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Jargonelle Pears, to Preserve

Gather the pears before they are fully ripe. Pare them as thinly as possible, cut out the black tops, and pick out the seeds. Weigh the fruit, and simmer it very gently until it is quite tender, but unbroken; then drain it, and make a syrup of one pound of sugar and half a pint of water to every pound of pears. Let this boil for five or six minutes, remove the scum as it rises, put in the pears and simmer them in the syrup five minutes longer. Lift out carefully, and put them to stand in a dish with the syrup, which must entirely cover them, for two days. Then put them again into the pan, and simmer them until they are clear, but they must not break; if a little lemon-rind is simmered with the syrup it will improve the flavour, and two or three drops of cochineal will improve the colour. Put the fruit into jars, pour the syrup over it, and cover securely. When wanted the pears may either be served in the syrup or dried in a cool oven. Time, three days. Probable cost, pears, 3d. per pound.