The practical cookbook

sugar to each pound of fruit according to its sweetness, and 2 c. water for each pint jar. Sirup should be boiled from 5 to 10 min. before being added to the fruit. Two precautions should be observed in this method of canning — the jars should always be put on to heat in water of the same temperature as the contents of the jar, and they should not touch during the cooking process. To sterilize jars wash, fill with cold water, place on a rack in a pan containing enough cold water almost to cover them, bring to boiling point, and boil 15 miq. Do not empty till ready to fill with fruit. Covers also should be sterilized. Preserving requires more sugar than canning. The fruit should be washed and prepared as for canning, and a sirup made, allowing ^ to r lb. sugar for each pound of fruit and only enough water to dissolve the sugar. Cook the fruit in this sirup till tender and seal in sterilized jars as in canning. Hard pears, quinces, etc., are better if cooked in clear water till almost tender, as long cooking with sugar tends to harden the fruit. Use the water in which they were cooked for making the sirup. JELLY-MAKHTG General Directions. Wash fruit, cut in small pieces, and if hard fruits like apples and crab apples are used, almost cover with water; grapes and currants should be washed, but will require no water. Cook till fruit is very soft, drain through a coarse sieve, then put in jelly bag and drain overnight. Allow equal amounts of juice and sugar. Boil juice 20 min. Heat sugar, add to juice, and boil 5 min. Skim and pour into sterilized glasses. Orange marmalade. Ingredients : 3 oranges 2 qt. water I lemon 4 qt sugar Use all the fruit except the seeds. Cut fruit into small pieces, and rind into thin strips. Add the cold water and let stand 24 hr. Boil for 2 hr. uncovered, add sugar, and boil for 20 min. Put in sterilized glasses or jars. Amber marmalade. Ingredients : I lemon i orange 1 grapefruit Sugar CANNING AND PRESERVING in Wash fruit and cut up small. Measure and add three times as much water. Soak overnight ; then boil till tender. Let stand overnight again, measure, add three times as much sugar, and boil till thick and jellylike (about 2 hr.). Put into sterilized glasses or jars. PICKLING The preservative action of vinegar and spices is so effective that unless there is much moisture, pickles may be kept in covered crocks or jars. If liquid, they should, however, be sealed like preserves. Vegetables should be washed thoroughly and all decayed portions removed. Soy. Ingredients : I pk. ripe tomatoes (peeled and sliced) 8 onions (sliced thin) ic. salt Let stand 24 hr. Drain off liquid and add 2 qt. vinegar, i tb. mustard, i tb. ginger, i tb. cloves, i tb, allspice, ^ tb. cayenne pepper. Cook slowly from 2 to 3 hr. When nearly done add 2 lb. sugar and ^ lb. mustard seed. Piccalilli. Ingredients : 2 qt green tomatoes 1 qt. vinegar I qt onions Salt I tb. each whole cloves, cinnamon, and allspice Slice the tomatoes and onions, put in agate kettle in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let stand overnight. In the morning drain, add spices and vinegar, and cook till vegetables are tender. Aristocratic pickle. Ingredients: 12 cucumbers ^ c. olive oil 4 onions ^ c. white mustard seed 1 qt. vinegar ^ c. black mustard seed \ c. celery seed i c. salt Slice the cucumbers and onions thin, put in a bowl in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt, and let stand overnight. Drain ; add mustard and celery seed and vinegar. Mix well and put into jars at once, pouring a generous tablespoonful of oil over the pickles. Pepper hash. Ingredients: 1 2 large green peppers 2 tb. salt 12 red peppers 2 c. granulated sugar 3 onions i qt vinegar