AMERICAN CITRON.--Pare a sufficient number of citron-melons, and cut
each melon into four thick quarters. Weigh them, and put them over-night
into a tureen, or a large white-ware pan or basin. Prepare some very
weak brine, allowing a table-spoonful of salt to a quart of water, for
every pound of citron. Pour the salt and water over the citron; cover
it, and let it stand all night to draw out the sliminess. Prepare some
alum-water, allowing to each quart of water a bit of alum about the size
of a grain of Indian corn. In the morning, drain the citron from the
brine, and wash every piece separately in the alum-water, which will
green and clear it. After it has lain half an hour in the alum-water,
drain the citron, and put it into a porcelain preserving-kettle,
allowing to every four pounds of the citron a large half pint of clear
fresh water. There must be water enough to cover the citron, and keep it
from burning. Add to every four pounds, the yellow rind of a large
lemon, grated, or pared off very thin, and cut into shreds. Set the
kettle over a clear fire, and boil it slowly, till the citron is tender
enough to be easily pierced through with a large needle. If it seems to
be boiling dry, add a little more cold water. When all are quite tender,
take out each piece separately with a fork. Spread them out on a large
dish. Then strain and measure the liquid; and to each pint allow a pound
of the best double-refined _loaf-sugar_; not the sugar that is sold
ready-powdered, as that is so adulterated with ground starch, that it
has little or no strength, and sweetmeats made with it are sure to
spoil, unless four times the usual quantity is put in.
Having broken up the loaf-sugar, add it to the liquid in the
preserving-kettle, and let it boil (skimming it well) till it becomes a
thick, rich, jelly-like syrup. It will most probably be boiled
sufficiently in about half an hour. Next put in the pieces of citron,
one at a time, and boil them ten minutes, or more, in the syrup, till it
has thoroughly penetrated them. Afterwards take out the citron; spread
it on a dish to cool; and transfer the syrup to a large pitcher. When
cold, put the citron into glass jars, and pour the syrup over it. Cover
the tops with white paper, dipped in brandy, and tie closely over each
another covering of bladder, that has been previously soaked in water.
The covers of lacquered tin, that belong to glass jars, seldom fit
perfectly tight, and are not to be trusted without another covering over
them.
This will be found a very fine sweetmeat. To dry it, in imitation of
foreign citron, select some of the finest pieces; spread them on a dish;
and set them for three days in the hot sun, turning each piece several
times a-day. Then make a hole near the end of each piece; run a twine
string through them, and hang them on lines, across an open, sunny
window. When sufficiently dry, put them into tight jars, or boxes, and
keep them to use, as citron, in cakes or mince-pies.
Preserved citron may be candied, (after it has lain five or six months
in the syrup,) by taking out the pieces, spreading them on a dish, and
boiling the syrup again, till it is as thick as possible. It may require
some additional sugar. Then pour it on the citron; and when it has grown
cold, and has dried on the pieces, put them into a jar.
When giving the citron its first boiling, in the lemon-peel and water,
you may add, to every four pounds of citron, half an ounce of
root-ginger, (if green and tender, it will be better,) or else a few
pieces of preserved ginger.
To increase the lemon-flavour, rub off, upon some lumps of sugar,
(before you make the syrup,) the yellow rind of two or three other
lemons.
PRESERVED CITRON-MELONS.--Take some fine citron-melons; pare, core, and
cut them into slices. Then weigh them; and, to every six pounds of
melon, allow six pounds of the best double-refined loaf-sugar; and the
juice and yellow rind (pared off very thin) of four large, fresh lemons;
also, half a pound of race-ginger.
Put the slices of melon into a preserving-kettle, and boil them half an
hour, or more, till they look _quite_ clear, and are so tender that a
broom-twig will pierce through them. Then drain them; lay them in a
broad pan of cold water; cover them; and let them stand all night. In
the morning, tie the race-ginger in a thin muslin cloth, and boil it in
three pints of clear spring or pump-water, till the water is highly
flavoured. Then take out the bag of ginger. Having broken up the sugar,
put it into a clean preserving-kettle, and pour the ginger-water over
it. When the sugar is all melted, set it over the fire; put in the
yellow peel of the lemons; and boil and skim it till no more scum rises.
Then remove the lemon-peel; put in the sliced citrons, and the juice of
the lemons; and boil them in the syrup till all the slices are quite
transparent, and so soft that a straw will go through them; but do not
allow them to break. When quite done, put the slices (while still warm)
into wide-mouthed glass or white-ware jars; and gently pour on the
syrup. Lay inside of each jar, upon the top of the syrup, a double white
tissue-paper, cut exactly to fit the surface. Put on the lids of the
jars, and paste thick paper over them.
This will be found a delicious sweetmeat; equal to any imported from the
West Indies, and far less expensive. We recommend it highly.
Citron-melons are brought to Philadelphia market in the month of August.
AN EASY WAY OF PRESERVING PINE-APPLES.--Take pine-apples, as ripe as
you can possibly get them; pare them, and cut them into thin, circular
slices. Weigh them, and to each pound of pine-apple allow a pound of
the best double-refined loaf-sugar. Place a layer of the pine-apple
slices in the bottom of a large, deep dish, or white-ware pan, and
sprinkle it thickly with a layer of the sugar, which must first be
powdered. Then put another layer of the pine-apple, and sugar it well;
and so on, till the dish is full; finishing with a layer of sugar on
the top. Cover the dish, and let it stand all night. In the morning
remove the slices of pine-apple to a tureen. Pour the syrup into a
porcelain preserving-kettle, and boil and skim it at least half an
hour. Do not remove it from the fire, till the scum has entirely
ceased to rise. Then pour the syrup, _boiling hot_, over the slices of
pine-apple in the tureen. Cover it, and let it stand till cold. Then
transfer the sliced pine-apple and the syrup to wide-mouthed glass
jars, or to large tumblers. Cover them well, pasting down thick white
paper over the top.
FINE PINE-APPLE MARMALADE.--Take the largest, ripest, and most perfect
pine-apples. Pare them, and cut out whatever blemishes you may find.
Weigh each pine-apple, balancing the other scale with an equal weight of
the best double-refined sugar, finely powdered, _at home_. The white
sugar, that is sold ready-powdered, is generally so adulterated with
finely pulverized starch, as to have very little strength or sweetness,
and is, therefore, unfit for sweetmeats, as, when made with it, they
will not keep. Grate the pine-apples on a large dish; using a large,
coarse grater, and omitting the hard core that goes down the centre of
each. Put the grated pine-apple and the sugar into a preserving-kettle,
mixing them thoroughly. Set it over a moderate and very clear fire, and
boil and skim it well, stirring it after skimming. After the scum has
ceased to appear, stir the marmalade frequently till it is done, which
will generally be in an hour, or an hour and a half after it has come to
a boil. But if it is not smooth, clear, and bright, in that time,
continue the boiling till it is. Put it, warm, into tumblers, or
broad-mouthed glass jars. Lay inside the top of each, doubled white
tissue-paper, cut exactly to fit, and press it down lightly with your
finger, round the edge, so as to cover smoothly the surface of the
marmalade. Then paste strong white paper over the top of each glass, and
set them in a cool, dry place.
This is a very delicious preparation of pine-apple.
THE BEST WAY OF PRESERVING PINE-APPLES.--Take six large, fine, ripe
pine-apples. Make them very clean, but do not pare off the rind, or cut
off the leaves. Put them, whole, into a very large and very clean pot or
kettle. Fill it up with cold water, and boil the pine-apples till they
are so tender that you can penetrate them all through with a twig from a
broom. Then take them out and drain them. When cool enough to handle
without inconvenience, remove the leaves, and pare off the rind. The
rind and leaves being left on, while boiling, will _keep in_ the flavour
of the fruit. Cut the pine-apples into round slices, about half an inch
thick, extracting the core from the centre, so as to leave a round hole
in the middle of every slice. Weigh them; and to each pound allow a
pound of double-refined loaf-sugar, broken up and powdered. Cover the
bottom of a large dish, or dishes, with a layer of the sugar. On this,
place a layer of pine-apple slices; then a layer of sugar; then one of
pine-apple; and so till the pine-apple slices are all covered; finishing
with a layer of sugar. Let them stand twenty-four hours. Then drain the
slices from the syrup, and lay them in wide jars. Put the syrup into a
clean preserving-kettle, and boil and skim it till the scum ceases to
rise. Then pour it hot upon the pine-apple. While still warm, cover the
jars closely, and paste paper over them. They will be found very fine.
QUINCES may be preserved in a similar manner; first boiling them whole,
with the skin on; then peeling them, and extracting the cores; then
slicing the quinces into round, thin pieces, and letting them stand
twenty-four hours in layers of sugar. Boil the syrup, and pour it over
the quinces, after they are in the jars.
Save the parings and cores, and also some of the water in which the
quinces were boiled. Weigh the boiled cores and parings, and to each
pound allow a half-pint of the quince-water. Set them over the fire, in
a clean kettle, and boil them, till dissolved as much as possible. Then
strain them through a linen bag. To each pint of juice allow a pound of
loaf-sugar, powdered. Having washed the kettle, put in the sugar; pour
on it the quince-liquor; and boil it till it becomes a jelly. Try it, by
holding a spoonful in the open air, and, if all is right, it will
congeal very soon.
FINE ORANGE MARMALADE.--Quarter some large, ripe oranges, and remove the
rind, the seeds, and the strings, or filaments; taking care, as you do
so, to save all the juice. Put the pulp and juice into a porcelain
sauce-pan, and mix with it an equal quantity of strained honey. If not
sweet enough, add some powdered loaf-sugar. Boil them together slowly,
stirring it frequently. Try if it is done, by taking out a spoonful,
and placing it in the cold air. If, in cooling, it becomes a very thick
marmalade, it is sufficiently boiled. Put it into wide-mouth glass jars,
and cover it closely; first, with a double white tissue-paper, cut
exactly to fit the surface of the marmalade, and then with thick white
paper, pasted down, carefully, over the top of the jar. A cover of
bladder, soaked in water, and put on wet, that it may contract in
drying, is still better.
APPLE MARMALADE.--Break up four pounds of fine loaf-sugar. Put it into a
preserving-kettle, and pour on a quart of clear, cold water. When the
sugar has melted, stir it; set the kettle over the fire, and let it boil
for a quarter of an hour after it has come to a boil; skimming it well.
Have ready some fine, ripe pippin or bell-flower apples, pared, cored
and sliced. There must be apple enough to weigh four pounds, when cut
up. Put it into the syrup, adding the grated rinds of four large lemons.
Let it simmer, stirring it well, till the apple is all dissolved, and
forming a smooth mass. Then add the juice of the lemons; boil it fast;
and continue boiling and stirring, till it becomes a very thick
marmalade. It will generally require _simmering_ an hour and a half, and
_boiling fast_ half an hour, or more. When it is done, put it, warm,
into deep white-ware jars; cover it closely, and paste paper over the
top, or tie a piece of bladder closely; and put it away in a dry, cool
place. If you want any for immediate use, put some into a handsome
mould, and, when cold and firm, turn it out on a glass dish; first
dipping the mould in warm water.
FINE ORANGE JELLY.--Take four large calves’ feet, that have been singed,
but not skinned. Boil them in a gallon of clear, soft water, till the
liquid is reduced to one quart, and all the meat has dropped from the
bones. Strain it into a pan, cover it, and let it stand till next
morning. It should then be a firm cake. Take a knife, and carefully
remove all the fat from the top of the cake, and all the sediment from
the bottom, and press some clean, soft, blotting-paper (or white paper)
upon it, to clear it from all remains of greasiness. Then cut the cake
of jelly into slices, and put it into a preserving-kettle. Add to it a
pound and a half of loaf-sugar, broken up, a pint and a half of strained
orange-juice, and the yellow rinds of four oranges, pared thin, and cut
in pieces. Beat, slightly, the whites of six eggs, and add them to the
mixture, with three of their shells, crushed small. Set the kettle over
a clear fire, and stir till you see indications of the scum begin to
rise. Then cease stirring, immediately, or the jelly will be cloudy.
After it has come to a boil, simmer it ten minutes. Then take it off the
fire. Let it stand about five minutes, and then pour the whole into a
jelly-bag; place a white pan beneath, for the jelly to drip into. Take
care not to squeeze the bag, or the clearness of the jelly will be
irrecoverably destroyed. If it is not clear, on first running through,
empty the bag, wash it clean, and return the jelly to it, and let it
drip again. Repeat this, if necessary, till it is quite bright and
transparent. When it has congealed, and become firm, put it into a glass
bowl, and break it up. If you wish it in moulds, put it into them, of
course, while it is liquid; but not till it is quite clear.
It will be clear much sooner, and with certainty, if you add two or
three blades of isinglass, when it first begins to boil.
The oranges should be ripe, high-coloured, and rolled under the hand, to
increase the juice.
EXCELLENT CURRANT-JELLY.--The currants should be quite ripe, but not
_over_-ripe. Having picked them from the stems, put the fruit into a
large stone jar, or pitcher, and tie closely over the top a very thick
paper, (for instance, sugar-loaf paper, or coarse brown.) Set the jar
into a kettle of boiling water, the water not quite reaching the top
of the jar; and let the currants remain over a moderate fire an hour
after they have begun to boil. Then pour them into a linen bag, and
let the juice drip into a vessel beneath. Do not squeeze the bag, or
the jelly will not be clear. When the juice has ceased to drip,
measure it; and to each quart allow a pound of the best double-refined
loaf-sugar, broken up. Crush the sugar small, by rolling it on a clean
paste-board, with a rolling-pin. Put the juice (_without the sugar_)
into a preserving-kettle, and let it just come to a boil. Then take it
off; and, while it is very hot, immediately stir into it the sugar, a
handful at a time, using a wooden spoon to stir it with. If the sugar
is of the best sort, it will require no skimming, and will have no
sediment. Therefore, as nothing of it will be lost or wasted, it is
more economical than sugar of inferior quality. Put the jelly
immediately into tumblers, or white jars, and cover it at once; first,
with double white tissue-paper, cut to fit exactly the inside of the
top; and then with writing-paper, cut larger, so as to turn downward,
round the outside of the top. Paste the paper firmly on, and set the
jelly away in a dry, cool place. Notch the edge of the paper, with
scissors.
White currant-jelly may be made as above. It will be a clear, bright,
amber colour.
Raspberry, strawberry, grape, gooseberry, and cranberry-jelly, can be
made in this manner. For the gooseberry, allow a pound and a half of
sugar to every pint of juice; for the cranberry, a pound and a half,
also.
FINE BLACK CURRANT-JELLY.--Make black currant-jelly according to the
above receipt; except that when you have stemmed the black currants, and
put them into the jar, to boil, you must add a little water; allowing a
small half-pint of water to each quart of the stemmed currants. The
juice of black currants is so very thick, that, if undiluted, the jelly
would be tough and ropy.
FOUR FRUIT JELLY.--Take equal quantities of ripe strawberries,
raspberries, currants, and red cherries. All should be fully ripe, and
the cherries must be stoned, taking care to save the juice that comes
from them in stoning. Add it, afterwards, to the rest. Mix the fruit
together, and put it in a linen bag. Squeeze it well into a tureen
placed beneath. When it has ceased to drip, measure the juice; and to
every pint, allow a pound and two ounces of the best double-refined
loaf-sugar, finely powdered. Mix together the juice and the sugar. Put
them into a porcelain preserving-kettle; set it over the fire, and let
it boil half an hour--skimming it frequently. Try the jelly by dipping
out a spoonful, and holding it in the open air. If it congeals readily,
it is sufficiently done. Put the jelly warm into tumblers or other
wide-topped glasses. Cover it with double-tissue paper, which must be
white, and cut exactly to fit the surface of the jelly. Lay it nicely
and smoothly inside the top of the glass, pressing it down with your
fingers all round the edge. Then paste white paper over the top, and a
little way down the sides of the glass, notching it round with scissors
to make it fit the better.
Set away the jelly in a cool dry closet.
BARBERRY JAM.--Take barberries that are perfectly ripe. Pick them from
the stems; and to each quart of berries, allow three-quarters of a pound
of clean rich brown sugar. Mash the barberries, and put them with all
their juice into a preserving-kettle, mixing with them the sugar, and
stirring it well in. Boil and skim till the scum ceases to rise, and the
jam has become a thick mass, which it will not be in less than an hour.
Put it warm into stone or glass jars. Cover them immediately and paste
down paper over their tops. It is a cheap and good sweetmeat for family
use, either on the tea-table or in tarts.
Barberries in bunches may be put loosely into jars, and sufficient cold
molasses poured in to fill up the vessels, which must be kept tightly
covered. Frost grapes, also, can be kept in this homely manner.
DAMSON JAM.--Fill a stone jar with fine ripe damsons that have been
washed in cold water but not dried. Cover it, set it in an open kettle
with water which must not quite reach the neck of the jar, and place it
over a hot fire. Let the water boil round the jar, till the stones of
the damsons are all loose, and falling out from the pulp. Then transfer
the damsons and their juice, to a broad pan, and carefully pick out all
the stones. Next mash the pulp with a broad flat wooden ladle, or with a
potatoe-masher, till it is all smooth and of an even consistence
throughout. Then measure it; and to every quart of the pulp allow a
pound and a half, or three large closely-packed pints of the best brown
sugar. Stir the sugar and pulp well together, till it becomes a thick
jam. Put the jam into a clean preserving-kettle, and boil it slowly an
hour or more, skimming it well. When done, put it into broad flat stone
jars, pressing it down, and smoothing the surface with the back of a
large spoon. Cover the jars closely, and put them away in a cool dry
place. If more convenient, you can put the jam into tumblers, pasting
thick white paper closely over each. If properly made it will be so
firm that you may cut it down in slices like cheese.
Plum jam may be made as above; but damsons are better for this purpose,
and also for jelly, as the juice is much thicker and richer than that of
plums.
It is an old-fashioned error to use unripe fruit for any sort of
sweet-meat. When the fruit is thoroughly ripe it has more flavour, is
far more wholesome, and keeps better.
AN EXCELLENT WAY OF PRESERVING STRAWBERRIES.--Select the largest and
finest strawberries. Having hulled them, or removed the green tops,
weigh the strawberries; and allow to each pound a pound of the best
double-refined loaf-sugar, finely powdered. Divide the sugar into two
equal portions. Put a layer of strawberries into the bottom of a
preserving-kettle, and cover them with a layer of sugar; then a layer of
strawberries; then a layer of sugar; until half the sugar is in. Next
set the kettle over a moderate fire, and let it boil slowly, till all
the sugar is melted. Then put in, gradually, the remainder of the sugar;
and after it is all in, let it boil hard for five minutes, taking off
the scum with a silver spoon; but there will be little or no scum if the
sugar is of the very best quality. Afterwards remove the kettle from the
fire, and take out the strawberries, one at a time, in a tea-spoon.
Spread out the strawberries on large flat dishes, so as not to touch
each other, and set them immediately in a cold place or on ice. Hang the
kettle again on the fire and give the syrup one boil up; skimming it, if
necessary. Place a fine strainer over the top of a mug or pitcher, and
pour the syrup through it. Then put the strawberries into glass jars or
tumblers; pour into each an equal portion of the syrup. Lay at the top a
round piece of white paper dipped in brandy. Close the jars tightly,
and paste paper over them.
Raspberries may be preserved as above. Also large ripe gooseberries. To
each pound of gooseberries allow a pound and a half of sugar.
VERY FINE PRESERVED PEACHES.--Take fine ripe free-stone peaches; pare
them; cut them in half and remove the stones. Have ready a sufficiency
of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, finely powdered. Weigh the sugar
and the peaches together, putting the sugar into one scale and the
peaches into the other, and balancing them evenly. Put the peaches into
a large pan or tureen, and strew among them one-half of the sugar. Cover
them, and let them stand in a cool place till next morning. Then take
all the juice from them, and put it into a porcelain preserving-kettle
with the remainder of the sugar. Set it over a moderate fire, and boil
and skim it. When it is boiling well, and the scum has ceased to rise,
put in the peaches and boil them till they are perfectly clear, but not
till they break; carefully skimming them. Boil with them a handful of
fresh clean peach-leaves tied in a bunch. When quite clear take the
peaches out of the syrup, and put them on a flat sloping dish to drain
into a deep dish placed below it. Take this syrup that has drained from
the peaches, put it to the syrup in the kettle, and give it one more
boil up. Then throw away the leaves. Lay the peaches flat in small glass
jars. Pour an equal portion of the hot syrup into each jar, and put on
the top a table-spoonful of the best white brandy. Cork the jars, and
paste down paper closely over the mouth of each.
COMMON PEACH JAM.--Take good ripe free-stone peaches, pare them, and cut
them into small pieces, seeing that none are blemished in the least.
Cover the bottom of a stone jar with a _thick_ layer of powdered sugar,
(very good brown sugar will do when strict economy is expedient,) then
put in a layer of the cut peaches, (without any cooking;) then another
of sugar; then one of peaches, and so on till the jar is filled; packing
the contents down as closely as possible. The top layer must be of
sugar, spread on thickly. Cover the jar immediately, and paste paper
down closely over the cover. This jam will be found very good for
children; and for family use when fresh peaches are not to be had. It
may be put into plain pies, or spread over the paste of a rolled-up
pudding. If the peaches are free from decay-spots, and the sugar in
sufficient abundance, the jam will keep many months; always excluding
the air from the jar.
TO PRESERVE GREEN GAGES.--Take gages that are perfectly ripe. Weigh
them; and to each pound of fruit allow a pound of the best
double-refined loaf-sugar, broken up. Put a layer of grape-leaves in the
bottom and round the sides of your preserving-kettle. Then put in the
gages, interspersing them thickly with vine-leaves, and covering them
with a thick layer. Pour in just enough of water to keep them from
burning. Set the kettle over the fire, cover it, and let it simmer
slowly till the gages are well greened. Then take them out, and spread
them on a large dish to cool. Afterwards prick them in several places
with a needle. Having washed the kettle clean, put the sugar into it
with a very little water,--about half a pint to each pound of sugar. Set
it over the fire, and boil and skim it till no more scum rises. Then put
in the gages, and boil them half an hour. When done, and cold, put them
into glass jars, and pour the syrup over them. Paste paper closely down
over the lids of the jars.
FINE BRANDY PEACHES.--Take large ripe free-stone peaches: the white ones
are best for this purpose. Having rubbed off the wool with a clean
flannel, put the peaches whole into boiling water, just to scald, but
not to boil them. Having remained in about five minutes, take them out,
and put them into cold water for an hour or more. After which, drain
them in a sieve, and wipe them dry. While the peaches are cooling,
prepare a syrup for them; allowing two pounds of the best double-refined
loaf-sugar, and the white of two eggs, and a pint of water, to two dozen
large peaches. Having broken up the sugar, put it into a preserving
kettle. Beat the white of egg to a stiff froth, and stir it into the
water. Then pour the water on the sugar, and let it dissolve before you
set the kettle over the fire; stirring it several times. Boil and skim
it well. When it is nearly up to the top, throw in a small tea-cup of
cold water. When it rises again, take it off the fire, and let it stand
close to it for a quarter of an hour; then skim it well, and pour it
carefully into a pitcher, taking care not to disturb any sediment that
may remain at the bottom of the preserving kettle. Put the peaches into
wide-mouthed glass jars, and pour into every jar an equal portion of the
syrup. Then fill up the jars with the best white brandy. Cork them
tightly, and paste paper closely over the tops; or tie on each a piece
of bladder, that has first been soaked to make it contract and fit the
closer when dry.
EXCELLENT BRANDY PEACHES.--Take fine large free-stone peaches, quite
ripe, but not too soft. Put them into a pan containing a weak solution
of sal-eratus and water; and let them lie in it till you find, upon
trial, that the wool can be easily rubbed off with a coarse clean towel.
Weigh them; and to each pound of peaches allow a pound of broken-up
loaf-sugar,--the best double-refined. Then crush the sugar by rolling it
with a rolling-pin. Have ready some large glass jars, with lacquered tin
covers. Put a layer of sugar into the bottom of each jar; then a layer
of peaches; then sugar; then peaches; and so on till the jar is very
nearly full,--the upper layer being of sugar. Then pour in some of the
best white brandy till the jars are filled quite to the top. Cover them
closely, and set them into a large flat-bottomed kettle of cold water.
The water must be a little below the tops of the jars. Place the kettle
over a moderate fire, and keep the peach-jars boiling in it half an hour
after they have come to a boil. Then set them away in your sweetmeat
closet.
As the lids of glass jars seldom fit tightly, put beneath each lid a
round of thick, soft white paper, and cover the top of the outside with
a piece of bladder tied down.
BRANDY PEARS may be done as above. It is customary to leave the stems
on. Rub off, upon some lumps of the sugar before crushing it, the yellow
rind of several fresh lemons, and squeeze the lemon-juice among the
crushed sugar. Allow the rind and juice of one large lemon to a small
jar of pears. In whatever way pears are cooked, they should always be
flavoured with lemon; otherwise they will be insipidly sweet.
To colour them a fine red, tie up a little cochineal, or some
well-picked alkanet, in a very thin muslin or bobbinet bag, and boil it
with the pears. When done, take out the bag.
BRANDY PEACHES THE FRENCH WAY.--Put large white peaches (a few at a
time) into scalding lye. Let them rest for a minute or two, till the
skin loosens so that it can be easily peeled off. Next put the peaches
into cold water, and let them remain till you have hot water ready to
scald them. After scalding, put into a large, broad preserving kettle as
many peaches as will lie side by side in the bottom. Pour on as much
cold water as will rather more than cover them; set the kettle over a
clear fire; and let them boil till they are soft enough to be easily
dented when pressed by your finger. Take them out; place them with the
stem end downward, on an inverted sieve set on a large dish. Then put
some more peaches into the kettle; add more cold water; boil them; and
put them to drain afterwards. Repeat this till all your peaches have had
a boil. Spread them on large dishes, and let them stand all night in a
cold place. Mix together some of the best white brandy and the best
loaf-sugar, powdered fine,--allowing a pound of sugar to every pint of
brandy. Stir it well while the sugar is dissolving; and when melted, set
it also in a cold place, and let it stand all night. In the morning, put
the peaches into glass jars, which should be all of the same size, and
fill them up with the brandy syrup; allowing an equal portion to each
jar. Cover the jars closely, and paste white paper over their tops.
BRANDY GREEN GAGES.--Take the largest and finest green gages, quite
ripe. Prick every one with a needle in several places. Spread fresh
grape-leaves over the bottom, and round the sides of a preserving
kettle. Put in a layer of green gages and a layer of grape-vine leaves,
alternately, adding to each layer a bit of alum but little larger than a
grain of indian corn. Cover the last layer of fruit thickly with
vine-leaves; fill up the kettle with cold water, and place it over a
moderate fire. Simmer the fruit slowly, but do not let it break. When
the gages are hot all through, take them out, and throw them into _cold_
water. Afterwards weight them; and to every pound of fruit, allow a
pound of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, powdered. Remove the
vine-leaves from the preserving-kettle, and put into it the sugar, with
barely sufficient water to keep it from burning. Stir the sugar well
with the water till it is dissolved, adding to every three pounds the
beaten white of an egg. Place the kettle over the fire, and boil and
skim till very clear, and the scum ceases to rise. Then take it off,
measure it, and to every pint of syrup allow a large half-pint of the
best and clearest brandy. Mix the syrup and brandy together. Having well
drained the green gages from the cold water, put them (two-thirds full)
into glass jars. Fill the jars up to the top with the liquor, poured on
warm. Cover them closely, pasting paper over the lids, and set them in a
dry, cool closet.
If the gages are not green enough with the first simmering, get fresh
vine-leaves, and simmer them again very slowly, hanging the kettle high.
Instead of vine-leaves, you may green any preserves by boiling them with
layers of the green husks that surround the ears of young indian corn.
BRANDY GRAPES.--For this purpose the grapes should be in large close
bunches, and quite ripe. Remove every grape that is the least
shrivelled, or in any way defective. With a needle prick each grape in
three places. Have ready a sufficiency of double-refined loaf-sugar,
powdered and sifted. Put some of the sugar into the bottom of your jars.
Then put in a bunch of grapes, and cover it thickly with sugar. Then
another bunch; then more sugar, and so on till the jar is nearly full;
finishing with a layer of sugar. Then fill up to the top with the best
white brandy. Cover the jars as closely as possible, and set them away.
They must not go over the fire. The grapes should be of the best
quality, either white or purple.
ICED GRAPES.--Take large close bunches of fine ripe thin-skinned grapes,
and remove any that are imperfect. Tie a string in a loop to the top of
the stem. Strain into a deep dish a sufficient quantity of white of egg.
Dip the bunches of grapes into it, immersing them thoroughly. Then drain
them, and roll them about in a flat dish of finely-powdered loaf-sugar
till they are completely coated with it, using your fingers to spread
the sugar into the hollows between the grapes. Hang up the bunches by
the strings till the icing is entirely dry. They should be dried in a
warm place. Send them to the supper-table at a party, on glass dishes.
Ripe currants may be iced as above. Raspberries, strawberries, ripe
gooseberries, plums and cherries, may be thus dipped in white of egg,
and rolled in sugar.
AMERICAN PRUNES.--Take the largest and finest purple plums, (oval or
long-shaped if you can get them.) They must be quite ripe. Spread them
separately on flat dishes, and set them in a large oven, directly after
the bread, pies, &c., have been taken out. Let the plums stay in till
the oven is cool; taking them out and turning them over two or three
times. If you bake every day, put in the plums as before, till they are
sufficiently dry. Otherwise; set the dishes in a balcony, or on the roof
of an out-house, or in some place where they will be exposed to the hot
sun. It will be well to cover them with thin gauze, to keep off wasps,
flies, &c. Continue to set them every day in the sun till they are well
dried, and look like prunes. Then pack them down in jars or boxes;
laying orange or lemon-leaves among them.
TO STEW DRIED PEACHES.--Dried peaches can be used for no purpose without
first being thoroughly stewed. They should be soaked for some hours
before cooking. Take a sufficient quantity, and put them over night into
a pan, (having first picked out all that are defective,) and wash them
well through two cold waters. Drain them, lay them in a clean pan, and
fill it up with scalding water. Cover them closely, and let them stand
all night. In the morning pour off the water, leaving just enough of it
about the peaches to keep them from burning when stewed, and transfer
them to a clean earthen pipkin or a sauce-pan. Set them over a moderate
fire, or on a bed of hot coals, (renewing the live coals when
necessary,) and let them stew till thoroughly done, and quite soft, so
that every piece can be mashed to a jam. While stewing, stir them up
frequently from the bottom, mashing them with the back of the spoon
against the sides of the pipkin. Keep them well covered, except when you
are stirring. When quite done, transfer them to a deep dish, and mix
with them, while they are smoking hot, a large portion of brown sugar,
so as to make them very sweet. Set them away to cool. They will then be
ready to use for pies, puddings, or as sauce to roast meat.
DRIED APPLES should be soaked and stewed as above. They will be much
improved by stewing with them some thin slips of the yellow rind of
lemon or orange; or by the addition of a few cloves.
Sugar should always be added after the fruit is done stewing, and while
still hot. If put in at first, it renders the fruit hard and tough;
besides that much of the sweetness is wasted in evaporation.