Virginia Cookery-book

This fruit is increasingly popular for canning and preserving, and a variety has recently been introduced of the same color, when ripe, as the greengage plum, and rivalling it in flavor. There is a diversity of taste, to begin with, about which the house-keeper must consult those for whom she provides before commencing her preserves, viz., as to whether the seeds must be discarded, in part or in whole. Many assert that they are needed to give flavor, while others object to them as an unmitigated nuisance. There is a stage of ripeness at which the damson arrives when the seed may be taken out with a penknife clean, and in gathering or purchasing them it is well to see if such is the case. Again, when the sugar and whole damsons are put on to boil quantities of the seed will rise to the surface, and may be skimmed off by a watchful and industrious person, so that few will be left to annoy, and maybe enough to flavor, and thus strike a happy mean as to taste, but the writer has always preferred to sit down and patiently seed. Three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and brown at that — extra C is very nice — has been found to keep damsons perfectly, and sweeten them sufficiently. Two hours is about enough time to allow for their cooking, and they may be put away in large jars without danger of spoiling. Damsons may also be utilized by making out of them jam, jelly, and wine, by the usual processes, and with an ordinary amount of sugar. Sweetmeats of Citron or Cantaloupe Melons. In order to green the melons, which is the first part of the process, put them in a skillet and cover them with grape or collard leaves, then put in enough water to cover all, and lay on the top a small flannel bag of ashes. Put the skillet on the fire, and let its contents simmer slowly till the melons appear quite done. This sweetmeat is made most economically at the approach of frost, when those small ones make the prettiest which could not have time to ripen. But, before greening, the melons, whether they be of small or middling size, must be thrown into strong salt and water as soon as they are pulled from the vine ; there let them stand three or four days ; then cut off the outer rind as thin as possible, and green. When they are perfectly green and tender open them and scrape out the seed and pulp ; let the small ones be preserved whole, but the large ones may be cut into any /orm that fancy may direct. Throw them into cold water, changing it three or four times a day, until they become crisp and the salt is entirely taken out of them. Meanwhile, have the sirup thus prepared : for every pound of melon allow three ounces of best white ginger and two crab -apples — if small, three; the ginger must be boiled gently four hours, then pared and sliced thin. The weight of melons, apples, and ginger all together must be taken in sugar for the sirup ; after it is clarified add the apples, ginger, and melons, letting them boil ten minutes ; have the melons well dried, and then put them to the sirup ; let them boil ten minutes more ; let them stand for some days and boil them up again ; this must be repeated three or four times till they look clear ; unless they are made pretty tender in greening they will not look so. and are apt to shrivel when put into the sirup. The last time they are boiled the sirup must be boiled to candy height ; if it does not cover them, more must be made ; after they are cold a few drops of the essence of lemon mixed with the sirup gives them much of a citron flavor ; if that cannot be had, the thin peel of lemon boiled in the sirup will have the effect. They are better a twelvemonth after making, but may be used in two or three months. Green Gooseberries