remove the juicy part, and throw the peels into strong salt and
water, to soak in it for about 6 days. The brine should be strong
enough to float an egg. At the end of the time take them from the
salt and water, and throw them into cold water, where they should
remain for 1 hour; remove them from this, and place them in a copper
preserving-pan with as much fresh cold water as will cover them, and
let them boil until quite soft. Try if they are done with a silver
fork; if it will go in easily they have boiled long enough. Place
them on a large hair sieve to drain the water from them, and during
the time make a syrup in the proportion of 1 lb. loaf sugar to 1 qt.
water; let them boil together until forming a thin syrup, in which
boil the peels for about ½ hour, or until they look clear. Some more
sugar must now be boiled with only just as much water as it will
absorb; there must be enough of this made to just cover the peels
when they are put into it. Again boil them, and continue boiling
until the sugar begins to candy; they must then be taken out and
again drained; before they are quite dry place them in large dishes,
when a little very finely powdered sugar must be shaken over them.
Set the dishes in a warm place for the peels to dry. They may then
be stored away for use. While the boiling is going on the syrup will
require constant stirring with a new wooden spoon to prevent burning.
Limes, Preserved.--(_a_) Take double the weight of crushed loaf sugar
to the weight of limes. Boil the limes in water gently until the
rinds are sufficiently tender to be easily penetrated with a silver
fork; the water should be changed 2 or 3 times. When soft enough,
drain the water from them, and cut them with a sharp knife into very
thin slices, remove the pips, and put the slices of limes into a deep
jar. Make a syrup, allowing 1 qt. water to every 5 lb. sugar, and let
it boil gently until you can see the bottom of the preserving-pan, by
which time it will be clear; stir frequently, using a silver spoon
for the purpose. When ready, pour this syrup boiling hot over the
limes, and let it remain for 2 days. On the third turn it all out
into a preserving-pan, and let it boil for about ½ hour, or until
it jellies. Then pour off into jars, and the following day, when
quite cold, tie them down as you would any other preserve. Tangerine
oranges would be done in the same way; but ¾ lb. sugar would be
enough to 1 lb. fruit.
(_b_) Another way of preserving limes is to make them into pickle.
For this make some incisions in the rinds of 12 limes, into which rub
¼ lb. common salt, lay them out in a deep dish and let them remain
in the meat screen near the kitchen fire for 4-5 days or until soft.
Boil enough vinegar to cover them, with ½ oz. whole pepper, 2 oz.
bruised ginger, and the same of mustard-seed. Put the limes into jars
when soft enough, also the salt, and pour the boiling vinegar over
them; the limes should be quite covered with it. The next day cork
the jars, and either brush melted rosin over the corks, or tie a
piece of moistened bladder tightly over each.
Medlar Jelly.--Fill a large jar with ripe medlars, and place it in
a saucepan of boiling water; it must be large enough to allow of
the water coming up to the neck of the jar, but care must be taken
not to let any of the water go into it. The jar must be uncovered.
Put the lid on the saucepan, and keep the water boiling until the
medlars are thoroughly cooked and quite soft. Then put them into a
linen jelly-bag, and let them drip into a basin; the bag must not be
squeezed or the jelly would not be clear. Medlars being a very dry
fruit, a great many will be required to make even a small quantity
of jelly; the juice comes from them but very slowly, so that this
first process should be gone through the day before the jelly is
to be made, and the straining should be allowed to go on during
the night. Measure the juice, and allow 1 lb. loaf sugar to every
pint. The sugar must be pounded and passed through a hair sieve
to have it very fine; put it in a dish before the fire, or in the
oven, until it is so hot that it would not remain any longer without
melting. Boil the juice in a copper preserving-pan, stirring it with
a silver spoon; when boiling add the sugar by little and little, a
teaspoonful at a time; this should be shaken gently over the surface,
the stirring continuing all the while. When the sugar is all in,
take the preserving-pan off the fire, as no further boiling will be
necessary. This jelly should be beautifully clear, and of about the
same consistence as guava jelly, which it also somewhat resembles in
flavour.
Melons, Preserved.--Medium-sized melons are better than very large
ones for preserving, and they should not be over-ripe. Peel them,
and press the juice from the pulp and seeds, which should be taken
from the melons with a silver spoon: Wash the melons after this, and
add the water in which they have been washed to the juice obtained
from the pulp and seeds. The melons should be cut lengthwise into
eight pieces, if possible using a silver knife; allow them to soak a
day and night in cold water with a little salt and vinegar, in the
proportion of 1 teaspoonful salt and 2 of white vinegar to ½ gal.
water, throwing a clean cloth over during the time to keep out the
dust. In the meanwhile prepare a syrup with the juice from the pulp
and seeds, boiling 1 lb. good loaf sugar for 15 minutes to every ½
pint of the juice, and then letting it stand to become cold. After
the pieces of melons have soaked for 24 hours--care being taken that
they have been quite under the water all the time--place them in a
preserving-pan and add the cold syrup as prepared; set it on the
fire, and, after it comes to the boil, let it simmer for about ¼
hour, skimming it during the time; then remove the slices of melon
into a bowl, taking care not to break them and pour the syrup over
them. For 3 successive days pour off the syrup, give it a boil up
and pour it over again; on the third day place the slices of melon
in wide-mouthed bottles adding some bruised ginger to each; fill the
bottles with the hot syrup, let them remain until cold, and then tie
tightly down with bladder.
Mulberry Jam.--Take ripe mulberries and allow 1 lb. sugar and 1 pint
mulberry juice to every lb. picked fruit; boil and skim the sugar
with the juice for 5 minutes after the sugar is thoroughly dissolved;
then add the fruit, and boil quickly for ½ hour, stirring well; take
off the fire, and, if quite stiff when cold, it is done sufficiently,
if not, boil for another ¼ hour.
Mulberry Jelly.--It should be made like red currant jelly: the
fruit first stewed, by putting it in jars and setting the jars in a
saucepan of water and letting it simmer till the juice is well drawn;
then strain it off, and to every pint of juice put 1 lb. lump sugar;
boil gently for ¾ hour. Two or three kernels of peaches or almonds
are a great improvement.
Orange Chips.--Cut your oranges longways, take out all the pulp, and
put the rind into rather strong salt and water for 6 days, then boil
them in a large quantity of spring water until they are tender; take
them out and lay them on a hair sieve to drain, then make a thin
syrup of fine loaf sugar (1 lb. to 1 qt. water), put in your peels,
and boil them over a slow fire till you see the syrup candy about the
pan and peels, then take them out and grate fine sugar over them. Lay
them on a hair sieve to drain, and set them in a stove or before the
fire to dry. Lemon chips or candied peel may be made in the same way.
Orange Jelly.--Peel 6 oranges very thin, and 1 lemon. Put a little
hot water on the peel, and let it soak. Scoop out all the inside of
oranges and lemon into a basin. Then pour 1 oz. melted gelatine over
it, boil it a little while over the fire, and add white lump sugar,
sweetening to taste. Then pour it hot over the peel which has been
soaking in a little warm water, strain it all through some muslin,
and then put it into a shape till cold.
Orange Marmalade.--(_a_) Put 6 lb. oranges (bitter) and 6 lemons
into a brass pan, cover them completely with water, and boil until
soft (about 3 hours). Lay a plate on the top of the oranges, to keep
them below the water during the boiling. When soft take them out,
cut in halves, scoop out the pulp, and throw away the stones. Scrape
the skins free from the white fibre inside, then cut into very thin
stripes with a silver knife. Strain the water in which oranges were
boiled--probably now reduced to less than 1 qt.--put it into the pan
with 12 lb. loaf sugar, another qt. of water and the pulp; boil 15
minutes, add the cut skins, boil 10 minutes, and pot.
(_b_) Cut up, say, 12 Seville oranges very thin and small, pick out
the seeds, and to each lb. sliced fruit add 3 pints cold spring
water; let them stand 24 hours, then boil till tender. The seeds
should be put in a muslin bag, and boiled with the oranges. Let all
stand till next day, then to each lb. boiled fruit add 1½ lb. loaf
sugar; boil, stirring constantly, till the syrup jellies and the
chips are quite clear. The grated rind and juice of 2 China oranges
will improve the flavour at the last boiling, or the juice and grated
rind of 2 lemons. This quantity will require a large preserving pan,
and, when finished, ought to be quite clear and jellied. Excellent
marmalade can also be made from oranges cut up in large pieces and
put twice through the mincing machine, instead of being sliced in the
ordinary way.
(_c_) An equal weight of Seville oranges and loaf sugar must be
allowed. Wash and dry the oranges, and grate the peel of about ¼
them, setting aside the grating for after use. Pare off the peel from
the other ¾ of the oranges, and cut it into very fine chips; tie
these chips in a thin cloth, and let them boil slowly for 2-3 hours.
Cut the oranges into pieces, and scrape out the pulp, separating from
it the pips and white parts or refuse; put this refuse into a basin
with about 1 pint cold water, and when all the oranges are scraped,
strain this refuse through a cloth, and throw the liquid from it and
the pulp over the sugar in the boiling pan, and place it on the fire
or hot hearth, allowing the sugar to melt slowly. After it comes to
the boil, put in the chips, first straining the water from them, and
let the whole boil slowly for at least ½ hour. The grating to be put
in 10 minutes before the marmalade is taken from the fire. The juice
of 2 lemons added is an improvement.
Oranges Preserved Whole.--Take, say, ½ doz. nice looking oranges, cut
a small hole near the stalk at one end, and carefully scoop out the
pips, and press out the juice without damaging the fruit, and allow
the pulp to remain. Put them in a basin with 2-3 qt. fresh, spring
water, and leave them 3 days, changing the water each day. In the
meantime strain the juice as soon as squeezed out, and place the jar
into which it is strained in a pan of boiling water for about ¼ hour,
after which boil it with 1 lb. loaf sugar. Put this syrup, just as it
comes off the fire, into a jar, tie it over with a bladder, and set
it by. On the third day lift the fruit into a lined preserving pan,
strain the water on to them, and let them boil very gently for about
2 hours. Leave them in the pan as they are till the next day, when
boil again until quite tender. Then add another lb. sugar, bring it
to the boil and leave it to cool. Next day boil up the syrup and pour
it over the fruit in the pan, adding another lb. sugar and hot water
to supply any deficiency caused by boiling. Lift out the fruit, and
repeat the boiling of the syrup every day for a fortnight, pouring
it daily boiling hot on the fruit, then do it only every 2-3 days,
adding more and more sugar up to 3 lb. When the fruit looks clear and
bright boil up the syrup again, adding the juice that was set by at
the commencement, boil them up together and skim. Put the fruit into
wide-necked jars, pour the syrup on, and tie up quickly with bladders.
Peaches, Brandied.--(_a_) Drop the fruit into a weak boiling lye
until the skin can be wiped off. Make a thin syrup to cover them,
boil until they are soft to the fingernail; make a rich syrup, and
add, after they come from the fire and while hot, the same quantity
of brandy as syrup. The fruit must be covered. (_b_) The peaches
must be ripe, but firm. Prick them to the stone several times all
over with a pin; clarify some sugar, allowing ¾ lb. to each lb.
fruit. Break the sugar in large lumps; dip each lump into cold water
quickly, and put it into the preserving pan. The quantity of water
absorbed by the lumps in dipping will be right for boiling. Watch
carefully that it does not boil over. When it has come to a boil, let
it simmer slowly, and be ready with a cold spoon to check it whenever
it begins to rise. When it forms little beads it is boiled enough.
Now lay in the peaches, and let it simmer slowly till it is a little
softened but still firm; then set it all by to get cold. Next day
take out the fruit and drain it on a sieve or dish. Boil down the
syrup to thicken, and when it is cold mix it with an equal quantity
of pale brandy. Arrange the fruit in glasses, and pour the brandy
syrup over. ½ lb. sugar to the lb. of fruit is often considered
sufficient.
Peach Jam.--Cut the peaches in quarters, and take off the skins and
stones, put them in a pan with equal weight of white powdered sugar,
let them stand all night in the sugar, and next day boil them slowly
until they become quite soft and the juice jellies well. Fruit that
is not quite ripe is far preferable, because, when ripe, peaches have
so much juice that it is impossible to reduce it sufficiently to keep
well. Cover the pots with paper dipped in brandy, like all other
preserves, but not till a few days after it is made.
Pear Jelly.--The pears must be a juicy sort. Cut them into quarters
without paring or coring. Put 8 lb. in a pot with 1 qt. water, and
boil on a slow fire to a pulp, then throw them into a jelly bag,
made of coarse glass cloth, and let them remain all night to drain.
Next morning squeeze any remaining juice out of the bag, and to each
1 lb. juice add ½ lb. lump sugar, and a very little lemon juice to
flavour. Boil it on a quick fire till it comes to a jelly. Great care
must be taken not to let this burn. It takes about 2 hours to boil to
a jelly, but is more easily done in small quantities. Coarse, juicy
pears are the best.
Pears, Preserved.--Take some small pears as soon as the pips are
black; set them over the fire in a preserving pan with water to cover
them; let them simmer until they will yield to the pressure of the
finger; then with a skimmer take them out, and put them into cold
water; pare them carefully, leaving on a little of the stem and the
blossom end; pierce them at the blossom end to the core; then make
a syrup of 1 lb. sugar to 1 pint water for each lb. of fruit. When
it is boiling hot pour it over the pears, and let it stand until the
next day; then drain it off; make it boiling hot again, and pour it
over the fruit. After a day or two put the pears in the syrup over
the fire, and boil it gently until it is clear; then take out the
fruit, boil the syrup till thick, and put it and the fruit in jars.
The jargonelle pear is considered the best for preserving, or any
small firm pear.
Pineapple Jam.--Choose ripe fruit, but it must not be over ripe; if
at all bruised be careful to cut all the bruised parts out. Peel, and
remove all the eyes; cut into slices about ½ in. thick, and again
into pieces about 1 in. square. Weigh the fruit after preparing it,
and to every lb. allow 1 lb. powdered white sugar. Put the fruit only
in a bright copper preserving-pan on the fire until it is quite hot
and the juice flowing, stirring it from the moment of putting on the
fire with a wooden spoon. Then add the sugar gradually, continuing to
stir all the while, and let it boil for ½-¾ hour, or until it will
set. This jam requires especial care to prevent burning. If it burn
in the very least, the flavour is spoilt and the colour too. After
filling the jars, let them remain until the next day before tying
them down to keep.
Pineapple Jelly.--Take a tin of preserved pineapple, pound the
contents in a mortar, add 6 oz. sugar and ½ pint water; boil the
whole for ¼ hour, then strain through a napkin, add the juice of a
lemon and 1 pint clarified calves’-foot jelly. Pour into a mould, and
when set turn it out by dipping the mould in warm water. Pieces of
pineapple may be put in the jelly.
Pineapple Preserve.--To every lb. of fruit, weighed after being
pared, allow 1 lb. loaf sugar and ¼ pint water. The pines should be
perfectly sound, but ripe. Cut them into rather thick slices, as the
fruit shrinks very much in boiling; pare off the rind carefully, that
none of the pine be wasted, and in doing so notch it in and out,
as the edge cannot be smoothly cut without great waste. Dissolve a
portion of the sugar in a preserving-pan with ¼ pint water; when this
is melted, gradually add the remainder of the sugar, and boil until
it forms a clear syrup, skimming well. As soon as this is done, put
in the pieces of pine, and boil well for at least ½ hour, or until it
looks nearly transparent. Put it into pots, cover down when cold, and
store away in a dry place.
Plums, Bottled.--Take care to gather them on a dry day. They should
be quite ripe, but not over ripe, and any which are bruised must
be rejected. The following manner of preserving applies also to
damsons and bullaces. Fill wide-necked bottles with the fruit, pack
it closely, leaving only room enough in each bottle to put over the
fruit ¼ lb. castor sugar. Tie a piece of moistened bladder tightly
over each bottle, and place them standing upright in a fish-kettle:
put a little hay between each and all round them, so as to keep them
from touching each other and the sides of the kettle. Folded cloths
should be placed beneath the bottles. Fill the kettle with cold water
just high enough to cover the shoulders of the bottles; let them boil
at the side of the fire, which must not be a very fierce one, until
the fruit has sunk considerably, and appears done enough. Then take
the kettle from the fire, but let the bottles remain in it until the
water becomes perfectly cold. They must then be taken out, wiped dry
with a cloth, and set in a cool, dry place to keep. The bladders
must be constantly moistened while on the fire, or they will burst.
Should any of them burst, the first piece of bladder must instantly
be replaced by a fresh piece, duly moistened. When required for use
the whole bottle must be taken, for, after once being exposed to the
air the fruit will not keep. One bottle will make a moderately-sized
tart. Bottling without sugar is not recommended.
Plum Jam.--Take equal quantities fruit and sugar, pound the sugar,
pare and cut up with a silver knife some ripe plums, remove the
stones, lay the fruit in a dish, strew over them half the sugar, and
leave them till the following day; then boil and skim the remainder
of the sugar, add the fruit, boil it up quickly, well skimming and
stirring for 20 minutes; add the blanched kernels halved, boil for 10
minutes more, and the jam will be ready to pot.
Plums Preserved in Brandy.--Choose fine plums, not over ripe, prick
them slightly, put them into cold water, and let them simmer gently
until the water is nearly boiling. Take them out, and throw them
immediately into cold water. Have ready some clarified syrup, put
the plums into it, and boil gently for 20 minutes; take them off the
fire, and let them remain in the syrup until the following day; then
take out the plums, and put them into a wide-mouthed bottle, boil up
the syrup with an equal quantity of brandy, pour this over the plums,
and when cold cork them up tightly.
Plums in Syrup.--Gather the fruit when full grown, and just as it
begins to turn. Pick all the largest out, and save about ⅔ of the
fruit; to the other third put as much water as you think will cover
the whole. Let this boil, and skim well; when the fruit is boiled
very soft, strain it through a coarse hair sieve, and to every qt. of
liquor put 1½ lb. sugar. Boil it and skim it very well; then throw
in the rest of the fruit, just give them a scald; take them off the
fire, and when cold put them into bottles with wide mouths, pour the
syrup over them, lay a piece of white paper over them, and cover them
with oil. Be sure to take the oil well off when you use them, and do
not put them in larger bottles than you think you will use at a time,
because all these bottled fruits should be used when the bottles are
once opened.
Plums in Vinegar.--Gather the plums with the stalks, prick them with
a needle, and put them, with layers of cloves and cinnamon, into
glass jars. For every 4 lb. plums boil up 2 lb. sugar and 1 qt. best
vinegar, and pour it warm over the plums. Next day pour off the
vinegar, boil it up again, and pour over the fruit. This must be
repeated a third time. Tie up with bladder. This preserve improves
much by keeping.
Prune Jelly.--Put ½ lb. prunes into a saucepan, with 2 oz. white
sugar, a piece of lemon, a little cinnamon, and sufficient water to
cover them, stew until tender; take out the stones, pass the prunes
through a sieve, crack the stones, and put back the kernels into the
prune pulp. Steep ½ oz. gelatine in a little cold water, add this to
the prunes with a glass of red wine; boil all together. Ornament a
plain line mould with almonds blanched and split, pour the jelly into
the outer part, and leave it to get cold; when quite set remove the
lining, turn out the jelly, and fill up the centre with ½ pint of
cream whipped to a stiff froth.
Prune Preserve.--Take some prunes, wash them well, then cover them
with water and stew gently, with the grated rind of a lemon, until
quite tender, and pass the prunes through a sieve; weigh the pulp, to
every lb. of pulp allow ½-¾ lb. sugar. Boil the sugar with a little
water until melted, then add it to the pulp, boil both together for ¼
hour, skim well, and stir, and the preserve will be ready to pot.
Pumpkin Jam.--Weigh the pumpkin, have ready the same weight of sugar;
take off the skin and take out the inside and seeds, cover the latter
with water, and boil; cut the rest into thin slices, strain the seed
water over it, with sufficient to cover the whole, and boil with 1
oz. whole ginger to 2 lb. pumpkin, until the latter is nearly done
enough, take it out and boil the sugar in the same water until clear,
then add the fruit and boil slowly for 1½ hour, take out the ginger,
and tie up in pots.
Quinces, Brandied.--Peel some small ripe quinces, and allow ½
lb. loaf sugar to 1 lb. fruit; boil the quinces ½ hour in barely
sufficient water to cover them; drain them, and put aside to get
cool; empty the water out of the preserving-pan and put in the sugar,
moistening it with a little of the water in which the quinces were
boiled, and let the sugar boil for 10 minutes; put in the quinces and
let them boil rapidly for ½ hour. Place them in wide-mouthed jars,
as free from syrup as possible, boil down the syrup until it jellies
when dropped on a plate, set it aside in a large jug or bowl, and
when quite cold mix an equal quantity of good brandy with the syrup,
and pour over the quinces in the jars. Cover closely with paper
dipped in white of egg.
Quince Jam.--Peel and quarter your quinces, leaving the seeds in, as
they readily impart their mucilage to water, and thus thicken the
syrup. Allow ¾ lb. loaf sugar to 1 lb. fruit; put the fruit and sugar
into a preserving-pan, and ½ teacupful water to moisten the bottom of
the pan; stir the fruit and sugar frequently, and when it boils keep
it boiling rapidly until the fruit is soft, and a clear red colour.
It will take about an hour, reckoning from the first boiling up. Put
into jam pots, and cover when cold.
Quince Jelly.--For preserving, it is essential that the quinces
should be quite ripe and perfectly sound. Pare and slice them, and
put them into a copper preserving pan with just enough water to float
them. Let them boil till tender, and the fruit reduced to a pulp;
strain off the juice, letting it filter through the jelly-bag more
than once, if necessary, to be quite clear; to every pint of juice
allow 1 lb. powdered loaf sugar. Boil both together for about ¾ hour,
removing the scum as it rises; when it sets, by pouring a little on a
cold plate, it is done. Some people do not peel the quinces, thinking
it makes the jelly a better colour to boil them down after slicing
with the peel on. In this case they would have to be carefully washed
before cutting up.