Mrs. Mary Eales's receipts. (1733) Part 2

_To make RED PLUM CLEAR-CAKES._

Take white Pear-Plums, half White and half Black, or if you have no Black, one third of Damsins, and as much Water as will cover them; boil them very well; and to a Quart of the Plums put a Quart of Apple-Jelly; boil them very well together; run it thro' a Jelly-bag; to a Pint of the Jelly put a Pound and Half of Sugar; let the Jelly boil, then shake in the Sugar; let it scald, but not boil; put it thro' a thin Strainer in a broad Pan, to take off the Sc.u.m, and put it in Pots in a Stove: When it is candy'd, turn it as other Clear-Cakes: You may make it paler or redder, as you best like, with more or less black Plums.

_To make RED PLUM-PASTE._

Take half white and half red Plums, as you did for the Clear-Cakes; boil them with as much Water as will cover them; then, to a Quart of Plums put a Pint of Apple-Jelly; let them boil well together; rub it thro' an Hair Sieve; to a Pint of Jelly put in a Pound and half of Sugar; boil the Jelly, and shake in the Sugar; let it scald 'till the Sugar is melted, skin it well, and fill in Pots; dry it as other Cakes: You may put some of this in Plates, and make Fruit-Jambals.

_To dry PLUMS like the FRENCH PLUMS, with Stones in them._

When you have laid out all your Plums that are to be stopt, put white Pear-Plums, or any large black Plums, in an Earthen Pot, and make your Plum-Syrup almost scalding hot; put it to the Plums, and scald the Syrup every Day, 'till the Plums are tender and red; then lay them on Sieves, and dry them in an Oven, turning them every Day 'till they are dry; then lay them between Papers, and keep them in a dry Place.

_To dry PEACHES._

Stone the largest white _Newington_ Peaches, and pare them, and have ready a Pan over the Fire with boiling Water; put in the Peaches, and let them boil 'till they are tender; then lay them on a Sieve to drain out all the Water; weigh them, and lay them in the Pan you boil them in, and cover them with their Weight in Sugar; let them lye two or three Hours; then boil them 'till they are clear, and the Syrup pretty thick; set them by cover'd, with a Paper close to them; the next Day scald them very well, setting them off the Fire and on again, 'till the Peaches are thorough hot; repeat this for three Days; then lay them on Plates to dry, and turn them every Day 'till dry.

_To make PEACH-CHIPS._

Pare the Peaches, and cut them in thin Chips; to four Pound of Chips put three Pound and a Half of fine beaten Sugar; let the Sugar and Chips lye a little while, 'till the Sugar is well melted, then boil them fast 'till they are clear; about half an Hour will do them enough; set them by 'till the next Day, then scald them very well two Days, and lay them on earthen Plates in a Stove; sift on them fine Sugar, through a Lawn Sieve; turn them every Day, sifting them 'till almost dry; then lay them on a Sieve a Day or two more in the Stove: Lay them in a Box close together, and when they have lain so a Week, pick them asunder, that they may not be in Lumps.

_To preserve or dry NUTMEG-PEACHES._

Peel the Peaches, and put them in boiling Water; let them boil a Quarter of an Hour; lay them to drain, weigh them, and to a Pound of Peaches put a Pound of fine Sugar beaten very small; when the Sugar is pretty well melted, boil them very fast 'till they are clear; set them by 'till they are cold; then scald them very well; take to every Pint of Peach a Pint of Codling-Jelly and a Pound of Sugar; boil it 'till it jellies very well, then put in the Peaches and half the Syrup; let them boil fast; then put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses: If you wou'd dry them, scald them three or four Days, and dry them out of their Syrup.

_To preserve CUc.u.mBERS._

Take Cuc.u.mbers of the same Bigness that you wou'd to pickle; pick them fresh, green, and free from Spots; boil them in Water 'till they are tender; then run a Knitting-needle through them the long Way, and sc.r.a.pe off all Roughness; then green them, which is done thus: Let your Water be ready to boil, take it off, and put in a good Piece of Roach-Allum; set it on the Fire, and put in the Cuc.u.mbers; cover them close 'till you see they look green; weigh them, and take their Weight in single-refin'd Sugar clarify'd; to a Pound of Sugar put a Pint of Water; put your Cuc.u.mbers in; boil them a little close-cover'd; set them by, and boil them a little every Day for four Days; then take them out of your Syrup, and make a Syrup of double-refin'd Sugar, a Pound of Sugar and half a Pint of Water to every Pound of Cuc.u.mbers; put in your Cuc.u.mbers, and boil them 'till they are clear; then put in the Juice of two or three Lemmons, and a little Orange-flower-water, and give them a Boil altogether: You may either lay them out to dry, or keep them in Syrup; but every Time you take any out, make the other scalding hot, and they will keep two or three Years.

_To dry GREEN FIGS._

Take the white Figs at the full Bigness, before they turn Colour; slit them at the Bottom; put your Figs in scalding Water; keep them in a Scald, but not boil them 'till they are turn'd yellow; then let them stand 'till they are cold; they must be close cover'd, and something on them to keep them under Water; set them on the Fire again, and when they are ready to boil, put to them a little Verdigrease and Vinegar, and keep them in a Scald 'till they are green; then put them in boiling Water; let them boil 'till they are very tender; drain them well from the Water, and to every Pound clarify a Pound and Half of single-refin'd Sugar, and when the Sugar is cold put in the Figs; let them lye all Night in the cold Syrup; the next Day boil them 'till they are very clear, and the Syrup thick, and scald them every Day for a Week; then lay them to dry in a Stove, turning them every Day; weigh your Figs when they are raw; and when you clarify your Sugar, put half a Pint of Water to a Pound of Sugar: If your Figs grow too dry, you may put them in their Syrup again; they will look new to the End of the Year.

_To dry BLACK FIGS._

Weigh the Figs, and slit them at the Bottom; put them into boiling Water, and boil them 'till they are very tender; drain them well from the Water; then make a Syrup of clarify'd single-refin'd Loaf-Sugar, with their Weight, and half a Pint of Water to a Pound of Sugar; when the Syrup is cold put in your Figs; let them lye all Night; the next Day boil them 'till they are very clear, and scald them every Day 'till the Syrup is very thick; then lay them out as you use them; but heat the Syrup after you have taken some out, or they will not keep: If they grow too dry, you may put them in the Syrup again, scalding the Syrup.

_To preserve GRAPES._

Peel the Grapes and stone them; put them in a Pan, cover them very close; first let them boil, and set them sometimes on and off the Fire, 'till they are very green; then drain all the Juice from them; and to a Pint of Grapes put a Pound and a Half of Sugar, and half a Pint of Apple-Jelly; let them boil very fast 'till they are clear, and jelly very well: Put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses, with Paper close to them.

_To dry GRAPES._

Take the large Bell-Grapes, just before they are ripe; stone them in Bunches, and put them into scalding Water, covering them close with Vine-Leaves, and a Cover on the Pan; keep them in a Scald, putting them on and off the Fire 'till they are green; then give them a Boil in the Water, drain them on a Sieve, and to every Pound of Grapes make a thick Syrup of a Pound and a Half of clarify'd Sugar; and when the Syrup is cold, put in the Grapes, and scald them every Day 'till the Syrup is thick, but never let them boil; then lay them out on Earthen Plates, and sift them very well with Sugar; dry them in a Stove, and turn and sift them every Day.

_To dry BARBERRIES._

Take Barberries, stone them, and tye them in Bunches, or loose in Sprigs, which you please; weigh them, and to every Pound of Barberries clarify two Pound of Sugar; make your Syrup with something more than half a Pint of Water to a Pound of Sugar; put the Barberries into the Syrup when it is scalding hot; set it on the Fire, and let them just boil; then set them by, with a Paper close to them; the next Day make them scalding hot, doing so for two Days; but be sure they never boil after the first Time; when they are cold, lay them out on Earthen Plates; sift them well with Sugar, and the next Day turn them on a Sieve; sift them again, and turn them every Day 'till they are dry: Your Stove must not be too hot.

_To preserve BARBERRIES._

Stone the Barberries in Sprigs; and to a Pound of Barberries make a Syrup of a Pound and a Half of fine Sugar, with half a Pint of Water to a Pound of Sugar: Put the Barberries in the Syrup, and let them have a Boil; scald them every Day for four or five Days, but don't let them boil: Put them in a Pot, and when you use any, heat the rest, or they will not keep.

_To make BARBERRY-DROPS._

Take a good Quant.i.ty of Barberries, strip them off the Stalks; put to them a little Water, to keep them from Burning; boil them, and mash them as they boil, till they are very dry; then rub them through an Hair Sieve, and afterwards strain them through a Strainer, that there may be none of the black Noses in it; make it scalding hot, and to half a Pint of the Pulp put a Pound of the sifted Sugar; let it scald, and drop it on Boards or Gla.s.ses; then put it in a Stove, and turn it when it is candy'd.

_To make WHITE QUINCE-MARMALET._

Pare Quinces, and quarter them, putting as much Water as will cover them, and boil them all to Pieces to make Jelly; run it through a Jelly-bag; then take a Pound of Quince, pare, quarter, and cut out all the Hard of it; and to a Pound of Quinces put a Pound and a Half of Sugar fine beaten, and half a Pint of Water, and let it boil 'till it is very clear; keep it stirring, and it will break as much as shou'd be; when the Sugar is boil'd to be very thick, almost a Candy, put in half a Pint of Jelly, and let it boil very fast 'till it jellies: As soon as you take it off, put in the Juice of a Lemon; skim it well, and put it in Pots or Gla.s.ses: It is the better for having Lumps in it.

_To make RED QUINCE-MARMALET._

Pare the Quinces, quarter them, and cut out all that is hard; to a Pound of Quinces put in a Pound and a Half of Sugar, and half a Pint of Juice of Barberries, boil'd with Water, as you do Jelly, or other Fruit; boil it very fast, and break it very small; when it is all to Pieces, and jellies, it is enough: If you wou'd have the Marmalet of a very fine Colour, put a few black Bullace to the Barberries when you make the Jelly.

_To preserve WHOLE QUINCES._

Take a Pound of Quince par'd and quarter'd, cut out all the Hard, put to it a Pound of fine Sugar and half a Pint of Water, and let it boil very fast 'till it is all to Pieces; take it off the Fire, and break it very well, that there be no Lumps in it; boil it 'till it is very thick and well jelly'd; then take fine Muslin, and put your Quinces into it, and tye it up round. This Quant.i.ty will make three Quinces. Set them into three Pots, or _China_ Cups, that will just hold one; cut off the Stalk-End of the Quince, and put it in the Pot or Cup, to make a Dent in the Quince, that it may be like a whole Quince; let them stand two or three Days, that they may be very stiff; take them out of the Muslin, and make a strong Jelly with Apples and Quinces: Take two Pints of Jelly and two Pound of Sugar, boil it fast 'till it jellies very well; then put in the Quinces, and let them have two or three Boils to make them hot; put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses, with Paper close to them.

_To make QUINCE-CHIPS._

Pare the Quinces, and slice them into Water; put them into boiling Water; let them boil fast 'till they are very tender, but not so soft as to break them: Take them out with a Skimmer, lay them on a Sieve 'till they are well drain'd, and have ready a very thick Syrup of clarify'd Sugar; put them into as much as will cover them, then boil them 'till they are very clear, and the next Day scald them; and if you see they want Syrup, put in a Pint more, but let it be very thick: Scald them twice more, then lay them out on Earthen Plates in a Stove, sift them well with Sugar: Turn them and sift them 'till they are dry.

_To make QUINCE-PASTE._

Pare the Quinces, and quarter them; to a Pound of Quince put half a Pound of Sugar and half a Pint of Water; boil it fast 'till the Quinces are all to Pieces; then rub it very fine, 'till there be no Lumps in it, and put to it a Pint of Jelly of Quince, boil'd with as much Water as will cover them, and run through a Jelly-bag; boil the Quinces Jelly together, and to a Pint of it put a Pound and a Quarter of fine Sugar; let it scald, but not boil, 'till the Sugar is melted; skim it, and put it in the Stove; turn it when it is candy'd; twice turning will do.

_To make QUINCE CLEAR-CAKES._

Pare, quarter, and boil the Quince with as much Water as will cover it, putting in a little more as it boils, but not too much; let it be a very strong Jelly, and run it through a Jelly-bag; put a Pound and a Half of the finest sifted Sugar to a Pint of Jelly; let the Jelly boil, then put in the Sugar, and let it scald 'till the Sugar is melted; then put it through a Strainer, laid in a broad Earthen Pan; fill it in little Pots, and when it is hard candy'd, turn it on Gla.s.ses as other Clear-Cakes: Colour the Jelly, if you wou'd have any Red Quince Clear-Cakes, with the Jelly of black Bullace, and let it boil after the Red is in, before you put in the Sugar.