This recipe may also be used with currants; use five pounds of sugar instead of four and one-half pounds.

GREEN OR YELLOW PLUM TOMATO PRESERVES

Wash and dry four pounds of small yellow or green tomatoes and prick each one in five or six places.  Stir three pounds of sugar in one-half cup boiling water until dissolved; add the tomatoes and cook until clear.  When half done add the juice and the rind of two lemons sliced very thin.  When the fruit is clear remove it with a skimmer; put in small jars, filling them two-thirds full.  Boil the syrup fast for a few minutes longer or until thick and syrupy, fill up the jars; cover with a cloth until the next day; then cover closely and stand away in a cool place.

SPICED OR PICKLED APPLES

Pare the apples, “Pound Sweets” are best; crab-apples may be pickled the same way, but do not pare.  Leave on the stems and put into a kettle with alternate layers of sugar; take four pounds of white sugar to nine pounds of fruit, and spice with an ounce of cinnamon bark and half an ounce of cloves, removing the heads.  Heat slowly to a boil with a pint of water; add the vinegar and spices, and boil until tender.  Take out the fruit with a perforated skimmer and spread upon dishes to cool.  Boil the syrup thick; pack the apples in jars and pour the syrup over them boiling hot.  Examine them in a week’s time, and should they show signs of fermenting pour off the syrup and boil up for a few minutes, and pour over the fruit scalding, or set the jars (uncovered) in a kettle of cold water and heat until the contents are boiling, and then seal.

PRESERVED BLACKBERRIES

Weigh the fruit and allow a pound of sugar to every pound of fruit.  Tie spices in a bag, such as cloves and cinnamon, and make a thick syrup of the sugar before you put in the berries.  Boil half an hour and seal when cold.

PICKLED CRAB-APPLES

Select tart, firm, red or yellow crab-apples, three quarts; remove all decayed spots but leave the stems.  Put three cups of cider vinegar, three cups of sugar, and one cup of water in preserving kettle; let boil two minutes, add two tablespoons of cloves and two sticks of cinnamon broken; these spices must be tied in a bag, and let cook ten minutes.  Lift out carefully with perforated skimmer, put in glass jars.  When all the apples have been cooked, pour over enough syrup to cover; set spice bag away in a cup.  Cover jars and let stand twenty-four hours.  Pour off syrup and boil again.  Wait two days, then boil apples, sugar, with spice bag until apples are tender but firm.  Place apples in jars; cover to keep hot.  Boil down syrup a little and fill the jars to overflowing with the hot syrup and seal.

WATERMELON PICKLE