Page:The dainty sweet book, from the International cooking library (1903).djvu/31

 throw the limes into boiling water. As soon as soft, take them out one by one, drop them into cold water. Change this water several times.

To turn them green again, put two gallons of water in an upturned copper pan. Add two large handfuls of cooking salt, one cup of vinegar and several handfuls of fresh spinach. Stand this kettle on the fire and let boil for a few minutes, drain the limes and throw into the boiling kettle, boil up several times. Take the basin from the fire. Let stand until cold, when they will have resumed their natural color; drain off the liquid and let the limes soak in fresh water for about fourteen hours, changing the water frequently. Prepare a fifteen degree syrup. When boiling, drain the limes and throw them into this, boil up and then put in a vessel and leave for twelve hours. The following day, pour off the syrup and boil it to sixteen degrees and pour it once more over the limes, leaving it for twelve hours; drain the syrup again, boil until it reaches twenty degrees. Pour it over the limes and leave for twelve hours longer, repeating this process every twelve hours until the syrup reaches thirty-two degrees; then pour it back into the kettle. When boiling, throw in the limes and boil for two minutes; put into small stone jars, and when cool, seal hermetically.

JELLIED CHERRIES

To three pounds of stoned sour cherries, take one pound of currant juice, and a handful of crushed kernels, tied up in a gauze bag, so they can be removed when the fruit is cooked. Put the cherries in a copper pan on a slow fire and reduce to about half, then add three pounds of granulated cane sugar and the pound of currant juice in which the kernels have been steeped. Continue to boil steadily until a little tried on a saucer will not spread. Now add half a gill of kirsch wasser (cherry brandy), put at once into jelly glasses. Place in a cool place, and when cold, cover with paraffin and put on the tin covers.

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES

Heat and strain ripe blackberries and to one pint of juice add one pound of granulated sugar, one-fourth ounce of powdered cinnamon, one-fourth ounce of mace, one teaspoonful of cloves. Boil all together for twenty minutes, strain the liquid and to each pint, add a gill of French brandy. Put away in small bottles. 25