Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/467

 PRESERVES, JELLIES, ETC. 427

When all the minutiae of these directions are attended to, the fruit will remain unbroken and present a beautiful and inviting appearance.

PRESERVED QUINCES.

PARE, core and quarter your fruit, then weigh it and allow an equal quantity of white sugar. Take the parings and cores and put in a pre- serving kettle ; cover them with water and boil for half an hour ; then strain through a hair-sieve, and put the juice back into the kettle and boil the quinces in it a little at a time until they are tender; lift out as they are done with a drainer and lay on a dish ; if the liquid seems scarce add more water. When all are cooked, throw into this liquor the sugar, and allow it to boil ten minutes before putting in the quinces ; let them boil until they change color, say one hour and a quarter, on a slow fire ; while they are boiling occasionally slip a silver spoon under them to see that they do not burn, but on no account stir them. Have two fresh lemons cut in thin slices, and when the fruit is being put in jars lay a slice or two in each. Quinces may be steamed until tender.

PRESERVED PEARS.

ONE pound of fruit, one pound of sugar ; pare off the peeling thin. Make a nice syrup of nearly one cupful of water and one pound of sugar, and when clarified by boiling and skimming put in the pears and stew gently until clear. Choose rather pears like the Seckle for preserving, both on account of the flavor and size. A nice way is to stick a clove in the blossom end of each pear, for this fruit seems to re- quire some extraneous flavor to bring out its own piquancy. Another acceptable addition to pear preserves may be found instead, by adding the juice and thinly pared rind of one lemon to each five pounds of fruit. If the pears are hard and tough, parboil them until tender be- fore beginning to preserve, and from the same water take what you need for making their syrup.

If you can procure only large pears to preserve, cut them into halves, or even slices, so that they can get done more quickly, and lose nothing in appearance, either.

PINEAPPLE PRESERVES.

TWIST off the top and bottom and pare off the rough outside of pine- apples ; then weigh them and cut them in slices, chips or quarters, or

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