OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES Apple Preserves.—Pippins are con sidered among the best apples for preserves. They may be cut in quar ters. Weigh, and to each pound al low a pound of granulated sugar and a half pint of boiling water. Place the sugar and water upon the stove and let it come to a boil. Continue to boil vigorously for about twenty to thirty minutes. Place the apples in the boiling sirup and allow them to simmer until about half done. Then grate the rind of 1 and the juice of 2 lemons into this, and allow the whole to cook slowly until it is possible to run a straw through each of the quarters.
When done, place in jars as before mentioned. Some people preserve ap ples in brass or copper kettles. Oth ers prefer bright new tins. But porcelain or graniteware are pref erable to either. Never, in any case, use an old half-worn tin, as both the sirup and preserves will have a much clearer appearance if cooked in new tin or porcelain.
Crab Apples.— No fruit is more adaptable to preserves and jellies than the crab apple. Each housewife has her own way of treating these favorite apples. The following are two which have proved very success ful: First prepare the fruit by cut ting out all decayed portions. Wash clean and place in a kettle with suf ficient water to entirely cover the fruit. The kettle should have a tight fitting lid. Boil the fruit over a moderate fire until it is soft enough to pierce with a straw. Then drain off the water through a coarse cloth or jelly bag. Set this water aside for jelly. When the apples have thus boiled they will have burst their skins, which are then easily removed. The cores may be taken out by bor ing them through from the blossom end with a goose quill or stick of equal thickness, observing care to press the stem end against the fingers in order not to break the apple. After this process the fruit is ready to pre serve.
Observe the following proportions: 4 pounds of fruit, 3 pounds of sugar, 1 pint of water. Put the sugar into the preserving kettle, allow it to set over the fire until it boils, then drop in the fruit. Boil until clear and place in a jar. If there is more sirup than will be needed, let it con tinue to boil down to the desired quantity. Then, while het, pour over
the fruit. Cover with a cloth just large enough to cover the top of the j ar and tie down. Before placing the cloth over the top of the jar dip the tops of the jars into bottle wax which may be made after the follow ing proportions: 2 parts of bees wax to 1 part of rosin. Add enough tallow or lard to keep it from crack ing. Then, while the whole is warm, draw the cloth tightly over the top of the jar and tie down.
Or cover the bottom of the preserv ing kettle with grape leaves, and put in the apples with a very little water. Do not allow them to boil, but let them simmer gently until they are yellow. Lift out of the vessel arid spread them on a large dish to cool, after which pare and core. Then put them back into the kettle with fresh vine leaves, under and over the fruit, and with a very little water. Place them over the fire until they are green, being careful not to let them boil. After this process remove them, weigh, and allow a pound of loaf sugar to a pound of crab apples, with just enough water to dissolve the sugar. When melted put the kettle on the fire, boil and skim the sirup. Then put in the fruit and boil until the apples are quite clear and soft. Place them. in jars, and pour the warm liquor over them. After they are thoroughly cooled tie up with brandied paper. This is a fa vorite Southern recipe for crab-apple preserves.
Apricot Preserves.—Pare the fruit very thin and stone it. Use sugar, pound for pound, with the fruit. Place in a porcelain, graniteware, or earthenware vessel a layer of fruit to a layer of sugar, and let stand for a day. Next day boil very gently until they are clear. Remove them into a bowl and pour the liquor over them. The following day pour the liquor into a quart of codlin liquor. This is made by boiling and straining a pound of fine sugar with just enough water to make a sirup. Let the whole boil quickly until it will jelly. Put the fruit into it and bring to a boil, being careful to remove all the scum. Then put up in small jars.