Take the Leaves of good Tobacco, and spread them open; then dry them gently
in the Sun, or before the Fire, and strip them from the Stalks; when the
leafy part will crumble, between the Fingers; then put it into a Mill, and
with a Pestle rolling about it, the Tobacco will presently be ground, as
fine as Snuff; or else, if you have never a Mill, when your Tobacco will
break between the Fingers, lay it on an oaken Table, and pass the flat side
of a Knife over it, backwards and forwards, as if you was whetting it,
pressing it hard, and you will make fine Snuff. This I mention here,
because, sometimes, the Snuff-takers are without Snuff, and remote from any
Place where it may be had, and would give any Money for it; which was my
Case, when I learn'd this Receipt, and by the last Means was presently
supplied: we may make it likewise of cut Tobacco dry'd before the Fire.
Or if we raise Tobacco in our Gardens, pick the Leaves from the Stalks,
towards the Root, when they are full grown, tie six in a bunch together,
and hang them up to dry in the Shade; then dip them in Water, or some Beer
or Ale, and hang them up again to dry, and then press the Leaves one upon
another, in their Bunches, in a Box or Tub, as hard as possible; and in a
few Months time, they will make very good Snuff, being order'd as above
directed.
_Butter_ turned to _Oil_ recovered. From Mrs. _M. N._
There are some Lands, as well as some Treatments of Butter in the Dairy,
that makes the Butter so very fat and greasy, that it is hard to melt,
without running to Oil; while, on the other hand, there is a sort of
Butter, which cuts as firm as Wax; and even this will sometimes turn to Oil
in the melting, but very seldom. However, when it so happens, pour your
oil'd Butter into a Porringer, and letting it stand a little, melt a little
fresh, and as soon as it is liquid, pour into it, by gentle degrees, at
times, some of the Butter that was oil'd before, keeping your Sauce-pan
shaking all the while; and if you find it any way difficult to be
recovered, pour in a little Milk, and shake them together, and it will
recover. _Memorandum_, A Sauce-pan that is very thin at the Bottom is apt
to oil Butter, let it be ever so good.
_Orange_ or _Lemon-Cakes._ From the same.
Take some preserv'd Orange or Lemon-Peels, wash'd from their Syrup; then
beat them, in a Marble Mortar, to a Pulp, adding a little Orange-Flower
Water to them, and a very little Gum-Arabic to it powder'd, this will
become a Paste; then mould it into Cakes, with double-refined Sugar beaten
fine, and dry them; they must then be laid in Boxes, between sheets of
white Paper, and kept in a dry Place.
To dry _Plums,_ of any sort, without _Sugar._ From the same.
Take a Wyre Sieve, and gather your Plums, not too ripe, nor in the heat of
the Day; run a Needle through the Skin of each of them, and lay them on the
Sieve, so as not to touch one another. Put your Sieve then into a declining
Oven, and let it stand twelve Hours; then set it by, and repeat the same
the second and third time, and if the Plums are large, then it may be they
will require the fourth or fifth time; but turn them every time, when you
are going to put them in the Oven. They will dry by this Means so well,
that you may keep them all the Winter, for use, in Boxes, in a dry Place.
_Memorandum_, Some of them will candy on the Outsides. The Mussel-Plum is a
very good one for this use.
The _Shropshire_ and _Worcestershire-Dish._ From the same.
Sir,
If you would please all People, by the several Receipts you publish, you
ought to have the particular Dish that is the Favourite of every County. In
_Worcestershire_ and _Shropshire_, the following is in esteem, and I
believe you will oblige several Gentlemen and Ladies of these Parts, if you
would insert it in some of your Works.
Take some good middling Bacon, and fry it; then put in some Calf's Liver,
and cut it in thick Pieces, pepper it, and salt it; and when it is enough,
for it must not be fry'd hard, have ready prepared some Cabbage-Lettuce,
some white Beet-Cards, or Beet-Leaves, and some Spinach-Leaves, and chop
them together, with some Parsley, but not too small; then chop some Onion,
and mix with the rest; then throw them into your Frying pan, with a piece
of Butter, when the Bacon and Liver is out, and fry them till they are
tender, and as brown as may be; putting in a spoonful of Verjuice, or the
Juice of a Lemon, a little before they are enough. And having kept the
Liver and Bacon hot all the while, pour these Herbs over them, which ought
to be in good quantity.
Fine _Cakes_ to keep. From the same.
Take a Pound of fine Sugar powder'd, and somewhat less than a Quart of
Flour. Rub these with a Pound of fresh Butter, and mix it with three or
four Yolks of Eggs, with some Orange-Flower-Water, and a little Ale-Yeast:
set this Paste before the Fire to rise, and roll out your Cakes thin, while
the Paste is hot; then cut them into what Shapes you please, and prick them
on the top, and bake them in a gentle Oven. They will keep a long time and
are very good.
To make _Penzance-Cakes._ From the same.
Take the Yolks of Eggs well beaten, put to them some Mace finely powder'd,
with a few spoonfuls of Wine, a little Salt, and as much Sugar as you
please; then add as much Flour as is necessary, and a small quantity of
Ale-Yeast, and work your Dough pretty stiff; then add some fresh Butter,
broken in little bits, and work it in till all the Paste has partaken of
it, and the Dough becomes as stiff as at first. Make your Cakes then, and
bake them. They will keep some time.
To make Crystal candy'd _Sweet-meats._ From the same.
When we propose to make these candy'd Sweet-meats, we must first know what
Fruits, Flowers, _&c_. are proper for them, and how those ought to be
gathered and prepared.
First of all, to begin with the Flowers. Take Orange-Flowers, or Lemon, or
Citron-Flowers; gather them, when the Dew is upon them, in the Morning,
because the Leaves of them will be then full, and then they are best to
use, when the Leaves are pick'd off, and then the Dew will be gone; but if
they lie a Day, they will shrink, turn bitter, and of a yellowish brown
Colour. Take these Leaves fresh pick'd, and pour the following Composition
upon them.
You may take also some Orange, or Lemon, or Citron, preserved, and dry'd,
and cut them in small pieces. Or Apricots dry'd and cut into small pieces,
or such sorts as are a little hard in themselves will do. If one was to cut
some Pine-Apple, or Ananas, simply or preserv'd, and cut that in pieces, it
would be entomb'd in a Rock of Sugar; or Currans preserv'd upon their
Stalks may do, if you think it worth while; but Orange-Flower-Leaves do
very well. It is a fine Candy to carry in the Pocket.
Then to begin your Business. Take one Pound of double-refined Loaf-Sugar
beat small, and finely sifted; mix this with four or five spoonfuls of
Orange-Flower-Water, and about half a Drachm of Gum-Arabic finely beaten;
then put three spoonfuls of White Wine, and mix all together, and boil them
in a glazed earthen Vessel till the Liquor will hardly run, or at least run
in Ropes; then have small Jars of earthen Ware glazed, and put into each of
them the several sorts of Fruits, and Flowers, you would inclose in candy'd
Sugar, making those Jars very hot, and immediately pour the Liquor upon
them, and stop them close; then put the Jars into a Stove, for a fortnight
or more, and you may then break the Jars, and your several Fruits and
Flowers will be inclosed in a crystal like Candy, such as white Sugar
Candy. And then with a slight blow of an Hammer, break these Candies into
Pieces of about a Finger's length, and keep them in Glasses stopt close, in
a dry Place, and they will remain good several Years. The little Pots must
be broken of course.