Common Cherry Cheese

Stone the cherries, or if stoning is troublesome, bruise and boil them without stoning until they are tender enough to press through a sieve, about 20–30 minutes.

Press the cherries through a sieve to obtain pulp.

Weigh the pulp and boil it quickly to a dry paste.

Stir in six ounces of sugar per pound of fruit until dissolved.

Place the pan over a brisk fire (not upon it) and stir the preserve without ceasing until it is dry enough that it does not adhere to the finger when touched.

Press the dry preserve immediately into small moulds or pans.

Turn the preserve from the moulds when desired for table.

If the cherries have been stoned, a good preserve may be made without sieving, adding five ounces of sugar per pound of fruit, boiled very dry both before and after adding sugar.

For Kentish or Flemish cherries without stoning, boil for 20–30 minutes.

Pass the cherries through a sieve.

Add 6 oz sugar per pound of pulp.

For stoned cherries boiled to a dry paste, add 5 oz sugar per pound.

Stone cherries.

Boil gently in their own juice for 30 minutes.

Press through a sieve.

Reduce to a very dry paste.

Weigh the paste.

Boil an equal proportion of sugar to candying point.

Mix fruit with sugar.

Stir paste over moderate fire without intermission until dry enough to form a ball round the spoon.

Press quickly into small moulds.

When cold, paper and store like other preserves.