Pare off the outer skin of some fine citrons, and cut them into
quarters. Take out the middle. You may divide each quarter into
several pieces. Lay them for four or five hours in salt and water.
Take them out, and then soak them in spring or pump water
(changing it frequently) till all the saltness is extracted, and
till the last water tastes perfectly fresh. Boil a small lump of
alum, and scald them in the alum-water. It must be very weak, or
it will communicate an unpleasant taste to the citrons; a lump the
size of a hickory nut will suffice for six pounds. Afterwards
simmer them two hours with layers of green vine leaves. Then make
a syrup, allowing a pint of water to each pound of loaf-sugar;
boil and skim it well. When it is quite clear, put in the citrons,
and boil them slowly, till they are so soft that a straw will
pierce through them without breaking. Afterwards put them into a
large dish, and set them in the sun to harden.
Prepare some lemons, by paring off the yellow rind very thin, and
cutting it into slips of uniform size and shape. Lay the lemon-rind
in scalding water, to extract the bitterness. Then take the
pared lemons, cut them into quarters, measure a half pint of water
to each lemon, and boil them to a mash. Strain the boiled lemon
through a sieve, and to each pint of liquid allow a pound of the
best double-refined loaf-sugar, for the second syrup. Melt the
sugar in the liquid, and stir into it gradually some beaten white
of egg; allowing one white to four pounds of sugar. Then set it
over the fire; put the lemon-peel into the syrup, and let it boil
in it till quite soft. Put the citrons cold into a glass jar, and
pour the hot syrup over them. Let the lemon remain with the
citrons, as it will improve their flavour.
If you wish the citrons to be candied, boil down the second syrup
to candy height, (that is, till it hangs in strings from the
spoon,) and pour it over the citrons. Keep them well covered. You
may, if you choose, after you take the citrons from the alum-water,
give them a boil in very weak ginger tea, made of the roots
of green ginger if you can procure it; if not, of race ginger.
Powdered ginger will not do at all. This ginger tea will
completely eradicate any remaining taste of the salt or the alum.
Afterwards cover the sides and bottom of the pan with vine leaves,
put a layer of leaves between each layer of citron, and cover the
top with leaves. Simmer the citrons in this two hours to green
them.
In the same manner you may preserve water-melon rind, or the rind
of cantelopes. Cut these rinds into stars, diamonds, crescents,
circles, or into any fanciful shape you choose. Be sure to pare
off the outside skin before you put the rinds into the salt and
water.
Pumpkin cut into slips, may be preserved according to the above
receipt.