Take fine large pine-apples; pare them, and cut off a small round
piece from the bottom, of each; let the freshest and best of the
top leaves remain on. Have ready on a slow fire, a large
preserving kettle with a thin syrup barely sufficient to cover the
fruit. In making this syrup allow a pound of fine loaf-sugar to
every quart of water, and half the white of a beaten egg; all to
be mixed before it goes on the fire. Then boil and skim it, and
when the scum ceases to rise, put in the pine-apples, and simmer
them slowly an hour. Then take them out to cool, cover them
carefully and pat them away till next day; saving the syrup in
another vessel. Next day, put them into the same syrup, and simmer
them again an hour. On the third day, repeat the process. The
fourth day, make a strong fresh syrup, allowing but a pint of
water to each pound of sugar, and to every three pounds the beaten
white of one egg. When this syrup has boiled, and is completely
skimmed, put in the pine-apples, and simmer them half an hour.
Then take them out to cool, and set them aside till next morning.
Boil them again, half an hour in the same syrup, and repeat this
for seven or eight days, or till you can pierce through the pine-apple
with a straw from a corn-broom. At the last of these
boilings enrich the syrup by allowing to each pound of sugar a
quarter of a pound more; and, having boiled and skimmed it, put in
the pine apples for half an hour. Then take them out, and when
quite cold put each into a separate glass jar, and fill up with
the syrup.
Pine apples may be preserved in slices by a very simple process.
Pare them, and out them into round pieces near an inch thick, and
take out the core from the centre of each slice. Allow a pound of
loaf-sugar to every pound of the sliced pine-apple. Powder the
sugar, and strew it in layers between the slices of pine-apple.
Cover it and let it set all night. Next morning measure some clear
spring or pump water, allowing half a pint to each pound of sugar.
Beat some white of egg, (one white to four pounds of sugar,) and
when it is a very stiff froth, stir it gradually into the water.
Then mix with it the pine-apple and sugar, and put the whole into
a preserving kettle. Boil and skim it well, till the pine-apple is
tender and bright all through. Then take it out, and when cold,
put it up in wide-mouthed glass jars, or in large tumblers.