Aunt Sarah’s preserved cherries were fine, and this was her way of preparing them:  She used 1 pound of granulated sugar to 1 quart of pitted cherries.  She placed the pitted cherries on a large platter and sprinkled the sugar over them.  She allowed them to stand several hours until the cherries and sugar formed a syrup on platter.  She then put cherries, sugar and juice all together in a preserving kettle, set on range, and cooked 10 minutes.  She then skimmed out the cherries and boiled the syrup 10 minutes longer, then returned the cherries to syrup.  Let come to a boil.  She then removed the kettle from the fire, spread all on a platter and let it stand in the hot sun two successive days, then put in glass air-tight jars or in tumblers and covered with paraffin.  A combination of cherries and strawberries preserved together is fine, and, strange to say, the flavor of strawberries predominates.

A fine flavored preserve is also made from a combination of cherries and pineapple.

FROZEN DESSERTS—­AUNT SARAH’S FROZEN “FRUIT CUSTARD”

One tablespoonful of granulated gelatine soaked in enough milk to cover.  Place 2 cups of sugar and 3/4 cup of milk in a stew-pan on the range and boil until it spins a thread; that is, when a little of the syrup is a thread-like consistency when dripped from a spoon.  Allow it to cool.  Add dissolved gelatine and 1 quart of sweet cream.  One box of strawberries, or the same amount of any fruit liked, may be added to the mixture; freeze as ordinary ice cream.

This dessert as prepared by Aunt Sarah was delicious as any ice cream and was used by her more frequently than any other recipe for a frozen dessert.

SHERBET

Frau Schmidt gave Mary this simple recipe for making any variety of sherbet: 

2 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoonful of flour, mixed with the sugar and boiled with 1 quart of water; when cold, add 1 quart of any variety of fruit.

Freeze in same manner as when making ice cream.

ICE CREAM—­A SIMPLE RECIPE GIVEN MARY

When preparing this ice cream Mary used the following:  Three cups of cream and 1 cup of milk, 1 egg and 1 cup of pulverized sugar (were beaten together until light and creamy).  This, with 1 teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring, was added to the milk and cream.  The cream should be scalded in warm weather.  The egg and sugar should then be added to the scalded milk and cream, stirring them well together.  When the mixture has cooled, strain it into the can of the freezer.  Three measures of cracked ice to one of salt should be used.  The ice and salt, well-mixed, were packed around the freezer.  The crank was turned very slowly the first ten minutes, until the mixture had thickened, when it was turned more rapidly until the mixture was frozen.