RICH "pound for pound" preserves and jam can be put away without sealing; simply tie up with 2 or 3 thicknesses of paper over which put a cloth. Look at them occasionally and if signs of working appear, heating up thoroughly will sweeten them again. Remove carefully any mold that may show itself.

To prevent preserves and jams from sugaring add a teaspoon-ful of cream-tartar to every gallon of fruit before it is quite cooked. A very little tartaric acid will answer the same purpose.

Use small jars for preserves.

Preserves that are candied may be liquified by setting the jar in a kettle of cold water: Let the water boil continuously for an hour or more.

Preserves

The "pound for pound" custom of preserving fruit has been growing less for many years, though many still prefer the preserved to canned fruit. Rules for both methods of preparing fruit will be found in the following pages.

Berries, peaches, etc., may be packed in a jar in layers, with part of the sugar sprinkled between. Do this over night. It will be found to harden the fruit so that it will keep its form better when cooked, and will also permeate it more thoroughly with the sugar. Add the remainder of the sugar in the morning and proceed as usual.

Use porcelain, granite, iron kettles, or stone jars for preserving.

Fruits that require paring should be dropped into cold water as soon as peeled to prevent blackening.

Bon. preserves gently.

Clarifying Sugar

Clarify when brown sugar is used. With very nice white sugar this process is hardly necessary. Put the sugar in the preserving kettle, in the proportion of 1 cupful of water to 1 pound of sugar. To 5 pounds of sugar allow the beaten white of 1 egg added while the ingredients are cold. Set over a slow fire to dissolve,, stir well and let boil up once or twice. Take from the fire a minute, skim, return to the fire and let boil ten or fifteen minutes, removing and skimming each time, Then pour off the clear syrup, wash the kettle, pour back the syrup and put the fruit in to cook. This should not be too much crowded, and if there is not syrup enough,to cover the fruit, remove, add more water to the syrup and boil a few minutes before returning the fruit.

Pare fruit for preserving or canning with a silver knife that it may not blacken.

Sometimes when preserves are but slightly fermented simply pouring off the syrup, scalding it thoroughly and turning back over the fruit, will be sufficient. Sometimes the jar may be set in a moderate oven and kept there until thoroughly scalded, or in a kettle of cold water that is allowed to boil briskly for an hour.

Always use perfectly pure jars.

Peach Preserve

Pare and halve the peaches, removing the pits, or take the pits out and leave the peach as whole as possible. Allow for each pound of fruit 1 pound of white sugar. Dissolve the sugar in just enough cold water to saturate it, using ½ cupful to the pound. Stir well; let boil ten minutes and skim. Blanch 5 peach-pits or kernels for each pound of the fruit, put in the syrup and let remain. They are very ornamental to the preserves, besides giving a delicate flavor. Put in the peaches and cook until clear; about twenty minutes will answer. Remove from the kettle and set away in a cool place, cover closely, let stand two or three days, then turn the syrup off and boil until it thickens slightly; turn it boiling over the peaches." Put up in jars as directed for preserves at beginning of this chapter, or, if desired, they may be canned and sealed up. In canning, pack the peaches in the jar and pour the syrup over them.