The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-09-12

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/ For canning or preserving choos,
always the very best fruit. It should
be thoroughly ripe, but firm and
sound. In pealling be very careful te
cut out all bruised spots. Rejec,
whatever has the least track of de-
cay; it is ripe for the fermentation
and may ruin the whole batch. To
keep apples, pears, and peaches firm
and well-colored, wash and drain
we'll before pairing, drop each one as
the rind comes off into clear lime
water, and let stay till all are
finished. Take out upon a sieve,
and rinse by pouring clear water
through. If for canning, pack close
in your jars, and set in cold water
up to the neck. Bring it to boil,
while you make syrup of half pound
of sugar and halt pint of water to
each pound. Cook five minutes
after the sugar melts. Skim well,
and I'LL the cans brimful of it. Let
them stand two minutes, then fill
again if it has sunk below the top.
Press the fruit we'll below it with
the back of the spoon, and seal at
once. If the cans are of glass, be
careful to set them on something
warm when they are removed from
the water. A sudden chill will burst
them, and make all your labor vain.
For DELEGATE fruit. such as straw
berries, make the syrup thicker
about three quarters of sugar to The
half-piut of water. Choose large
firm berries, handling them as lightly
and as little as possible; boil your
syrup ten minutes, OF until it ropes
a little; then drop in the berries,
handful at the time. AS the kettle
boils again, take them out with
skinner, and pack down in a hot
jar. Keep on scalding a few at
time till all are doue; then boil the
syrup till it ropes freely, pour over
them till the fruit is completely
covered, drop teaspoonful of brandy
in the top Of each jar, and seal while
boiling hot. The secret of success is
never to put in fruit except when
your kettle is on the full boil. and
not to add enough to check it but
very slight. Fruit so treated keeps
shape, color and flavor-all of which
are by ordinary methods almost
wholly lost
For preserves allow FIVE pounds
best sugar to each four of pared fruit.
After rinsing, drain for a minute:
then pack in layers with the sugar
in a deep stone jar. Let stand
twenty-four hours in a cool place.
Pour off the syrup into a scrupul-
ously bright kettle, boil it for tn
minutes skimming very closely; tn, n
pour over the fruit, and let it stand
another day. Drain off again, bring
to boil, and add the fruit after you
have skinned it well. Keep it
boiling briskly, neither very fast nor
slow. Never overcrowd your kettle,
nor use one that is very large. The
why no woman hath discovered. but
the fact remains that for beautiful
clear pink or golden jellies and
preserves you must cook only a
moderate quantity at once. If the
heat is just right, in two hours your
fruit will be clear and sugary all
through. Take it out with the
skinner, and lay on broad dishes.
Boil the syrup till it is like honey,
adding if you like it, the strained
juice of three lemons, along with
their peel boiled in clear water until
a straw will pierce it. Ifginger is
preferred, soak two races overnight
in half pint of water, and add the
whole to your syrup before boiling
down. When it is thick enough,
pack your fruit delicately in glass or
stone jars, and cover an inch deep
with the syrup. Lay a branded
paper in the mouth of each, and tie
down securely, but do not SEAL
Harper's Bazaar.