Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/88

 alternately leaves and fruit till the pan is full, the top layer being leaves. Fill up with clear water and cover closely (if a milk dish, cover with another dish). Set by the side of the fire or over a very very slow fire, but do not let the fruit boil on any account. Drain the fruit and make a thin syrup with some of the juice; when cool pour over them, and set the pan again near the fire but not over it, so that the fruit may green without cracking or boiling. Then take out the apricots and let them stand for three or four days. Now make a thick rich syrup to which a little ginger may be added, and when the fruit is in the jars pour it over them.

Green peaches are also delicious done in this way.

To Preserve Grapes.—Grapes can be bottled and preserved for use with very little trouble. Pick them before they are quite ripe, break off the stalks, and put the fruit into wide mouthed bottles—pickle or fruit bottles—cork gently, if possible using new corks; now put the bottles into a pan of water, and let it boil till the fruit has shrunk somewhat; then beat in the corks tightly and pour hot resin over them. They will keep a year in this way, and make very good tarts and puddings.

To Preserve Green Peas.—Gather the peas early in the morning, shell them at once, and throw them into boiling water. When they have had one good boil, take them off, and when cold, spread them thickly over a wire seivesieve [sic] or tray and place in a cool oven so as to dry them gradually. Then bottle and cork down tightly. They will keep fresh for months.

Sham Ginger.

Ingredients: Young cucumbers, one stick of cinnamon, 1 oz. ground ginger, a little alum.

Mode: Get some young fresh cucumbers before they have made many seeds, split them and cut the pieces across, take out what seeds there are and let them remain in very strong brine for three days. Put cabbage leaves over them to keep them under water and cover the dish. After the three days remove and well wash in cold water, set them on to heat in cold water and a lump of alum the size of a nut. As the water heats keep adding a little till the cucumbers have become a bright green, which they will in a short time, and if they do not, change the water and let them heat as before, but they must not boil. Drain them and when cool pour over them a strong syrup (1lb. to a pint), in which the cinnamon, ginger (a little green ginger too if procurable) has been boiled. Let the syrup be thick and put the cucumbers into it for two or three days; then strain it off and boil again for a few minutes; when boiling, return them and let them boil together for five or ten minutes. Put into jars and when cold, tie down.

Preserved Melon Rind.

Ingredients: Melon rinds, sugar, ginger, lemons.

Mode: In the melon season the rinds can be saved till there is a sufficient quantity to preserve. Peel off a thin layer of the outer green and cut up the remainder into dice shaped pieces. Soak in salt and water overnight. In the morning drain and put into the preserving pan with ¾ lb. of sugar to each lb. of melon, and one teaspoonful of ground ginger to every 3 or 4 lbs.; one lemon to each 1 lb. (not squeezed, but just sliced). Let this stand for five hours before cooking; then boil quickly till quite tender.

Preserved Melon Rind. (Another way).

Ingredients: Melon rinds, alum, syrup.

Mode: Soak the melon in salt and water in which is also some alum. This has the effect of hardening the fruit so that it will not boil soft but will remain in hard pieces like the Chinese Chow Chow. When well soaked, take out, drain and dry in the sun, while making a strong syrup. Then throw in the small dice while the