Directions for Making a Marmalade

Always choose ripe, beautiful, luscious fruit. Cut the fruit into small pieces, and then add the sugar and fruit in alternate layers in the preserving kettle, with a layer of fruit on the bottom. Set the kettle over the fire. If the fruit is not very juicy add a small quantity of water to set it to boiling and to extract the juices. As the fruit boils, shake the kettle occasionally by lifting it from the fire, and turn the whole briskly to prevent it from burning at the bottom. Never stir with a spoon, as it will be sure to burn. When the whole mixture begins to look very clear, and you see, by testing a portion on a plate, that it is growing thick, it is done. Then take from the fire and put into jars at once. This mode of cooking distinguishes the Marmalade from Preserves and Jellies. Follow these directions implicitly in the subjoined recipes: