The way to the heart

Clip the stems half way down, and throw the cherries in salt and water for 12 hours. Drain and drop in plain vinegar for a day and night ; pour this off and make a spiced vinegar of 2 quarts of vinegar, 3^2 pounds brown sugar, 1 ounce mace, i^ ounces mustard seed, i ounce allspice, i ounce grain pepper and I ounce celery seed. Scald and pour over the cherries when half cold. Scald vinegar again the next morning and pour over cherries, and tie a cloth over the jar. Ready for use in a month. Watermelon Pickle. Four pounds of rind, cut and peeled ; boil in water until tender ; drain and wipe dry. Boil 3 pounds of brown sugar, 3 pints of vinegar, 3^ ounce each of cloves and cinnamon (tied in a bag), for three mornings, and pour hot over the rind. Then seal for use. Sweet Canteleup Pickle. Take ripe canteleups and cut them as for eating. Place over the slices vinegar enough to cover them, and let stand 36 hours. Measure the vinegar, and to every pint allow i pound of brown sugar and Yz teacup of cloves and cinnamon mixed ; boil the vinegar for ^ an hour, keeping it well skimmed ; then add the slices and boil until clear. Put the slices into a jar, and boil the syrup until it gets thick, and then pour over the melons. Prepare more vinegar and add to the pickle if the other is not enough to cover it. Must be kept for six months before using. Sweet Watermelon Rind Pickle. Peel the rinds with a sharp knife that will take off the green skin evenly. Trim off all the pink part, as it is too soft to make a firm, crisp pickle. Then cut the rind in strips about an inch square, and place them in an earthenware dish, sprinkle with salt, cover the dish, and let it stand all night. In the morning drain off all water that has formed and throw them into cold water ; let stand, changing the water once or twice, until they lose their salty taste. Cook in a steamer until a broom splint will readily pierce them. When the rinds are tender, take out carefully and throw in a stone jar. Take cidar vinegar, and allow I pound of sugar to every pint of vinegar, and J^ ounce of stick cinnamon broken in pieces, and ^ teaspoon each of whole cloves and mace. One quart of vinegar is enough to pickle an ordinary-sized melon. Boil the vinegar, sugar and spice together for y^ hour, skimming off the froth, and while hot pour over the rinds. Press down by means of an earthenware plate and fasten the cover on. Will be ready for use in two weeks. Pickled Eggs. Boil 6 eggs for 20 minutes, and throw them in cold water. Remove the shells and put in a jar with 6 freshly boiled beets that have been sliced. Scald enough vinegar to cover them, and add 2 teaspoons of celery seed, 4 pepper corns, i teaspoon of mustard seed and a few blades of mace. Fill the jar with the pickle and seal at once. They are nice to use in garnishing a dish of salad. Good Proportions for Preserving. 1 pound of damsons, Use i pound of brown sugar. I pound of pineapple, Use ^4 pound of white sugar. I pound of cherries, Use ^ pound of white sugar. I pound Oi strawberries Use ^ pound of white sugar. I pound of pears, Use ^ pound of white sugar. 1 pound of plums, Use i pound of brown sugar. I pound of quinces, Use i pound ot white sugar. I pound of blackberries, Use ^4 pounu of brown sugar