The home cook book

Rinse in cold water, and wipe dry, two pounds of blue plums. Prick each one. Boil one minute one pint of vinegar, with one pound of sugar, one tablespoon of whole allspice, one tablespoon and a half of stick cinnamon, and one dessertspoon of cloves, having crushed the spices slightly and tied them in a lace bag. Lay the fruit in a stone jar. Pour the hot vinegar over it for nine mornings, heating it each day. The last morning, boil the plums in the spiced vinegar twenty minutes. Damsons are spiced in the same way. TO PRESERVE PUMPKIN FOR WINTER USE Wipe off and cut open the pumpkin and take out the seeds and soft network within. Cut into half moons, and trim off the hard outside rind. Then cut the meat in small pieces, put in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water, cover tight by laying a weight on the cover, and steam slowly three or four hours, or until the pulp or meat is perfectly tender. Then put through a colander. Next put the pumpkin pulp in a kettle, set it over a very slow, gentle fire — in this have care, for pumpkin burns easily — and heat the pumpkin hot, and dry it out. While it is still hot put it in glass bottles or cans, seal tight, and set it in the fruit closet for use. GRATED QUINCES Grate your quinces, and to each cup of grated fruit add two and a half cups of sugar and two cups of water. Boil slowly for an hour or more and seal in jelly glasses. RAISIN JAM Wash seedless raisins. To each pound allow one cup of cold water, and simmer gently over the fire for an hour. Then add a cup of sugar to each pound of raisins, and also a sliced lemon. Simmer again for an hour, put in glasses, cover with paraffine, and set away for use. BLACK RASPBERRY JAM Crush half of your berries, heat in a preserving kettle, and then put through a sieve. Add the juice to the other whole berries, let come to boil, add quarter of a pound of sugar to each box of berries, and simmer till the jam is thick. Put in small glasses or jars, cover with paraffine, and set in a dry, cool, dark place for use. RED RASPBERRY JAM To six boxes of red raspberries add five pounds of sugar and the juice of four lemons. Cook slowly together in a preserving kettle and put away in small glasses or jars, sealed or covered with paraffine. STRAWBERRY JAM For every pound of fruit allow half a pound of sugar. Put the berries in a preserving kettle. Stand the kettle back on the stove where it is not too hot, to draw out the juice. When the juice is well drawn, bring forward and let boil until the berries pop and sink, stirring occasionally. Have the sugar hot, add to the berries, and stir almost constantly with a wooden spoon. Let boil until quite firm without being stiff, which will be from half to three-quarters of an hour. Set an asbestos plate under to prevent the fruit burning. Put away in jelly glasses or jars, cutting a paper to fit the top and wetting it with brandy.