Harper's cook book encyclopædia

low I lb. of sugar to I lb. of fruit. Make a syrup of the sugar by adding a pint of water to every 3 lbs. of sugar, drop in some ginger root and slices of lemon, put in the pears, and boil until quite soft. If they are very hard, they should be boiled in water first, and sufficient of this water used to makeVthe syrup. After the pears are removed from the syrup, boil ten or fifteen minutes longer. Pear Preserves, Less Rich. — Peel ripe pears, cut in halves, and core them. To 1 lb. of fruit allow 6 ozs. of sugar. Make a syrup of the sugar, add the pears, and cook until soft These preserves should be kept in sealed cans. Pineapple, Canned. — Pare ripe, juicy pineapples and cut them into slices an inch thick. Allow % lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of fruit. Put them into the preserving-kettle together, and if there is not enough juice add very little water. As soon as they are well scalded through put into hot jars and seal at once. Pineapple, Preserved. — Cut into slices, take out the core of each one, and weigh, allowing pound for pound of sugar and fruit. Put in alternate layers in the kettle, add a teacupful of water to each pound of sugar. Heat to a boil ; take out the pineapple and spread upon dishes in the sun. Boil and skim the syrup half an hour. Return the pineapple to the kettle and boil fifteen minutes. Pack in jars, pour on the scalding syrup, and when cold put brandied tissuepaper upon the top and seal the jars. Another way: — Take pineapples quite ripe. Peel them carefully, cut them in slices ; then weigh the fruit, and allow Y\ lb. of best white sugar to 1 lb. of fruit. Put the fruit and sugar into a bowl in layers. Set it aside until the next day; then set the kettle over a steady fire until the fruit is scalding hot, but not long enough to soften them. Take out the fruit with a perforated ladle, and Pineapple Syrup PRESERVES, ETC. Quince Marmalade carefully lay it in a colander to drain. Boil the syrup until it thickens. Lay the fruit in preserve - glasses, and cover each glass with a paper dipped in spirits before the top is fastened down. Pineapple Syrup. — Put 3 lbs. of loaf sugar in a porcelain kettle. Beat the whites of two eggs, to which add gradually one pint of clear water ; pour over the sugar, and set on the stove to boil until clear. Take off the fire to cool. Pare and grate sufficient pineapples to make a quart of juice, and strain into the syrup; let boil ten minutes, and stand aside to cool. When cold, bottle and seal. Pineapple syrup makes delicious water-ice, and flavors sherbet better than fresh pineapple. Plum Jam. — Stone the plums, weigh them, and stew for twenty minutes. Add then lb. of sugar for 1 lb. of fruit, and cook together slowly an hour longer, or until the jam is of the desired consistency. Put up hot in small jars.