Raspberries

Weigh the fruit, and if you wish a rich jellied preserve, allow a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit but one, take that one pound, put it in your preserving-kettle, and mash it as fine as possible; then strain it through a thick cloth or jelly-bag, squeezing out every drop of juice, set it aside, wash out the kettle and wipe it dry, return the juice to the kettle, and put the sugar in it. When the sugar is all dissolved, put in the fruit, and boil it quite fast for twenty minutes, skimming it well; then fill your jars, and let them stand in a cool place for twenty-four hours, uncovered, then close them, making them air-tight, and set away. You may preserve strawberries in the same way, taking the juice of a quart of strawberries.

Cherries

For making a handsome preserve, take either morellas or fine large pie-cherries, take out the pits, saving all the juice, weigh them, allow pound for pound, put them with their juice into your preserving-kettle alternately with the sugar, set them back on the range or stove where they will not cook until the sugar is all dissolved, then bring them to a boil, and cook gently for half an hour or longer, if they are not clear; fill your jars, and set them in a cool place uncovered until next day, then close them up air-tight. The screw jars are the best to keep all kinds of fruit in, either preserved of canned. Take off the scum as it arises from the fruit whilst boiling.

Preserved Peaches

Pare and halve the peaches, taking out the stones, make a syrup of half a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit, with a very little water, not more than half a teacupful; put the peaches in, and boil them fifteen minutes, skimming them well, and when done, put them in air-tight jars and keep in a cool place-Yellow peaches are generally the finest flavored; the white peaches the handsomest preserves.

How To Preserve Peaches For Shells Or Pies

Pare the fruit, cut in half and take out the stones; for every pound of peaches allow half a pound of light-brown sugar, put them over the fire in the sugar without any water, stew them very gently for nearly an hour, or until perfectly clear, skimming them well; put them in large air-tight jars. They make a very nice pie, or to be used on shells through the winter.

Strawberries

Procure fine large strawberries, and to each pound allow one pound of sifted sugar, put part of the sugar on a large dish; as you hull the berries, lay them on the sugar until it is covered, then scatter more sugar over them, hull more strawberries and put over the sugar; continue until the berries are ready for the kettle; be careful not to put more fruit on a dish than will boil in your kettle; allow about six pounds of fruit to one preserving-kettle. By the time the strawberries are hulled, there will be juice enough to preserve them in without adding any water, which spoils this delicate fruit. Put them over the fire in a preserving-kettle, and cook gently for twenty minutes, or until clear, skimming them well. When done, put them in screw jars, leaving the covers off until next day.