To one pint of strawberries take one pint of sugar and one-half cup of water.  Unless strawberries are cooked in the sun they should be prepared only in small quantities or they will be dark and unpalatable.  If the following directions are carefully observed the berries will be plump and of a rich red color.

Bring the sugar and water to a boil; add the strawberries and cook ten minutes.  Remove the berries carefully with a skimmer and cook the syrup until it is of the consistency of jelly.  Return the berries to the syrup; bring all to a boil and when cool put in glass tumblers.

STRAWBERRIES AND PINEAPPLE

Follow the recipe for Preserved Strawberries, using two-thirds pineapple and one-third strawberries.

PRESERVED PINEAPPLE

To one pineapple take three-quarters of its weight in sugar and one cup of water.  Peel the pineapple and put it through the food-chopper.  Weigh and add three-quarters of the weight in sugar.  Bring slowly to a boil and simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the consistency of marmalade.

PRESERVED DAMSON PLUMS

Pick the plums over carefully, removing every one that has a decayed spot or blemish.  Leave the stems on.  After picking the fruit over, wash it carefully in cold water; then weigh it and allow one pound of sugar to each pound of fruit.  Put a gill of water in the preserving kettle for each pound of sugar, stand the kettle over a moderate fire and add the sugar.  Stir it almost constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts; then turn on a little more heat and let the melted sugar boil gently until it is a thick syrup.  Stir, and skim it frequently.  When the required thickness (which should be like syrup used for griddle cakes) put the plums in the boiling syrup and let them cook gently for half an hour; then skim out the plums and put them in glass jars, filling each jar half full.  Let the syrup boil till almost as thick as jelly, then pour it in the jars, filling them quite full.  Fasten the tops on and stand the jars upside down until the preserves are cold; then put them where they are to be kept for the winter.

DAMSON JAM

Weigh 3/4 of a pound of sugar for each pound of fruit.  After washing the plums carefully, put them in a preserving kettle with just enough water to keep them from sticking to the bottom.  Set them over a moderate fire and let them simmer for half an hour; then turn them, juice and all, into a colander, filling the colander not more than half full.  Have the colander set over a large earthen bowl.  With a potato masher, press juice and pulp through the colander into the bowl, leaving skins and pits as dry as possible.  Remove these from the colander and repeat the process until all the pulp and juice is pressed out; then pour it into the kettle and, while it is heating slowly, heat the sugar in the oven.  As soon as the juice and pulp begins to simmer stir in the hot sugar, and when it drops from the spoon like a thick jelly pour it into the glasses.  This is one of the most delicious fruit preserves made and is always acceptable with meat and poultry or as a sweetmeat at afternoon teas.