Strawberry Conserve

Take some fresh and very ripe strawberries, pick them over, crush them in a cloth and wring out the juice. To each dessertspoonful of juice allow six ounces of sugar. Boil the sugar to the pearl degree (see Sugar Boiling), then remove it from the fire and pour the juice into it, and, if necessary, a little carmine. Stir it with a wooden spoon until the conserve begins to get dry and white, then put it into moulds or paper cases.

Dried Grape Fruit

Cut the fruit into seven or eight pieces lengthwise, pick out the pips, place the fruit in a saucepan with plenty of water and boil until it becomes soft. Put the pieces on a sieve and drain them well; then put them into a pan with some syrup at twenty-eight degrees and let them simmer for ten minutes. Turn the fruit with the syrup into a basin and leave them. On the following day strain the syrup off the fruit, boil it up again and pour it over the fruit. Repeat the same operation on the three following days. On the fourth day arrange the pieces of fruit on a wire tray and place them in the screen to dry. Dip the pieces of fruit into grained sugar, arrange them a short distance from each other on the tray, and put them again in the screen. When thoroughly dry lift the fruit from the screen by pushing the fingers through underneath, for by doing it in this way it is not so likely to break the sugar. Pack the fruit for preserving between layers of cardboard in paper boxes.

Dried Greengages

Select some perfectly sound greengages, cut off the brown end of the stalks but leave the remainder on; prick them all over with a pin, then put them in a pan with sufficient syrup of twenty-two degrees for them to float; set them over a smothered fire and leave for ten minutes. Turn the greengages and syrup into a large jar and cover them with vine leaves. On the following day strain off the syrup, boil up again, skim it and pour it back on the greengages. Repeat the operation of boiling for the two following days. Take the greengages out of the syrup and lay them a short distance from each other on a wire drainer placed on a baking-sheet; put them in a screen and dry them slowly. Boil a pound and a half of sugar to the pearl degree, squeeze in the juice of a lemon and work it against the sides of the pan with the bowl of a spoon until it has a dull white appearance, then throw in the dried greengages. Toss them about to give them a good coating, then lift them carefully out with a fork and place on the drainer, the stalk side upward. Dry the greengages slowly in a screen, then pack them away in boxes between layers of paper

Dried Peaches

Cut some peaches into halves and put them in a preserving-pan with some syrup at twenty-two degrees; let them simmer for a few minutes till the skins can be easily removed; take them out, peel, and put them back in the syrup; boil for a few minutes, then turn all into a basin and let it remain till the following day. Drain the syrup off the peaches, boil it up again, then pour it over them. Repeat this for the two following days. Put the peaches on drainers, dip a camel's hair-brush in prepared cochineal or carmine, paint the peaches lightly over and set them in the screen to dry. Boil one and one-half pounds of sugar to the pearl degree (see Sugar Boiling), drain the juice of a lemon in with it and work the sugar at the side of the pan with a spoon until it becomes whitish, then put in the peaches and shake them gently about. Take each piece out with a fork, arrange them on a brass drainer and set them in the screen at a moderate heat to dry. In about an .hour's time, pack the peaches in cardboard boxes with a sheet of white paper between each layer.

Dried Pineapple

Peel and cut out any discolored parts of a pineapple, cut them in slices one-fourth inch thick, put them in a preserving-pan with some syrup at twenty-two degrees and let simmer for ten minutes. Put the pineapple and syrup in a white-lined pan and leave them till the following day. Strain the syrup off, boil it and pour it over the pineapple again. Proceed in the same way the two following days. On the fourth day take the slices from the syrup, drain them well and put them apart from each other on wire trays. Stand the trays in dishes to catch the dripping and array these in the screen. When dry, remove, and when cold, pack in boxes between sheets of white paper.

Ginger Sugar

Put in a mortar one pound of powdered sugar, with two ounces of ground ginger, mix well, pass it through a sieve, bottle, cork down tightly, and it is ready for use.

Apple Ginger

Take an equal quantity of apples and sugar, adding some water to make a syrup. Chop the apples very fine with a little green ginger, or if the green ginger is not available, use the dry. Put this mince into the syrup, and the grated rind of a few lemons, and boil slowly for two hours, or until it has a clear appearance.

Grapes Glazed With Sugar

Boil some syrup as for candying; add half a teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Divide a few bunches of grapes into clusters, dip them into the candy, and lay them until dry on dishes slightly greased.