II.

1519. INGREDIENTS.--Apples, water: to every pint of syrup allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Pare and cut the apples into pieces, remove the cores, and put them in a preserving-pan with sufficient cold water to cover them. Let them boil for an hour; then drain the syrup from them through a hair sieve or jelly-bag, and measure the juice; to every pint allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar, and boil these together for 3/4 hour, removing every

## particle of scum as it rises, and keeping the jelly well stirred, that

it may not burn. A little lemon-rind may be boiled with the apples, and a small quantity of strained lemon-juice may be put in the jelly just before it is done, when the flavour is liked. This jelly may be ornamented with preserved greengages, or any other preserved fruit, and will turn out very prettily for dessert. It should be stored away in small pots.

_Time_.--1 hour to boil the fruit and water; 3/4 hour to boil the juice with the sugar.

_Average cost_, for 6 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, 3s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 small pots of jelly.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September, October, or November.

TO PRESERVE APPLES IN QUARTERS, in imitation of Ginger.

1520. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of apples allow 3/4 lb. of sugar, 1-1/2 oz. of the best white ginger; 1 oz. of ginger to every 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Peel, core, and quarter the apples, and put the fruit, sugar, and ginger in layers into a wide-mouthed jar, and let them remain for 2 days; then infuse 1 oz. of ginger in 1/2 pint of boiling water, and cover it closely, and let it remain for 1 day: this quantity of ginger and water is for 3 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion. Put the apples, &c., into a preserving-pan with the water strained from the ginger, and boil till the apples look clear and the syrup is rich, which will be in about an hour. The rind of a lemon may be added just before the apples have finished boiling; and great care must be taken not to break the pieces of apple in putting them into the jars. Serve on glass dishes for dessert.

_Time_.--2 days for the apples to remain in the jar with sugar, &c.; 1 day to infuse the ginger; about 1 hour to boil the apples.

_Average cost_, for 3 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, 2s. 3d.

_Sufficient._--3 lbs. should fill 3 moderate-sized jars.

_Seasonable_.--This should be made in September, October, or November.

COMPOTE OF APRICOTS.

(_An elegant Dish_.)

1521. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of syrup No. 1512, 12 green apricots.

_Mode_.--Make the syrup by recipe No. 1512, and when it is ready, put in the apricots whilst the syrup is boiling. Simmer them very gently until tender, taking care not to let them break; take them out carefully, arrange them on a glass dish, let the syrup cool a little, pour it over the apricots, and, when cold, serve.

_Time_.--From 15 to 20 minutes to simmer the apricots.

_Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ in June and July, with green apricots.

APRICOT JAM or MARMALADE.

1522. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of ripe apricots, weighed after being skinned and stoned, allow 1 lb. of sugar.

_Mode_.--Pare the apricots, which should be ripe, as thinly as possible, break them in half, and remove the stones. Weigh the fruit, and to every lb. allow the same proportion of loaf sugar. Pound the sugar very finely in a mortar, strew it over the apricots, which should be placed on dishes, and let them remain for 12 hours. Break the stones, blanch the kernels, and put them with the sugar and fruit into a preserving-pan. Let these simmer very gently until clear; take out the pieces of apricot singly as they become so, and, as fast as the scum rises, carefully remove it. Put the apricots into small jars, pour over them the syrup and kernels, cover the jam with pieces of paper dipped in the purest salad-oil, and stretch over the top of the jars tissue-paper, cut about 2 inches larger and brushed over with the white of an egg: when dry, it will be perfectly hard and air-tight.

_Time_.--12 hours sprinkled with sugar; about 3/4 hour to boil the jam.

_Average cost_.--When cheap, apricots may be purchased for preserving at about 1s. 6d. per gallon.

_Sufficient_,--10 lbs. of fruit for 12 pots of jam.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in August or September.

BARBERRIES IN BUNCHES.

1523. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of syrup No. 1513, barberries.

_Mode_.--Prepare some small pieces of clean white wood, 3 inches long and 1/4 inch wide, and tie the fruit on to these in nice bunches. Have ready some clear syrup, made by recipe No. 1513; put in the barberries, and simmer them in it for 2 successive days, boiling them for nearly 1/2 hour each day, and covering them each time with the syrup when cold. When the fruit looks perfectly clear, it is sufficiently done, and should be stored away in pots, with the syrup poured over, or the fruit may be candied.

_Time_.--1/2 hour to simmer each day.

_Seasonable_ in autumn.

_Note_.--The berries in their natural state make a very pretty garnishing for dishes, and may even be used for the same purpose, preserved as above, and look exceedingly nice on sweet dishes.

TO MAKE BARLEY-SUGAR.

1524. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of sugar allow 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 the white of an egg.

_Mode_.--Put the sugar into a well-tinned saucepan, with the water, and, when the former is dissolved, set it over a moderate fire, adding the well-beaten egg before the mixture gets warm, and stir it well together. When it boils, remove the scum as it rises, and keep it boiling until no more appears, and the syrup looks perfectly clear; then strain it through a fine sieve or muslin bag, and put it back into the saucepan. Boil it again like caramel, until it is brittle, when a little is dropped in a basin of cold water: it is then sufficiently boiled. Add a little lemon-juice and a few drops of essence of lemon, and let it stand for a minute or two. Have ready a marble slab or large dish, rubbed over with salad-oil; pour on it the sugar, and cut it into strips with a pair of scissors: these strips should then be twisted, and the barley-sugar stored away in a very dry place. It may be formed into lozenges or drops, by dropping the sugar in a very small quantity at a time on to the oiled slab or dish.

_Time_.--1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, 7d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 sticks.

CARROT JAM TO IMITATE APRICOT PRESERVE.

1525. INGREDIENTS.--Carrots; to every lb. of carrot pulp allow 1 lb. of pounded sugar, the grated rind of 1 lemon, the strained juice of 2, 6 chopped bitter almonds, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy.

_Mode_.--Select young carrots; wash and scrape them clean, cut them into round pieces, put them into a saucepan with sufficient water to cover them, and let them simmer until perfectly soft; then beat them through a sieve. Weigh the pulp, and to every lb. allow the above ingredients. Put the pulp into a preserving-pan with the sugar, and let this boil for 5 minutes, stirring and skimming all the time. When cold, add the lemon-rind and juice, almonds and brandy; mix these well with the jam; then put it into pots, which must be well covered and kept in a dry place. The brandy may be omitted, but the preserve will then not keep: with the brandy it will remain good for months.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour to boil the carrots; 5 minutes to simmer the pulp.

_Average cost_, 1s. 2d. for 1 lb. of pulp, with the other ingredients in proportion.

_Sufficient_ to fill 3 pots.

_Seasonable_ from July to December.

TO MAKE CHERRY BRANDY.

1536. INGREDIENTS.--Morella cherries, good brandy; to every lb. of cherries allow 3 oz. of pounded sugar.

_Mode_.--Have ready some glass bottles, which must be perfectly dry. Ascertain that the cherries are not too ripe and are freshly gathered, and cut off about half of the stalks. Put them into the bottles, with the above proportion of sugar to every lb. of fruit; strew this in between the cherries, and, when the bottles are nearly full, pour in sufficient brandy to reach just below the cork. A few peach or apricot kernels will add much to their flavour, or a few blanched bitter almonds. Put corks or bungs into the bottles, tie over them a piece of bladder, and store away in a dry place. The cherries will be fit to eat in 2 or 3 months, and will remain good for years. They are liable to shrivel and become tough if too much sugar be added to them.

_Average cost_, 1s. to 1s. 6d. per lb.

_Sufficient_.--1 lb. of cherries and about 1/4 pint of brandy for a quart bottle. _Seasonable_ in August and September.

DRIED CHERRIES.

1527. CHERRIES may be put in a slow oven and thoroughly dried before they begin to change colour. They should then be taken out of the oven, tied in bunches, and stored away in a dry place. In the winter, they may be cooked with sugar for dessert, the same as Normandy pippins.

## Particular care must be taken that the oven be not too hot. Another

method of drying cherries is to stone them, and to put them into a preserving-pan, with plenty of loaf sugar strewed amongst them. They should be simmered till the fruit shrivels, when they should be strained from the juice. The cherries should then be placed in an oven, cool enough to dry without baking them. About 5 oz. of sugar would be required for 1 lb. of cherries, and the same syrup may be used again to do another quantity of fruit.

CHERRY JAM.

1528. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit, weighed before stoning, allow 1/2 lb. of sugar; to every 6 lbs. of fruit allow 1 pint of red-currant juice, and to every pint of juice 1 lb. of sugar.

_Mode_.--Weigh the fruit before stoning, and allow half the weight of sugar; stone the cherries, and boil them in a preserving-pan until nearly all the juice is dried up; then add the sugar, which should be crushed to powder, and the currant-juice, allowing 1 pint to every 6 lbs. of cherries (original weight), and 1 lb. of sugar to every pint of juice. Boil all together until it jellies, which will be in from 20 minutes to 1/2 hour; skim the jam well, keep it well stirred, and, a few minutes before it is done, crack some of the stones, and add the kernels: these impart a very delicious flavour to the jam.

_Time_.--According to the quality of the cherries, from 3/4 to 1 hour to boil them; 20 minutes to 1/2 hour with the sugar.

_Average cost_, from 7d. to 8d. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--1 pint of fruit for a lb. pot of jam.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in July or August.

TO PRESERVE CHERRIES IN SYRUP.

(_Very delicious_.)

1529. INGREDIENTS.--4 lbs. of cherries, 3 lbs. of sugar, 1 pint of white-currant juice.

_Mode_.--Let the cherries be as clear and as transparent as possible, and perfectly ripe; pick off the stalks, and remove the stones, damaging the fruit as little as you can. Make a syrup with the above proportion of sugar, by recipe No. 1512; mix the cherries with it, and boil them for about 15 minutes, carefully skimming them; turn them gently into a pan, and let them remain till the next day; then drain the cherries on a sieve, and put the syrup and white-currant juice into the preserving-pan again. Boil these together until the syrup is somewhat reduced and rather thick; then put in the cherries, and let them boil for about 5 minutes; take them off the fire, skim the syrup, put the cherries into small pots or wide-mouthed bottles; pour the syrup over, and when quite cold, tie them down carefully, so that the air is quite excluded.

_Time_.--15 minutes to boil the cherries in the syrup; 10 minutes to boil the syrup and currant-juice; 6 minutes to boil the cherries the second time.

_Average cost_ for this quantity, 3s. 6d.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in July or August.

BLACK-CURRANT JAM.

1530. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit, weighed before being stripped from the stalks, allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar, 1 gill of water.

_Mode_.--Let the fruit be very ripe, and gathered on a dry day. Strip it from the stalks, and put it into a preserving-pan, with a gill of water to each lb. of fruit; boil these together for 10 minutes; then add the sugar, and boil the jam again for 30 minutes, reckoning from the time when the jam simmers equally all over, or longer, should it not appear to set nicely when a little is poured on to a plate. Keep stirring it to prevent it from burning, carefully remove all the scum, and when done, pour it into pots. Let it cool, cover the top of the jam with oiled paper, and the top of the jars with a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg: this, when cold, forms a hard stiff cover, and perfectly excludes the air. Great attention must be paid to the stirring of this jam, as it is very liable to burn, on account of the thickness of the juice.

_Time_.--10 minutes to boil the fruit and water; 30 minutes with the sugar, or longer.

_Average cost_, from 6d. to 8d. for a pot capable of holding 1 lb.

_Sufficient_.--Allow from 6 to 7 quarts of currants to make 1 dozen pots of jam, each pot to hold 1 lb.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in July.

BLACK-CURRANT JELLY.

1531. INGREDIENTS.--Black currants; to every pint of juice allow 1/4 pint of water, 1 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Strip the currants from the stalks, which may be done in an expeditious manner, by holding the bunch in one hand, and passing a small silver fork down the currants: they will then readily fall from the stalks. Put them into a jar, place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer them until their juice is extracted; then strain them, and to every pint of juice allow the above proportion of sugar and water; stir these ingredients together cold until the sugar is dissolved; place the preserving-pan on the fire, and boil the jelly for about 1/2 hour, reckoning from the time it commences to boil all over, and carefully remove the scum as it rises. If the jelly becomes firm when a little is put on a plate, it is done; it should then be put into _small_ pots, and covered the same as the jam in the preceding recipe. If the jelly is wanted very clear, the fruit should not be squeezed dry; but, of course, so much juice will not be obtained. If the fruit is not much squeezed, it may be converted into a jam for immediate eating, by boiling it with a little common sugar: this answers very well for a nursery preserve.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour to extract the juice; 1/2 hour to boil the jelly.

_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per 1/2-lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--From 3 pints to 2 quarts of fruit should yield a pint of juice.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in July.

RED-CURRANT JAM.

1532. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

[Illustration: JAM-POT.]

_Mode_.--Let the fruit be gathered on a fine day; weigh it, and then strip the currants from the stalks; put them into a preserving-pan with sugar in the above proportion; stir them, and boil them for about 3/4 hour. Carefully remove the scum as it rises. Put the jam into pots, and, when cold, cover with oiled papers; over these put a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg; press the paper round the top of the pot, and, when dry, the covering will be quite hard and air-tight.

_Time_.--1/2 to 3/4 hour, reckoning from the time the jam boils all over.

_Average cost_, for a lb. pot, from 6d. to 8d.

_Sufficient_.--Allow from 6 to 7 quarts of currants to make 12 1-lb, pots of jam.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in July.

RED-CURRANT JELLY.

1533. INGREDIENTS.--Red currants; to every pint of juice allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Have the fruit gathered in fine weather; pick it from the stalks, put it into a jar, and place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and let it simmer gently until the juice is well drawn from the currants; then strain them through a jelly-bag or fine cloth, and, if the jelly is wished very clear, do not squeeze them _too much_, as the skin and pulp from the fruit will be pressed through with the juice, and so make the jelly muddy. Measure the juice, and to each pint allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar; put these into a preserving-pan, set it over the fire, and keep stirring the jelly until it is done, carefully removing every particle of scum as it rises, using a wooden or silver spoon for the purpose, as metal or iron ones would spoil the colour of the jelly when it has boiled from 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, put a little of the jelly on a plate, and if firm when cool, it is done. Take it off the fire, pour it into small gallipots, cover each of the pots with an oiled paper, and then with a piece of tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. Label the pots, adding the year when the jelly was made, and store it away in a dry place. A jam may be made with the currants, if they are not squeezed too dry, by adding a few fresh raspberries, and boiling all together, with sufficient sugar to sweeten it nicely. As this preserve is not worth storing away, but is only for immediate eating, a smaller proportion of sugar than usual will be found enough: it answers very well for children's puddings, or for a nursery preserve.

_Time_.--From 3/4 to 1 hour to extract the juice; 20 minutes to 1/2 hour to boil the jelly.

_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per 1/2-lb. pot. _Sufficient_.--8 quarts of currants will make from 10 to 12 pots of jelly. _Seasonable_.--Make this in July. _Note_.--Should the above proportion of sugar not be found sufficient for some tastes, add an extra 1/4 lb. to every pint of juice, making altogether 1 lb.

WHITE-CURRANT JELLY.

1534. INGREDIENTS.--White currants; to every pint of juice allow 3/4 lb. of good loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Pick the currants from the stalks, and put them into a jar; place this jar in a saucepan of boiling water, and simmer until the juice is well drawn from the fruit, which will be in from 3/4 to 1 hour. Then strain the currants through a fine cloth or jelly-bag; do not squeeze them too much, or the jelly will not be clear, and put the juice into a very clean preserving-pan, with the sugar. Let this simmer gently over a clear fire until it is firm, and keep stirring and skimming until it is done; then pour it into small pots, cover them, and store away in a dry place.

_Time_.--3/4 hour to draw the juice; 1/2 hour to boil the jelly.

_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per 1/2-lb. pot.

_Sufficient._--From 3 pints to 2 quarts of fruit should yield 1 pint of juice.

_Seasonable_ in July and August.

BAKED DAMSONS FOR WINTER USE.

1535. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit allow 6 oz. of pounded sugar; melted mutton suet.

_Mode_.--Choose sound fruit, not too ripe; pick off the stalks, weigh it, and to every lb. allow the above proportion of pounded sugar. Put the fruit into large dry stone jars, sprinkling the sugar amongst it; cover the jars with saucers, place them in a rather cool oven, and bake the fruit until it is quite tender. When cold, cover the top of the fruit with a piece of white paper cut to the size of the jar; pour over this melted mutton suet about an inch thick, and cover the tops of the jars with thick brown paper, well tied down. Keep the jars in a cool dry place, and the fruit will remain good till the following Christmas, but not much longer.

_Time_.--From 5 to 6 hours to bake the damsons, in a very cool oven.

_Seasonable_ in September and October.

DAMSON CHEESE.

1536. INGREDIENTS.--Damsons; to every lb. of fruit pulp allow 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Pick the stalks from the damsons, and put them into a preserving-pan; simmer them over the fire until they are soft, occasionally stirring them; then beat them through a coarse sieve, and put the pulp and juice into the preserving-pan, with sugar in the above proportion, having previously carefully weighed them. Stir the sugar well in, and simmer the damsons slowly for 2 hours. Skim well; then boil the preserve quickly for 1/2 hour, or until it looks firm and hard in the spoon; put it quickly into shallow pots, or very tiny earthenware moulds, and, when cold, cover it with oiled papers, and the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. A few of the stones may be cracked, and the kernels boiled with the damsons, which very much improves the flavour of the cheese.

_Time_.--1 hour to boil the damsons without the sugar; 2 hours to simmer them slowly, 1/2 hour quickly.

_Average cost_, from 8d. to 10d. per 1/3 lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--1 pint of damsons to make a _very small_ pot of cheese.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September or October.

COMPOTE OF DAMSONS.

1537. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart of damsons, 1 pint of syrup No. 1512.

_Mode_.--Procure sound ripe damsons; pick the stalks from them, and put them into boiling syrup, made by recipe No. 1512. Simmer them gently until the fruit is tender, but not sufficiently soft to break; take them up, boil the syrup for 5 minutes; pour it over the damsons, and serve. This should be sent to table in a glass dish.

_Time_.--About 1/4 hour to simmer the damsons; 5 minutes to boil the syrup.

_Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ in September and October.

DAMSON JAM.

1538. INGREDIENTS.--Damsons; to every lb. of fruit allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Have the fruit gathered in dry weather; pick it over, and reject any that is at all blemished. Stone the damsons, weigh them, and to every lb. allow 3/4 lb. of loaf sugar. Put the fruit and sugar into a preserving-pan; keep stirring them gently until the sugar is dissolved, and carefully remove the scum as it rises. Boil the jam for about an hour, reckoning from the time it commences to simmer all over alike: it must be well stirred all the time, or it will be liable to burn and stick to the pan, which will cause the jam to have a very disagreeable flavour. When the jam looks firm, and the juice appears to set, it is done. Then take it off the fire, put into pots, cover it down, when quite cold, with oiled and egged papers, the same as in recipe No. 1530, and store it away in a dry place.

_Time_.--1 hour after the jam simmers all over.

_Average cost_, from 6d. to 8d. per lb. pot.

_Sufficient_.--1-1/2 pint of damsons for a lb. pot.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September or October.

A VERY NICE PRESERVE OF DAMSONS.

1539. INGREDIENTS.--To every quart of damsons allow 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Put the damsons (which should be picked from the stalks and quite free from blemishes) into a jar, with pounded sugar sprinkled amongst them in the above proportion; tie the jar closely down, set it in a saucepan of cold water; bring it gradually to boil, and simmer gently until the damsons are soft, without being broken. Let them stand till cold; then strain the juice from them, boil it up well, strain it through a jelly-bag, and pour it over the fruit. Let it cool, cover with oiled papers, and the jars with tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg, and store away in a dry cool place.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour to simmer the fruit after the water boils; 1/4 hour to boil the juice.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September or October.

TO PRESERVE DAMSONS, OR ANY KIND OF PLUMS.

(_Useful in Winter_.)

1540. INGREDIENTS.--Damsons or plums; boiling water.

_Mode_.--Pick the fruit into clean dry stone jars, taking care to leave out all that are broken or blemished. When full, pour boiling water on the plums, until it stands one inch above the fruit; cut a piece of paper to fit the inside of the jar, over which pour melted mutton-suet; cover down with brown paper, and keep the jars in a dry cool place. When used, the suet should be removed, the water poured off, and the jelly at the bottom of the jar used and mixed with the fruit.

_Seasonable_ in September and October.

COMPOTE OF GREEN FIGS.

[Illustration: COMPÔTE OF FIGS.]

1541. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of syrup No. 1512, 1-1/2 pint of green figs, the rind of 1/2 lemon.

_Mode_.--Make a syrup by recipe No. 1512, boiling with it the lemon-rind, and carefully remove all the scum as it rises. Put in the figs, and simmer them very slowly until tender; dish them on a glass dish; reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly for 5 minutes; take out the lemon-peel, pour the syrup over the figs, and the compote, when cold, will be ready for table. A little port wine, or lemon-juice, added just before the figs are done, will be found an improvement.

_Time_.--2 to 3 hours to stew the figs.

_Average cost_, figs, 2s. to 3s. per dozen.

_Seasonable_ in August and September.

TO BOTTLE FRESH FRUIT.

(_Very useful in Winter_.)