Mary Jane's cook book

Wash the fruit and cut in halves or quarters. Put in granite or porcelain preserve kettle with 1 pint of water to every 3 pounds of apples. Cover and cook slowly till apples are mushy, allow juice to drip through a flannel jelly bag. Measure juice, boil 20 minutes then add an equal quantity of heated sugar and boil 5 minutes. Skim and pour into sterilized glasses. W. G. D., East Mansfield. MINT JELLY. Gravenstein apples, 1 peck. Fresh mint, 1 large bunch. Cold water, 2 quarts. Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons. Sugar. Green vegetable coloring. Wash and wipe apples and cut in eighths. Add water, cover and bring to the boiling point. Let simmer till apples are soft. Mash well and strain through a coarse sieve. Let juice drip through a jelly bag all night, then put over the fire and let boil 20 minutes. Add an equal measure of heated sugar and boil 5 minutes. Press mint leaves with fingers till well bruised and pass through the syrup till desired flavor is reached. This should be done during the 5 minutes' cooking. CHERRY AND CURRANT JELLY. Use 2-3 of cherries and 1-3 of currants. Clean fruit, add a little water and put over a slow fire. Boil until soft, then pour into a jelly bag and let drip over night. For every pint of juice allow a pound of sugar. Place juice over a slow, steady fire to boil. Heat sugar in shallow baking pans but do not allow it to color. Add it to juice and stir till dissolved. Allow to boil for a few minutes, then remove from fire and fill sterilized jelly glasses. Jelly maker, Somerville. STRAWBERRY AND CURRANT JELLY. Strawberries, 10 quarts. Currants, 2 quarts. Sugar. Proceed as for raspberry jelly, but allow 15 minutes to boil. Dolly A., Roslindale. QUINCE HONEY. Large quince, 1. Water, 1 pint. Sugar, 2 pounds. Pare the quince and put peel and seeds on stove to boil with a little of the water. Grate quince fine. Strain peel and seeds, add remaining water, sugar and quince pulp. Boil slowly 40 minutes. Will fill 4 jelly glasses. D. 8. H., Greenwood. PRESERVED PEACHES. Dip peaches for a moment in boiling water, remove skins and cut in halves. Weigh the fruit and allow an equal weight of sugar, or for a less rich preserve % as much. Take *4 °f the sugar and twice as much boiling water and let boil 5 minutes, draw to one side and skim. In this syrup cook peaches, a few at a time, until all are tender. Remove peaches with skimmer and then place in jars set in hot water. Add rest of sugar to the syrup, let boil until sufficiently thick, then pour over peaches in jars. Fill to overflowing and seal at once. In each jar place 2 or 3 peach stones for added flavor. Pears may be preserved in the same way. P. G. P., Lowell. PRESERVED PEARS. Bartlett pears, 12. Water, 1 cup. Sugar, iy2 cups. Lemon, 1. Cut pears in halves lengthwise, leaving stems on one half. Remove cores. Make a syrup of the sugar, water and lemon juice. Skim, put in the pears and cook until tender. Remove pears and pack in sterilized jars. Fill to overflowing with the syrup and seal. Grandmother, Cambridge. PRESERVED PINEAPPLE.