Sweetmeats of Citron or Cantaloupe Melons

Ingredients

• melons in a skillet
• a small flannel bag of ashes
• three ounces of best white ginger
• two crab-apples
• the weight of melons, apples, and ginger all together must be taken in sugar

Method

1. 1

   Soak melons in saltwater for 3-4 days, then green them.

2. 2

   Prepare syrup with sugar, ginger, and crab-apples.

3. 3

   Boil melons in syrup until clear, repeating the process several times.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Virginia Cookery-book (1884) by Mary Stuart Smith, page 112. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Sweetmeats op Citron ob Cantaloupe Melons. In order to green the melons, which is the first part of tlic process, put them in a skillet and cover them with grape or collard leaves, then put in enough water to cover all, and lay on the top a small flannel bag of ashes. Put the skillet on the fire, and let its contents simmer slowly till the melons appear quite done. This sweetmeat is made most economically at the approach of frost, when tliose small ones make the prettiest which could not have time to ripen. But, before greening, the melons, whether they be of small or middling size, must be thrown into strong salt- and- water as soon as they are pulled from the vine ; there let them stand three or four days ; then cut off the outer rind as thin as possible, and green. When they are perfectly green and tender open them and scrape out the seed and pulp ; let the small ones be preserved whole, but the large ones may be cut into any /orm that fancy may direct. Throw them into cold water, changing it three or four times a day, until they become crisp and the salt is entirely taken out of them. Mean- while, have the sirup thus prepared : for every pound of melon allow three ounces of best white ginger and two crab -apples — if small, three; the ginger must be boiled gently four hours, then pared and sliced thin. The weight of melons, apples, and ginger all together must be taken in sugar

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.