Though the Marygold Flower is of old date in Pottage; yet it continues
still its stand among the useful things of the Kitchen, and cannot more
easily be worn out, according to the custom of the Country, when the
Country Folks make Broth. Mint with Pease, Fennel with Mackarel, and such
like, cannot be forgot. And as the Marygold-Flowers are used in Porridge, I
send the Receipt how to pickle them. Strip the Flower-leaves off, when you
have gather'd the Flowers, at Noon, or in the Heat of the Day, and boil
some Salt and Water; and when that is cold, put your Marygold-Flower Leaves
in a Gallypot, and pour the Salt and Water upon them; then shut them up
close till you use them, and they will be of a fine Colour, and much fitter
for Porridge than those that are dry'd.
Seed-Cake. From the same.
Make some Paste of fine Flour, such as you would make for light Bread, with
Yeast. Take five Pounds of this Dough, Without Salt in it, and cover it
before a Fire for half an Hour, to make it rise; then take two Pounds and a
half of fresh Butter melted, and five Eggs beaten well with half a Pound of
fine _Lisbon_ Sugar. Mix these well with your Paste, and work it till it is
as light as possible; and when your Oven is very hot and clean, strew into
your Cake a Pound of smooth Caraway Comfits; then put some Butter on the
Sides and Bottom of your Pan, and put in your Cake, and one Hour and a
quarter will bake it. When it comes out of the Oven, cover it with Cloths
of Linnen till it is cold; then put it, the next Day, a little while into
an Oven. _N.B._ You must be sure to put in the Sugar after the Butter. One
may put on an Iceing if one will.
To make Orange-Chips. From the same.
Take some fresh Oranges about _February,_ and pare them very thin; they are
then very cheap. Boil them in several Waters till they are tender, and have
lost their Bitterness; then put them into cold Water for twelve Hours or
more. Then make a Syrup for them in the following manner. Take about their
weight of fine Sugar powder'd, and mix it with as much Water as it will
take in, or a little more. Boil this, and scum it well; then drain the
Orange-Peels from the Water they were steep'd in, and put them in a glaz'd
earthen Vessel, and then pour the boiling hot Syrup upon them, letting them
remain so till the Day following; then pour the Syrup from them, and boil
it afresh, and pour it on a second time, and repeat the same work till your
Peels are very clear, and the Syrup very thick; and then dry them in a
Stove, and they will be fit for use, in the Condition we buy them. One may
candy Lemon-Chips after the same manner.
To make _Hartshorn-Jelly._ From the same.
Take six Ounces of Harts-horn Shavings; put them into two Quarts of Water,
and two or three bits of Lemon-Peel, and set this in a Sand-heat, for six
or eight Hours, or let them infuse about ten Hours upon hot Embers. Then
boil it briskly, and when you find it will jelly, as you may do, by taking
out a little of the Liquor in a Spoon, and cooling it; then strain it off,
and add to it about half a Pound of double-refined Sugar powder'd very
fine; about a Gill of Sack, or two or three spoonfuls of Mountain Wine, the
Juice of two Lemons; then set this on a slow Fire, and as it heats, beat
the Whites of two Eggs to a froth, and put it into the Pan, where the Jelly
is, at times as it rises; and then, when it just boils up, take it from the
Fire, and it will be clarified. Then pour it by small quantities into the
Jelly-bag, and let it drop or run into some Receiver; but it will be apt to
run thick at first: then take that which is first run, if it be thick, and
pour again into the Jelly-bag, and you will find it come clear. Then place
your Glasses to receive it, and change the full one for another, which you
must carefully watch, that your Glasses be not soil'd in the least, for the
Beauty of this, in one particular, is its transparency; and again, it
should not be too stiff. Some only take the Harts-horn Shavings, six Ounces
to two Quarts of Water, and boil it gently till the Liquor will jelly,
without the expence of a Sand-heat, or setting it on hot Embers. The
boiling it is the best way, but requires more Patience.
To make a Tart of the _Ananas,_ or _Pine-Apple._ From Barbadoes.
Take a Pine-Apple, and twist off its Crown: then pare it free from the
Knots, and cut it in Slices about half an Inch thick; then stew it with a
little Canary Wine, or Madera Wine, and some Sugar, till it is thoroughly
hot, and it will distribute its Flavour to the Wine much better than any
thing we can add to it. When it is as one would have it, take it from the
Fire; and when it is cool, put it into a sweet Paste, with its Liquor, and
bake it gently, a little while, and when it comes from the Oven, pour Cream
over it, (if you have it) and serve it either hot or cold.
_Marmalade_ of _Pine-Apples,_ or _Ananas._
When you have small Pine-Apples in Fruit, which are not noble enough to be
brought to the Table, twist off their Crowns, and pare them; then slice
them, and put them into a Syrup of Water, Sugar, and Pippins; and boil them
with half their quantity of Sugar added to them, with a little White Wine,
breaking them with a Spoon, as they boil, till they come to a Mash, or are
a little tender. Then take them from the Fire, and put the Marmalade into
Glasses to keep, and cover every Glass with white Paper, preserving them in
a dry Place.
To dress the Giblets of a _Tortoise,_ or _Sea-Turtle._ From a _Barbadoes_
Lady.
Take the Head, the Feet, and the Tail, of either of these, and taking off
their Scales, stew them three or four Hours, in Salt and Water, till they
are almost tender; then broil them a little with Pepper and Salt on them,
and then put them into a Stew-pan with a Shallot, and some Spice and sweet
Herbs, according to your Taste; some strong Gravey, and some Wine, and
thicken the Sauce, taking out the bunch of sweet Herbs. You may put then
some Juice of Limes to them, or Chadocks or Lemons, to make them fine.
_N.B._ This is a dainty Dish, if they are broil'd, after the first stewing,
because as they are sinewey, the Sinews ought to be a little scorched by
broiling, or else they will not be so tender as one would have them.
There are two Sorts of Tortoises, the Land, and the Sea-Tortoise; but the
Sea-Tortoise or Turtle, is what I mean, which is that which we have about
the _West-Indies_. This is a fine Animal, partaking of the Land and Water.
Its Flesh between that of Veal, and that of a Lobster, and is extremely
pleasant, either roasted or baked. There are some of these Creatures that
weigh near two hundred Weight. They are frequently brought to _England_ in
Tubs of Sea Water, and will keep alive a long time.
To roast a Piece of _Turtle,_ or _Tortoise._ From the same.
Take a piece of the Flesh of about five or six Pounds, and lay it in Salt
and Water two Hours; then stick a few Cloves in it, and fasten it to the
Spit, baste it at first with Wine and Lemon-Juice; and when it is near
enough, drudge some Flour over it, with the raspings of Bread sifted; and
then baste it well, either with Oil, or Butter, strewing on, from time to
time, more Flour and Raspings till it is enough; then take the Liquor in
the Pan, and pouring off the Fat, boil it with some Lemon-Peel, and a
little Sugar and Salt, and pour it over the Turtle. So serve it hot.
To make a _Turtle,_ or _Tortoise-_Pye. From the same.
Cut the Flesh of Turtle, or Tortoise, into Slices, about an Inch thick;
then take Cloves beaten fine, with some Pepper and Salt, and a little sweet
Herbs, and season your Pieces with them; then lay them in your Crust, with
some Lemons sliced, and a quarter of a Pint of Oil-Olive pour'd over them,
Or else some Butter laid in bits upon them. In the cutting your Pieces,
distribute your Fat and Lean, equally as may be; and though the Fat is of a
greenish colour, it is yet very delicious: then close your Pye, and just
before you put it in the Oven, pour in some White Wine, and bake it in a
gentle Oven till it is tender. Then serve it hot.
To preserve _Ginger-Roots._ From the same.
Take Roots of Ginger, as we have them dry in _England_; wash them well, and
lay one Pound of them to steep, ten or twelve Days, in White Wine and
Water, stirring them every Day. Then take two Quarts of White Wine, and
about half a Pint of Lemon-Juice, and boil them together a quarter of an
Hour; then add two Pounds and a half of fine Sugar, and boil it to a Syrup,
taking off the Scum as it rises; then put in your Ginger, and boil it a
quarter of an Hour; then let it cool in a glazed Pan till the next Day, and
then boil it again in the Syrup for half an Hour, and let it cool, as
before, till the Day following, and repeat the boiling and cooling till
your Ginger is clear, and put it into your Glasses, and cover them with
Papers. It makes a fine Sweet-meat for the Winter.
To preserve _Ginger-Roots,_ fresh taken out of the Ground. From the same.
As Ginger is very common in the _West-Indies_, so the Roots are either
preserved or pickled, when they are fresh taken out of the Ground, and we
have now Ginger, growing in Pots, almost in every Garden where there is a
Stove; and in a Year's time a single Root will almost fill a Pot; so that
one might easily have enough of our own, to preserve every Year. We must
take them up, when they have no Leaves upon them; and then scald them in
Water, and rub them with a coarse Cloth till they are dry; then put them
into White Wine and Water, and boil them half an. Hour; then let them cool,
and boil them again half an Hour. Then make a Syrup with White Wine two
Quarts, half a Pint of Lime or Lemon-Juice, and two Pounds and a half of
fine Sugar, with two Ounces of the Leaves of Orange-Flowers. When these
boil together, put in your Ginger, and boil it gently half an Hour; then
let it cool in an earthen glaz'd Vessel, and continue to boil it every Day,
and cooling it till the Roots of your Ginger are clear. Then put it up in
Gallypots, or in Glasses, and cover them with Papers, to keep for use.
To make Paste of _Pippins,_ or other fine Apples. From the same.
Take large Golden-Pippins, or Golden-Rennets, and scald them, with their
Skins on; then pare them, and take out the Cores, and beat them in a Marble
Mortar very well, with a little Lemon-Peel grated. Take then their weight
of fine Sugar, and a little Water, and boil that in a Skillet to a candy
height; then put in your Apples, and boil them thick in the Syrup till they
will leave the Skillet, and when it is almost cold, work it up with fine
Loaf-Sugar powder'd, and mould it into Cakes, then dry them.
To preserve _Cornelian-Cherries._ From the same.
Take Cornelian-Cherries, when they are full ripe, and take their weight in
fine Sugar powder'd; then put these into your preserving Pan, and lay a
Layer of Sugar, and another of Fruit; and so on till you have laid all in,
covering them with Sugar; then pour upon them half a Pint of White Wine,
and set it on the Fire, and as soon as the Sugar is all melted, boil them
up quick, and take off the Scum as it rises, stirring them every now and
then: and when the Fruit is clear, they are enough. Then put them into
Glasses, and cover them with Papers.
To make _Marmalade_ of _Cornelian-Cherries._ From the same.
When your Cornelian-Cherries are full ripe, take out the Stones, and to
every Pound of Fruit, take its weight of fine Sugar powder'd. Wet it with
White Wine, and boil it to a candy'd height; then put in your Fruit, with
the Juice that comes from them; then boil them very quick, and stir it
often, scumming it clean; and when you see it very clear, and of a good
Consistence, put it into a glaz'd earthen Pan; and when it is almost cold,
put it into Glasses, and cover them with white Paper, and keep it in a dry
Room. _Note_, If you let any of these sharp Fruits stand to cool in your
Sweet-meat-Pans, they will take an ill taste from them.
To make _Jamm_ of _Damsons._ From the same.
Take Damsons, full ripe, a Gallon; pick them from the Stalks, that may
happen to be about them, and the Leaves that are sometimes gather'd with
them: then take near their weight of Sugar, and about a Quart of Water, and
boil them well together, and put in your Damsons, and boil them till they
are tender, breaking them with a Spoon, all the while, till the whole is
thicken'd. Then put it in Gallypots, and set it to cool; then close the
Pots down with Leather.
To preserve _Currans_ in _Jelly._ From the same.
Take some of the large _Dutch_ red or white Currans, when they are ripe,
and pick them from the Stalks; then, with a Pin, pick out the Stones; or,
you may, if you will, leave them on the Stalks, if they are large Bunches,
but still pick out the Kernels. Then take their weight in Sugar, and wet it
with a little Water, and add a little Syrup of Raspberries to it; then boil
it to a Syrup, scumming it as it rises: then put in your Currans, and boil
them up quick, shaking them often, still taking off the Scum as it rises.
They will be enough done to put up, when the Syrup will jelly, as you may
try by putting some in a Spoon, and letting it cool. When you find this,
pour out all into Glasses, when it has cool'd a little. If your Currans are
pick'd from the Stalks, or if they are in Bunches, then let the Syrup be
half cold, and pour it into the Glasses; and then put in your Bunches,
placing them as you would have them situated, and as it cools, they will
fix in their several Stations; cover the Glasses then with white Paper.
_Note_, The red Currans ought to be done by themselves, and the white by
themselves, for both together will make a disagreeable Mixture.