The Rural cook book

Preserved Crab Apples. — The apples should be very ripe. Wash them well in cold water; put them into a porcelain-lined kettle and just cover with boiling water. Let them cook very gently until you can remove the skins easily. Drain them, peel and carefully remove the cores, but do not break the apples or remove the stems. Weigh them, allowing one and one-quarter pound of sugar to a pound of fruit ; allow a cupful of water to this quantity of sugar. Put water and sugar over the fire and bring to boiling point. Skim until clear, then put in the apples and cook very gently until they are tender and transparent. Skim while cooking. When they are done put them into small, large-mouthed jars, and when cool seal same as jelly. Currants, Canning. — Wash the currants, being careful not to break them; remove stems, and pack currants into quart cans, shaking them down well. To each can add one cup hot sugar, place the jars on a wooden frame in the boiler, place the covers loosely on the cans, and put enough of cold water in the boiler, so when it begins to boil it will not boil into the cans. After the water has boiled for half an hour, the cans should be lifted out, the covers screwed on tight and put in a cool, dark place until wanted for the table. For those that like mixed fruits, a layer of strawberries or raspberries and then a layer of currants may be packed in the cans. ^^ Currant Conserve. — Five pounds currants; four pounds sugar; one pound seeded raisins; four oranges. Grate rind and squeeze out juice of oranges. Boil all together half hour. Put in jelly glasses. Currant Sauce —Five pounds of currants, heat in preserving kettle, put in a muslin bag and squeeze out all juice. Add five pounds granulated sugar, one pound raisins, seeded and chopped fine, two oranges, chopped fine. Boil till like jelly. The sender of this recipe does up currants without cooking. Occasionally she says a can spoils, but on the whole she has good luck, every can keeping perfectly some years. The currants are looked over carefully, washed and then mashed thoroughly, a glass bottle being good for (his purpose. She then adds sugar, pound for pound. The fruit is sealed in cans, using new rubbers each time. Pineapples are also put up in somewhat the same way. Mrs. C.'s way is to chop the fruit fine, add sugar pound for pound. The fruit thus prepared is left in a gallon crock for two days, its contents being stirred frequently with a silver spoon. At the end 'of the second day the fruit is put in airtight cans. Cranberry aiid Apple Jam. — Take two pounds of cranberries and two pounds of apples after they are peeled, cored and chopped. Put them in a preserving pan with Sii pounds of sugar. When it comes to the boil keep the preserve boiling for half an hour, then try a tittle on a cold saucer, and if on cooling it sets well it will be sufficiently done. Tie down in small jars. This makes a delicious preserve, the cranberries imparting a fine flavor and giving in addition a brilliant color. Damson CheeSe. — Boil the fruit, with only enough water to prevent burning, umil tender; rub through a hair sieve until like a paste, add six ounces of sugar to each pound of fruit, stir off the fire until the sugar is dissolved, then add four chopped kernels from the fruit to each quart, and put back to boil. It is wise to put an asbestos mat under the preserving kettle, as the fruit will catch and burn very easily. Boil, stirring continually, until the preserve will leave the pan quite dry and adhere in a mass to the spoon. Press into jelly glasses, and when cold cover with paraffin before sealing. When served, the damson cheese is turned out of the glass, and cut in thin slices.