PRESERVES.

GREEN SWEETMEATS.

A Delicious Preserve.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles B. Maury, Washington, D. C.

Pare the rind off of the watermelon and cut in shapes, and if you wish to have it green put it into kettle with alternate layers of grape leaves and small bits of alum. Then pour on hot water and let boil 2 hours, then put fruit in weak ginger water and let simmer for 3 hours. Then make your syrup, allowing to every pound of fruit 1¼ lbs. of sugar, 1 pt. of water; skim constantly and put in rind. Let simmer until tender, take fruit out and boil syrup until quite thick, pour over rind, which place in jars, letting syrup cover them well, and seal.

GREEN SWEETMEATS. THE BEST.

Contributed by Mrs. Lewis N. Webb, Washington, D. C.

Carefully pare with a very sharp knife your watermelon rind, taking off the outer green and leaving just the firm white rind about a quarter of an inch. After cutting rind in shapes you desire, put your rind into salt and water for 10 days, then clear water for 24 hours, changing water once. Then throw in strong alum water for 24 hours. Now throw rinds in a pot of water, add 2 tablespoonsful of ground ginger, cover your rinds with grape leaves, and boil until rinds are green. Now place them in cold water, changing water until rind is cold. Prepare a thin syrup of ½ lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of rind and let rinds simmer slowly, adding a few blades of mace. Let them stand in this syrup for 10 days or 2 weeks. Then put to this syrup 1½ lbs. of sugar to 1 lb. of rind, and after the syrup boils well put in rinds and let boil until clear. Boil 3 or 4 lemons in clear water and when tender add them to your syrup. Put in jars and cover closely.

BRANDIED PEACHES.

A receipt from Mrs. J. D. Martinez Cardeza, Claymont, Delaware, from Historic Harewood, on the Smithfield Pike, near Charlestown, W. Va. The manor house was built under the superintendence of General George Washington, by his brother, Colonel Samuel Washington, in 1752, and many a pretty maid, stately matron and gallant gentleman of Virginia has rejoiced in the hospitality of the Washingtons at Harewood. A list of their names would be a list of all the famous “F. F. V.’s.” This old receipt is from an old book of Mrs. Samuel Washington of “Harewood,” Virginia, bearing date 1822, and copied by her daughter, Mrs. Lucy E. Washington, of “Harewood,” in 1840.

Contributed by Her Granddaughter, Mrs. John M. Cardeza, Claymont, Del.

Take large yellow or white clingstone peaches (not too ripe), rub off the down with a flannel cloth and score them down the rind with a needle. Scald them with boiling water, let them remain until cold, keeping them well covered all the time to enable the steam to go thoroughly through them. Take them out and spread them in a cloth to dry. Make your syrup, allowing a pound of sugar to every twelve peaches, a gill and a half of water to sugar, white of one egg. Boil sugar well and skim until it becomes perfectly clear. Then put in the peaches, let them come to a good boil, let them stand in syrup until next day, then add the brandy, 1 pt. to each pound of peaches. Put them in a sealed jar.

PEACH ENCHO.

Anna Ledyard Cuyler (1845).

Contributed by Miss Josephine Barry Meeks, Orange, N. J.

Seven lbs. fruit sliced or halved, 3½ lbs. sugar, 1 pt. vinegar. Put a couple tablespoons of whole cinnamon or cassia buds, and 1 tablespoon whole cloves in a lace bag. Tie up closely, and boil it until sufficiently spiced, then remove. Boil fruit until thick as marmalade, then bottle.

PINEAPPLE PRESERVES.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles B. Maury, Washington, D. C.

Cut from pineapple a part of the stem, leaving about 1 or 2 inches on the fruit. Put in a pot of water (I prefer copper, never an iron one). It will take some hours on fire, 5 or more. Test fruit by running a straw through; don’t let it get too soft. When this can be done, take off, peel carefully taking out eyes, slice in thick slices, cut out core, weigh, and to each lb. of fruit 1½ lbs. granulated sugar. Put fruit and layers of sugar alternately and set aside until morning in stone or earthen jar. Cover top well with sugar. In the morning drain off syrup with every particle of sugar, scraping from every piece of fruit with silver knife. Put on fire, after it comes to a boil skim well. When it comes to a boil after skimming, throw in fruit carefully, cook 10 minutes, take out fruit, place carefully in jars. Let syrup cook until it thickens. Then pour over fruit, covering well with syrup.

TO BRANDY PEACHES.

1806.

Miss Nancy Cope’s recipe, a celebrated Philadelphian, a contemporary and an intimate friend of Mrs. Margaret Coleman Hemphill.

Contributed by Mrs. Francis Taylor Chambers, Philadelphia, Pa.

To 1 lb. of Heath peaches, ½ lb. of loaf sugar. To get off the skin they must be thrown into a lye made of scalding potash, when after remaining a few minutes they may be taken out and rubbed clean with a coarse cloth and thrown into cold water. To make the syrup in which they are to be boiled, strew some of the sugar over the peaches, which makes liquid enough to dissolve the remainder, in which boil them three quarters of an hour; they must then be taken out of the syrup and laid on dishes until the following day. Then to 1 pt. of syrup add 1 pt. of white brandy, mix them well together and cover the peaches with it as you lay them in your jars, which must be closed very tight.

STUFFED APPLES.

A recipe from a written recipe book compiled from Mrs. R. O. Pritchard’s collected and original recipes, of New Orleans, by Mrs. Theodore Shute, New Orleans, 1894.

Contributed by Mr. Herbert L. Clark, Philadelphia, Pa.

Take 10 good sized sound apples (not sweet). Core them, removing as much of the inside as possible without making too thin. Chop fine two of the same kind of apples, also ½ tumbler of seeded raisins, ¼ of pecans after being picked out, the raisins cut with scissors, the pecans chopped fine. Mix with them butter and sugar and stuff the apples. Bake and add a teaspoonful of sherry to each apple. Serve with whipped cream, to which add a little sherry, the cream put over the apples. After placing in dish mount top of each with candied cherry.

CURRANT AND RAISIN JAM.

Contributed by Miss Elisa Sinclair Lyon, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Three and one half lbs. currants, 3 lbs. sugar, 1 lb. raisins, 2 oranges. First, seed the raisins, and put a pint of water on them, and boil for 1 hour. While raisins are cooking, pick over the currants, squeeze the juice from the oranges, and keep the peel. Then put orange juice and peel with the currants, and let boil 15 minutes. Finally, put all together, and boil the whole for 15 minutes more. Then fill glasses while hot, and afterwards seal.

ORANGE MARMALADE.

Contributed by Mrs. Portieux Robinson, Richmond, Va.

Slice and chop in fine pieces 6 oranges and 2 lemons; to 1 qt. of fruit juice and rind add 1 qt. of cold water. Let stand over night. In the morning boil until tender, set aside again. Next day weigh, and add 1¼ lbs. of sugar to each lb. of fruit. Boil until chips of orange look clear and the syrup jellies.

BRANDIED PEACHES.

Contributed by Mrs. Elsie Ramee Arguimbau, New York (1845).

White peaches, free stones, brush the down off, stick each with a large needle in several places and put in cold water to cover them, put kettle on moderate fire, keep it scalding hot without boiling, until the fruit will yield to the touch, then put them carefully with a skimmer into cold water, let them remain 10 minutes, then drain, then cover with fresh water and remain 15 minutes, drain again and cover lastly with cold, and stand 10 minutes. Take ¾ lb. sugar to each lb. of fruit, one small teacup of water to each lb. of sugar; put on fire and boil until thick, then add an equal quantity of white brandy and pour over fruit.

FIG PRESERVES.

Mrs. Gabriel Benoist Shields (nee Catherine Surget, of Natchez, Miss. 1817).

Contributed by Miss Louise Puquet du Bellet, of Natchez, Miss.

Take figs nearly ripe. Cut them across on the top in the form of a cross. Let them remain in strong salted water for 3 days, changing water every day. After 3 days boil them in fresh water with grape or fig leaves until quite green. Then put in cold water for 3 days, changing water twice daily. After this add 1 lb. of white sugar to each lb. of figs, and put on to boil for a short while. Remove from the fire and put aside for a day or two, after which add 2 or more lbs. of sugar, and boil again until done. While the figs are boiling, add either sliced lemon or root ginger to your taste.

PRALINES—CREOLE.

Contributed by Mrs. G. H. Ellerbe, New Orleans, La.

Eight cups of sugar, 8 cups of chopped pecans, 2½ cups of water. Let sugar and water syrup and come to a boil, cook until it ropes, then add nuts and stir until cool. A few drops of vanilla may be added if desired.

TO PRESERVE QUINCES WHITE.

Miss Gibbs, of Boston, September 24th, 1812.

Contributed by Mr. & Mrs. John Cadwalader, Philadelphia, Pa.

To three pounds of loaf sugar put 3 half pints of water and whites and shells of 3 eggs, boil and skim well, until it is clear, and put the quinces on the fire in cold water; let them simmer until they are tender, let them cool a little, pare them with a sharp knife, cut them in quarters, take out the core and all hard or bruised parts; put the quinces in the preserving pan with syrup enough to cover them, allowing for evaporation; cover the preserving pan until they begin to boil, then uncover them and skim them constantly, till they look transparent, when they will be done. Pour a little syrup in the bottom of the jar, then put a slice of quince, then pour a little syrup, and so on until the jar is nearly filled. The remainder of the syrup should be boiled the next day and poured over the quinces.

YELLOW TOMATO PRESERVE.

Contributed by Mrs. W. Hinckle Smith, Philadelphia, Pa.

One lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of tomatoes, and ¼ pt. of water for each pound. Flavor with sliced lemon which has been boiled before slicing, and ginger root. Tomatoes may be strained or not, as one pleases, but skin the tomatoes. Make syrup of water and sugar. When boiling add tomatoes and lemon slices and ginger. Boil till clear, then remove fruit and boil syrup until thick.

PECAN MACAROONS.

Mrs. Oliver Bonsh, Austin, Texas.

Contributed by Mrs. Robert L. Pollard, Austin, Texas.

Three fourths of a lb. of pecans cut in bits, ½ lb. light brown sugar, 3 eggs, whites only, a little cinnamon; whip eggs, add sugar and nuts. If eggs are large, add more pecans. Bake on paper in cool oven nearly 2 hours.

MARSHMALLOWS.

Contributed by Miss Josephine B. Meeks, Orange, N. J.

Dissolve ½ lb. of clear white gum arabic in 1 pt. of water. Strain and add ½ lb. of refined sugar, place over the fire and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved, and the mixture has become like honey. Then add the whites of 4 eggs previously beaten. Keep stirring the mixture until it becomes thin and does not adhere to the fingers. Flavor with rose or vanilla and pour into a pan dusted over with powdered starch. When cool divide into squares.

PECAN KISSES.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles B. Maury, Washington, D. C.

Take 1 jelly glass of pecan kernels, having the nuts as nearly in halves as possible. Into the white of 6 eggs put 14 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Have the spoons a little more than level full. Mix sugar and eggs well and beat thoroughly, long and well, until they are stiff enough and will stand on paper without running. Beat in lightly the pecans and drop on smooth brown paper and bake in a moderate oven.

BRANDY STRAWBERRIES.

Miss Marie Louise Hoxie, Philadelphia, Pa., 1858.

Contributed by Mrs. W. Hinckle Smith, Philadelphia, Pa.

One lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of fruit, boil 3 to 5 minutes. To 7 lbs. of fruit, 1 pt. of brandy after it cools.

GINGERED PEARS.

Grandma Minor.

Contributed by Miss Katharine Willcox, Westport, Conn.

Eight lbs. sliced pears (thin), 4 lbs. sugar or less (3 lbs.), 1 cup water, juice of 4 lemons, and rinds cut thin, ⅛ lb. green ginger root in pieces. Cook until thick as marmalade.

WINE JELLY.

Madam Stephen Ward, East Chester, N. Y. (1760).

Contributed by Miss Eliza Sinclair Lyon, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

One pt. good sherry or Madeira, 1 lb. sugar, whites and shells of 4 eggs, 2 oz. isinglass, juice of 4 lemons, rind of 1 lemon. Last of all add 3 pints of boiling water, and let it come to a boil. When it does so, boil for 15 minutes, take out the egg shells and strain through a thick woolen jelly bag until clear. Pour in moulds and put away to cool.

GRAPE JAM.

Contributed by Miss Eliza Sinclair Lyon, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Six lbs. grapes, 2 lbs. raisins, 4 lbs. sugar, 4 large oranges. Boil the grapes (the pulp) until soft enough to rub through a colander, then add to skins and boil 10 minutes, then add sugar and cook 20 minutes, then add raisins and orange peel, and cook all together until jellied. The raisins must be seeded and chopped, and only the yellow rind of the orange chopped fine. This is really a recipe for tart plums.

ORANGE MARMALADE.

M. E. Leager, Goderich, Lake Huron.

Contributed by Mrs. Wm. A. Glasgow, Jr.

Thirteen oranges, 4 lemons, 8 lbs. of sugar. Slice very thin right through the fruit. Take out the seeds in slicing. Put in a stone jar and add 4 qts. of water. Let it stand for 36 hours, then boil 1 hour and a half. Add sugar and boil for 1 hour, when it should jelly. Do not use ends of fruit.

COUSIN MARION’S GREEN TOMATO PRESERVE.

To a pound of tomatoes, ½ lb. of sugar and a lemon. To each 7 lbs. of tomatoes, 2 oz. of green ginger. Slice tomatoes and lemons, put sugar and all together, boil until nicely soft, add a very little water.

CARAMEL ALMONDS.

Adelaide Y. Chilton, Goderich, Lake Huron.

Contributed by Mrs. Wm. A. Glasgow, Jr.

Blanch a cupful of almonds and add to them 2 tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Place the cup on the back of the range for an hour, then drain the nuts and spread in a shallow pan. Cook them in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes. Put 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar in a frying pan and stir over the fire until the sugar turns liquid. Instantly add the browned almonds and stir for half a minute. Spread them on a plate to cool.

PEACH LEATHER.

Contributed by Mrs. Susan Lymar Morris Bruce, Chestnut Hill, Pa.

A Famous Old Southern Receipt.

Take a peck of soft free stone peaches, pound them, press the pulp through a coarse sieve and to 4 qts. of pulp add 1 pt. of good brown sugar. Mix them well together and boil about 2 minutes. Spread the paste on plates and put them in the sun every day until the paste on plates looks dry and will leave the plates readily by passing a knife around the edge of the cakes. Dust some white sugar over the rough side and roll them up. Like sweet wafers, if kept in a dry place they will keep for several months. If weather is hot, three days will dry them.

PECAN KISSES.

Mrs. Philip Harding, Vicksburg, Miss.

Contributed by Mrs. Robert L. Pollard, Austin, Texas.

One jelly glass of kernels, into the whites of 6 eggs put ¼ tablespoon granulated sugar, a little more than level full, and beat until stiff enough to drop on paper without running. Add broken nuts and bake in moderate oven. It is best to turn baking pans upside down while baking.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL.

Contributed by Miss Caroline Duer, New Jersey.

One half lb. of Baker’s chocolate, ⅜ lb. butter, 1 cup cream, 2½ cups molasses, 2½ cups chop chocolate, add sugar and cream, mix them and put on to boil, adding butter from time to time. Boil about 20 minutes, or when brittle when dropped in water. Flavor with vanilla at last.

TO PRESERVE QUINCES.

Mrs. Samuel Powel, Philadelphia, Pa. (1800).

Contributed by Mr. & Mrs. John Cadwalader, Philadelphia, Pa.

Pare and core the quinces, then put them in cold water, and let them coddle for about ½ hour; take them out, and to 5 lbs. of quinces allow 4 lbs. of sugar, which must be wetted with a little water and well skimmed; then put your quinces in and cover them very close till they are boiled enough. Tie a few seeds in a piece of rag, and boil them with the syrup; it will help to thicken it. Reserve ¾ lb. sugar, which, when the quinces are boiled enough, you add to the syrup.

MINT CREAM.

Mrs. Elwood Newton, Manitou, Col.

Contributed by Mrs. Robert L. Pollard, Austin, Texas.

One lb. of sugar, 6 tablespoons of water, one-third teaspoon cream tartar, 6 drops oil of peppermint. Boil 3 minutes, add cream of tartar and peppermint, removing from fire and stir until it creams. Drop on oil paper.

CARAMELS.

Mary Rice.

Contributed by Miss Josephine Barry Meeks, Orange, N. J.

One cup of grated Baker’s chocolate, ½ teacup of milk, 2 cups of brown sugar. Piece of butter size of walnut. Boil hard for 15 minutes in a flat pan and test by dropping in cold water.