Virginia Cookery-book

The steady increase of late in attention given to grape culture leads us more and more to consider all the uses to which the fruit may be put. So far as we have seen it used as a preserve, the Catawba is the most delicious in taste and the prettiest in color. Jelly made of that variety is inferior to none of any fruit, the color being a bright amber. Three-quarters of a pound of pure white sugar is sufficient to put to a pint of juice. The trouble about the preserves is getting rid of the seeds, which is managed pretty well by scalding the grapes and then putting them into an inverted sieve (not too many at a time), rubbing them and shaking the sieve, so that the seeds will pass through, while the pulp and skins remain behind. Some very patient people seed them raw with the sharp point of a penknife, and others, again, disregard the annoyance and preserve seeds and all, the flavor being so uncommonly fine as to lead them to overlook a small drawback. In either case allow three-quarters of a pound of sugar to one of fruit, unless you prefer to cook it down to a jam, when half a pound of one is enough to go with a pound of the other. Sugar always goes farther in preserving if the fruit is cooked alone for a while, and the sugar added later. To Preserve Clingstone Peaches. For a pink preserve choose the finest white Heath variety, but for a rich, gold -colored one the juicy yellow Bort. Pare the peaches nicely, and, if skilful enough in the use of a penknife, simply extract the stone and leave them whole ; otherwise halve them. Have their weight of pounded sugar and sprinkle it over them as they are put into a china bowl. If you like the flavor, crack a few stones, take the kernels, blanch them as you would almonds, and scatter them through the peaches. Let them stand two or three hours. Put them in a kettle, add a little water, and let the peaches remain until thoroughly scalded. Take them out with a ladle, draining off the sirup ; should there not be enough to cover the peaches, add a little water. Boil and skim the sirup, return the fruit, and simmer them gently until they are clear. N.B. — If well cooked, three-quarters of a pound of sugar to the pound will keep peaches, and be even better, as the preserve is then less cloying and retains more of the flavor of the fruit. Peach Jam. By all means choose yellow, soft peaches, and use white sugar, when the jam will be of a beautiful golden color. Scald and mash the fruit well, after peeling and cutting it up small, as it will greatly expedite matters. This is the most trying of all preserves to make, on account of the incessant spitting and spattering, unless the fire is kept very low all the time; and even then there is no rest from ceaseless stirring and watching. But, for all that, it is so good that few house-keepers spare themselves the trouble. Prepare for the conflict by providing yourself with a pair of very long gauntlets and an equally formidable stirrer, which should be a long wooden paddle, and then stand as far off as you can. Those who have oftenest performed the task will be the least apt to laugh at these directions as absurd. We hear that stirrers such as we speak of may be found at furnishitig stores, with handles inserted at right-angles. If so, by all means provide yourself with one. Stir and cook the mashed fruit alone for one hour, then add the sugar in the proportion of half a pound to a pound, and in another hour, unless you have a large kettleful, the task should be done. If the fruit is not mashed previously and you attempt over ten pounds at once, we have seen persons toil over a sputtering kettle for half a day and come off with well-burnt hands besides. QuiNCB Pbesbbybs.