apples (apples that cook to a smooth pulp easily); allow ¾ lb. loaf
sugar to 1 lb. apples; put the sugar in a preserving pan (a tin or
iron saucepan will turn them black), with ½ teacupful water to 6 lb.
sugar; let it gradually melt, and boil it for 10 minutes. Then put
in the sliced apple, and a few cloves, cinnamon, or lemon peel, to
flavour if liked. Boil rapidly for an hour, skim well, and put in
jam-pots. It should be quite a smooth pulp, clear, and a bright amber
colour. Will keep good for 12 months. (_b_) Another way, to look
like orange marmalade: Choose hard apples that do not cook to a soft
pulp, such as russets; core, but do not peel them; make a syrup of 3
lb. loaf sugar to 1 pint water, and boil it rapidly for 20 minutes
to make it syrup. Put in the apple thinly sliced, and boil quickly
for an hour; flavour as preferred. This marmalade bears a great
resemblance to orange marmalade in appearance, if the right kind of
apples are chosen. Sufficient syrup should be made to ¾ cover the
apples. Stir frequently.
Barberries, Preserved.--(_a_) Put them into a jar in layers, a good
sprinkling of salt between each layer. (_b_) Take some bunches of
barberries and tie several together; make a syrup with ¾ pint water
to every lb. sugar, clarify it with white of egg. When quite clear
throw in the bunches of fruit, and boil quickly until the fruit looks
quite clear. Put them into jars, pour the syrup over them, and when
cold tie them down.
Beetroot, Preserved.--Peel, trim, and slice in rather thick slices,
some beetroots, fill some wide-mouthed jars about ¾ full with them,
then add ½ oz. pounded sugar, 3 or 4 cloves, and either ¼ oz.
coriander seeds or ½ oz. carraway seeds to every 1 lb. beetroot; fill
up the jars with boiled vinegar, fasten them down with bladder.
Blackberry Jam.--For this it is necessary that the fruit should be
quite ripe and perfectly dry when gathered. After picking from the
stalks, weigh it, and allow ¾ lb. crushed white preserving sugar to
every lb. of fruit. Set them together over a slow fire, stirring with
a wooden or silver spoon to prevent burning at first, before the
juice begins to run from the berries. The stirring must be almost
constant during the whole process, as for any other sort of jam.
After coming to the boil, it will be about ½ hour before it jellies,
which must be ascertained by putting a very little from time to
time on a cool plate. Some people very carefully take off the scum
as it rises, but it is not really necessary; if constantly stirred,
it will all disappear in the process of boiling, avoiding the waste
caused by skimming, while the jam itself keeps equally well. When
done, pour it off into jars, taking care that they are quite dry; let
them stand till next day, cover the jars with paper, and put them by
to keep in a cool, dry place. Another way is to mix ¼ lb. any good
cooking apples, weighed after paring and cutting up, to every lb.
blackberries; the sharper the kind of apple the better, but they
must be ripe. More sugar is required when done in this way, 1¾ lb.
sugar to every 2 lb. fruit. The grated rind and strained juice of
lemons are also used with blackberries instead of apples, the larger
proportion of sugar being allowed, and one lemon (small) to every 2
lb. berries. Some people object very much to the small seeds in this
jam. These may be avoided by rubbing the fruit through a sieve as
soon as it is sufficiently cooked to admit of it; it must then be
put back into the preserving pan to boil till it sets. In this way,
supposing the jam to be made of blackberries alone, half its own
weight of sugar will be enough when weighing the uncooked fruit, as
so much is afterwards lost by removing the seeds.
Blackberry Jelly.--(_a_) Put the fruit in the oven, and press it
through canvas when tender. Allow rather more than ¾ lb. lump sugar
to 1 lb. fruit syrup, and boil ¾ hour. This jelly is much improved by
using equal quantities of bullaces and blackberries. The acid flavour
of the bullace takes away the flatness of the blackberry. Put the
jelly into moulds and cover with papers in the usual way. It is more
likely to turn out well after being kept a month or two than at first.
(_b_) Boil together a quantity of apples cut small and blackberries
that are thoroughly ripe, in the proportion of 1 lb. blackberries to
½ lb. apples. When boiled quite soft and pulpy, strain through a hair
sieve and reboil, with ½ lb. loaf sugar to each pint juice, about
½ hour. ¼ pint water to every 4 lb. fruit may be boiled with it to
advantage.
Black Currants, Bottled.--Fill some bottles as full as you can with
the currants, add as much cold water as they will hold; then put them
in a boiler filled with cold water, and let them boil until the fruit
sinks in the bottles. Then take them up, cork them while hot, and
paste thick brown paper over them.
Black Currant Jelly.--To 1 lb. picked and washed black currants add 1
gill water. Set this in a preserving pan, which should be of copper.
Bruise the fruit well with a wooden spoon; afterwards take off the
preserve and strain through a hair sieve. To each 1 lb. fruit allow 1
lb. white sugar. Boil 10 minutes.
Carrot Jam.--Well wash and scrape all black bits off some carrots;
cut only the red part outside into pieces; put in a pan, with water
to cover, and boil till it will rub through a hair sieve. To 4 lb.
pulp allow 4 lb. loaf sugar, ¼ lb. bitter almonds blanched and
chopped fine, the rind grated and the juice strained of 4 lemons, and
6 tablespoonfuls brandy to make the jam keep. Let the sugar and pulp
boil up thoroughly, and then simmer for 15 minutes; skim and stir all
the time. When cold, add the other ingredients, and stir all well
together 2 or 3 times; then pot and cover with gummed paper.
Cherries, Bottled.--Gather the cherries on a dry day; be careful that
they are not over-ripe or cracked at all. Fill the bottles or jars
quite full with the cherries, and put them to stand in a boiler or
large saucepan of cold water, and keep the jars covered closely; boil
slowly until the fruit has sunk in the jars and the skins begin to
crack; then lift one by one off the fire, and immediately fill quite
full each jar with boiling water. Tie down twice with bladders, and
put them in a dry place until required. Put them where they will not
be disturbed, as if moved they ferment. If glass bottles are used
care must be taken when filling with boiling water that they do not
crack. Be particular to have all you need before taking the jars out
of the water, and the kettle of water boiling fast, as the great
secret in bottling fruit is in filling up the bottles and tying them
down as quickly as possible.
Cherries, Dried.--Stone large sweet cherries with a small pointed
skewer no larger than a quill toothpick, breaking them as little as
possible; throw them into a boiling hot syrup, made with 1 small
teacupful water to 1 lb sugar. Scald them in this syrup for 10
minutes, but do not allow them to boil, or they will break; remove
them from the fire, pour them into a pan, and cover them till next
day. Then draw off the syrup, boil it up, skim it, and pour it back
upon the cherries. Do this for 3 days successively. On the fourth day
drain the cherries on a cane sieve till entirely free from excess of
moisture; then lay them on wire sieves, and dry them by slow heat for
several hours until, when touched, they do not stick to the fingers.
When cold, sprinkle sugar over them, and pack in layers between white
paper. If too much heat is used in drying them, they will be dark and
unsightly.
Cherries, Preserved.--Take equal quantities sugar and cherries, cut
off the stalks from the cherries, wipe them clean with a soft cloth,
and strew over them a little finely-powdered sugar; boil the sugar
with 1 pint water to every 3 lb. sugar, clarify it with whites of
egg, strain it, and then boil it to candy height. The next day boil
up the cherries with the syrup for 5 minutes, and let them remain in
the syrup for 24 hours; strain off the syrup, boil it again to the
second degree, and pour this over the cherries. The next day boil
up the sugar to the third degree, dip each cherry separately in the
syrup, and put them on a sieve in a warm place to dry.
Cherry Jam.--For this use ripe fruit, but carefully reject any which
is bruised or over-ripe. The Kentish is the best for this purpose,
having a pleasant acid taste; other kinds are too sweet for the
quantity of sugar necessary in preserving fruit. To every lb. stoned
fruit add ¾ lb. loaf sugar well broken; it will require stirring
occasionally from the first, and continuously after it once comes to
the boil, after which it must continue boiling for ¾ hour; then try
a little on a cold plate to see if it sets or jellies; if it does,
pour it off into jars, and set in a cool dry place till the following
day, when it should be covered down for keeping, if not, continue
boiling until it will so set. It will not require skimming during the
process of boiling, the scum will all boil away. The easiest way of
stoning cherries is to tie a little loop of iron wire about the shape
of a hairpin, on to a stick the length of a pencil; bind the two ends
firmly to the stick, leaving the loop standing up about 1 in. long,
and slightly bent forward. With this the stones are easily extracted.
Citrons, Preserved.--Put them in strong salt and water in a jar, with
a cabbage leaf to keep them down; tie a paper over them, set them in
a warm place till they are yellow, take them out, and set them over
the fire in fresh water, with a little salt and a fresh cabbage leaf;
take care they do not boil; if they are not a good green change the
water (and even fresh leaves will help to green them), and make hot
and cover them as before; when they are a good green take them off
the fire, let them stand till they are cold, then cut them in two or
make a hole at the end, to take out the seeds and soft part, and put
them in cold water. Let them stand 2 days, but change the water twice
each day to take out the salt, then make a syrup, and put it cold to
them; boil it once in 2 days for 3 weeks. For the syrup: 1 lb. loaf
sugar, ½ pint water; set over the fire; when well boiled and looking
clear, take it up; when cold, throw it over the citron.
Crab-Apple Jam.--To every lb. of fruit put the same quantity of
preserving sugar. Having melted it with a little light wine, put it
on the fire and let it boil well; when it has been skimmed clear
and is boiling, put in the fruit with a few cloves; let all simmer
together till the fruit begins to break, when it is done. The fruit
should be rubbed dry and the stalks removed before it is put into the
sugar.
Crab-Apple Jelly.--Remove the stalks from the apples and cut them
in half, put them into a preserving pan, and boil till the fruit is
perfectly soft; do not stir it. When soft, pour off the water, and
to every pint allow 1 lb. sugar. Put it into another pan, and let
it boil slowly for ½ hour, taking off all the scum that rises. It
should by this time be clear. Fill your glasses or jars with it. Now
take the fruit and mash it; rub it through a coarse tammy; to every
lb. allow 1 lb. sugar and ½ pint water. Let it boil slowly till it
thickens, then put it into bowls. When used cut it in slices.
Crab-Apples, Preserved.--Gather them just before they are fully
ripe. Put a quantity of them into a pan of boiling water, and barely
scald them. As soon as one of the skins begins to crack remove them
from the fire, and strain them through an earthenware colander; they
may then be very easily peeled. In the meantime make a thin syrup,
and, having peeled the apples, place them in jars, and pour the
syrup over them quite hot. As they rise to the surface they must be
pushed back, so as to keep them all under the syrup. Let them remain
uncovered till the following day, when they must again all be poured
out into the colander, placing the syrup in the stewpan with more
sugar, to ensure its being thick. Boil and skim it well, return the
fruit to the jars, and again pour the hot syrup over it. Let them
still remain open; and the next day, if the fruit seems soft enough,
and the syrup sufficiently thick and clear, they may be considered
finished, and they may be tied down with bladder; if not, repeat the
process a third time, and keep for another day. About a week after
they have been tied down it is well to examine them, and, should they
show any signs of fermentation or mould, the syrup must again be
boiled down as before. The core is never removed from Siberian crabs;
it has in itself a most delicate flavour, which improves the whole
preserve.
Cranberries, Preserved.--Gather the fruit in clusters, before it is
quite ripe. Pick away any dead leaves and injured berries, and keep
the clusters in strong salt and water, in jars well covered. Look to
them occasionally, and when the pickle begins to ferment change it.
Cranberries thus preserved will retain their flavour and quality for
many months.
Cucumbers, Preserved with Ginger.--Take small cucumbers, and large
ones that will cut into quarters, the greenest and most free from
seeds; put them in a jar with strong salt and water, covered with
cabbage leaves; tie a paper over them, and keep the jar in a warm
place till they yellow; wash them out, and put them over the fire in
fresh water, a little salt in it, and a fresh cabbage leaf over them;
cover the pan very close, and take care they do not boil. If they
are not a fine green change the water and make them hot again. When
a good green, take them off the fire, let them stand till cold, then
cut them in halves or quarters; take out the seeds and soft parts;
put them in water, and let them stand 2 days; change the water twice
a day to take out the salt. Take 1 lb. white sugar, ½ pint water, set
it on the fire, skim it clear, then put in the rind of a lemon, and
1 oz. ginger with the outside scraped off. When the syrup is pretty
thick, take it off, and, when cold, wipe the cucumbers dry and put
them in; boil the syrup once in 2-3 days for 3 weeks, and strengthen
if required, for there is more fear of them spoiling at first. The
syrup must be quite cold when put to the cucumbers.
Damsons, Bottled.--Fill the bottles with damsons, and add to each
bottle ½ lb. castor sugar. Put the bottles in cold water in a large
pan on the fire, where they must remain for ½ hour after they have
begun to boil. When boiled, let them cool, cork down tight, and tie
bladder over the corks, and keep in a very dry place. Care should be
taken that no bruised fruits are put in. Whilst the bottles are on
the fire, hay should be put between them to keep them from breaking.
Figs.--Weigh the fruit, and have an equal quantity of sugar, the peel
of 1 large lemon, and a little ginger. Lay the figs in cold water
for 24 hours, then simmer them till tender; put them again into cold
water, and let them remain for 2 days, changing the water every day.
If not quite soft simmer again, and replace in cold water until next
day. Take their weight in loaf sugar, and with ⅔ of it make a syrup,
in which simmer the figs for 10 minutes. In 2 days take the third
of the sugar, pounded fine, and pour the syrup from the figs on it.
Make a rich syrup with the peel of the lemon and a little raw ginger,
and boil the figs in it, then mix all together and put into large
jam pots. The figs may be cut in half, if preferred, after they have
simmered until soft.
Ginger, Preserved.--Put the ginger for 2 weeks every night and
morning into boiling water. Take off the outside skin with a sharp
knife. Boil the ginger in water till quite tender; slice it. Prepare
a syrup of 1 lb. sugar to ½ pint water. Clarify it, and put the
ginger in it. Boil it till clear. Leave it to cool before putting it
into jars.
Gooseberries, Bottled.--Pick off the soft brown outside part at
the top of each gooseberry, but be most particular to leave the
hair-like fibre which it surrounds; cut the stem close, and if any
one gooseberry breaks open reject it, as a single broken one might
spoil a whole bottleful. Put them into wide-mouthed bottles (pickle
bottles suit very well), fill them up with cold water, and place
them standing in a fish-kettle or any large, flat-bottomed pot; also
filled with water as high as the necks of the bottles, over a very
slow fire, where they are to remain until they come to a gentle boil
and begin to change colour; then take them out of the pot, and let
them stand until they become cold, when the bottles are to be filled
up with olive oil, and they need not be corked. Look at them from
time to time, and fill up with fresh oil, as some may evaporate. Keep
the bottles on a shelf in a dry place, for damp spoils them, and when
wanted for use, have them washed in water and soda by putting them
into a colander, and then a shower of fresh water at the end, just to
take off any soda which might remain.
Gooseberry Jam.--(_a_) Allow ¾ lb. lump or white crystallised sugar
to each lb. gooseberries; a few spoonfuls of water must be put at the
bottom of the preserving pan and care taken that the fruit does not
burn. Pot ½ hour after the jam boils; keep it well stirred.
(_b_) For every lb. picked gooseberries, put ¾ lb. sugar and 1 pint
water in a bowl or pan; when dissolved, place it on the fire. Beat
the white of an egg well up, and stir into it when boiling: when
on the point of boiling over check it by pouring in a little cold
water. On its rising up the second time, take it off, and place it
on one side to allow the black scum to rise, which must be taken off
carefully with a skimmer. Pour the liquor away quickly, leaving the
sediment at the bottom; add your fruit in the syrup, simmer gently
until the fruit looks clear, break it with a wooden spoon, put the
jam into pots, and cover up.
Gooseberry Jelly.--Take 1-2 gal. fruit when green, and a little more
than 1 qt. water to each gal. gooseberries. Boil till quite a pulp,
strain through a jelly bag of coarse flannel; when strained add to
every pint of juice 1 lb. loaf sugar. Boil till set.
Grape Jam.--(_a_) The grapes must be ripe. Wash them well, then stew
them until they become a soft pulp, and pass them through a sieve.
Weigh, and to every lb. add an equal quantity of sugar. Boil for 20
minutes, stirring well.
(_b_) A delicious preserve from unripe grapes can be made in the
following way: They should be carefully picked, and all that are at
all injured should be rejected. To 1 lb. grapes add ½ lb. sugar; no
water but what hangs about them after they have been washed. Put the
grapes into a preserving pan, then a layer of sugar, then a layer of
grapes. Boil on a moderate fire, stirring it all the time to prevent
its burning, and as the grape stones rise take them out with a spoon,
so that by the time the fruit is sufficiently boiled the stones will
have all boiled up and been taken out.
Grape Jelly.--Take some bunches of common outdoor white grapes,
unripe will answer the purpose; rinse them in a plentiful supply of
water, strip them from their stalks, and put them in a preserving
pan; set them over a moderate fire for about 2 hours, or till they
burst freely. Strain them through a colander or sieve, and to every
lb. of pulp and juice, add 1 lb. sugar; boil them about ½ hour. Each
shape will require ½ oz. gelatine; wet the moulds, and set them in
a cool place. It makes a pretty dessert dish, being a light green,
and tastes like greengage if managed well. Care must be taken to
use either a silver or wooden spoon, and an enamelled or a copper
preserving pan is important to preserve the colour.
Guava Jelly, Imitation.--This is made from medlars. It takes a
great number of medlars to make a small quantity of jelly, as they
contain so little juice. Put the medlars, which must be ripe, into a
preserving pan with just enough cold water to cover them. Let them
cook gently until they are quite soft, then put them into a jelly
bag, and let the juice drain off gradually; this will be a long
process, as they must not be squeezed, or the jelly would not have
the clear brightness of guava jelly. It is a good plan to leave them
to drain all night. To every pint of juice allow 1 lb. best white
sugar, pounded. Boil them together in a preserving pan, stirring
constantly with a silver or wooden spoon to prevent burning, and
carefully removing the scum as it rises. It will probably take about
½ hour to boil, but it must be tested by dropping a little from time
to time on a cold plate; when it jellies it is done, and must then be
poured off into small jars or moulds, care being taken that they are
not only clean, but perfectly dry. The next day tie them down in the
usual way, and keep in a dry cool place. When this is properly made
it resembles guava jelly very closely, both in colour, flavour, and
consistency.
Hip Jam.--Collect the hips from the rose bushes when ripe, boil them
in water until they become soft enough to be easily crushed, and
press them through a very fine sieve. Take an equal weight of sugar
to that of the fruit, boil the hips, when pulped through the sieve,
thoroughly with sugar, and put the jam into a large stone jar. It is
liable to ferment a good deal, and therefore requires space. When
taking any out for use, mix and stir it up well with a little white
wine, and add sugar to taste if required. This jam is excellent,
either for eating alone as a sweatmeat, or for making sauce.
Hip Marmalade.--Gather hips, when perfectly ripe, wash them, and boil
them in water, in the proportion of ½ pint water to 1 lb. fruit. When
quite tender, pass them, water and all, through a sieve fine enough
to keep back all the seeds. To each lb. pulp put 1 lb. refined sugar,
and boil until your marmalade will jelly well. When a little cooled,
pour it into jelly glasses or small jars, with a few small pieces of
preserved ginger in each glass. Cover while hot.
Hips in Sugar.--For this, gather hips as soon as they have become
red. Boil them gently until tender (but they must not be allowed to
break) in sufficient water to cover them. Cut the stalks even, and a
small piece from the blossom end of each berry, and with a pointed
penknife or quill carefully remove all the seeds. Allow 1 lb. sugar
and a little cinnamon to each lb. prepared hips. Put the sugar in a
preserving pan, with just sufficient water to dissolve it--as little
as possible, as the syrup should be very thick and clear. When the
sugar is melted, put in the fruit, and boil gently until it is done
and the syrup becomes thick; let it cool a little, and then put it
carefully in glasses. It is important that the shape of the fruit
should be preserved, and the largest berries obtainable should be
used. A little lemon juice may be added to the above syrup if liked.
Hips in Vinegar.--Gather from the dog rose some of the largest
berries you can obtain, as soon as they are quite red, but not
over-ripe; cut the stalks even, leaving a short piece on each berry,
wash and put them in a stewpan with as much boiling water as will
cover them well. Boil gently until they are quite tender, but not at
all broken. Drain the water from them, but do not throw it away. As
soon as the hips are cold, cut a small piece from each at the blossom
end, and with a pointed penknife or quill remove all the seeds,
taking care not to break the fruit. For a syrup for 2 lb. berries
allow 1 pint good vinegar, ½ pint of the liquid in which the fruit
was boiled (which should be strained in muslin), 2 lb. loaf sugar, ¼
oz. cinnamon, and ¼ oz. cloves. Put all these in a preserving-pan,
stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved, let the syrup
boil for 15 minutes, then put the hips in, and boil for 20 minutes,
or until the syrup is rich and thick. Store, spice and all, in small
jars or glasses, and cover like any other preserve. This will keep
good for 2 years and more. It is a delicious substitute for red
currant jelly with game or roast mutton, and is also good for colds
in the throat or chest.
Lemon Marmalade.--Take any number of lemons; 6 make a nice quantity.
Slice them very thin, only putting out the seeds. To each lb. sliced
fruit add 3 pints cold water; let this stand 24 hours. Then boil it
until the chips are tender, pour into an earthen bowl, and allow it
to remain until the next day. Then weigh it, and to every lb. boiled
fruit add 1½ lb. of lump sugar, boil the whole together until the
syrup jellies and the chips are rather transparent; in taking out the
pips be careful to leave all the white pith in, as that goes towards
making syrup.