Preserves

pre-ze rvz', fruit cooked in sugar or sirup. Fruit spoils by reason of a fungus plant mold, or by reason of fermentation caused by another plant called yeast, or by reason of bacteria. Bacteria cannot live in excessive sweetness; molds and yeasts have little vitality in strong sirups. Fruits cooked in sirup are protected against decay just as pickles are protected by brine and laboratory specimens by alcohol. Sugar, salt, alcohol, and vinegar are four great preservatives, but the term is restricted to sweet preserves. Practically nearly all the fruits of the garden are used for making preserves. The process is the same for all. Fruit and sugar are stewed together in about equal parts by weight. Preserving is not only a universal household art among civilized people, but it has acquired large commercial proportions.