In midwinter, empty fruit jars and jelly tumblers begin to accumulate, and the housewife looks with dismay at gaps on the shelves of her preserve closet. The stock, which must be made to spin out till fresh fruit is in plenty, may be added to occasionally, however, even when the markets display nothing but apples, oranges, grapefruit and cranberries. The possibility for midwinter preserves is by no means limited, and the result is sometimes quite appetizing. The British cook realizes the goodness of oranges as a preserving fruit; the orange marmalade set before one with hot rolls at a real Scotch breakfast table is a combination not readily forgotten.

Apple Jelly

If you own a barrel of apples and they begin to spot slightly, as even the best apples will do during the winter, it is economy to pick them over frequently and use all the specked apples for jelly. Pick out with a sharp knife every morsel of decay, then wash the apples well in cold water, rubbing them with a cloth; for winter stored apples have a faculty for accumulating dirt. Cut the fruit into thin slices, using both cores and skins. To each quart of apples add one pint of cold water, and set in a kettle over the fire in a large preserving kettle. If the apples are rather flavorless, add one lemon, finely sliced, to two quarts of apples. Stir frequently to prevent the fruit from burning. When it is reduced to a mush, pour it into a jelly bag of crash or flannel which has been wrung from hot water. Hang it to drain for twentyfour hours in as warm a place as possible.

There is a large amount of gelatinous substance in apples. When gelatine is chilled, of course it solidifies, so if a jelly bag cools before the juice has run out quite an amount of it is lost. An excellent winter method for jelly making is to keep the bag suspended as near as possible to a hot register. Allow for each pint of juice one pint of sugar. Set the juice to boil for twenty minutes and put the sugar to heat in a moderate oven. After the boilingdown process is done, pour in the heated sugar, when the bubbling will scarcely be interrupted. Pour it in heated tumblers after five minutes' cooking. Leave it to cool, then cover with para fine. One secret of quick and perfect jellying is to have everything which comes in contact with the juice quite hot.

Apple Ginger Preserved Figs

Apple Ginger pare two and a half pounds of sour apples, core and chop them coarse. Put in a saucepan with a pound and a half of brown sugar, the rind and juice of one and a half lemons, half an ounce of gingerroot and one cup of cold water. Let the fruit come to boil, then set back on the stove where it will merely simmer for four or five hours. Stir occasionally to keep it from burning. Put hot into jars and seal.

Blackberry Jam

Blackberry jam is made after the same receipt. Take one quart of berries from each gallon. Heat them and strain the juice, adding it to the berries and thus avoiding too many seeds.

Brandied Cherries. And Other Fruits

Have perfectly ripe, but not overripe, sound, sweet cherries. Keep their stems by cutting them short, or carefully free the fruit wholly from stems. Drop the cherries, a few at a time, in a boiling syrup made of a pint of water and half a pound of sugar. When they have boiled three to five minutes, lift out and lay them on plates. Allow to cool and to dry as they cool. They should be perfect in form. Make a second syrup twice as sweet as the first; that is, use a pound of sugar to a pint of water. After the syrup boils clear, set it aside to cool. Carefully pack the cherries in glass jars. To the cooled second syrup add its same liquid measure of the best brandy. Pour the mixed syrup and brandy over the cherries in the jars, seal, and set in a dry, dark, cool fruit closet

Other fruits may be brandied by this receipt

CrabApple Jelly

Choose redskin crabs. Wash, cut off all spots and blemishes, and quarter, keeping the peel and the cores. Put in a preserving kettle with enough water to rise in sight. Boil gently till the apples are tender and falling to pieces. Put in a jelly bag preferably a flannel bag and let the juice drip into an earthen bowl. If you squeeze the pulp the jelly will be cloudy. Measure the juice by pints and allow a pound of sugar to each pint. Simmer at the bubbling point a full twenty minutes. Then put in the sugar, which you have weighed and heated. Cook five minutes at a bubbling point. If you test on a saucer you will find the syrup a jelly. If by any inadvertence or inaccuracy it is not a jelly, cook longer. Finally put in jelly glasses while hot. After the jelly hardens, lay on top brandied paper and cover tight. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.

Cranberry Cats up

If the cats up supply is running low, replenish with a delicious substitute made from cranberries. Cook together ten pounds of the berries, one quart of vinegar, five pounds of brown sugar, three tablespoons of cinnamon, two tablespoons of allspice, one tablespoon each of cloves and salt, and quarter of a teaspoon of cayenne. Boil slowly till thick, then strain and bottle.

Spiced Cranberries

This abundant winter fruit makes an excellent relish when spiced. Boil together three and a half pounds of brown sugar, two cups of vinegar, two tablespoons each of ground cinnamon and allspice, and one tablespoon of ground cloves. When this has been cooked to a syrup, add five pounds of cranberries. Simmer slowly for two hours. Put away in a covered stone jar.