TO PRESERVE CITRONS.

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.