No. 3887 — Kiev Dry Preserves

Make this confection from strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries, barberries, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, pears or cut apples. Stones in peaches or apricots were replaced with peeled sweet almonds.

The dried and sugared fruits are mixed and packed in wooden, tin or cardboard boxes, covered with paper, closed and sealed.

Start with thick but not excessively sweet preserves, using ½ pound sugar per pound fruit rather than 2 pounds, as in recipe No. 3885.

To keep a supply fresh, the author recommends drying a new portion about every two months rather than preparing an entire year's supply at once.

Lift fruit from syrup with a wooden skewer and lay in a single layer on a sieve. Set a large stoneware bowl of boiling water beneath it, renewing the hot water as necessary until the syrup has drained.

Without touching the fruit directly, put it in a single layer on a dish, dry slightly and sprinkle with coarse granulated sugar.

Cover with a sieve and paper and leave a full day in a dry pantry or on a cupboard. Turn with a wooden stick, sprinkle with more sugar and repeat until fully coated and firm.

Pack the finished pieces into the prepared boxes.