ENGLISH HOUSEWIFRY. (continued 3)
Reading edition
271. To stew SPINAGE with POACHED EGGS.
Take two or three handfuls of young spinage, pick it from the stalks, wash and drain it very clean, put it into a pan with a lump of butter, and a little salt, keep stirring it all the time whilst it be enough, then take it out and squeeze out the water, chop it and stir in a little more butter, lie it in your dish in quarters, and betwixt every quarter a poached egg, and lie one in the middle; fry some sippets of white bread and prick them in your spinage, to serve them up.
This is proper for a side-dish either for noon or night.
272. To make RATIFIE DROPS.
Take half a pound of the best jordan almonds, and four ounces of bitter almonds, blanch and set them before the fire to dry, beat them in a marble mortar with a little white of an egg, then put to the half a pound of powder sugar, and beat them altogether to a pretty stiff paste; you may beat your white of egg very well before you put it in, so take it out, roll it with your hand upon a board with a little sugar, then cut them in pieces, and lie them on sheets of tin or on paper, at an equal distance, that they don't touch one another, and set them in a slow oven to bake.
273. To fry ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS.
Take artichoke bottoms when they are at the full growth, and boil them as you would do for eating, pull off the leaves, and take out the choke, cut off the stalks as close as you can from the bottom; take two or three eggs, beat them very well, so dip your artichokes in them, and strow over them a little pepper and salt; fry them in butter, some whole and some in halves; serve them up with a little butter in a china cup, set it in the middle of your dish, lie your artichokes round, and serve them up.
They are proper for a side dish either noon or night.
274. To fricassy ARTICHOKES.
Take artichokes, and order them the same way as you did for frying, have ready in a stew-pan a few morels and truffles, stewed in brown gravy, so put in your artichokes, and give them a shake altogether in your stew-pan, and serve them up hot, with sippets round them.
275. To dry ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS.
Take the largest artichokes you can get, when they are at their full growth, boil them as you would do for eating, pull off the leaves and take out the choke; cut off the stalk as close as you can, lie them on a tin dripping-pan, or an earthen dish, set them in a slow oven, for if your oven be too hot it will brown them; you may dry them before the fire if you have conveniency; when they are dry put them in paper bags, and keep them for use.
276. To stew APPLES.
Take a pound of double refin'd sugar, with a pint of water, boil and skim it, and put into it a pound of the largest and clearest pippens, pared and cut in halves; if little, let them be whole; core them and boil them with a continual froth, till they be as tender and clear as you would have them, put in the juice of two lemons, but first take out the apples, a little peel cut like threads, boil down your syrrup as thick as you would have it, then pour it over your apples; when you dish them, stick them with long bits of candid orange, and some with almonds cut in long bits, to serve them up.
You must stew them the day before you use them.
277. To stew APPLES another Way.
Take kentish pippens or john apples, pare and slice them into fair water, set them on a clear fire, and when they are boiled to mash, let the liquor run through a hair-sieve; boil as many apples thus as will make the quantity of liquor you would have; to a pint of this liquor you must have a pound of double refin'd loaf sugar in great lumps, wet the lumps of sugar with the pippen liquor, and set it over a gentle fire, let it boil, and skim it well: whilst you are making the jelly, you must have your whole pippens boiling at the same time; (they must be the fairest and best pippens you can get) scope out the cores, and pare them neatly, put them into fair water as you do them; you must likewise make a syrrup ready to put them into, the quantity as you think will boil them in a clear; make the syrrup with double refin'd sugar and water. Tie up your whole pippens in a piece of fine cloth or muslin severally, when your sugar and water boils put them in, let them boil very fast, so fast that the syrrup always boils over them; sometimes take them off, and then set them on again, let them boil till they be clear and tender; then take off the muslin they were tied up in, and put them into glasses that will hold but one in a glass; then see if your jelly of apple-johns be boiled to jelly enough, if it be, squeeze in the juice of two lemons, and let it have a boil; then strain it through a jelly bag into the glasses your pippens were in; you must be sure that your pippens be well drained from the syrrup they were boiled in; before you put them into the glasses, you may, if you please, boil little pieces of lemon-peel in water till they be tender, and then boil them in the syrrup your pippens were boiled in; then take them out and lay them upon the pippens before the jelly is put in, and when they are cold paper them up.
278. To make PLUMB GRUEL.
Take half a pound of pearl barley, set it on to cree; put to it three quarts of water; when it has boiled a while, shift it into another fresh water, and put to it three or four blades of mace, a little lemon-peel cut in long pieces, so let it boil whilst the barley be very soft; if it be too thick you may add a little more water; take half a pound of currans, wash them well and plump them, and put to them your barley, half a pound of raisins and stone them; let them boil in the gruel whilst they are plump, when they are enough put to them a little white wine, a little juice of lemon, grate in half a nutmeg, and sweeten it to your taste, so serve them up.
279. To make RICE GRUEL.
Boil half a pound of rice in two quarts of soft water, as soft as you would have it for rice milk, with some slices of lemon-peel, and a stick of cinnamon; add to it a little white wine and juice of lemon to your taste, put in a little candid orange sliced thin, and sweeten it with fine powder sugar; don't let it boil after you put in your wine and lemon, put it in a china dish, with five or six slices of lemon, so serve it up.
280. To make SCOTCH CUSTARD, to eat hot for Supper.
Boil a quart of cream with a stick of cinnamon, and a blade of mace; take six eggs, both yolks and whites (leave out the strains) and beat them very well, grate a long bisket into your cream, give it a boil before you put in your eggs, mix a little of your cream amongst your eggs before you put 'em in, so set it over a slow fire, stirring it about whilst it be thick, but don't let it boil; take half a pound of currans, wash them very well, and plump them, then put them to your custard; you must let your custard be as thick as will bear the currans that they don't sink to the bottom; when you are going to dish it up, put in a large glass of sack, stir it very well, and serve it up in a china bason.
281. To make a Dish of MULL'D MILK.
Boil a quart of new milk with a stick of cinnamon, then put to it a pint of cream, and let them have one boil together, take eight eggs, (leave out half of the whites and all the strains) beat them very well, put to them a jill of milk, mix all together, and set it over a slow fire, stir it whilst it begins to thicken like custard, sweeten it to your taste, and grate in half a nutmeg; then put it into your dish with a toast of white bread.
This is proper for a supper.
282. To make LEATCH.
Take two ounces of isinglass and break it into bits, put it into hot water, then put half a pint of new milk into the pan with the isinglass, set it on the fire to boil, and put into it three or four sticks of good cinnamon, two blades of mace, a nutmeg quartered, and two or three cloves, boil it till the isinglass be dissolved, run it through a hair-sieve into a large pan, then put to it a quart of cream sweetened to your taste with loaf sugar, and boil them a while together; take a quarter of a pound of blanch'd almonds beaten in a rose-water, and strain out all the juice of them into the cream on the fire, and warm it, then take it off and stir it well together; when it has cooled a little take a broad shallow dish and put it into it through a hair-sieve, when it is cold cut it in long pieces, and lay it across whilst you have a pretty large dish; so serve it up.
Sometimes a less quantity of isinglass will do, according to the goodness; Let it be the whitest and clearest you can get.
You must make it the day before you want it for use.
283. To make SCOTCH OYSTERS.
Take two pounds of the thick part of a leg of veal, cut it in little bits clear from the skins, and put it in a marble mortar, then shred a pound of beef suet and put to it, and beat them well together till they be as fine as paste; put to it a handful of bread-crumbs and two or three eggs, season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and work it well together; take one part of your forc'd-meat and wrap it in the kell, about the bigness of a pigeon, the rest make into little flat cakes and fry them; the rolls you may either broil in a dripping-pan, or set them in an oven; three is enough in a dish, set them in the middle of the dish and lay the cakes round; then take some strong gravy, shred in a few capers, and two or three mushrooms or oysters if you have any, so thicken it up with a lump of butter, and serve it up hot. Garnish your dish with pickles.
284. To boil BROCOLI.
Take brocoli when it is seeded, or at any other time; take off all the low leaves of your stalks and tie them up in bunches as you do asparagus, cut them the same length you peel your stalks; cut them in little pieces, and boil them in salt and water by themselves; you must let your water boil before you put them in; boil the heads in salt and water, and let the water boil before you put in the brocoli; put in a little butter; it takes very little boiling, and if it boil too quick it will take off all the heads; you must drain your brocoli through a sieve as you do asparagus; lie stalks in the middle, and the bunches round it, as you would do asparagus.
This is proper for either a side-dish or a middle-dish.
285. To boil SAVOY SPROUTS.
If your savoys be cabbag'd, dress off the out leaves and cut them in quarters; take off a little of the hard ends, and boil them in a large quantity of water with a little salt; when boiled drain them, lie them round your meat, and pour over them a little butter.
Any thing will boil greener in a large quantity of water than otherwise.
286. To boil CABBAGE SPROUTS.
Take your sprouts, cut off the leaf and the hard ends, shred and boil them as you do other greens, not forgetting a little butter.
287. To fry PARSNIPS to look like TROUT.
Take a middling sort of parsnips, not over thick, boil them as soft as you would do for eating, peel and cut them in two the long way; you must only fry the small ends, not the thick ones; beat three or four eggs, put to them a spoonful of flour, dip in your parsnips, and fry them in butter a light brown have for your sauce a little vinegar and butter; fry some slices to lie round about the dish, and to serve them up.
288. To make TANSEY another Way.
Take an old penny loaf and cut off the crust, slice it thin, put to it as much hot cream as will wet it, then put to it six eggs well beaten, a little shred lemon-peel, a little nutmeg and salt, and sweeten it to your taste; green it as you did your baked tansey; so tie it up in a cloth and boil it; (it will take an hour and a quarter boiling) when you dish it up stick it with a candid orange, and lie a sevile orange cut in quarters round your dish; serve it up with a little plain butter.
289. To make GOOSEBERRY CREAM.
Take a quart of gooseberries, pick, coddle, and bruise them very well in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, and rub them with the back of a spoon through a hair sieve, till you take out all the pulp from the seeds; take a pint of thick cream, mix it well among your pulp grate in some lemon-peel, and sweeten it to your taste; serve it up either in a china dish or an earthen one.
290. To fry PARSNIPS another Way.
Boil your parsnips, cut them in square long pieces about the length of your finger, dip them in egg and a little flour, and fry them a light brown; when they are fried dish them up, and grate over them a little sugar: You must have for the sauce a little white wine, butter, and sugar in a bason, and set in the middle of your dish.
291. To make APRICOCK PUDDING.
Take ten apricocks, pare, stone, and cut them in two, put them into a pan with a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, boil them pretty quick whilst they look clear, so let them stand whilst they are cold; then take six eggs, (leave out half of the whites) beat them very well, add to them a pint of cream, mix the cream and eggs well together with a spoonful of rose-water, then put in your apricocks, and beat them very well together, with four ounces of clarified butter, then put it into your dish with a thin paste under it; half an hour will bake it.
292. To make APRICOCK CUSTARD.
Take a pint of cream, boil it with a stick of cinnamon and six eggs, (leave out four of the whites) when your cream is a little cold, mix your eggs and cream together, with a quarter of a pound of fine sugar, set it over a slow fire, stir it all one way whilst it begin to be thick, then take it off and stir it whilst it be a little cold, and pour it into your dish; take six apricocks, as you did for your pudding, rather a little higher; when they are cold lie them upon your custard at an equal distance; if it be at the time when you have no ripe apricocks, you may lie preserv'd apricocks.
293. To make JUMBALLS another Way.
Take a pound of meal and dry it, a pound of sugar finely beat, and mix these together; then take the yolks of five or six eggs, half a jill of thick cream, as much as will make it up to a paste, and some coriander seeds, lay them on tins and prick them; bake them in a quick oven; before you set them in the oven wet them with a little rose-water and double refin'd sugar to ice them.
294. To make APRICOCK CHIPS or PEACHES.
Take a pound of chips to a pound of sugar, let not your apricocks be too ripe, pare them and cut them into large chips; take three quarters of a pound of fine sugar, strow most of it upon the chips, and let them stand till they be dissolv'd, set them on the fire, and boil them till they are tender and clear, strowing the remainder of the sugar on as they boil, skim them clear, and lay them in glasses or pots single, with some syrrup, cover them with double refin'd sugar, set them in a stove, and when they are crisp on one side turn the other on glasses and parch them, then set them into the stove again; when they are pretty dry, pour them on hair-sieves till they are dry enough to put up.
295. To make SAGOO GRUEL.
Take four ounces of sagoo and wash it, set it over a slow fire to cree, in two quarts of spring water, let it boil whilst it be thickish and soft, put in a blade or two of mace, and a stick of cinnamon, let it boil in a while, and then put in a little more water; take it off, put to it a pint of claret wine, and a little candid orange; shift them, then put in the juice of a lemon, and sweeten it to your taste; so serve them up.
296. To make SPINAGE TOASTS.
Take a handful or two of young spinage and wash it, drain it from the water, put it into a pan with a lump of butter, and a little salt, let it stew whilst it be tender, only turn it in the boiling, then take it up and squeeze out the water, put in another lump of butter and chop it small, put to it a handful of currans plump'd, and a little nutmeg; have three toasts cut from a penny loaf well buttered, then lie on your spinage.
This is proper for a side-dish either for noon or night.
297. To roast a BEAST KIDNEY.
Take a beast kidney with a little fat on, and stuff it all around, season it with a little pepper and salt, wrap it in a kell, and put it upon the spit with a little water in the dripping-pan; what drops from your kidney thicken with a lump of butter and flour for your sauce.
To fry your STUFFING.
Take a handful of sweet herbs, a few breadcrumbs, a little beef-suet shred fine, and two eggs, (leave out the whites) mix altogether with a little nutmeg, pepper and salt; stuff your kidney with one part of the stuffing, and fry the other part in little cakes; so serve it up.
298. To stew CUCUMBERS.
Take middling cucumbers and cut them in slices, but not too thin, strow over them a little salt to bring out the water, put them into a stew-pan or sauce-pan, with a little gravy, some whole pepper, a lump of butter, and a spoonful or two of vinegar to your taste; let them boil all together; thicken them with flour, and serve them up with sippets.
299. To make an OATMEAL PUDDING.
Take three or four large spoonfuls of oatmeal done through a hair-sieve, and a pint of milk, put it into a pan and let it boil a little whilst it be thick, add to it half a pound of butter, a spoonful of rose-water, a little lemon-peel shred, a little nutmeg, or beaten cinnamon, and a little salt; take six eggs, (leave out two of the whites) and put to them a quarter of a pound of sugar or better, beat them very well, so mix them all together; put it into your dish with a paste round your dish edge; have a little rose-water, butter and sugar for sauce.
300. To make a CALF'S HEAD PIE another Way.
Half boil your calf's head, when it is cold cut it in slices, rather thicker than you would do for hashing, season it with a little mace, nutmeg, pepper and salt, lie part of your meat in the bottom of your pie, a layer of one and a layer of another; then put in half a pound of butter and a little gravy; when your pie comes from the oven, have ready the yolks of six or eight eggs boiled hard, and lie them round your pie; put in a little melted butter, and a spoonful or two of white wine, and give them a shake together before you lie in your eggs; your pie must be a standing pie baked upon a dish, with a puff-paste round the edge of the dish, but leave no paste in the bottom of your pie; when it is baked serve it up without a lid.
This is proper for either top or bottom dish.
301. To make ELDER WINE.
Take twenty pounds of malaga raisins, pick and chop them, then put them into a tub with twenty quarts of water, let the water be boiled and stand till it be cold again before you put in your raisins, let them remain together ten days, stirring it twice a day, then strain the liquor very well from the raisins, through a canvas strainer or hair-sieve; add to it six quarts of elder juice, five pounds of loaf sugar, and a little juice of sloes to make it acid, just as you please; put it into a vessel, and let it stand in a pretty warm place three months, then bottle it; the vessel must not be stopp'd up till it has done working; if your raisins be very good you may leave out the sugar.
302. To make GOOSEBERRY WINE of ripe GOOSEBERRIES.
Pick, clean and beat your gooseberries in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, measure them in quarts up-heap'd, add two quarts of spring water, and let them stand all night or twelve hours, then rub or press out the husks very well, strain them through a wide strainer, and to every gallon put three pounds of sugar, and a jill of brandy, then put all into a sweet vessel, not very full, and keep it very close for four months, then decant it off till it comes clear, pour out the grounds, and wash the vessel clean with a little of the wine; add to every gallon a pound more sugar, let it stand a month in a vessel again, drop the grounds thro' a flannel bag, and put it to the other in the vessel; the tap hole must not be over near the bottom of the cask, for fear of letting out the grounds.
The same receipt will serve for curran wine the same way; let them be red currans.
303. To make BALM WINE.
Take a peck of balm leaves, put them in a tub or large pot, heat four gallons of water scalding hot, ready to boil, then pour it upon the leaves, so let it stand all night, then strain them thro' a hair-sieve; put to every gallon of water two pounds of fine sugar, and stir it very well; take the whites of four or five eggs, beat them very well, put them into a pan, and whisk it very well before it be over hot, when the skim begins to rise take it off, and keep it skimming all the while it is boiling, let it boil three quarters of an hour, then put it into the tub, when it is cold put a little new yeast upon it, and beat it in every two hours, that it may head the better, so work it for two days, then put it into a sweet rundlet, bung it up close, and when it is fine bottle it.
304. To make RAISIN WINE.
Take ten gallons of water, and fifty pounds of malaga raisins, pick out the large stalks and boil them in your water, when your water is boiled, put it into a tub; take the raisins and chop them very small, when your water is blood warm, put in your raisins, and rub them very well with your hand; when you put them into the water, let them work for ten days, stirring them twice a day, then strain out the raisins in a hair-sieve, and put them into a clean harden bag, and squeeze it in the press to take out the liquor, so put it into your barrel; don't let it be over full, bung it up close, and let it stand whilst it is fine; when you tap your wine you must not tap it too near the bottom, for fear of the grounds; when it is drawn off, take the grounds out of the barrel, and wash it out with a little of your wine, then put your wine into the barrel again, draw your grounds thro' a flannel bag, and put them into the barrel to the rest; add to it two pounds of loaf sugar, then bung it up, and let it stand a week or ten days; if it be very sweet to your taste, let it stand some time longer, and bottle it.
305. To make BIRCH WINE.
Take your birch water and boil it, clear it with whites of eggs; to every gallon of water take two pounds and a half of fine sugar, boil it three quarters of an hour, and when it is almost cold, put in a little yeast, work it two or three days, then put it into the barrel, and to every five gallons put in a quart of brandy, and half a pound of ston'd raisins; before you put up your wine burn a brimstone match in the barrel.
306. To make WHITE CURRAN WINE.
Take the largest white currans you can get, strip and break them in your hand, whilst you break all the berries; to every quart of pulp take a quart of water, let the water be boiled and cold again, mix them well together, let them stand all night in your tub, then strain them thro' a hair-sieve, and to every gallon put two pounds and a half of six-penny sugar; when your sugar is dissolved, put it into your barrel, dissolve a little isinglass, whisk it with whites of eggs, and put it in; to every four gallons put in a quart of mountain wine, so bung up your barrel; when it is fine draw it off, and take off the grounds, (but don't tap the barrel over low at the bottom) wash out the barrel with a little of your wine, and drop the grounds thro' a bag, then put it to the rest of your wine, and put it all into your barrel again, to every gallon add half a pound more sugar, and let it stand another week or two; if it be too sweet let it stand a little longer, then bottle it, and it will keep two or three years.
307. To make ORANGE ALE.
Take forty seville oranges, pare and cut them in slices, the best coloured seville you can get, put them all with the juice and seeds into half a hogshead of ale; when it is tunned up and working, put in the oranges, and at the same time a pound and a half of raisins of the sun stoned; when it has done working close up the bung, and it will be ready to drink in a month.
308. To make ORANGE BRANDY.
Take a quart of brandy, the peels of eight oranges thin pared, keep them in the brandy forty-eight hours in a close pitcher, then take three pints of water, put into it three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, boil it till half be consumed, and let it stand till cold, then mix it with the brandy.
309. To make ORANGE WINE.
Take six gallons of water and fifteen pounds of powder sugar, the whites of six eggs well beaten, boil them three quarters of an hour, and skim them while any skim will rise; when it is cold enough for working, put to it six ounces of the syrrup of citron or lemons, and six spoonfuls of yeast, beat the syrrup and yeast well together, and put in the peel and juice of fifty oranges, work it two days and a night, then tun it up into a barrel, so bottle it at three or four months old.
310. To make COWSLIP WINE.
Take ten gallons of water, when it is almost at boiling, add to it twenty one pounds of fine powder sugar, let it boil half an hour, and skim it very clean; when it is boiled put it in a tub, let it stand till you think it cold to set on the yeast; take a poringer of new yeast off the fat, and put to it a few cowslips; when you put on the yeast, put in a few every time it is stirred, till all the cowslips be in, which must be six pecks, and let it work three or four days; add to it six lemons, cut off the peel, and the insides put into your barrel, then add to it a pint of brandy; when you think it has done working, close up your vessel, let it stand a month, and then bottle it; you may let your cowslips lie a week or ten days to dry before you make your wine, for it makes it much finer; you may put in a pint of white wine that is good, instead of the brandy.
311. To make ORANGE WINE another Way.
Take six gallons of water, and fifteen pounds of sugar, put your sugar into the water on the fire, the whites of six eggs, well beaten, and whisk them into the water, when it is cold skim it very well whilst any skim rises, and let it boil for half an hour; take fifty oranges, pare them very thin, put them into your tub, pour the water boiling hot upon your oranges, and when it is bloodwarm put on the yeast, then put in your juice, let it work two days, and so tun it into your barrel; at six weeks or two months old bottle it; you may put to it in the barrel a quart of brandy.
312. To make BIRCH WINE another Way.
To a gallon of birch water put two pounds of loaf or very fine lump sugar, when you put it into the pan whisk the whites of four eggs; (four whites will serve for four gallons) whisk them very well together before it be boiled, when it is cold put on a little yeast, let it work a night and a day in the tub, before you put it into your barrel put in a brimstone match burning; take two pounds of isinglass cut in little bits, put to it a little of your wine, let it stand within the air of the fire all night; takes the whites of two eggs, beat it with your isinglass, put them into your barrel and stir them about with a stick; this quantity will do for four gallons; to four gallons you must have two pounds of raisins shred, put them into your barrel, close it up, but not too close at the first, when it is fine, bottle it.
313. To make APRICOCK WINE.
Take twelve pounds of apricocks when full ripe, stone and pare them, put the paring into three gallons of water, with six pounds of powder sugar, boil them together half an hour, skim them well, and when it is blood-warm put it on the fruit; it must be well bruised, cover it close, and let it stand three days; skim it every day as the skim rises, and put it thro' a hair sieve, adding a pound of loaf sugar; when you put it into the vessel close it up, and when it is fine bottle it.
314. To make ORANGE SHRUB.
Take seville oranges when they are full ripe, to three dozen of oranges put half a dozen of large lemons, pare them very thin, the thinner the better, squeeze the lemons and oranges together, strain the juice thro' a hair sieve, to a quart of the juice put a pound and a quarter of loaf sugar; about three dozen of oranges (if they be good) will make a quart of juice, to every quart of juice, put a gallon of brandy, put it into a little barrel with an open bung with all the chippings of your oranges, and bung it up close; when it is fine bottle it.
This is a pleasant dram, and ready for punch all the year.
315. To make STRONG MEAD.
Take twelve gallons of water, eight pounds of sugar, two quarts of honey, and a few cloves, when your pan boils take the whites of eight or ten eggs, beat them very well, put them into your water before it be hot, and whisk them very well together; do not let it boil but skim it as it rises till it has done rising, then put it into your tub; when it is about blood warm put to it three spoonfuls of new yeast; take eight or nine lemons, pare them and squeeze out the juice, put them both together into your tub, and let them work two or three days, then put it into your barrel, but it must not be too full; take two or three pennyworth of isinglass, cut as small as you can, beat it in a mortar about a quarter of an hour, it will not make it small; but that it may dissolve sooner, draw out a little of the mead into a quart mug, and let it stand within the air of the fire all night; take the whites of three eggs, beat them very well, mix them with your isinglas, whisk them together, and put them into your barrel, bung it up, and when it is fine bottle it.
You may order isinglass this way to put into any sort of made wine.
316. To make MEAD another Way.
Take a quart of honey, three quarts of water, put your honey into the water, when it is dissolved, take the whites of four or five eggs, whisk and beat them very well together and put them into your pan; boil it while the skim rises, and skim it very clean; put it into your tub, when it is warm put in two or three spoonfuls of light yeast, according to the quantity of your mead, and let it work two nights and a day. To every gallon put in a large lemon, pare and strain it, put the juice and peel into your tub, and when it is wrought put it into your barrel; let it work for three or four days, stir twice a day with a thible, so bung it up, and let it stand two or three months, according to the hotness of the weather.
You must try your mead two or three times in the above time, and if you find the sweetness going off, you must take it sooner.
317. To make CYDER.
Draw off the cyder when it hath been a fortnight in the barrel, put it into the same barrel again when you have cleaned it from the grounds, and if your apples were sharp, and that you find your cyder hard, put into every gallon of cyder a pound and half of sixpenny or five-penny sugar; to twelve gallons of this take half an ounce of isinglass, and put to it a quart of cyder; when your isinglass is dissolved, put to it three whites of eggs, whisk them altogether, and put them into your barrel; keep it close for two months and then bottle it.
318. To make COWSLIP WINE.
Take two pecks of peeps, and four gallons of water, put to every gallon of water two pounds and a quarter of sugar, boil the water and sugar together a quarter of an hour, then put it into a tub to cool, put in the skins of four lemons, when it is cold bruise your peeps, and put into your liquor, add to it a jill of yeast, and the juice of four lemons, let them be in the tub a night and a day, then put it into your barrel, and keep it four days stirring, then clay it up close for three weeks and bottle it. Put a lump of sugar in every bottle.
319. To make RED CURRAN WINE.
Let your currans be the best and ripest you can get, pick and bruise them; to every gallon of juice add five pints of water, put it to your berries in a stand for two nights and a day, then strain your liquor through a hair sieve; to every gallon of liquor put two pounds of sugar, stir it till it be well dissolved, put it into a rundlet, and let it stand four days, then draw it off clean, put in a pound and a half of sugar, stirring it well, wash out the rundlet with some of the liquor, so tun it up close; if you put two or three quarts of rasps bruised among your berries, it makes it taste the better.
You may make white curran wine the same way, only leave out the rasps.
320. To make CHERRY WINE.
Take eight pounds of cherries and stone them, four quarts of water, and two pounds of sugar, skim and boil the water and sugar, then put in the cherries, let them have one boil, put them into an earthen pot till the next day, and set them to drain thro' a sieve, then put your wine into a spigot pot, clay it up close, and look at it every two or three days after; if it does not work, throw into it a handful of fresh cherries, so let it stand six or eight days, then if it be clear, bottle it up.
321. To make CHERRY WINE another Way.
Take the ripest and largest kentish cherries you can get, bruise them very well, stones and stalks altogether, put them into a tub, having a tap to it, let them stand fourteen days, then pull out the tap, let the juice run from them and put it into a barrel, let it work three or four days, then stop it up close three or four weeks and bottle it off.
The wine will keep many years and be exceeding rich.
322. To make LEMON DROPS.
Take a pound of loaf sugar, beat and sift it very fine, grate the rind of a lemon and put into your sugar; take the whites of three eggs and wisk them to a froth, squeeze in some lemon to your taste, beat them for half an hour, and drop them on white paper; be sure you let the paper be very dry, and sift a little fine sugar on the paper before you drop them. If you would have them yellow, take a pennyworth of gumbouge, steep it in some rose-water, mix to it some whites of eggs and a little sugar, so drop them, and bake them in a slow oven.
323. To make Gooseberry Wine another Way.
Take twelve quarts of good ripe gooseberries, stamp them, and put to them twelve quarts of water, let them stand three days, stir them twice every day, strain them, and put to your liquor fourteen pounds of sugar; when it is dissolved strain it through a flannel bag, and put it into a barrel, with half an ounce of isinglass; you must cut the isinglass in pieces, and beat it whilst it be soft, put to it a pint of your wine, and let it stand within the air of the fire; take the whites of four eggs and beat them very well to a froth, put in the isinglass, and whisk the wine and it together; put them into the barrel, clay it close, and let it stand whilst fine, then bottle it for use.
324. To make Red Curran Wine another Way.
Take five quarts of red currans, full ripe, bruise them, and take from them all the stalks, to every five quarts of fruit put a gallon of water; when you have your quantity, strain them thro' a hair-sieve, and to every gallon of liquor put two pounds and three quarters of sugar; when your sugar is dissolved tun it into your cask, and let it stand three weeks, then draw it off, and put to every gallon a quarter of a pound of sugar; wash your barrel with cold water, tun it up, and let it stand about a week; to every ten gallons put an ounce of isinglass, dissolve it in some of the wine, when it is dissolved put to it a quart of your wine, and beat them with a whisk, then put it into the cask, and stop it up close; when it is fine bottle it.
If you would have it taste of rasps, put to every gallon of wine a quart of rasps; if there be any grounds in the bottom of the cask, when you draw off your wine, drop them thro' a flannel bag, and then put it into your cask.
325. To make MULBERRY WINE.
Gather your mulberries when they are full ripe, beat them in a marble mortar, and to every quart of berries put a quart of water; when you put 'em into the tub rub them very well with your hands, and let them stand all night, then strain 'em thro' a sieve; to every gallon of water put three pounds of sugar, and when the sugar is dissolved put it into your barrel; take two pennyworth of isinglass and clip it in pieces, put to it a little wine, and let it stand all night within the air of the fire; take the whites of two or three eggs, beat them very well, then put them to the isinglass, mix them well together, and put them into your barrel, stirring it about when it is put in; you must not let it be over full, nor bung it close up at first; set it in a cool place and bottle it when fine.
326. To make BLACKBERRY WINE.
Take blackberries when they are full ripe, and squeeze them the same way as you did the mulberries. If you add a few mulberries, it will make your wine have a much better taste.
327. To make SYRRUP OF MULBERRIES.
Take mulberries when they are full ripe, break them very well with your hand, and drop them through a flannel bag; to every pound of juice take a pound of loaf sugar; beat it small, put to it your juice, so boil and skim it very well; you must skim it all the time it is boiling; when the skim has done rising it is enough; when it is cold bottle it and keep it for use.
You may make rasberry syrrup the same way.
328. To make RASBERRY BRANDY.
Take a gallon of the best brandy you can get, and gather your rasberries when they are full ripe, and put them whole into your brandy; to every gallon of brandy take three quarts of rasps, let them stand close covered for a month, then clear it from rasps, and put to it a pound of loaf sugar; when your sugar is dissolved and a little settled, boil it and keep it for use.
329. To make Black CHERRY BRANDY.
Take a gallon of the best brandy, and eight pounds of black cherries, stone and put 'em into your brandy in an earthen pot; bruise the stones in a mortar, then put them into your brandy, and cover them up close, let them steep for a month or six weeks, so drain it and keep it for use.
You may distil the ingredients if you please.
330. To make RATIFIE BRANDY.
Take a quart of the best brandy, and about a jill of apricock kernels, blanch and bruise them in a mortar, with a spoonful or two of brandy, so put them into a large bottle with your brandy; put to it four ounces of loaf sugar, let it stand till you think it has got the taste of the kernels, then pour it out and put in a little more brandy if you please.
331. To make COWSLIP SYRRUP.
Take a quartern of fresh pick'd cowslips, put to 'em a quart of boiling water, let 'em stand all night, and the next morning drain it from the cowslips; to every pint of water put a pound of fine powder sugar, and boil it over a slow fire; skim it all the time in the boiling whilst the skim has done rising; then take it off, and when it is cold put it into a bottle, and keep it for use.
332. To make LEMON BRANDY.
Take a gallon of brandy, chip twenty-five lemons, (let them steep twenty-four hours) the juice of sixteen lemons, a quarter of a pound of almonds blanched and beat, drop it thro' a jelly bag twice, and when it is fine bottle it; sweeten it to your taste with double refined sugar before you put it into your jelly bag. You must make it with the best brandy you can get.
333. To make CORDIAL WATER of COWSLIPS.
Take two quarts of cowslip peeps, a slip of balm, two sprigs of rosemary, a stick of cinnamon, half an orange peel, half a lemon peel, a pint of brandy, and a pint of ale; lay all these to steep twelve hours, then distil them on a cold still.
334. To make MILK PUNCH.
Take two quarts of old milk, a quart of good brandy, the juice of six lemons or oranges, whether you please, and about six ounces of loaf sugar, mix them altogether and drop them thro' a jelly bag; take off the peel of two of the lemons or oranges, and put it into your bag, when it is run off bottle it; 'twill keep as long as you please.
335. To make MILK PUNCH another Way.
Take three jills of water, a jill of old milk, and a jill of brandy, sweeten it to your taste; you must not put any acid into this for it will make it curdle.
This is a cooling punch to drink in a morning.
336. To make PUNCH another Way.
Take five pints of boiling water and one quart of brandy, add to it the juice of four lemons or oranges, and about six ounces of loaf sugar; when you have mixed it together strain it thro' a hair sieve or cloth, and put into your bowl the peel of a lemon or orange.
337. To make ACID for PUNCH.
Take gooseberries at their full growth, pick and beat them in a marble mortar, and squeeze them in a harden bag thro' a press, when you have done run it thro' a flannel bag, and then bottle it in small bottles; put a little oil on every bottle, so keep it for use.
338. To bottle GOOSEBERRIES.
Gather your gooseberries when they are young, pick and bottle them, put in the cork loose, set them in a pan of water, with a little hay in the bottom, put them into the pan when the water is cold, let it stand on a slow fire, and mind when they are coddled; don't let the pan boil, if you do it will break the bottles: when they are cold fasten the cork, and put on a little rosin, so keep them for use.
339. To bottle DAMSINS.
Take your damsins before they are full ripe, and gather them when the dew is off, pick of the stalks, and put them into dry bottles; don't fill your bottles over full, and cork them as close as you would do for ale, keep them in a cellar, and cover them over with sand.
340. To preserve Orange Chips to put in glasses.
Take a seville orange with a clear skin, pare it very thin from the white, then take a pair of scissars and clip it very thin, and boil it in water, shifting it two or three times in the boiling to take out the bitter; then take half a pound of double refined sugar, boil it and skim it, then put in your orange, so let it boil over a slow fire whilst your syrrup be thick, and your orange look clear, then put it into glasses, and cover it with papers dipt in brandy; if you have a quantity of peel you must have the larger quantity of sugar.
341. To preserve ORANGES or LEMONS.
Take seville oranges, the largest and roughest you can get, clear of spots, chip them very fine, and put them into water for two days, shifting them twice or three times a day, then boil them whilst they are soft: take and cut them into quarters, and take out all the pippens with a penknife, so weigh them, and to every pound of orange, take a pound and half of loaf sugar; put your sugar into a pan, and to every pound of sugar a pint of water, set it over the fire to melt, and when it boils skim it very well, then put in your oranges; if you would have any of them whole, make a little hole at the top, and take out the meat with a tea spoon, set your oranges over a slow fire to boil, and keep them skimming all the while; keep your oranges as much as you can with the skin downwards; you may cover them with a delf-plate, to bear them down in the boiling; let them boil for three quarters of an hour, then put them into a pot or bason, and let them stand two days covered, then boil them again whilst they look clear, and the syrrup be thick, so put them into a pot, and lie close over them a paper dip'd in brandy, and tie a double paper at the top, set them in a cool place, and keep them for use. If you would have your oranges that are whole to look pale and clear, to put in glasses, you must make a syrrup of pippen jelly; then take ten or a dozen pippens, as they are of bigness, pare and slice them, and boil them in as much water as will cover them till they be thoroughly tender, so strain your water from the pippens through a hair sieve, then strain it through a flannel bag; and to every pint of jelly take a pound of double refined sugar, set it over a fire to boil, and skim it, let it boil whilst it be thick, then put it into a pot and cover it, but they will keep best if they be put every one in different pots.
342. To make JELLY of CURRANS.
Take a quartern of the largest and best currans you can get, strip them from the stalks, and put them in a pot, stop them close up, and boil them in a pot of water over the fire, till they be thoroughly coddled and begin to look pale, then put them in a clear hair sieve to drain, and run the liquor thro' a flannel bag, to every pint of your liquor put in a pound of your double refin'd sugar; you must beat the sugar fine, and put it in by degrees, set it over the fire, and boil it whilst any skim will rise, then put it into glasses for ale; the next day clip a paper round, and dip it in brandy to lie on your jelly; if you would have your jelly a light red, put in half of white currans, and in my opinion it looks much better.
343. To preserve APRICOCKS.
Take apricocks before they be full ripe, stone and pare 'em; then weigh 'em, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of double refined sugar, beat it very small, lie one part of your sugar under the apricocks, and the other part at the top, let them stand all night, the next day put them in a stew-pan or brass pan; don't do over many at once in your pan, for fear of breaking, let them boil over a slow fire, skim them very well, and turn them two or three times in the boiling; you must but about half do 'em at the first, and let them stand whilst they be cool, then let them boil whilst your apricocks look clear, and the syrrup thick, put them into your pots or glasses, when they are cold cover them with a paper dipt in brandy, then tie another paper close over your pot to keep out the air.
344. To make MARMALADE of APRICOCKS.
Take what quantity of apricocks you shall think proper, stone them and put them immediately into a skellet of boiling water, keep them under water on the fire till they be soft, then take them out of the water and wipe them with a cloth, weigh your sugar with your apricocks, weight for weight, then dissolve your sugar in water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your apricocks, being a little bruised, let them boil but a quarter of a hour, then glass them up.
345. To know when your SUGAR is at CANDY HEIGHT.
Take some sugar and clarify it till it comes to a candy-height, and keep it still boiling 'till it becomes thick, then stir it with a stick from you, and when it is at candy-height it will fly from your stick like flakes of snow, or feathers flying in the air, and till it comes to that height it will not fly, then you may use it as you please.
346. To make Marmalade of Quinces white.
Take your quinces and coddle them as you do apples, when they are soft pare them and cut them in pieces, as if you would cut them for apple pies, then put your cores, parings, and the waste of your quinces in some water, and boil them fast for fear of turning red until it be a strong jelly; when you see the jelly pretty strong strain it, and be sure you boil them uncovered; add as much sugar as the weight of your quinces into your jelly, till it be boiled to a height, then put in your coddled quinces, and boil them uncovered till they be enough, and set them near the fire to harden.
347. To make Quiddeny of Red Curranberries.
Put your berries into a pot, with a spoonful or two of water, cover it close, and boil 'em in some water, when you think they are enough strain them, and put to every pint of juice a pound of loaf sugar, boil it up jelly height, and put them into glasses for use.
348. To preserve GOOSEBERRIES.
To a pound of ston'd gooseberries put a pound and a quarter of fine sugar, wet the sugar with the gooseberry jelly; take a quart of gooseberries, and two or three spoonfuls of water, boil them very quick, let your sugar be melted, and then put in your gooseberries; boil them till clear, which will be very quickly.
349. To make little ALMOND CAKES.
Take a pound of sugar and eight eggs, beat them well an hour, then put them into a pound of flour, beat them together, blanch a quarter of a pound of almonds, and beat them with rose-water to keep 'em from oiling, mix all together, butter your tins, and bake them half an hour.
Half an hour is rather too long for them to stand in the oven.
350. To preserve RED GOOSEBERRIES.
Take a pound of sixpenny sugar, and a little juice of currans, put to it a pound and a half of Gooseberries, and let them boil quick a quarter of an hour; but if they be for jam they must boil better than half an hour.
They are very proper for tarts, or to eat as sweet-meats.
351. To bottle BERRIES another Way.
Gather your berries when they are full grown, pick and bottle them, tie a paper over them, prick it with a pin, and set it in the oven; after you have drawn, and when they are coddled, take them out and when they are cold cork them up; rosin the cork over, and keep them for use.
352. To keep BARBERRIES for TARTS all the Year.
Take barberries when they are full ripe, and pick 'em from the stalk, put them into dry bottles, cork 'em up very close and keep 'em for use.
You may do cranberries the same way.
353. To preserve BARBERRIES for TARTS.
Take barberries when full ripe, strip them, take their weight in sugar, and as much water as will wet your sugar, give it a boil and skim it; then put in your berries, let them boil whilst they look clear and your syrrup thick, so put them into a pot, and when they are cold cover them up with a paper dip'd in brandy.
354. To preserve DAMSINS.
Take damsins before they are full ripe, and pick them, take their weight in sugar, and as much water as will wet your sugar, give it a boil and skim it, then put in your damsins, let them have one scald, and set them by whilst cold, then scald them again, and continue scalding them twice a day whilst your syrrup looks thick, and the damsins clear; you must never let them boil; do 'em in a brass pan, and do not take them out in the doing; when they are enough put them into a pot, and cover them up with a paper dip'd in brandy.
355. How to keep DAMSINS for TARTS.
Take damsins before they are full ripe, to every quart of damsins put a pound of powder sugar, put them into a pretty broad pot, a layer of sugar and a layer of damsins, tie them close up, set them in a slow oven, and let them have a heat every day whilst the syrrup be thick, and the damsins enough; render a little sheep suet and pour over them, to keep them for use.
356. To keep DAMSINS another Way.
Take damsins before they be quite ripe, pick off the stalks, and put them into dry bottles; cork them as you would do ale, and keep them in a cool place for use.
357. To make MANGO of CODLINS.
Take codlins when they are at their full growth, and of the greenest sort, take a little out of the end with the stalk, and then take out the core; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie ten days or more, and fill them with the same ingredients as you do other mango, only scald them oftner.
358. To pickle CURRANBERRIES.
Take currans either red or white before they are thoroughly ripe; you must not take them from the stalk, make a pickle of salt and water and a little vinegar, so keep them for use.
They are proper for garnishing.
359. To make Barberries instead of preserving.
Take barberries and lie them in a pot, a layer of barberries and a layer of sugar, pick the seeds out before for garnishing sweet meats, if for sauces put some vinegar to them.
360. To keep Asparagus or Green Pease a Year.
Take green pease, green them as you do cucumbers, and scald them as you do other pickles made of salt and water; let it be always new pickle, and when you would use them boil them in fresh water.
361. To make white Paste of PIPPENS.
Take some pippens, pare and cut them in halves, and take out the cores, then boil 'em very tender in fair water, and strain them thro' a sieve, then clarify two pounds of sugar with two whites of eggs, and boil it to a candy height, put two pounds and a half of the pulp of your pippens into it, let it stand over a slow fire drying, keeping it stirring till it comes clear from the bottom of your pan, them lie them upon plates or boards to dry.
362. To make green Paste of PIPPENS.
Take green pippens, put them into a pot and cover them, let them stand infusing over a slow fire five or six hours, to draw the redness or sappiness from them and then strain them thro' a hair sieve; take two pounds of sugar, boil it to a candy height, put to it two pounds of the pulp of your pippens, keep it stirring over the fire till it comes clean from the bottom of your pan, then lay it on plates or boards, and set it in an oven or stove to dry.
363. To make red Paste of PIPPENS.
Take two pounds of sugar, clarify it, then take rosset and temper it very well with fair water, put it into your syrrup, let it boil till your syrrup is pretty red colour'd with it, then drain your syrrup thro' a fine cloth, and boil it till it be at candy-height, then put to it two pounds and a half of the pulp of pippens, keeping it stirring over the fire till it comes clean from the bottom of the pan, then lie it on plates or boards, so dry them.
364. To preserve FRUIT green.
Take your fruit when they are green, and some fair water, set it on the fire, and when it is hot put in the apples, cover them close, but they must not boil, so let them stand till thye be soft, and there will be a thin skin on them, peel it off, and set them to cool, then put them in again, let them boil till they be very green, and keep them whole as you can; when you think them ready to take up, make your syrrup for them; take their weight in sugar, and when your syrrup is ready put the apples into it, and boil them very well in it; they will keep all the year near some fire.
You may do green plumbs or other fruit.
365. To make ORANGE MARMALADE.
Take three or four seville oranges, grate them, take out the meat, and boil the rinds whilst they are tender; shift them three or four times in the boiling to take out the bitter, and beat them very fine in a marble mortar; to the weight of your pulp take a pound of loaf sugar, and to a pound of sugar you may add a pint of water, boil and skim it before you put in your oranges, let it boil half an hour very quick, then put in your meat, and to a pint take a pound and a half of sugar, let it boil quick half an hour, stir it all the time, and when it is boiled to a jelly, put it into pots or glasses; cover it with a paper dipp'd in brandy.
366. To make QUINCES WHITE another Way.
Coddle your quinces, cut them in small pieces, and to a pound of quinces take three quarters of a pound of sugar, boil it to a candy height, having ready a quarter of a pint of quince liquor boil'd and skim'd, put the quinces and liquor to your sugar, boil them till it looks clear, which will be very quickly, then close your quince, and when cold cover it with jelly of pippens to keep the colour.
367. To make GOOSEBERRY VINEGAR.
To every gallon of water take six pounds of ripe gooseberries, bruise them, and pour the water boiling hot upon your berries, cover it close, and set it in a warm place to foment, till all the berries come to the top, then draw it off, and to every gallon of liquor put a pound and a half of sugar, then tun it into a cask, set it in a warm place, and in six months it will be fit for use.
368. To make Gooseberry Wine another Way.
Take three pounds of ripe gooseberries to a quart of water, and a pound of sugar, stamp your berries and throw them into your water as you stamp them, it will make them strain the better; when it is strained put in your sugar, beat it well with a dish for half an hour, then strain it thro' a finer strainer than before into your vessel, leaving it some room to work, and when it is clear bottle it; your berries must be clean pick'd before your use them, and let them be at their full growth when you use them, rather changing colour.
369. To make Jam of Cherries.
Take ten pounds of cherries, stone and boil them till the juice be wasted, then add to it three pounds of sugar, and give it three or four good boils, then put it into your pots.
370. To preserve Cherries.
To a pound of cherries take a pound of sugar finely sifted, with which strow the bottom of your pan, having stoned the cherries, lay a layer of cherries and a layer of sugar, strowing the sugar very well over all, boil them over a quick fire a good while, keeping them clean skim'd till they look clear, and the syrrup is thick and both of one colour; when you think them half done, take them off the fire for an hour, after which set them on again, and to every pound of fruit put in a quarter of a pint of the juice of cherries and red currans, so boil them till enough, and the syrrup is jellied, then put them in a pot, and keep them close from the air.
371. To preserve CHERRIES for drying.
Take two pounds of cherries and stone them, put to them a pound of sugar, and as much water as will wet the sugar, then set them on the fire, let them boil till they look clear, then take them off the fire, and let them stand a while in the syrrup, and then take them up and lay them on papers to dry.
372. To preserve FRUIT green all the Year.
Gather your fruit when they are three parts ripe, on a very dry day, when the sun shines on them, then take earthen pots and put them in, cover the pots with cork, or bung them that no air can get into them, dig a place in the earth a yard deep, set the pots therein and cover them with the earth very close, and keep them for use.
When you take any out, cover them up again, as at the first.
373. How to keep KIDNEY BEANS all Winter.
Take kidney beans when they are young, leave on both the ends, lay a layer of salt at the bottom of your pot, and then a layer of beans, and so on till your pot be full, cover them close at the top that they get no air, and set them in a cool place; before you boil them lay them in water all night, let your water boil when you put them in, (without salt) and put into it a lump of butter about the bigness of a walnut.
374. To candy ANGELICA.
Take angelica when it is young and tender take off all the leaves from the stalks, boil it in the pan with some of the leaves under, and some at the top, till it be so tender that you can peel off all the skin, then put it into some water again, cover it over with some of the leaves, let it simmer over a slow fire till it be green, when it is green drain the water from it, and then weigh it; to a pound of angelica take a pound of loaf sugar, put a pint of water to every pound of sugar, boil and skim it, and then put in your angelica; it will take a great deal of boiling in the sugar, the longer you boil it and the greener it will be, boil it whilst your sugar be candy height by the side of your pan; if you would have it nice and white, you must have a pound of sugar boiled candy height in a copper-dish or stew pan, set it over a chafing dish, and put it into your angelica, let it have a boil, and it will candy as you take it out.
375. To dry PEARS.
Take half a peck of good baking pears, (or as many as you please) pare and put them in a pot, and to a peck of pears put in two pounds of sugar; you must put in no water but lie the parings on the top of your pears, tie them up close, and set them in a brown bread oven; when they are baked lay them in a dripping pan, and flat them a little in your pan; set them in a slow oven, and turn them every day whilst they be through y dry; so keep them for use.
You may dry pippens the same way, only as your turn them grate over them a little sugar.
376. To preserve CURRANS in bunches.
Boil your sugar to the fourth degree of boiling, tie your currans up in bunches, then place them in order in the sugar, and give them several covered boilings, skim them quick, and let them not have above two or three seethings, then skim them again, and set them into the stove in the preserving pan, the next day drain them, and dress them in bunches, strow them with sugar, and dry them in a stove or in the sun.
377. To dry APRICOCKS.
To a pound of apricocks put three quarter of a pound of sugar, pare and stone them, to a layer of fruit lie a layer of sugar, let them stand till the next day, then boil them again till they be clear, when cold take them out of the syrrup, and lay them upon glasses or china, and sift them over with double refined sugar, so set them on a stove to dry, next day if they be dry enough turn them and sift the other side with sugar; let the stones be broke and the kernels blanch'd, and give them a boil in the syrrup, then put them into the apricocks; you must not do too many at a time, for fear of breaking them in the syrrup; do a great many, and the more you do in it, the better they will taste.
378. To make JUMBALIS another Way.
Take a pound of meal dry, a pound of sugar finely beat, mix them together; then take the yolks of five or six eggs, as much thick cream as will make it up to a paste, and some corriander seeds; roll them and lay them on tins, prick and bake them in a quick oven; before you set them in the oven wet them with a little rose-water and double refin'd sugar, and it will ice them.
379. To preserve ORANGES Whole.
Take what quantity of oranges you have a mind to preserve, chip off the rind, the thiner and better, put them into water twenty-four hours, in that time shift them in the water (to take off the bitter) three times; you must shift them with boiling water, cold water makes them hard; put double the weight of sugar for oranges, dissolve your sugar in water, skim it, and clarify it with the white of an egg; before you put in your oranges, boil them in syrrup three or four times, three or four days betwixt each time; you must take out the inmeat of the oranges very clean, for fear of mudding the syrup.
380. To make JAM of DAMSINS.
Take damsins when they are ripe, and to two pounds of damsins take a pound of sugar, put your sugar into a pan with a jill of water, when you have boiled it put in your damsins, let them boil pretty quick, skim them all the time they are boiling, when your syrrup looks thick they are enough put them into your pots, and when they are cold cover them with a paper dip'd in brandy, tie them up close, and keep them for use.
381. To make clear Cakes of Gooseberries.
Take a pint of jelly, a pound and a quarter of sugar, make your jelly with three or four spoonfuls of water, and put your sugar and jelly together, set it over the fire to heat, but don't let it boil, then put it into the cake pots, and set it in a slow oven till iced over.
382. To make BULLIES CHEESE.
Take half a peck or a quartern of bullies, whether you please, pick off the stalks, put them in a pot, and stop them up very close, set them in a pot of water to boil for two hours, and be sure your pot be full of water, and boil them whilst they be enough, then put them in a hair-sieve to drain the liquor from the bullies; and to every quart of liquor put a pound and a quarter of sugar, boil it over a slow fire, keeping it stirring all the time: You may know when it is boiled high enough by the parting from the pan, and cover it with papers dip'd in brandy, so tie it up close, and keep it for use.
383. To make JAM of BULLIES.
Take the bullies that remained in the sieve, to every quart of it take a pound of sugar, and put it to your jam, boil it over a slow fire, put it in pots, and keep it for use.
384. To make SYRRUP of GILLIFLOWERS.
Take five pints of clipt gilliflowers, two pints of boiling water and put to them, then put them in an earthen pot to infuse a night and a day, take a strainer and strain them out; to a quart of your liquor put a pound and half of loaf sugar, boil it over a slow fire, and skim it whilst any skim rises; so when it is cold bottle it for use.
385. To pickle GILLIFLOWERS.
Take clove gilliflowers, when they are at full growth, clip them and put them into a pot, put them pretty sad down, and put to them some white wine vinegar, as much as will cover them; sweeten them with fine powder sugar, or common loaf; when you put in your sugar stir them up that your sugar may go down to the bottom; they must be very sweet; let them stand two or three days, and then put in a little more vinegar; so tie them up for use.
386. To pickle CUCUMBERS sliced.
Pare thirty large cucumbers, slice them into a pewter dish, take six onions, slice and strow on them some salt, so cover them and let them stand to drain twenty four hours; make your pickle of white wine vinegar, nutmeg, pepper, cloves and mace, boil the spices in the pickle, drain the liquor clean from the cucumbers, put them into a deep pot, pour the liquor upon them boiling hot, and cover them very close; when they are cold drain the liquor from them, give it another boil, and when it is cold pour it on them again; so keep them for use.
387. To make CUPID HEDGE-HOG'S.
Take a quarter of a pound of jordan almonds, and half a pound of loaf sugar, put it into a pan with as much water as will just wet it, let it boil whilst it be so thick as will stick to your almonds, then put in your almonds and let them boil in it; have ready a quarter of a pound of small coloured comfits; take your almonds out of the syrrup one by one, and turn them round whilst they covered over, so lie them on a pewter dish as you do them, and set them before the fire, whilst you have done them all.
They are pretty to put in glasses, or to set in a desert.
388. To make ALMOND HEDGE-HOGS.
Take half a pound of the best almonds, and blanch them, beat them with two or three spoonfuls of rose-water in a marble-mortar very small, then take six eggs, (leave out two of the whites) beat your eggs very well, take half a pound of loaf sugar beaten, and four ounces of clarified butter, mix them all well together, put them into a pan, set them over the fire, and keep it stirring whilst it be stiff, then put it into a china-dish, and when it is cold put it up into the shape of an hedge hog, put currans for eyes, and a bit of candid orange for tongue; you may leave out part of the almonds unbeaten; take them and split them in two, then cut them in long bits to stick into your hedge hog all over, then rake two pints of cream custard to pour over your hedge hog, according to the bigness of your dish; lie round your dish edge slices of candid or preserved orange, which you have, so serve it up.
389. To pot SALMON to keep half a Year.
Take a side of fresh salmon, take out the bone, cut off the head and scald it; you must not wash it but wipe it with a dry cloth; cut it in three pieces, season it with mace, pepper, salt and nutmeg, put it into a flat pot with the skin side downward, lie over it a pound of butter, tie a paper over it, and send it to the oven, about an hour and a half will bake it; if you have more salmon in your pot than three pieces it will take more baking, and you must put in more butter; when it is baked take it out of your pot, and lie it on a dish plate to drain, and take off the skin, so season it over again, for if it be not well seasoned it will not keep; put it into your pot piece by piece; it will keep best in little pots, when you put it into your pots, press it well down with the back of your hand, and when it is cold cover it with clarified butter, and set it in a cool place; so keep it for use.
390. To make a CODDLIN PIE.
Take coddlins before they are over old, hang them over a slow fire to coddle, when they are soft peel off the skin, so put them into the water again, then cover 'em up with vine leaves, and let them hang over the fire whilst they be green; be sure you don't let them boil; lie them whole in the dish, and bake them in puff-paste, but leave no paste in the bottom of the dish; put to 'em a little shred lemon-peel, a spoonful of verjuice or juice of lemon, and as much sugar as you think proper, according to the largeness of your pie.
391. To make a COLLIFLOWER PUDDING.
Boil the flowers in milk, take the tops and lay then in a dish, then take three jills of cream, the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of two, season it with nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, sugar, sack or orange-flower water, beat all well together, then pour it over the colliflower, put it into the oven, bake it as you would a custard, and grate sugar over it when it comes from the oven.
Take sugar, sack and butter for sauce.
392. To make Stock for HARTSHORN JELLY.
Take five or six ounces of hartshorn, put it into a gallon of water, hang it over a slow fire, cover it close, and let it boil three or four hours, so strain it; make it the day before you use it, and then you may have it ready for your jellies.
393. To make SYRRUP OF VIOLETS.
Take violets and pick them; to every pound of violets put a pint of water, when the water is just ready to boil put it to your violets, and stir them well together, let them infuse twenty four hours and strain them; to every pound of syrrup, take almost two pounds of sugar, beat the sugar very well and put it into your syrrup, stir it that the sugar may dissolve, let it stand a day or two, stirring it two or three times, then set it on the fire, let be but warm and it will be thick enough.
You may make your syrrup either of violets or gilliflowers, only take the weight of sugar, let it stand on the fire till it be very hot, and the syrrup of violets must be only warm.
394. To pickle COCKLES.
Take cockles at a full moon and wash 'em, then put them in a pan, and cover them with a wet cloth, when they are enough put them into a stone bowl, take them out of the shells and wash them very well in their own pickle; let the pickle settle every time you wash them then clear it off; when you have cleaned 'em, put the pickle into a pan, with a spoonful or two of white wine and a little white wine vinegar, to you taste, put in a little Jamaica and whole pepper, boil it very well in the pickle, then put in you cockles, let 'em have a boil and skim 'em, when they are cold put them in a bottle with a little oil over them, set 'em in a cool place and keep 'em for use.
395. To preserve Quinces whole or in quarters.
Take the largest quinces when they are at full growth, pare them and throw them into water, when you have pared them cut them into quarters, and take out the cores; if you would have any whole you must take out the cores with a scope; save all the cores and parings, and put them in a pot or pan to coddle your quinces in, with as much water as will cover them, so put in your quinces in the middle of your paring into the pan, (be sure you cover them close up at the top) so let them hang over a slow fire whilst they be thoroughly tender, then take them out and weigh them; to every pound of quince take a pound of loaf sugar, and to every pound of sugar take a pint of the same water you coddled your quinces in, set your water and sugar over the fire, boil it and skim it, then put in your quinces, and cover it close up, set it over a slow fire, and let it boil whilst your quinces be red and the syrrup thick, then put them in pots for use, dipping a paper in brandy to lie over them.
396. To pickle SHRIMPS.
Take the largest shrimps you can get, pick them out of the shells, boil them in a jill of water, or as much water as will cover them according as you have a quantity of shrimps, strain them thro' a hair-sieve, then put to the liquor a little spice, mace, cloves, whole pepper, white wine, white wine vinegar, and a little salt to your taste; boil them very well together, when it is cold put in your shrimps, they are fit for use.
397. To pickle MUSCLES.
Wash your muscles, put them into a pan as you do your cockles, pick them out of the shells, and wash them in the liquor; be sure you take off the beards, so boil them in the liquor with spices, as you do your cockles, only put to them a little more vinegar than you do to cockles.
398. To pickle WALNUTS green.
Gather walnuts when they are as you can run a pin through them, pare them and put them in water, and let them lie four or five days, stirring it twice a day to take out the bitter, then put them in strong salt and water, let them lie a week or ten days, stirring it once or twice a day, then put them in fresh salt and water, and hang them over a fire, put to them a little allum, and cover them up close with vine leaves, let them hang over a slow fire whilst they be green, but be sure don't let them boil, when they are green pat them into a sieve to drain the water from them.
399. To make PICKLE for them.
Take a little good alegar, put to it a little long pepper and Jamaica pepper, a few bay leaves, a little horse-radish, a handful or two of mustard-seed, a little salt and a little rockambol if you have any, if not a few shalots; boil them altogether in the alegar, which put to your walnuts and let it stand three or four days, giving them a scald once a day, then tie them up for use.
A spoonful of this pickle is good for fish-sauce, or a calf's head ash.
400. To pickle WALNUTS black.
Gather walnuts when they are so tender that you can run a pin thro' them, prick them all with a pin very well, lie them in fresh water, and let them lie for a week, shifting them once a day; make for them a strong salt and water, and let them lie whilst they be yellow, stirring them once a day, then take 'em out of the salt and water, and boil it, put it on the top of your walnuts, and let your pot stand in the corner end, scald them once or twice a day whilst they be black.
You may make the same pickle for those, as you did for the green ones.
401. To pickle OYSTERS.
Take the largest oysters you can get, pick them whole out of the shell, and take off the beards, wash them very well in their own pickle, so let the pickle settle, and clear it off, put it into a stew-pan, put to it two or three spoonfuls of white wine, and a little white wine vinegar; don't put in any water, for if there be not pickle enough of their own get a little cockle-pickle and put to it, a little Jamaica pepper, white pepper and mace, boil and skim them very well; you must skim it before you put in your spices, then put in your oysters, and boil them in the pickle, when they are cold put them into a large bottle with a little oil on the top, set them in a cool place and keep them for use.
402. To pickle large CUCUMBERS.
Take cucumbers and put them in a strong salt and water, let them lie whilst they be throughly yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in, set them on the fire, and scald them once a day whilst they are green; take the best alegar you can get, put to it a little Jamaica pepper and black pepper, some horse-radish in slices, a few bay leaves, and a little dill and salt, so scald your cucumbers twice or thrice in this pickle; then put them up for use.
403. To pickle ONIONS.
Take the smallest onions you can get, peel and put them into a large quantity of fair water, let them lie two days and shift them twice a day; then drain them from the water, take a little distill'd vinegar, put to 'em two or three blades of mace, and a little white pepper and salt, boil it, and pour it upon your onions, let them stand three days, so put them into little glasses, and tie a bladder over them; they are very good done with alegar; for common use, only put in Jamaica pepper instead of mace.
404. To pickle ELDER BUDS.
Take elder buds when they are the bigness of small walnuts, lie them in a strong salt and water for ten days, and then scald them in fresh salt and water, put in a lump of allum, let them stand in the corner end close cover'd up, and scalded once a day whilst green.
You may do radish cods or brown buds the same way.
405. To make the Pickle.
Take a little alegar or white wine vinegar, and put to it two or three blades of mace, with a little whole pepper and Jamaica pepper, a few bay leaves and salt, put to your buds, and scald them two or three times, then they are fit for use.
406. To pickle MUSHROOMS.
Take mushrooms when fresh gather'd, sort the large ones from the buttons, cut off the stalks, wash them in water with a flannel, have a pan of water ready on the fire to boil 'em in, for the less they lie in the water the better; let them have two or three boils over the fire, then put them into a sieve, and when you have drained the water from them put them into a pot, throw over them a handful of salt, stop them up close with a cloth, and let them stand two or three hours on the hot hearth or range end, giving your pot a shake now and then; then drain the pickle from them, and lie them in a cloth for an hour or two, so put into them as much distill'd vinegar as will cover them, let them lie a week or ten days, then take them out, and put them in dry bottles; put to them a little white pepper, salt and ginger sliced, fill them up with distill'd vinegar, put over 'em a little sweet oil, and cork them up close; if your vinegar be good they will keep two or three years; I know it by experience.
You must be sure not to fill your bottles above three parts full, if you do they will not keep.
407. To pickle MUSHROOMS another Way.
Take mushrooms and wash them with a flannel, throw them into water as you wash them, only pick the small from the large, put them into a pot, throw over them a little salt, stop up your pot close with a cloth, boil them in a pot of water as you do currans when you make a jelly, give them a shake now and then; you may guess when they are enough by the quantity of liquor that comes from them; when you think they are enough strain from them the liquor, put in a little white wine vinegar, and boil it in a little mace, white pepper, Jamaica pepper, and slic'd ginger; then it is cold put it to the mushrooms, bottle 'em and keep 'em for use.
They will keep this way very well, and have more of the taste of mushrooms, but they will not be altogether so white.
408. To pickle POTATOE CRABS.
Gather your crabs when they are young, and about the bigness of a large cherry, lie them in a strong salt and water as you do other pickles, let them stand for a week or ten days, then scald them in the same water they lie in twice a day whilst green; make the same pickle for them as you do for cucumbers; be sure you scald them twice or thrice in the pickle and they will keep the better.
409. To pickle large BUTTONS.
Take your buttons, clean 'em and cut 'em in three or four pieces, put them into a large sauce-pan to stew in their own liquor, put to them a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a blade or two of mace, and a little salt, cover it up, let it stew over a slow fire whilst you think they are enough, then strain from them their liquor, and put to it a little white wine vinegar or alegar, which you please, give it a boil together, and when it is cold put it to your mushrooms, and keep them for use.
You may pickle flaps the same way.
410. To make CATCHUP.
Take large mushrooms when they are fresh gathered, cut off the dirty ends, break them small in your hands, put them in a stone-bowl with a handful or two of salt, and let them stand all night; if you don't get mushrooms enough at once, with a little salt they will keep a day or two whilst you get more, so put 'em in a stew-pot, and set them in an oven with household bread; when they are enough strain from 'em the liquor, and let it stand to settle, then boil it with a little mace, Jamaica and whole black pepper, two or three shalots, boil it over a slow fire for an hour, when it is boiled let it stand to settle, and when it is cold bottle it; if you boil it well it will keep a year or two; you must put in spices according to the quantity of your catchup; you must not wash them, nor put to them any water.
411. To make MANGO of CUCUMBERS or SMALL MELONS.
Gather cucumbers when they are green, cut a bit off the end and take out all the meat; lie them in a strong salt and water, let them lie for a week or ten days whilst they be yellow, then scald them in the same salt and water they lie in whilst green, then drain from them the water; take a little mustard-seed, a little horse-radish, some scraped and some shred fine, a handful of shalots, a claw or two of garlick if you like the taste, and a little shred mace; take six or eight cucumbers shred fine, mix them amongst the rest of the ingredients, then fill your melons or cucumbers with the meat, and put in the bits at the ends, tie them on with a string, so as will well cover them, and put into it a little Jamaica and whole pepper, a little horse-radish and a handful or two of mustard-seed, then boil it, and pour it upon your mango; let it stand in the corner end two or three days, scald them once a day, and then tie them up for use.