Lowney's cook book

Stem currants, crush slightly; add sugar, let stand over night ; in the morning cook slowly one half hour, stirring often. Turn into glasses and cover. Green or Ripe Grape Jam Wash and stem grapes. Separate skins from pulp. Cook skins until tender, press through a sieve. Cook pulps ten minutes, press through a sieve. Combine purees; add one pound of sugar to every quart of puree; boil one half hour, stirring often. Pour into glasses and cover. Raspberry or Strawberry Jam 4 pounds raspberries or strawberries 2 J pounds sugar Mash berries; add sugar; cook thirty minutes, stirring very often. Pour into glasses and cover. PRESERVING 317 ^ Spiced Currants 4 pounds currants 2 pounds brown sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons clove 1 cup vinegar Remove stems and wash currants, add remaining ingredients, and boil twenty minutes. Keep in stone jar. Spiced Peaches 4 pounds peaches 3 pounds brown sugar 1 cup vinegar 1 teaspoon ginger 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon clove ^ teaspoon cayenne pepper Boil sugar and vinegar. Scald peaches, remove skins, and cook in syrup. Tie spices in bag and cook with peaches. When peaches are tender, pour into stone jars, reheat syrup every day for a week, pouring over peaches when boiling. All kinds of small fruits may be spiced in this manner. Sweet Tomato Pickle 4 quarts green tomatoes 4 cups water 4 sliced onions 2 pounds brown sugar J cup salt 2 cups vinegar 1 tablespoon each of clove, mus- J teaspoon cayenne tard, and cinnamon Slice tomatoes, add onions and salt, and let stand twelve hours. Drain, add water and two cups vinegar, and boil one half hour. Drain, to tomatoes add remaining ingredients, and cook one half hour. Keep in stone jar in cool, dry place. PICKLES Sweet pickles are prepared from every fruit that can be preserved. Spices are generally tied in a muslin bag and kept in the pickle jar, and the syrup is rich in order to preserve the pickle. Sour pickles should always be cooked 318 lo}vn:ey's cook book in granite or agate ware kettles, and if desired green, put on to cook in cold vinegar and brought gradually to the boiling point. Alum added to the pickles keeps them crisp. Sweet Pickled Watermelon 4 cups vinegar 4 tablespoons cinnamon sticks 8 pounds sugar 4 tablespoons cloves (whole) watermelon Cut skin from watermelon ; cut rind into small pieces about two inches square ; cover with water and cook until tender. Boil sugar and vinegar ten minutes ; add spices tied in a bag, simmer until syrupy, about two hours; add melon and simmer one hour. Fill jars and seal. Sweet Pickled Cantaloupe Prepare in the same way as Sweet Pickled Watermelon, substituting cantaloupe. Sweet Cucumber Pickle Soak the cucumbers in a brine for two weeks ; drain, and slice lengthwise. Cook in a syrup made by cooking six pounds sugar and four quarts of vinegar; boil twenty minutes. Keep in tightly covered crock. Pickled Cucumber No. i 100 small cucumbers 1 quart small peppers 2 pints salt 8 quarts water Boil water and salt together ; pour over cucumbers and peppers. Let stand over night, in the morning drain. Make a new brine, using same proportion ; repeat this process twice, then drain and wash in cold water. Place cucumbers and peppers in crock ; cover with boiling vinegar.