Take the stalks from the fruit, which should be a highly-flavoured sort, quite ripe, and gathered in dry weather; weigh, and put them into large wide-necked bottles, and to each pound pour about a pint and a half of fine, pale, white wine vinegar. Tie a thick paper over them, and let the strawberries remain from three to four days; then pour off the vinegar, and empty them into a jelly-bag, or suspend them in a cloth, that all the liquid may drop from them without pressure: take an equal weight of fresh fruit, pour the vinegar upon it, and three days afterwards repeat the same process, diminishing a little the proportion of strawberries, of which the flavour ought ultimately to overpower the vinegar. In three days drain off the liquid, and, after having strained it through a flannel bag, weigh it, and mix it with an equal quantity of highly refined sugar, roughly powdered; when this is nearly dissolved, stir the syrup over a very clear fire until it has boiled five minutes, and skim it thoroughly; pour it into a delicately clean pitcher; throw a folded cloth over, and let it remain until the morrow; then put it into pint or half pint bottles, and cork them tightly with new corks, not pressed in too tightly at first, as the bottles would be liable to burst.

In four or five days they may be closely corked, and stored in a dry and cool place.

A dessertspoonful to a tumbler of water for drinking.

Raspberry Vinegar

Put a pound of sifted loaf sugar to a pint of raspberry juice; mix it well together, and then strain it; to every pint of syrup put three half pints of white wine vinegar; fine fruit is preferred, as the syrup must be as thick as cream. Let it stand one day, then put it into bottles.

Raspberry Vinegar And Drink

Pour one gallon of brown vinegar on two gallons of raspberries; let it stand forty-eight hours, and then strain it through a flannel bag without pressure.

Raspberry Drink

To one pint of the above add two pounds of lump sugar; when quite dissolved, to be mixed with cold water as a beverage.

The vinegar will keep for years.