Take large cucumbers, green, and free from seed, put them in a jar
of strong salt and water, with vine leaves on the top, set them by
the fire side till they are yellow; then wash and set them over a
slow fire in alum and water, covered with vine leaves; let them
boil till they become green; take them off, and let them stand in
the liquor till cold: then quarter them, and take out the seed and
pulp; put them in cold spring water, changing it twice a day for
three days. Have ready a syrup made thus: to one pound of loaf sugar,
half an ounce of ginger bruised, with as much water as will wet it;
when it is quite free from scum, put in, when boiling, the rind of
a lemon and juice; when quite cold, pour the syrup on the melons.
If the syrup is too thin, after standing two or three days, boil it
again, and add a little more sugar. A spoonful of rum, gives it the
West-Indian flavour. Girkins may be done the same way. One ounce of
alum, when pounded, is sufficient for a dozen melons of a middling
size.