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Melon, Preserved

Pare some middle-sized, not over-ripe, melons--they are better than large ones for this preserve--take out the pulp and seeds, from which press the juice. Wash the melons, and add the water to the juice to be reserved for making syrup. Divide the melons into eight pieces, lengthwise, and soak them for twenty-four hours in cold water, in which has been put salt and vinegar, allowing two tea-spoonfuls of white vinegar and one of salt to about every half gallon of water. Let the fruit be well covered and then drained; have ready a syrup made with the juice from pulp and seeds, boil a pound of good loaf sugar with every half-pint of the water, and let it grow cold. Put the pieces of melon into an enamelled pan with the cold syrup, make it gradually hot, and when ready to boil simmer and skim for about twelve or fifteen minutes, when the fruit should be put into a bowl carefully, and the syrup thrown over. For three successive days pour off the syrup, and boil for two minutes on the third and last day. Add an ounce of bruised ginger, arrange the melon in large wide-mouthed glass bottles, pour the syrup over, and when cold tie down with bladder. Time, a quarter of an hour to boil the syrup.