Soyer's standard cookery

dissolved, add quinces and cook fifteen or twenty minutes. Turn into glasses. When cold it should be about the color and consistency of honey. CANNING AND PRESERVING. Preserving fruit is cooking it with from three-fourths to its whole weight of sugar. By so doing, much of the natural flavor of the fruit is destroyed; therefore canning is usually preferred to preserving. Canning fruit is preserving sterilized fruit in sterilized airtight jars, the sugar being added to give sweetness. Fruits may be canned without sugar if perfectly sterilized, that is, freed from all germ life. Directions for Preserving. Fruit for preserving should be fresh, firm, of good quality, and not over-ripe; if over-ripe, some of the spores may survive the boiling, then fermentation will take place in a short time. For preserving fruit, allow one-third its weight in sugar, and two and one-half to three cups water to each pound of sugar. Boil sugar and water ten minutes to make a thin syrup; then, cook a small quantity of the fruit at a time in the syrup; by so doing, fruit may be kept in perfect shape. Hard fruits, like pineapple and quince, are cooked in boiling water until nearly soft, then put in syrup to finish cooking. Sterilized jars are then filled with fruit, and enough syrup added to overflow jars. If there is not sufficient syrup, add boiling water, as jars must be filled to overflow. Introduce a spoon between fruit and jar, that air bubbles may rise to the top and break; then quickly put on rubbers and screw on sterilized covers. Let stand until cold, again screw covers, being sure this time that jars are air-tight. When filling jars, place them on a cloth wrung out of hot water. To Sterilize Jars. Wash jars and fill with cold water. Set in a kettle on a trivet and surround with cold water. Heat gradually to boiling-point, remove from water, empty, and fill while hot. Put covers in hot water, but do not allow them to stand. New rubbers should be used each season, and care must be taken that rims of covers are not bent, as jars cannot then be hermetically sealed. Preserved Peaches. Wipe peaches and put in boiling water, allowing them to stand just long enough to easily loosen skins. Remove skins and cook fruit at once, that it may not discolor, following directions for preserving. Some prefer to pare peaches, sprinkle with sugar, and let stand over night. In morning, drain, add water to fruit syrup, bring to boiling-point, and then cook fruit. Peaches may be cut in halves, or smaller pieces if desired. Preserved Pears. Wipe and pare fruit. Cook whole with stems left on, or remove stems, cut in quarters and core. Follow directions for preserving. A small piece of ginger root or a few slicings of lemon rind may be cooked with syrup. Bartlett pears are the best for canning. Preserved Pineapples. Remove skin and eyes from pineapples; then cut in halfinch slices or in cubes, at the same time discarding the core. Follow directions for preserving. Pineapples may be shredded and cooked in one-half their weight of sugar without water, and then put in jars. When put up in this way they are usefiul for the makings of sherbets and fancy desserts. Preserved Quinces.