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Ripe Muskmelon or Watermelon Preserves

A historical recipe from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878).

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A historical recipe

Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Project Gutenberg eBook #42450.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: preserving or pickling, curing or salting meat. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

United States

Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

  • Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.
  • Curing. Old curing amounts and salts may be unsafe. Use current tested guidance.

Ingredients 1 ingredient

  1. one pound sugar

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. During the summer, peel and slice indifferent cantaleupes (such as you do not care to eat), especially such as are not quite ripe.
  2. Throw them into brine, together with your thickest watermelon rinds, peeling off the outside skin.
  3. When you have enough, weigh them, throw them in fresh water, which change daily till the salt is extracted.
  4. Boil in a preserving kettle till soft enough to pierce with a straw.
  5. Make a syrup, allowing one pound sugar for each pound fruit.
  6. When it boils, put the rind in it and simmer steadily till the rind is transparent and the syrup thick.
  7. When cool, add the juice and grated rind of twelve lemons.
  8. Let it stand in a bowl several days.
  9. Then strain the syrup (which will have become thin), boil it again, pour over the rind, and put the preserves in glass jars with screw tops.--Mrs.
  10. S.
  11. T.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Saucepan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Grater
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Sieve
  • Kettle
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #42450 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42450). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.