2 qt. strawberries
1/2 c. hot water
1 lb. sugar
Clean the strawberries by placing them in a colander and raising and
lowering them into a large pan of water. Remove the hulls and make sure
that all the water is carefully drained from the berries. Add the water
to the sugar and place over the fire in a preserving kettle that has a
smooth surface. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and allow the mixture
to come to a rapid boil. To the rapidly boiling sirup, add the
strawberries by dropping them carefully into it. Allow the fruit to
come to the boiling point in the sirup, and continue to boil for 10 or
12 minutes. If the berries seem to contain an unusual amount of water,
boiling for 15 minutes may be necessary. Remove from the fire and fill
into hot sterilized glasses at once, or set aside to cool. It has been
found that if the preserves are allowed to stand in the kettle
overnight, they will improve in flavor and, because of the absorption of
oxygen, which they lose in boiling, they will increase in size. If the
preserves are treated in this way, it will be necessary to pour them
cold into the sterilized glasses. When the preserves in the glasses are
cold, pour melted paraffin over them. Cover them with metal or paper
covers, label, and store for future use.
55. CHERRY PRESERVE.--If sour cherries can be secured, an excellent
preserve can be made of them. Cherries should, of courser be seeded, or
pitted, when they are prepared in this way.