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In the case of apples, peaches, plums, strawberries, and other fruits that are liable to become too soft in cooking, the hot syrup should be poured over them,or they should be sprinkled with sugar and allowed to stand for a few hours before adding syrup, either process hardens the fruit. Preserves may be made from canned fruit, using less sugar than the rule. When candied, set jar in kettle of cold water, heat, and let' boil for an hour. If specks of mold appear, take off carefully and scald as above directed. Marmalades, or different butters, will be smoother and better flavored ; and wiU require less boiling, if fruit (peaches, quinces, oranges and apples make best) is well cooked and mashed before adding either sugar or cider. It is important to stir constantly with an apple-butter stirrer. Always tie an oil-cloth cover over the cloth cover on preserves, eta Apple Preserves. — To put up with boiled cider, use equal quantities of sweet and sour apples, peel, quarter, and core, put in preserving kettle, after first turning a plate over on bottom to keep from burning : to a peck of apples add a quart boiled cider, and boil steadily and gently an hour, stirring from the sides to prevent burning ; then add pint molasses, and continue boiling five hours. The heat must be just enough to keep boiling ; boil them until apples are red; when cold put in glass or stone jars, or wooden firkins with tight covers. Sometimes one-fourth the quantity of apples is added in quinces or quince parings, when Quince Jelly or Preserves are being made. ^ ^ ^' ^ ^ Blackberry Preserves. — Select large, ripe, but not soft berries ; the Lawton is oest for this purpose, as its acidity makes a sqft jelly of the syrup. Allow pound sugar to' pound fruit ; put fruit in preserving kettle, let heat slowly on back of stove until there is so much juice that it can boil without burning; boil until perfectly tender, ten or fifteen minutes ; then add sugar, mix as gently as possible, and do not boil again, but keep very hot until sugar is perfectly dissolved. Then fill cans and seal as directed. With Currants, put blackberries and sugar in kettle in layers, with sugar at bottom and top, and next day add half pint currant juice for each pound berries, boil twenty minutes, skimming well, and can as directed. ^Blueberry Preserves made as either recipe ; or some use half blueberries and half currants (instead of juice). This proportion is also nice, using quarter as much sugar, canned for pies. Currant and Cranherry Preserves made as first recipe, some adding a little water.