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Preserved Pears

Pears for preserving should be firm and rather sour; if they are small they should be preserved whole; if medium-sized, cut them in halves; if large, in quarters. Peel them with a silver knife, dropping each pear in a basin of cold water as soon as peeled to keep the color nice. When the pears are all peeled and, if necessary, cut, weigh them, allowing an equal weight of sugar; put the fruit in a saucepan on the stove with enough cold water to cover it completely and let it boil gently until soft enough to yield slightly to gentle pressure with the fingers. While the pears are boiling put the sugar in a preserving-pan; to each pound of sugar add two breakfast cupfuls of cold water, and to every five or six pounds of the juice the thinly-pared rind of two lemons and two ounces of green ginger root scraped and scalded; boil the syrup, taking off the scum as it rises. When the fruit is tender put it in the preserving-pan with the syrup and boil till the pears look clear, then remove from the fire and let the preserve cool in the syrup and then put in jars, fastening so as to be air-tight.