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

by Mary Eales.

_To dry ANGELICA._

Take the Stalks of Angelica, and boil them tender; then put them to drain, and sc.r.a.pe off all the thin Skin, and put them into scalding Water; keep them close cover'd, and over a slow Fire, not to boil, 'till they are green; then draining them well, put them in a very thick Syrup of the Weight and half of Sugar: Let the Syrup be cold when you put them in, and warm it every Day 'till it is clear, when you may lay them out to dry, sifting Sugar upon them. Lay out but as much as you use at a Time, and scald the rest.

_To preserve green APRIc.o.c.kS._

Take Apric.o.c.ks before the Stones are very hard; wet them, and lay them in a coa.r.s.e Cloth; put to them two or three large Handfuls of Salt, rub them 'till the Roughness is off, then put them in scalding Water; set them over the Fire 'till they almost boil, then set them off the Fire 'till they are almost cold; do so two or three Times; after this, let them be close cover'd; and when they look to be green, let them boil 'till they begin to be tender; weigh them, and make a Syrup of their Weight in Sugar, to a Pound of Sugar allowing half a Pint of Water to make the Syrup; let it be almost cold before you put in the Apric.o.c.ks; boil them up well 'till they are clear; warm the Syrup daily, 'till it is pretty thick. You may put them in a Codling-Jelly, or Hartshorn Jelly, or dry them as you use them.

_To make Goosberry CLEAR-CAKES._

Take a Gallon of white Goosberries, nose and wash them; put to them as much Water as will cover them almost all over, set them on an hot Fire, let them boil a Quarter of an Hour, or more, then run it thro'

a Flannel Jelly-Bag; to a Pint of Jelly have ready a Pound and half of fine Sugar, sifted thro' an Hair Sieve; set the Jelly over the Fire, let it just boil up, then shake in the Sugar, stirring it all the while the Sugar is putting in; then set it on the Fire again, let it scald 'till all the Sugar is well melted; then lay a thin Strainer in a flat earthen Pan, pour in your Clear-Cake Jelly, and turn back the Strainer to take off the Sc.u.m; fill it into Pots, and set it in the Stove to dry; when it is candy'd on the Top, turn it out on Gla.s.s; and if your Pots are too big, cut it; and when it is very dry, turn it again, and let it dry on the other Side; twice turning is enough. If any of the Cakes stick to the Gla.s.s, hold them over a little Fire, and they will come off: Take Care the Jelly does not boil after the Sugar is in: A Gallon of Goosberries will make three Pints of Jelly; if more, 'twill not be strong enough.

_To make GOOSBERRY-PASTE._

Take the Goosberries, nose and wash them, put to them as much Water as will almost cover them, and let them boil a Quarter of an Hour; then strain them thro' a thin Strainer, or an Hair-Sieve, and allow to a Pint of Liquor a Pound and half of fine Sugar, sifted thro' a Hair-Sieve; before you put in the Sugar, set the Liquor on the Fire, let it boil, and sc.u.m it; then shake in the Sugar, set it on the Fire again, and let it scald 'till all the Sugar is melted; then fill it into little Pots; when it is candy'd, turn it out on Gla.s.s; and when it is dry on one Side, turn it again; if any of the Cakes stick, hold the Gla.s.s over the Fire: You may put some of this in Plates; and when it is jelly'd, before it candies, cut it out in long Slices, and make Fruit-Jambals.

_To dry GOOSBERRIES._

Take the large white Goosberries before they are very ripe, but at full Growth, stone and wash them, and to a Pound of Goosberries put a Pound and half of Sugar, beat very fine, and half a Pint of Water; set them on the Fire; when the Sugar is melted, let them boil, but not too fast; take them off once or twice, that they may not break; when they begin to look clear, they are enough: Let them stand all Night in the Pan they are boil'd in, with a Paper laid close to them; the next Day scald them very well, and let them stand a Day or two; then lay them on Plates, sift them with Sugar very well, and put them in the Stove, turning them every Day 'till they are dry; the third Time of turning, you may lay them on a Sieve, if you please; when they are pretty dry, place them in a Box, with Paper betwixt every Row.

_To preserve GOOSBERRIES._

Take the white Goosberries, stamp and strain them; then take the largest white Goosberries when they just begin to turn, stone them, and to half a Pound of the Goosberries put a Pound of Loaf Sugar beaten very fine, half a Pint of the Juice of that which is strain'd, (but let it stand 'till it is settled and very clear) and six Spoonfuls of Water; set them on a very quick Fire; let them boil as fast as you can make them, up to the Top of the Pan; when you see the Sugar as it boils look clear, they are enough, which will be in less than half a quarter of an Hour: Put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses, paper them close; the next Day, if they are not hard enough jelly'd, set them for a Day or two on an hot Stove, or in some warm Place, but not in the Sun; and when they are jelly'd, put Papers close to 'em; the Papers must be first wet, and then dry'd with a Cloth.

_To dry CHERRIES._

Stone the Cherries; and to ten Pound of Cherries, when they are ston'd, put three Pound of Sugar very fine beaten; shake the Cherries and Sugar well together, set them on the Fire, and when the Sugar is well melted, give them a Boil or two; let them stand in an earthen Pot 'till the next Day, then make them scalding hot, and, when cold, lay them on Sieves; afterwards put them in an Oven not too hot, where let them stand all Night, and then turn them, and put them in again. Let your Oven be no hotter than it is after small Bread or Pies. When they are dry, keep them in a Box very close, with no Paper between them.

_To make CHERRY-JAM._

Take twelve Pound of ston'd Cherries, boil them, break them as they boil; and when you have boiled all the Juice away, and can see the Bottom of the Pan, put in three Pound of Sugar finely beaten, stir it well, and let them have two or three Boils; then put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses.

_To dry CHERRIES without Sugar._

Stone the Cherries, and set them on the Fire, with only what Liquor comes out of them; let them boil up two or three Times, shaking them as they boil; then put them in an earthen Pot; the next Day scald them, and when they are cold lay them on Sieves, and dry them in an Oven not too hot. Twice heating an Oven will dry any Sort of Cherries.

_To dry CHERRIES in Bunches._

Take _Kentish_ Cherries, or _Morella_, and tye them in Bunches with a Thread, about a Dozen in a Bunch; and when you have dry'd your other Cherries, put the Syrup that they come out of to your Bunches; let them just boil, cover them close, the next Day scald them; and when they are cold, lay them in Sieves in a cool Oven; turn them, and heat the Oven every Day 'till they are dry.

_To make CHERRY-PASTE._

Take Cherries, stone and boil them, breaking them well the while, and boil them very dry; and to a Pound of Cherries put a Pound and a Quarter of Sugar, sifted thro' an Hair Sieve; let the Cherries be hot when you put in the Sugar; set it on the Fire 'till the Sugar is well melted; put it in a broad Pan, or earthen Plates; let it stand in the Stove 'till it is candy'd; drop it on Gla.s.s, and, when dry on one Side, turn it.

_To preserve CHERRIES._

Either _Morella_ or _Carnations_, stone the Cherries: To _Morella_ Cherries, take the Jelly of white Currants, drawn with a little Water; and run thro a Jelly-bag a Pint and a half of the Jelly, and three Pounds of fine Sugar; set it on a quick Fire; when it boils, sc.u.m it, and put in two Pounds of the ston'd Cherries; let them not boil too fast at first, take them off some Times; when they are tender, boil them very fast 'till they jelly, and are very clear; then put them in the Pots or Gla.s.ses. The _Carnation_ Cherries must have red Currants-Jelly; and if you can get no white Currants, Codling-Jelly will serve for the _Morella_.

_To dry CURRANTS in Bunches or loose Sprigs._

When your Currants are ston'd and ty'd up in Bunches, take to a Pound of Currants a Pound and half of Sugar; to a Pound of Sugar put half a Pint of Water; boil your Syrup very well, and lay the Currants into the Syrup; set them on the Fire, let them just boil, take them off, and cover them close with a Paper; let them stand 'till the next Day, and then make them scalding hot; let them stand two or three Days with the Paper close to them; then lay them on earthen Plates, and sift them well with Sugar; put them into a Stove; the next Day lay them on Sieves, but not turn them 'till that Side drys, then turn them, and sift the other Side: When they are dry lay them between Papers.

_To make CURRANT CLEAR-CAKES._

Strip the Currants, wash them, and to a Gallon of Currants put about a Quart of Water; boil it very well, run it thro' a Jelly-bag; to a Pint of Jelly put a Pound and half of Sugar, sifted thro' an Hair Sieve; set your Jelly on the Fire, let it just boil; then shake in the Sugar, stir it well, set it on the Fire, and make it scalding hot; then put it thro' a Strainer in a broad Pan, to take off the Sc.u.m, and fill it in Pots: When it is candy'd, turn it on Gla.s.s 'till that Side be dry; then turn it again, to dry on the other Side.

Red and white Currants are done the same Way; but as soon as the Jelly of the White is made, you must put it to the Sugar, or it will change Colour.

_To preserve RED CURRANTS._

Mash the Currants, and strain them thro' a thin Strainer; take a Pint of Juice, a Pound and half of Sugar, and six Spoonfuls of Water; let it boil up, and sc.u.m it very well; then put in half a Pound of ston'd Currants; boil them as fast as you can, 'till the Currants are clear and jelly very well; put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses, and, when they are cold, paper them as other Sweet-meats. Stir all small Fruit as they cool, to mix it with the Jelly.

_To make CURRANT-PASTE, either Red or White._

Strip the Currants, and put a little Water to them, just to keep them from sticking to the Pan; boil them well, and rub them thro' a Hair Sieve: To a Pint of Juice put a Pound and a half of Sugar sifted; but first boil the Juice after it is strain'd, and then shake in your Sugar: Let it scald 'till the Sugar is melted; then put it in little Pots in a Stove, and turn it as other Paste.

_To preserve WHITE CURRANTS._

Take the large white Currants, not the Amber-colour'd, strip them, and to two Quarts of Currants put a Pint of Water; boil them very fast, and run them thro' a Jelly-bag; to a Pint of Juice put in a Pound and half of Sugar, and half a Pound of ston'd Currants; set them on a quick Fire, let them boil very fast, 'till the Currants are clear and jelly very well; then put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses; stir them as they cool, to make the Currants mix with the Jelly: Paper them down when almost cold.

_To preserve RASBERRIES._

Take the Juice of red and white Rasberries; (if you have no white Rasberries, use half Codling-Jelly) put a Pint and half of the Juice to two Pound of Sugar; let it boil, sc.u.m it, and then put in three Quarters of a Pound of large Rasberries; let them boil very fast, 'till they jelly and are very clear; don't take them off the Fire, for that will make them hard; a Quarter of an Hour will do them after they begin to boil fast; then put them in Pots or Gla.s.ses: Put the Rasberries in first, then strain the Jelly from the Seeds, and put it to the Rasberries. When they begin to cool, stir them, that they may not all lye upon the Top of the Gla.s.ses; and when they are cold, lay Papers close to them; first wet the Paper, then dry it in a Cloth.

_To make JAM of RASBERRIES._