Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

Select firm, medium sized peaches, free from decay, a trifle under-ripe is better than over-ripe, pare, but do not remove the stones. Throw the fruit into cold water as fast as pared to keep it from turning dark, but do not let it remain long in the water, or the flavor will be lost. Make a syrup of 1 pt sugar and 1 qt water for every 4 lbs peaches. Place the fruit, after draining off, in a shallow, wide preserving kettle, and pour the hot syrup over it and cook gently until the fruit is easily pierced by a straw. Transfer the fruit carefully to glass jars, fill almost to the top with hot syrup, then run a silver knife around inside the jar to let out the air bubbles. Fill quickly overflowing full with the hot syrup and screw down I the cover as tight as possible. If some of the juice overflows CANNED PEACHES AND CITRON PRESERVES 225 on the rubber during the sealing process, it will do no injury, but will rather aid in the sealing. Peaches canned whole in this way are delicious — much better than when the stones are removed, as they impart a fine flavor. — [L. O. C, Ala. To Can Peaches Without Boiling Peel good, not over-ripe peaches, cut in halves and fill into jars which have been placed in boiling water. Then cover immediately with a hot syrup made of 1 pt sugar and 1 1/2 pts water. Have the cans overflowing full and be sure there are no air bubbles in them. Then seal at once while hot and allow the cans to stand submerged in hot water until they have all cooled. This method far surpasses the old-fashioned method of canning, and the fruit will retain its fresh flavor. — [A. McL., Ill. This method is also vouched for by Mrs. E. F. G., N. Y. Peach Preserves Pare peaches and mix with sugar and let stand over night. Allow 4 lbs sugar to 5 lbs fruit. Next morning, put over the fire and boil 20 minutes, then skim out the fruit with a perforated spoon and spread on a flat dish to cool and harden. Let the syrup boil until it almost begins to candy, then return the fruit to the syrup and boil very slowly 10 minutes. Seal in glass jars while hot. If the syrup has not cooked long enough, the preserves are likely to ferment, and the riper the fruit, the longer it will take to boil the water out of the syrup. — [Mrs. A. A. W., N. C. Sweet Pickled Peaches Prepare a syrup of 4 lbs brown sugar, 1 qt best cider vinegar and 2 ozs stick cinnamon. Boil 20 minutes. Prepare peaches by putting them a few minutes in boiling water and slipping off the skins. Put enough of these peeled peaches in the syrup to cover the bottom of the kettle, and cook until tender. Fill glass jars with the peaches, pour the boiling syrup over them and seal. — [M. B. G., Wis. Preserved Citron Melons Peel the melons, remove the seeds and cut into small slices about V2 inch thick. For every 6 lbs melon allow 3 lbs sugar, the juice and yellow rind of 4 lemons and a small piece of green ginger root. Boil the melons in a little water about V2 hour, or until they look clear and can be pierced with a straw. Then drain, cover with cold water and let stand over