Preserved Greengages

Take twenty pounds of very green and sound greengages, prick the surfaces with a large pin and throw into a panful of cold water. Fill an untinned copper pan holding ten gallons three-quarters full of water; add a heavy handful of salt, three gills of vinegar and three handfuls of spinach; stir the liquid so all the ingredients are properly mingled; drain the gages from their water and throw them into the copper pan; stand it on the fire. After the water begins to heat stir the fruits around carefully with a skimmer, and as soon as they float on the surface take them out and throw into a panful of cold water; place under a faucet and allow the water to flow over them. Prepare a twelve-degree syrup; drain the greengages properly and throw them into this, then let boil up once, pouring them afterward into shallow vessels to leave for twelve hours. Drain off the syrup, add a little sugar, and boil it again several times until it attains fourteen degrees, then throw it over the fruits and let stand again for twelve hours. Continue this operation daily until the syrup reaches thirty degrees; for the last time drain off the syrup once more, and boil it to thirty-two degrees; then put in the fruits, boil up once and transfer the whole to jars; close hermetically as soon as cold and keep in a cool, dry place.