_For preserving Quinces_.
Take a peck of Quinces, pare then, take out the core with a sharp
knife, if you wish to have them whole; boil parings and cores with two
pound frost grapes, in 3 quarts water, boil the liquor an hour and an
half, or till it is thick, strain it through a coarse hair sieve, add
one and a quarter pound sugar to every pound of quince; put the sugar
into the sirrup, scald and skim it till it is clear, put the quinces
into the sirrup, cut up two oranges and mix with the quince, hang them
over a gentle fire for five hours, then put them in a stone pot for
use, set them in a dry cool place.
_For preserving Quinces in Loaf Sugar_.
Take a peck of Quinces, put them into a kettle of cold water, hang
them over the fire, boil them till they are soft, then take them out
with a fork, when cold, pair them, quarter or halve them, if you like;
take their weight of loaf sugar, put into a bell-metal kettle or sauce
pan, with one quart of water, scald and skim it till it is very clear,
then put in your Quinces, let them boil in the sirrup for half an
hour, add oranges as before if you like, then put them in stone pots
for use.
_For preserving Strawberries_.
Take two quarts of Strawberries, squeeze them through a cloth, add
half a pint of water and two pound of sugar, put it into a sauce pan,
scald and skim it, take two pound of Strawberries with stems on, set
your sauce pan on a chaffing dish, put as many Strawberries into the
dish as you can with the stems up without bruizing them, let them boil
for about ten minutes, then take them out gently with a fork and put
them into a stone pot for use; when you have done the whole turn the
sirrup into the pot, when hot; set them in a cool place for use.
_Currants_ and _Cherries_ may be done in the same way, by adding a
little more sugar.
_The American Citron_.
Take the rine of a large watermelon not too ripe cut it into small
pieces, take two pound of loaf sugar, one pint of water, put it all
into a kettle, let it boil gently for four hours, then put it into
pots for use.
_To keep White Bullace, Pears, Plumbs, or Damsons &c. for tarts or
pies_.
Gather them when full grown, and just as they begin to turn, pick all
the largest out, save about two thirds of the fruit, to the other
third put as much water as you think will cover them, boil and skim
them; when the fruit is boiled very soft, strain it through a coarse
hair sieve; and to every quart of this liquor put a pound and a half
of sugar, boil it, and skim it very well; then throw in your fruit,
just give them a scald; take them off the fire, and when cold, put
them into bottles with wide mouths, pour your sirrup over them, lay a
piece of white paper over them, and cover them with oil.
_To make Marmalade_.
To two pounds of quinces, put three quarters of a pound of sugar and a
pint of springwater; then put them over the fire, and boil them till
they are tender; then take them up and bruize them; then put them into
the liquor, let it boil three quarters of an hour, and then put it
into your pots or saucers.
_To preserve Mulberries whole_.
Set some mulberries over the fire in skillet or preserving pan; draw
from them a pint of juice when it is strained; then take three pounds
of sugar beaten very fine, wet the sugar with the pint of juice, boil
up your sugar and skim it, put in two pounds of ripe mulberries, and
let them stand in the sirrup till they are thoroughly warm, then set
them on the fire, and let them boil very gently; do them but half
enough, so put them by in the sirrup till next day, then boil them
gently again: when the sirrup is pretty thick, and will stand in round
drops when it is cold, they are done enough, so put all into a
gallipot for use.
_To preserve Goosberries, Damsons, or Plumbs_
Gather them when dry, full grown, and not ripe; pick them one by one,
put them into glass bottles that are very clean and dry, and cork them
close with new corks; then put a kettle of water on the fire, and put
in the bottles with care; wet not the corks, but let the water come up
to the necks; make a gentle fire till they are a little codled and
turn white; do not take them up till cold, then pitch the corks all
over, or wax them close and thick; then set them in a cool dry cellar.
_To preserve Peaches_.
Put your peaches in boiling water, just give them a scald, but don't
let them boil, take them out, and put them in cold water, then dry
them in a sieve, and put them in long wide mouthed bottles: to half a
dozen peaches take a quarter of a pound of sugar, clarify it, pour it
over your peaches, and fill the bottles with brandy, stop them close,
and keep them in a close place.
_To preserve Apricots_.
Take your apricots and pare them, then stone what you can whole; give
them a light boiling in a pint of water, or according to your quantity
of fruit; then take the weight of your apricots in sugar, and take the
liquor which you boil them in, and your sugar, and boil it till it
comes to a sirrup, and give them a light boiling, taking of the scum
as it rises; when the sirrup jellies, it is enough; then take up the
apricots, and cover them with the jelly, and put cut paper over them,
and lay them down when cold. Or, take you plumbs before they have
stones in them, which you may know by putting a pin through them, then
codle them in many waters, till they are as green as grass; peel them
and codle them again; you must take the weight of them in sugar and
make a sirrup; put to your sugar a pint of water; then put them in,
set them on the fire to boil slowly, till they be clear, skimming them
often, and they will be very green. Put them up in glasses, and keep
them for use.
_To preserve Cherries_.
Take two pounds of cherries, one pound and a half of sugar, half a
pint of fair water, melt some sugar in it; when it is melted, put in
your other sugar and your cherries; then boil them softly, till all
the sugar be melted; then boil them fast, and skim them; take them off
two or three times and shake them, and put them on again, and let them
boil fast; and when they are of a good colour, and the sirrup will
stand, they are boiled enough.
_To preserve Raspberries_.
Chuse raspberries that are not too ripe, and take the weight of them
in sugar, wet your sugar with a little water, and put in your berries,
and let them boil softly; take heed of breaking them; when they are
clear, take them up, and boil the sirrup till it be thick enough, then
put them in again; and when they are cold, put them up in glasses.
_To preserve Currants_.
Take the weight of the currants in sugar, pick out the seeds; take to
a pound of sugar, half a pint of water, let it melt; then put in your
currants and let them do very leisurely, skim them, and take them up,
let the sirrup boil; then put them on again; and when they are clear,
and the sirrup thick enough, take them off; and when they are cold,
put them up in glasses.
_To preserve Plumbs_.
Take your plumbs before they have stones in them, which you may know
by putting a pin through them, then codle them in many waters till
they are as green as grass, peel them and coddle them again; you must
take the weight of them in sugar, a pint of water, then put them in,
set them on the fire, to boil slowly till they be clear, skiming them
often, and they will be very green; put them up in glasses and keep
them for use.
_To keep Damsons_.
Take damsons when they are first ripe, pick them off carefully, wipe
them clean, put them into snuff bottles, stop them up tight so that no
air can get to them, nor water; put nothing into the bottles but
plumbs, put the bottles into cold water, hang them over the fire, let
them heat slowly, let the water boil slowly for half an hour, when the
water is cold take out the bottles, set the bottles into a cold place,
they will keep twelve months if the bottles are stopped tight, so as
no air nor water can get to them. They will not keep long after the
bottles are opened; the plumbs must be hard.
_Currant Jelly_.
Having stripped the currants from the stalks, put them in a stone jar,
stop it close, set it in a kettle of boiling water, halfway the jar,
let it boil half an hour, take it out and strain the juice through a
coarse hair sieve, to a pint of juice put a pound of sugar, set it
over a fine quick fire in a preserving pan, or a bell-metal skillet,
keep stirring it all the time till the sugar be melted, then skim the
skum off as fast as it rises. When the jelly is very clear and fine,
pour it into earthern or china cups, when cold, cut white papers just
the bigness of the top of the pot, and lay on the jelly, dip those
papers in brandy, then cover the top of the pot and prick it full of
holes, set it in a dry place; you may put some into glasses for
present use.
_To dry Peaches_.
Take the fairest and ripest peaches, pare them into fair water; take
their weight in double refined sugar; of one half make a very thin
sirrup; then put in your peaches, boiling them till they look clear,
then split and stone them, boil them till they are very tender, lay
them a draining, take the other half of the sugar, and boil it almost
to a candy; then put in your peaches, and let them lie all night then
lay them on a glass, and set them in a stove, till they are dry, if
they are sugared too much, wipe them with a wet cloth a little; let
the first sirrup be very thin, a quart of water to a pound of sugar.
_To pickle or make Mangoes of Melons_.
Take green melons, as many as you please, and make a brine strong
enough to bear an egg; then pour it boiling hot on the melons, keeping
them down under the brine; let them stand five or six days; then take
them out, slit them down on one side, take out all the seeds, scrape
them well in the inside, and wash them clean with cold water; then
take a clove of a garlick, a little ginger and nutmeg sliced, and a
little whole pepper; put all these proportionably into the melons,
filling them up with mustard-seeds; then lay them in an earthern pot
with the slit upwards, and take one part of mustard and two parts of
vinegar, enough to cover them, pouring it upon them scalding hot, and
keep them close slopped.
_To pickle Barberries_.
Take of white wine vinegar and water, of each an equal quantity; to
every quart of this liquor, put in half a pound of cheap sugar, then
pick the worst of your barberries and put into this liquor, and the
best into glasses; then boil your pickle with the worst of your
barberries, and skim it very clean, boil it till it looks of a fine
colour, then let it stand to be cold, before you strain it; then
strain it through a cloth, wringing it to get all the colour you can
from the barberries; let it stand to cool and settle, then pour it
clear into the glasses; in a little of the pickle, boil a little
fennel; when cold, put a little bit at the top of the pot or glass,
and cover it close with a bladder or leather. To every half pound of
sugar, put a quarter of a pound of white salt.
_To pickle Cucumbers_.
Let your cucumbers be small, fresh gathered, and free from spots; then
make a pickle of salt and water, strong enough to bear an egg; boil
the pickle and skim it well, and then pour it upon your cucumbers, and
stive them down for twenty four hours; then strain them out into a
cullender, and dry them well with a cloth, and take the best white
wine vinegar, with cloves, diced mace, nutmeg, white pepper corns,
long pepper, and races of ginger, (as much as you please) boil them up
together, and then clap the cucumbers in, with a few vine leaves, and
a little salt, and as soon as they begin to turn their colour, put
them into jars, stive them down close, and when cold, tie on a bladder
and leather.
_Alamode Beef_.
Take a round of beeĀ£; and stuff it with half pound pork, half pound of
butter, the soft of half a loaf of wheat bread, boil four eggs very
hard, chop them up; add sweet marjoram, sage, parsley, summersavory,
and one ounce of cloves pounded, chop them all together, with two eggs
very fine, and add a jill of wine, season very high with salt and
pepper, cut holes in your beef, to put your stuffing in, then stick
whole cloves into the beef, then put it into a two pail pot, with
sticks at the bottom, if you wish to have the beef round when done,
put it into a cloth and bind it tight with 20 or 30 yards of twine,
put it into your pot with two or three quarts of water, and one jill
of wine, if the round be large it will take three or four hours to
bake it.
_For dressing Codfish_.
Put the fish first into cold water and wash it, then hang it over the
fire and soak it six hours in scalding water, then shift it into clean
warm water, and let it scald for one hour, it will be much better than
to boil.
_To boil all kinds of Garden Stuff_.
In dressing all sorts of kitchen garden herbs, take care they are
clean washed; that there be no small snails, or caterpillars between
the leaves; and that all coarse outer leaves, and the tops that have
received any injury by the weather, be taken off; next wash them in a
good deal of water, and put them into a cullender to drain, care must
likewise be taken, that your pot or sauce pan be clean, well tinned,
and free from sand, or grease.
_To keep Green Peas till Christmas_.
Take young peas, shell them, put them in a cullender to drain, then by
a cloth four or five times double on a table, then spread them on, dry
them very well, and have your bottles ready, fill them, cover them
with mutton suet fat when it is a little soft; fill the necks almost
to the top, cork them, tie a bladder and a leather over them and set
them in a dry cool place.
_To boil French Beans_.
Take your beans and string them, cut in two and then across, when you
have done them all, sprinkle them over with salt, stir them together,
as soon as your water boils put them in and make them boil up quick,
they will be soon done and they will look of a better green than when
growing in the garden if; they are very young, only break off the
ends, them break in two and dress them in the same manner.
_To boil broad Beans_.
Beans require a great deal of water and it is not best to shell them
till just before they are ready to go into the pot, when the water
boils put them in with some picked parsley and some salt, make them
boil up quick, when you see them begin to fall, they are done enough,
strain them off, garnish the dish with boiled parsley and send plain
butter in a cup or boat.
_To boil green Peas_.
When your peas are shelled and the water boils which should not be
much more than will cover them, put them in with a few leaves of mint,
as soon as they boil put in a piece of butter as big as a walnut, and
stir them about, when they are done enough, strain them off, and
sprinkle in a little salt, shake them till the water drains off, send
them hot to the table with melted butter in a cup or boat.
_To boil Asparagus_.
First cut the white ends off about six inches from the head, and
scrape them from the green part downward very clean, as you scrape
them, throw them into a pan of clear water, and after a little
soaking, tie them up in small even bundles, when your water boils, put
them in, and boil them up quick; but by over boiling they will lose
their heads; cut a slice of bread, for a toast, and toast it brown on
both sides; when your asparagus is done, take it up carefully; dip the
toast in the asparagus water, and lay it in the bottom of your dish;
then lay the heads of the asparagus on it, with the white ends
outwards; pour a little melted butter over the heads; cut an orange
into small pieces, and stick them between for garnish.
_To boil Cabbage_.
If your cabbage is large, cut it into quarters; if small, cut it in
halves; let your water boil, then put in a little salt, and next your
cabbage with a little more salt upon it; make your water boil as soon
as possible, and when the stalk is tender, take up your cabbage into a
cullender, or sieve, that the water may drain off, and send it to
table as hot as you can. Savoys are dressed in the same manner.
_For brewing Spruce Beer_.
Take four ounces of hops, let them boil half an hour in one gallon of
water, strain the hop water then add sixteen gallons of warm water,
two gallons of molasses, eight ounces of essence of spruce, dissolved
in one quart of water, put it in a clean cask, then shake it well
together, add half a pint of emptins, then let it stand and work one
week, if very warm weather less time will do, when it is drawn off to
bottle, add one spoonful of molasses to every bottle.
_Emptins_.
Take a handful of hops and about three quarts of water, let it boil
about fifteen minutes, then make a thickening as you do for starch,
strain the liquor, when cold put a little emptins to work them, they
will keep well cork'd in a bottle five or six weeks.