. After they have been nearly filled with hot fruit, boiling syrup should be poured over them. The covers, if glass, also should be heated, and should be fastened upon the jars while hot. Under these conditions — provided, of course, that the covers be fastened securely — the fruit may be kept an indefinite time ; indeed, any fruit that is made boiling hot, and is at once put into jars in the way just described, may be kept as long as one pleases, even if no sugar has been used in the course of cooking, though the flavor will not be so fine as when some sugar is used, — much or little, as one's taste dictates." To Make and Clarify Syrup. When it is desired to have the fruit and syrup exceedingly clear, it is necessary to clarify the syrup with the white of an egg. Syrup for fruits which are very" juicy should be rich, and that tor fruits which are rather dry and require long cooking, should be rather thin. The proportions of a rich syrup are one pint of sugar to half a pint of water; the two ingredients to be boiled together for a quarter of an hour. A light syrup is made of equal quantities of sugar and water.

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