To Preserve Lime-Juice

Early attempts to used preserved juices to halt the progression of scurvy were unsuccessful due to the fact that cooking and storage destroy the vitamin C in fresh fruits and vegetables. Still, the preserved juices were very popular for cooking and mixed drinks. In her book, A New System of Domestic Cookery (1806), Eliza Rundell offers the following recipe for preserving Lime-Juice.

To Preserve Lime-Juice

Take any quantity of fresh lime-juice, strain it through a fine cloth, put it into an earthen vessel, and evaporate in a sand-bath, or over a gentle fire, constantly stirring it until it acquires the consistence of a thick syrup. This, kept in small bottles, will for years preserve the flavor of the lime. Tamarind-juice may be preserved the same way, and will be found exceedingly useful, being excellent in punch or sherbet, and invaluable as a fever drink.

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