add four pounds of brown sugar; boil this for a few minutes, and take
off any scum which may rise. Rub the peaches with a flannel cloth, to
remove the down, and stick a clove in each; put them in glass or stone
jars, and pour the liquor upon them boiling hot. When cold, cover the
jars and let them stand in a cool place for a week or ten days, then
pour off the liquor and boil it as before, after which return it,
boiling, to the peaches, which should be carefully covered and stored
away for future use.
If your peaches are very hard, boil them in water till tender, before
you pickle them, and they will be fit for use almost immediately.
PICKLED BEANS.
228. String-beans, or French beans, are the kind used for pickling.
Take off the strings but do not break the beans; put them in strong
salt and water for three or four days; cover them with a board and
weight so as to keep them under the water. Then take them out, wash
them, and put them in a preserving kettle with hot water enough to
cover them, and put leaves or a cloth over them to keep in the steam.
When they are green take them out, drain them and put them in jars;
pour hot vinegar over them, with any kind of spice you may like best,
and a small piece of alum in each jar.
Radish pods are pickled in the same way.
PICKLED MANGOES.
229. Cut your mangoes in half, take out all the seeds, tie them
together with coarse thread, and lay them in strong salt and water for
three or four days. Then wash and drain them, put them into a kettle
with vine or cabbage leaves over the top, or they may be covered with
a clean coarse cloth; pour in hot water enough to cover them, and
let them stand near the fire to keep hot. When they are green take
them out, untie them, turn the cut side down and drain them. Cut some
horse-radish in fine slips, and mix with it some mace, cloves, pepper,
allspice and mustard seed; fill your mangoes with this, and if you like
it add a clove of garlic to each one, place the two sides together and
tie them again. Put them in jars and cover them with vinegar. Cut off
the threads before they are sent to the table.
PICKLED CUCUMBERS.
230. Select the small sized cucumbers for pickling. They should be
free from bruises and of a fine green color, for if they are old and
yellow when picked from the vines they will never be green when they
are pickled. Wash your cucumbers in cold water to remove all the sand
and grit, put them in your pickling tub, make a brine of salt and water
strong enough to float an egg. Pour enough of this brine over the
cucumbers to cover them; spread over the top a coarse cloth and over
this put the lid of the tub, which should be just large enough to fit
inside and slip down so as to press on the cucumbers, put a weight on
the lid to keep it in its place. Let them stand in the salt and water
till they are perfectly yellow, which will be in about nine days.
When they are quite yellow take them out, wash them in cold water and
examine each one separately; if you should find any soft or bruised
reject them, as they would be likely to spoil the others. Put them into
a preserving kettle, cover them with hot water and vine or cabbage
leaves, or if you have no leaves a clean coarse towel will answer as
well. Put a plate over the top and stand them where they will keep hot,
but not simmer, as that would ruin them. When they are perfectly green
take them out of the water, drain them, and put in your jars first a
layer of cucumbers, then a tea spoonful of whole allspice, half a dozen
cloves, some strips of horse-radish, and half a tea spoonful of mustard
seed, then more cucumbers, and so on till the jar is full. Pour in as
much good vinegar as will cover them, with a tea spoonful of pulverized
alum to each jar. In a day or two examine them, and fill up the jars
with vinegar if the pickles have absorbed it so as to leave the top
ones uncovered.
If you do not wish to pickle all your cucumbers at once, (and they are
much better when they are freshly pickled,) take them out of the salt
and water, wash and drain them. Put the brine over the fire, boil and
skim it; let it stand to get cold; wash the pickle tub, wipe it dry,
put the cucumbers into it; examine each one that no specked ones may
be put in the tub, pour the cold brine over them, wash the cloth and
lid of the tub and replace them as before. Cucumbers will keep in this
way all winter. They may be pickled a few at a time whenever they are
wanted. They must be soaked twenty-four hours in cold water before they
are pickled; if they are so long in salt and water they imbibe too much
salt to green them without soaking.
Gherkins are done in the same way.
PICKLED BEETS.
231. Boil your beets till tender, but not quite soft. To four large
beets boil three eggs hard, remove the shells; when the beets are done
take off the skin by laying them for a few minutes in cold water and
then stripping it off; slice them a quarter of an inch thick, put the
eggs at the bottom, and then put in the beets with a little salt. Pour
on cold vinegar enough to cover them. The eggs imbibe the color of the
beets, and look beautiful on the table.
PICKLED CHERRIES.
232. Pick over your cherries, remove all the specked ones. Put them
into a jar, and pour over them as much hot vinegar and sugar as will
cover them; to each gallon of vinegar allow four pounds of sugar.
Boil and skim it and pour it hot over the fruit. Let it stand a week,
then pour off the vinegar and boil it as before, pour it hot over the
cherries the second time. As soon as they are cold tie them closely.
TOMATO CATSUP, No. 1.
233. Boil half a bushel of tomatoes until they are soft, squeeze them
through a fine wire sieve and add--
One quart of vinegar,
Half a pint of salt,
One ounce of cloves,
Two ounces of _whole_ allspice,
Two ounces of ground cayenne pepper,
A dessert spoonful of ground black pepper,
Two heads of garlic skinned and separated.
Mix the whole together and boil three hours; bottle without straining
it.
On the top of each bottle pour a table spoonful of sweet oil, cork them
closely and seal them. The sweet oil by excluding the air tends to
preserve the catsup.
TOMATO CATSUP, No, 2.
234. Slice the tomatoes, put a layer in a deep vessel, and sprinkle
over some salt; then another layer of tomatoes and salt till all are
in. Stand them in the sun for two or three days, when they are soft
pass them through a sieve, and put the pulp, thus drained out, over the
fire to boil. Add cayenne pepper, whole black pepper, mace, cloves,
allspice, and a little race ginger if you like; let it boil till it
is thick, add a clove of garlic; by tasting it you can judge if it is
seasoned to your taste. When cold, bottle it off; put a table spoonful
of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and seal the corks.
MUSHROOM CATSUP.
235. Procure fresh mushrooms, pick them carefully, wipe them clean,
and put a layer in the bottom of a pan, sprinkle over some salt, then
another layer of mushrooms and more salt until all are in; cover the
pan and let them stand two days, mash them well and strain them through
a hair sieve. To each quart of the pulp add one ounce and a half of
whole black pepper, half an ounce of whole allspice, and a few blades
of mace. Boil it till reduced to two-thirds the original quantity. When
done pour it in a pan and stand it away till the next day, then pass it
through a hair sieve and bottle it for use. Put it in small bottles, on
the top of each pour a table spoonful of sweet oil to exclude the air.
Cork them closely and rosin the corks.
WALNUT CATSUP.
236. When your pickled walnuts are soft, mash them through the vinegar
which covers them, strain it and boil it to a proper thickness. Bottle
it, put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and
cork them tightly; seal the corks and it will keep for several years.
This catsup is excellent.
PICKLED NASTURTIUMS.
237. Cut the green seeds of the nasturtiums with a piece of the stem
to each. Put them in a jar of cold vinegar.
PICKLED TOMATOES.
238. Take one peck of ripe tomatoes, prick them with a large needle,
and lay them in strong salt and water eight days. Then take them out
of the brine and lay them in vinegar and water for twenty-four hours.
Scald a dozen small onions in vinegar and stand the whole away to get
cold. Drain the tomatoes and add them to the cold onions and vinegar,
with two wine-glasses of mustard-seed and an ounce of cloves.
PASTRY.
The flour for pastry should be of the whitest and finest quality. It
should be mixed with a broad knife, as the moisture and warmth of the
hand makes it heavy.
The butter should be of the best quality, as if it is a little rancid
it will taste. To make puff paste it should have all the salt washed
out of it.
Iron, or block tin plates are the best for baking pastry.
Always use cold water (in summer iced water) to mix pastry, and if it
cannot be baked immediately, set it away in a cool place.
PUFF-PASTE.
239. One pound of butter,
One pound of flour.
Wash your butter in cold water to extract all the salt; work it well
with a broad wooden spoon in order to get out all the water. Lay it
between clean napkins, put it in a tin pan or plate, set it on the ice
to get hard, but do not let it freeze. Sift your flour in a pan, cut
the butter in four equal parts, cut one-fourth in very small pieces in
the flour, but do not touch it, as the warmth of your hands will make
the paste heavy. Add to the flour as much _cold_ water as will make
it a stiff dough. Turn it out on your pie-board, roll it gently into
sheets, cut one-third of the remainder of the butter into small pieces,
and lay over it, sprinkle on a _very_ little flour, fold it over, roll
it out again, cut one-half of the butter which is left in small pieces
and lay on, put on a little flour, and fold it as before, roll it out
again, and put on the remainder of the butter. It should now be set on
the ice, but should not come in contact with it. When it is perfectly
cold, roll it out in a sheet thinner in the centre than at the edges of
your pie, cut it with a _very sharp_ knife the size you wish it. Fill
with whatever you choose, and bake in a tolerably quick oven.
PLAIN PASTE.
240. One pound of flour,
Three-quarters of butter.
Put the ingredients together in the same manner as directed for puff
paste.
COMMON PASTE.
241. One pound of flour,
Half a pound of butter.
Proceed as directed for puff-paste, only the butter need not be washed,
nor the paste placed upon the ice.
A very good paste may be made with the above quantity of flour, and a
quarter of a pound of butter, and the same quantity of nice fresh lard.
LEMON PUDDING, No. 1.
242. Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated rind and juice of one lemon,
Half a gill of brandy.
Beat the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it the grated
_yellow_ rind and juice of one lemon, and lastly the liquor. Make a
puff-paste, line your pie plates with it, and pour in the mixture.
These ingredients will make three puddings.
It requires a moderate oven.
This is a very rich and expensive kind of pudding--for a plainer kind
see No. 2.
In place of the liquor, a table spoonful of rose water, and a tea
spoonful of grated nutmeg may be added.
LEMON PUDDING, No. 2.
243. Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs and add to it,
then stir in the lemon juice and grated rind.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the mixture, and bake in a
moderate oven.
Two table spoonsful of brandy may be added, if preferred, to flavor it.
ORANGE CHEESE-CAKE.
244. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
Three eggs,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
The rind of one orange grated,
Half a nutmeg,
One table spoonful of brandy, or two of rose water.
Pour the milk or cream over the sponge cake to moisten it. Then stir
together your butter and sugar, whisk your eggs, mash the cake very
fine, and mix all together with the liquor and spice.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a
moderate oven.
LEMON CHEESE-CAKE.
245. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
Three eggs,
The grated rind of one and juice of half a lemon.
Slice the cake, and pour over it the milk or cream. Beat the butter and
sugar together, and stir into it. Mash the sponge cake very fine, and
add to the above. Grate the yellow rind, and squeeze the juice of half
a lemon and stir in.
Cover the pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a
moderately hot oven.
CURD CHEESE-CAKE.
246. One quart of milk,
Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,
A quarter of a pound of currants.
Warm the milk, and turn it to a curd, with a piece of rennet, or a
table spoonful of the wine in which a rennet has been soaked. As soon
as the milk is a thick curd, take it out with a broad ladle or spoon,
and lay it on a sieve to drain. Beat the eggs, and add the drained
curd, also the sugar and butter, which must have been beaten to a
cream, then the spice and fruit.
For those who would prefer it sweeter, more sugar may be added.
Line your pie plates with paste, fill them with the above mixture, and
bake in a moderately hot oven.
COTTAGE CHEESE-CAKE.
247. One pint of curd,
One gill and a half of cream,
Three eggs,
Sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the taste.
Mix the curd and cream thoroughly together. Beat the eggs, add them
with the sugar and spice. Make a paste, cover your pie plates, and
fill them with the mixture.
Bake in a moderate oven.
INDIAN FLORENDINES.
248. One quart of milk,
Three eggs,
One ounce of butter,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
Sugar to the taste,
As much Indian meal as will make the milk as thick as pap.
When the milk boils, stir in the Indian meal till it is thickened about
like pap, then add the butter.
Set it off to cool. When cold stir in the eggs, which must have been
well beaten, then the sugar and brandy.
They are very good without brandy.
Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the above mixture, and
bake in a moderate oven.
RICE FLORENDINES.
249. One quart of milk,
Eight eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg,
Brandy, or rose-water to the taste,
Rice flour enough to thicken the milk.
Boil the milk, and stir in enough rice flour mixed with cold milk, to
thicken it about as stiff as thick molasses. Add the butter while it is
hot. Beat the eggs, stir them in when it gets cold, and add the other
ingredients, bake in pie plates, with an under crust only.
ORANGE PUDDING.
250. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
The rind of an orange.
Lay the rind of an orange to soak over night. The next day boil it and
mash it fine. It must be boiled in fresh water.
Beat the butter and sugar as for cake. Whisk the eggs and add to it,
then stir in the liquor and orange.
Cover your pie plates with rich paste, fill them and bake in a moderate
oven.
ALMOND PUDDING.
251. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Six ounces of sweet almonds,
Two ounces of bitter almonds,
Half a gill of rose-water.
Blanch the almonds, pound them in a mortar to a paste with a little
rose-water. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs, mix
all the ingredients together, line your pie plates with paste, fill
them, and bake them as directed for other puddings.
COCOA-NUT PUDDING, No. 1.
252. A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut,
Three ounces of butter,
The whites of six eggs,
Half a glass of wine and brandy mixed,
One table spoonful of rose-water.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it, then
stir in the grated nut and liquor.
Cover your pie plates with rich crust, fill them with the mixture, and
bake in a moderate oven.
COCOA-NUT PUDDING, No. 2.
253. Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of butter,
One pound of nut,
Eight eggs, the whites only,
Half a gill of wine and brandy mixed,
One table spoonful of rose-water.
Peel off the outer skin of the cocoa-nut, grate it and stir it into
the butter and sugar, which must be beaten to a cream. Add the brandy,
wine, and rose-water, then the whites of the eggs, which must be
whisked till they are dry.
Bake in a puff paste.
APPLE PUDDING, No. 1.
254. Half a pound of the mashed apple,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Half a nutmeg,
Two table spoonsful of brandy, or rose-water if preferred.
Peel the apples and core them; cut them in small pieces, and stew them
in very little water till they are soft. Pass them through a sieve to
free them from lumps.
Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it; then
stir in the apples, (which should be half a pound when mashed,) brandy
or rose-water and nutmeg. Cover your pie plates with a rich crust and
bake in a moderate oven.
These are very rich.
APPLE PUDDING, No. 2.
255. One pound of grated apple,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Six eggs,
Half a pint of cream,
The juice and grated rind of one lemon.
Grate your apples; beat the butter and sugar very light, whisk the eggs
and add to it, add the apples, cream and lemon. Stir all together, line
your pie plates with rich paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
A few currants may be added.
PLAIN APPLE PUDDING, No. 3.
256. One pound of the mashed apples,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Sugar to the taste,
Six eggs,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
Half a nutmeg,
Brandy or rose-water to the taste.
Peel the apples, cut them in slices, and stew them in a very little
water till they are tender. Mash them fine, and while they are hot add
the butter. Set them away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the apples
are cold add the eggs and sugar, liquor and spice. Cover your pie
plates with plain paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.
A quarter of a pound of dried currants may be added if preferred.
PUMPKIN PUDDING, No. 1.
257. A quarter of a pound of butter,
Sugar to the taste,
Eight eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,
One pint of mashed pumpkin.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it fine, and add the butter
to it whilst it is hot; whisk the eggs and stir into the pumpkin when
it is cool enough, and add the other ingredients. Bake in a light paste.
PUMPKIN PUDDING, No. 2.
258. Eight eggs,
One pint of stewed pumpkin,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
One tea cupful of cream,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg.
Stew the pumpkin in very little water, mash it very fine, add the
butter and stand it away to cool. Beat the eggs, and when the pumpkin
is cool add them and the other ingredients. Line your pie-plates with
paste, pour in the pumpkin, and bake in a moderately hot oven.
When they are to be sent to the table sift sugar over them.
QUINCE PUDDING.
259. Six ounces of mashed quinces,
Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
A table spoonful of brandy.
Stew the quinces, mash them very fine, and when nearly cold add to them
the butter and sugar beaten to a cream. Whisk the eggs very light and
stir in with the other ingredients. Cover your pie-plates with a nice
paste, pour in the mixture and bake it.
FRENCH CUSTARD PUDDING.
260. One pint of milk,
One table-spoonful of flour,
Three eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
Flavored with rose-water, essence of lemon, or brandy.
Put on the milk to boil, mix the flour smoothly with a little cold
milk; as soon as the milk boils stir in the mixture of flour and milk.
Let it boil one minute, take it off and set away to cool. Beat the
eggs, and when the milk is cool add them to it with the sugar, then
the spice and rose-water, or whatever it is to be flavored with. Line
your pie plates with paste, pour in the above mixture, and bake it in a
moderate oven.
POTATO PUDDING.
261. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of mashed potatoes,
Half a gill of cream,
Five eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
The grated peel of one orange,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon.
Mash the boiled potatoes with the cream, and when cool, add to it the
butter and sugar beaten to a cream, the eggs well whisked, and all the
other ingredients. Bake in a puff paste.
SWEET POTATO PUDDING.
262. Made as the white potato.
CRANBERRY TARTS.
263. Stew your cranberries with sugar in the proportion of a pound of
sugar to a pound of fruit, and merely enough water to melt the sugar.
When they are done set them away to get cold. Make some shells of puff
paste and fill with the fruit.
RHUBARB TARTS.
264. Cut your fruit in pieces, strew over it plenty of sugar, and stew
it till it is soft, then mash it fine. Line your pie plates with good
light paste, bake it, and when the shells are cold fill them with the
stewed fruit.
RIPE PEACH PIE.
265. Pare your peaches, cut them in halves or quarters according to
their size; lay them in a dish, and between every layer of peaches
strew sugar according to the acidity of the peach. Line your pie plates
with a paste, then put in the fruit and cover with a lid of paste,
leaving a small opening in the centre for the steam to escape.
Ripe peach pie may be made without any sugar; when the pie is baked
take off the top crust, mash the fruit, and add as much sugar as will
sweeten it. Be careful not to break the crust as it will disfigure the
pie.
PEACH POT PIE.
266. Line the sides of a deep pot with a paste made in the proportion
of half a pound of butter to one pound of flour. Then pare and slice
some peaches, sugar them to your taste, and fill up the pot and cover
the top with the paste, leaving an opening in the middle of the crust
to permit the steam to escape while the pie is baking. Bake it in a
moderately hot oven, and when cold serve it with cream.
QUINCE PIE.
267. The quinces are prepared in the same manner as for quince
marmalade. Make your paste, line your pie plates, fill them with the
marmalade, cover with a lid of paste and bake them.
Quince pies made in this way, are excellent during the winter when
fruits are scarce.
PLUM PIE.
268. Cut your plums in two, and take out the stones. Make a paste,
line your pie plates, put in a layer of fruit and one of sugar, in the
proportion of three-quarters of a pound of sugar to one pound of fruit.
Roll out some paste, cover the pies and bake them in a moderate oven.
Leave an opening in the centre of the lid to allow the steam to escape
while they are baking.
QUINCE DUMPLINGS.
269. Pare and core your quinces, put them in a sauce-pan with very
little water, and as soon as they _begin_ to get tender take them out.
Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour, cover the
fruit, tie them in dumpling cloths and boil them.
PEACH DUMPLINGS.
270. Choose large free-stone peaches; peel them, make a paste of six
ounces of butter to one pound of flour; cover each peach with this
paste, and boil them in cloths or nets till the fruit is tender. They
are very nice. Serve with sugar and cream.
APPLE DUMPLINGS.
271. Make a paste of six ounces of butter to a pound of flour. Pare
your apples, take out the cores, and cover them with the paste; tie
them in cloths and boil them till the apples are tender. Serve with
sugar and cream, or molasses and butter.
CHERRY PIE.
272. Stew your cherries with sugar, in the proportion of a pound of
cherries to half a pound of sugar, and stir in a little flour to
thicken the syrup. Make a paste, as rich as you like, line your pie
plates, fill with the fruit, and cover with a lid of the paste.
RHUBARB PIES.
273. Cut the young stalks in pieces about half an inch in length. Make
a paste, cover the bottom of your pie plate, put in the fruit with a
great deal of sugar, about four table spoonsful to each pie: put on a
cover and bake them till the fruit is soft.
SWEET DISHES.
GUERNSEY PUDDING.
274. Half a pound of beef suet,
One pound of flour,
Half a pound of dried currants,
Half a pound of stoned raisins,
Two eggs,
Nutmeg and cinnamon to the taste,
Half a salt spoonful of salt.
Shred the suet, chop it fine, and rub it through the flour. Wash, pick,
and dry the currants; seed the raisins, mix the currants and raisins
together, and dredge over them as much flour as will adhere to them.
Beat the eggs till they are very thick and light, and add enough milk
to form a batter--stir in the eggs, then the spices and salt, and
lastly the fruit.
Dip your pudding bag into cold water, turn it wrong side out and flour
it well, then turn it back again, pour in the batter, tie the mouth of
the bag with a strong string, but take care to leave a space sufficient
to allow the pudding to swell.
Have ready a pot of boiling water, with a plate in the bottom to
prevent the bag from touching the bottom of the pot, put in the pudding
and let it boil two hours and a half.