Virginia Cookery-book

In the more northerly of the Southern States fig-bushes frequently bear fruit that cannot reach perfection before frost. Such immature fruit may be gathered when frost threatens, and thus utilized. Dip them in hot lye, as you do brandy peaches, and wipe off with a dry cloth, so as to leave the skin smooth. Weigh the figs, and allow pound for pound of white sugar ; make a sirup of a pint of water to a pound of sugar, seasoning with a teaspoonful of pure extract of lemon; and when it has boiled clear and been well skimmed put in the figs, and let them simmer gently until transparent, when they come legitimately under the category of green sweetmeats. Quick Way op Preparing Watermelon-rind. Scrape young and tender rinds on both sides. To one pound of rind add one ounce of alum; let them boil together slowly, with water enough to cover them, until they become yellow ; then put them into a vessel of cold water, where they must remain a short while ; then put them on the fire again, with weak vinegar and water mixed sufficient to cover them. After they become green pour them into cold water again, letting them stand ten or fifteen minutes — the exact length of time is not important. To every pound of rind put nearly two pounds of loafsugar (some persons put one pound and a half) and one pint of water. If there is not water enough to cover with sirup and keep the rind from burning add more. When the sirup is rich and clear the sweetmeats will be beautifully green and transparent. For flavoring put in white ginger, with the strained juice of one lemon and its thinly-pared rind, to each pound of preserve ; or, if you prefer, use two blades of mace and a teaspoonful of pure extract of lemon instead. Canned Peaches. To one pound of peaches allow half a pound of sugar ; to six pounds of sugar add half a tumbler of water ; put in the kettle a layer of sugar and one of peaches until the whole of both are in. Wash about eight peach-leaves, tie them up and put into the kettle, remembering to take them 260 VmomiA COOKSBT-BOOK. out when you begin to fill up the jars. Let the sugared fruit remain on the range, but away from the fire, until upon tipping the vessel to one side you can see some liquid ; then fill the jars^ taking them out of hot water, into which they were put when cold, remaining until it was made to boil around them. In this way you will find out if the glass has been properly annealed ; for we consider glass jars with stoppers screwing down upon indiarubber rings as the best for canning fruit in famiUes. They should be kept in a dark closet ; and although somewhat more expensive than tin in the first instance, are much nicer, and keep for years with careful usage. Fruit must be of fine flavor, and ripe though not sojty to make nice canned fruit. Stump the World, Honest Johns, and Mixens give greater satisfaction than any other varieties of which we know. The White Heath is not good for canning. Peaches should be thrown into cold water as they are peeled, to prevent a yellow crust. Apricots, greengage and egg plums are next in value to the peach as canning fruits. Bbandy Peachbs. Pare nice, firm, white peaches as thinly as possible. To a pound of fruit allow half a pound of white cut loaf-sugar for the formation of sirup. To six pounds of sugar add a pint and a half of water ; boil for ten minutes, then measure. To each pint of sirup add one pint of white brandy ; do this while the liquid is boiling hot, or else it may jelly or candy. Cook the first separately, using one pound and a half of sugar to six pounds of fruit, or rather more, if the fruit is very high-flavored. Put only enough of the fruit in to cook at a time to cover the bottom of the kettle, with sirup enough for them to boil till so soft that a fork may penetrate them easily ; take