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Pickles, Sweet American

Take seven pounds of damsons, four pounds of pounded loaf sugar, an ounce of stick cinnamon, an ounce of cloves, and a pint of vinegar. Lay the fruit and the other dry ingredients, in layers, in a deep stone jar, and pour the vinegar over all. Put the jar into a large pan of boiling water, and keep boiling until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved and the juice of the fruit extracted, then put the jar in a cool place. The next day drain off the syrup, boil it, and pour it over the fruit: repeat this process six or seven successive days until the skin looks hard and the plums clear. Let the preparation stand a week, then take the plums out one by one, place them in jars, boil the syrup, and fill up the jars with it. When cold, put brandy-papers over, and tie a bladder on the top to keep the air out, or the pickles will lose their colour. Pears, apples, peaches, and cherries can all be pickles in this way, and will be found delicious. A little cochineal in a bag dropped in the jar will improve the colour greatly. If stored in a dry place, they will keep six or seven years. Time, three weeks. Cost varies nearly every year.