Soyer's standard cookery

Wash one peck red peppers, cut a slice from stem end of each, and remove seeds; then cut in thin strips by working around and around the peppers, using scissors or a sharp vegetable knife. Cover with boiling water, let stand two minutes, drain, and plunge into ice-water. Let stand ten minutes, again drain, and pack solidly into pint glass jars. Boil one quart vinegar and two cups sugar fifteen minutes. Pour this over peppers, so as to overflow jars, cover, and keep in a cold place. Preserved Melon Rind. Pare and cut in strips the rind of ripe melons. Soak in alum water to cover, allowing two teaspoonfuls of powdered alum to each quart of water. Heat gradually to boiling-point and cook slowly ten minutes. Drain, cover with ice-water, and let stand two hours; drain again, and dry between towels. Weigh, allow one pound sugar to each pound of fruit, and one cup of water to each pound of sugar. Boil sugar and water ten minutes. Add melon rind, and cook until tender. Remove rind to a stone jar and cover with syrup. Two lemons cut in slices may be cooked for ten minutes in the syrup and add to the flavor. Tomato Preserve. Two pounds Yellow Pear tomatoes, two pounds sugar, four ounces preserved Canton ginger, four lemons. Wipe tomatoes, cover with boiling water, and let stand until skins may be easily removed. Add sugar, cover, and let stand over night. In the morning pour off syrup and boil until quite thick; skim, then add tomatoes, ginger, and lemons which have been sliced and the seeds removed. Cook until tomatoes have a clarified appearance. PICKLING. Pickling is preserving in any salt or acid liquor. Spiced Currants. Fourteen pounds currants, ten pounds brown sugar, six tablespoonfuls cinnamon, six tablespoonfuls clove, two pints vinegar. Pick over currants, wash, drain, and remove stems. Put in a preserving kettle, add sugar, vinegar, and spices tied in a piece of muslin. Heat to boiling-point, and cook slowly one and one-half hours. Store in a stone jar and keep in a cool place. Spiced currants are a delicious accompaniment to cold meat. Sweet Pickled Peaches. One peck peaches, four pounds brown sugar; two pints vinegar, two ounces stick cinnamon, cloves. Boil sugar, vinegar and cinnamon twenty minutes. Dip peaches quickly in hot water, then rub off the fur with a towel. Stick each peach with four cloves. Put into syrup and cook until soft, using one-half peaches at a time. Sweet Pickled Pears. Follow recipe for sweet pickled peaches, using pears in place of peaches. Chili Sauce. Twenty-four medium-sized ripe tomatoes, two peppers, finely chopped, two onions, finely chopped, four cupfuls vinegar, six tablespoonfuls sugar; two tablespoonfuls salt, four teaspoonfuls cloves, four teaspoonfuls cinnamon, four teaspoonfuls allspice, four teaspoonfuls grated nutmeg. Peel tomatoes and slice. Put in a preserving kettle with remaining ingredients. Heat gradually to boiling-point, and cook slowly two and one-half hours. Ripe Tomato Pickle. Six pints tomatoes, peeled and chopped, two cups chopped celery, eight tablespoonfuls chopped red peppers, eight tablespoonfuls chopped onion, eight tablespoonfuls salt, twelve tablespoonfuls sugar, twelve tablespoonfuls mustard seed, one teaspoonful clove, one teaspoonful cinnamon, two teaspoonfuls grated nutmeg, four cups vinegar.