Soak the raisins in warm water✪ Stewed Raisins for a time, to remove all dirt that may have adhered to them; pour into a col- ander, and rinse well; cover with cold water, and stew until tender. The juice may be slightly thickened with corn-starch. TO KEEP LEMONS If it is desired to keep lemons fresh, place them in a vessel of cold water in a cool place, changing the water frequently. DRIED FRUIT When drying fruit, select that which is sound and not overripe; peel, slice, and lay on racks in the sun or in a very slow oven. Turn occasionally. When thoroughly dried, bring to as high a temperature as can be done with- out injury, and pack in tight boxes or paper sacks. If soaked several hours, it wiU require but little cooking. Many dried fruits are in the market, but they are open to at least two objections. They are usually sul- phured to improve their appearance, and are exposed to dust and flies, if to nothing worse. AU dried fruit should be washed before cooking. Fruit dried at home should be carefully protected from dust and flies, and be thoroughly heated before storing, that the eggs of insects may be destroyed. FRUITS AND FRUIT CANNING FRUITS AND FRUIT CANNING Many if not all ripened fruits may be eaten uncooked ; but since they do not continue through, the year, we wish to preserve them for use at such times as they can not be obtained fresh. This may be done in various ways. Fifty years ago there was the choice of only two common methods, — drying and making ' ' pound-f or-pound preserves. ' ' This latter method requires so much sugar that it should be ignored. In these times of improved methods, canning fruit is the most popular method of preservation; and it seems scarcely possible there can ever be any better, unless it were that access might be had to the fresh article the year round. Different methods are employed, according to kind of fruit, locality, etc. Frequently much more sugar is used than is necessary. Boiling the sugar with acid fruit, changes it to invert sugar, thus lessening its sweetening properties two and one half times. To overcome this and still have the fruit sweet enough to be palatable, make a sirup in one kettle, and cook the fruit in another, and combine them just as they are to be put into the jar; or, better still, put in some fruit, and then the required amount of sirup. A few movements of the jar will mix them. Always choose the best quality of fruit. It should be washed sufficiently to remove all sand and dust. Slow cook- ing is much better than rapid boiling, though the fruit should reach the boiling point just before canning. The (325) 326 VEOETAKIAN COOK BOOK boiling temperature at sea level is 212 degrees ; b¥it in high altitudes it is several degrees lower, hence greater care must be taken to keep the fruit from spoiling. One good way to do this is to re-cook it once or laore on as many- successive days. The amount of sugar necessary for palatabiUty does not materially aid in the keeping of the fruit. Sugar may be added a few hours before the meal, and thus can room is economized. Moreover, sugar is usually less expensive in winter than in the height of fruit canning season. Large jars are more economical than small ones, though a few of the latter are needed for the re-canning of what may be left from the large ones.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Soak the raisins in warm water for a time, to remove all dirt that may have adhered to them; pour into a colander, and rinse well; cover with cold water, and stew until tender. The juice may be slightly thickened with corn-starch. TO KEEP LEMONS If it is desired to keep lemons fresh, place them in a vessel of cold water in a cool place, changing the water frequently. DRIED FRUIT When drying fruit, select that which is sound and not overripe; peel, slice, and lay on racks in the sun or in a very slow oven. Turn occasionally. When thoroughly dried, bring to as high a temperature as can be done without injury, and pack in tight boxes or paper sacks. If soaked several hours, it wiU require but little cooking. Many dried fruits are in the market, but they are open to at least two objections. They are usually sulphured to improve their appearance, and are exposed to dust and flies, if to nothing worse. AU dried fruit should be washed before cooking. Fruit dried at home should be carefully protected from dust and flies, and be thoroughly heated before storing, that the eggs of insects may be destroyed. FRUITS AND FRUIT CANNING FRUITS AND FRUIT CANNING Many if not all ripened fruits may be eaten uncooked ; but since they do not continue through, the year, we wish to preserve them for use at such times as they can not be obtained fresh. This may be done in various ways. Fifty years ago there was the choice of only two common methods, — drying and making ' ' pound-f or-pound preserves. ' ' This latter method requires so much sugar that it should be ignored. In these times of improved methods, canning fruit is the most popular method of preservation; and it seems scarcely possible there can ever be any better, unless it were that access might be had to the fresh article the year round. Different methods are employed, according to kind of fruit, locality, etc. Frequently much more sugar is used than is necessary. Boiling the sugar with acid fruit, changes it to invert sugar, thus lessening its sweetening properties two and one half times. To overcome this and still have the fruit sweet enough to be palatable, make a sirup in one kettle, and cook the fruit in another, and combine them just as they are to be put into the jar; or, better still, put in some fruit, and then the required amount of sirup. A few movements of the jar will mix them. Always choose the best quality of fruit. It should be washed sufficiently to remove all sand and dust. Slow cooking is much better than rapid boiling, though the fruit should reach the boiling point just before canning. The (325) boiling temperature at sea level is 212 degrees ; b¥it in high altitudes it is several degrees lower, hence greater care must be taken to keep the fruit from spoiling. One good way to do this is to re-cook it once or laore on as manysuccessive days. The amount of sugar necessary for palatabiUty does not materially aid in the keeping of the fruit. Sugar may be added a few hours before the meal, and thus can room is economized. Moreover, sugar is usually less expensive in winter than in the height of fruit canning season. Large jars are more economical than small ones, though a few of the latter are needed for the re-canning of what may be left from the large ones.

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Stewed Raisins

Vegetarian Cook Book