Evening star., 1900-10-27
PRESERVING TIME.
Some Recipes for Putting Up TOma-
toes and Other Delicacies.

toes and Other DelicHcieS.
From the New York Sun.
1t was the housewives glory in former
days to have her pantry shelves arranged
with rows and rows of glistenng jars Of
preserved fruit and jam. Here was vista
of color as exquisite to the eye of a con-
noisseur the tones of an old rug or the
shadings of cherished pipe. In the pre-
serve closet one was in a veritable orient.
There was the scarlet of currant and the
deeper crimson of cherries showing against
the dim murky greens of pickles Then
there were the gold of peaches, the deep
purplish red of plums, the Parian of pine
apple and the Pompeian tones of the to-
mato. To prepare these was one of her au-
tumn duties.
Tomatoes are capable of many preserving
processes. They may be put up with salt
and spice as a vegetable or a catsup and
again when cooked with ginger and sugar
and cloves they lose their identity as toma-
toes and are like the mystical preserves of
India. Such are the tomato figs made from
the small yellow tomatoes, now plentiful in
the markets. The tomatoes are first scald-
ed and the skins removed without breaking
the fruit, then weighed, allowing just half
as much sugar as there is fruit The toma-
toes and sugar are then packed in layers
in earthen jars and allowed to stand for
twenty-four hours. Then drain the juice
from the fruit, add to 1t pound of sugar
for each pint of juice; put them together
in preserving kettle over the fire and boil
them. When the syrup thus made is boil
ing put in the tomatoes and continue the
boiling until they look clear, removing all
scum as it rises. Pour the tomatoes into
earthen jars and let them stand for two
days. Again drain off the syrup. boil 1t up
once, pour it again over the fruit and let
them stand two days longer. AT the end
of that time take the tomatoes from the
syrup, lay them on seves or dishes and dry
them for week, putting them in the sun
every day and turning them over twice a
day. If the weather should be damp the
tomato figs should be dried in a warm
room When they are quite dry pack them
in wooden boxes with dry sugar between
the layers and keep them in a dry place.
A less elaborate sweet is the preserved to-
mato which may be made from the red or
the small yellow fruit, which must be ripe
and sound. Peel by scading, keeping the
fruit whole. Allow equal weight in sugar
and fruit, and for each pound of sugar
allow half a lemon, sliced thin, removing
the seeds. Put the sugar and the lemons in
the preserving kettle with just enough wa
ter to molsten the sugar, and slowly heat
it until it dissolves; boil it and skim it until
it is clear, then put in the tomatoes and
boil them gently for three-quarters of an
hour. Cool the tomatoes and put them
up according to the ordinary preserving
method.
Who that knows the delights of fresh
homemade tomato catsup can do anything
but sigh at the taste of the sort that one
methods of making this sauce as there are
ways of cooking eggs and the egg recipes
number hundreds. A comparatively simple
catSup is made from a peck of tomatoes,
an ounce of salt and mace, a tablespoon of
black pepper and an equal quantity of pow
dered cloves, a teaspoon of cayenne, seven
tablespoons of ground mustard and one of
celery seed.
These ingredients are cooked together,
the tomatoes being cut up without peeling
and put in the kettle and boiled until
juice. This is then strained through
sieve and replaced on the fire with the sea-
soning and cooked for about six hours,
stirring well. Let the mixture stand twelve
hours in cool place. When cold add
pint of strong vinegar. Then put up in bot
ties sealing the corks.
ounces are one of the plentiful autumn
fruits. October bringing a golden harvest
to the markets. They are one of the rich
est and sweetest fruits for putting up, and
preserved whole are the most tempting
looking of all the Jared dainties. Choose
rather small but firm, ripe fruit of even
size. scoop out the cores from the stem
ends, weigh and put the fruit in preserv-
ing kettle; cover it with boiling water and
boil it gently until it is tender, but not in
the least broken The cores and peelings
should be tied in thin cloth and boiled
with the fruit, which should be removed
when done.
Add to the water in which the fruit was
boiled one pound of sugar to each pound of
fruit, removing all scum as it rises and
over the fruit and let it stand over night.
The next day put the fruit and syrup into
the preserving kettle and boil them gently
until the fruit looks clear when it can be
taken from the syrup and put in the jars
Continue to boil the syrup until a little of
1t, cooled on saucer. jellies. Then pour
1t over the fruit. When the preserves are
cold close the jars air tight.
One of the old-fashioned beverages that
had its place with the cherry bounce, black
berry cordials and shrubs to be found in
the preserve pantries was made from a
large ripe pineapple, which was put with
out pairing in a glass jar and covered with
the best Jamaica rum The jar was closed
and allowed to stand for three days. Then
syrup was made by boiling together a
pound and a half of sugar and pint of
water, skimming the mixture until clear,
when it was strained and cooled. Half a
pint of fresh lime Juice was, strained into
this syrup. Then the pineapple was pressed
thoroughly into the rum to extract all its
juice, after which 1t was strained off. The
cold syrup was then mixed with the pine
apple rum and a quart more of the best
Jamaica rum added. 1t makes strenuous
and pleasing beverage.
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