PART THE THIRD
SWEETMEATS.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
In preparing sugar for sweetmeats, let it be entirely dissolved, before you put it on the fire. If you dissolve it in water, allow about half a pint of water to a pound of sugar.
If you boil the sugar before you add the fruit to it, it will be improved in clearness by passing it through a flannel bag. Skim off the brown scum, all the time it is boiling.
If sweetmeats are boiled too long, they lose their flavour and become of a dark colour.
If boiled too short a time, they will not keep well.
You may ascertain when jelly is done, by dropping a small spoonful into a glass of water.
If it spreads and mixes with the water, it requires more boiling.
If it sticks in a lump to the bottom, it is sufficiently done.
This trial must be made after the jelly is cold.
Raspberry jelly requires more boiling than any other sort. Black currant jelly less.
APPLE JELLY.
Take the best pippin, or bell-flower apples. No others will make good jelly. Pare, core, and quarter them. Lay them in a preserving kettle, and put to them as much water only, as will cover them, and as much lemon-peel as you choose. Boil them till they are soft, but not till they break. Drain off the water through a colander, and mash the apples with the hack of a spoon. Put them into a jelly bag, set a deep dish or pan under it, and squeeze out the juice.
To every pint of juice, allow a pound of loaf-sugar, broken up, and the juice of two lemons. Put the apple-juice, the sugar, and the lemon-juice into the preserving kettle. Boil it twenty minutes, skimming it well. Take it immediately from the kettle, and pour it warm into your glasses, but not so hot as to break them. When cold, cover each glass with white paper dipped in brandy, and tie it down tight with another paper. Keep them in a cool place.
Quince Jelly is made in the same manner, but do not pare the quinces. Quarter them only.
RED CURRANT JELLY.
Wash your currants, drain them, and pick them from the stalks.
Mash them with the back of a spoon. Put them in a jelly-bag, and squeeze it till all the juice is pressed out.
To every pint of juice, allow a pound of the best loaf-sugar. Put the juice and the sugar into your kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming all the while. Pour it warm into your glasses, and when cold, tie it up with brandy paper. Jellies should never be allowed to get cold in the kettle. If boiled too long, they will lose their flavour, and become of a dark colour.
Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and grape jelly may be made in the same manner, and with the same proportion of loaf-sugar.
Red currant jelly may also be made in a very simple manner, by putting the currants whole into the kettle, with the sugar; allowing a pound of sugar to a pound of currants. Boil them together twenty minutes, skimming carefully. Then pour them into a sieve, with a pan under it. Let them drain through the sieve into the pan, pressing them down with the back of a spoon.
Take the jelly, while warm, out of the pan, and put it into your glasses. Tie it up with brandy paper when cold.
BLACK CURRANT JELLY.
Pick the currants from the stalks, wash and drain them. Mash them soft with a spoon, put them in a bag, and squeeze out the juice.
To each pint of juice, allow three quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar, Put the juice and sugar into a preserving kettle, and boil them about ten minutes, skimming them well. Take it immediately out of the kettle. Put it warm into your glasses. Tie it up with brandy paper.
The juice of black currants is so very thick, that it requires less sugar and less boiling than any other jelly.
GOOSEBERRY JELLY
Cut the gooseberries in half, (they must be green) and put them in a jar closely covered. Set the jar in an oven, or pot filled with boiling water. Keep the water boiling round the jar till the gooseberries are soft, take them out, mash them with a spoon, and put them into a jelly bag to drain. When all the juice is squeezed out, measure it, and to a pint of juice, allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into the preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming carefully. Put the jelly warm into your glasses. Tie them up with brandy paper.
Cranberry jelly is made in the same manner.
GRAPE JELLY.
Pick the grapes from the stems, wash and drain them. Mash them with a spoon. Put them in the preserving kettle, and cover them closely with a large plate. Boil them ten minutes. Then pour them into your jelly bag, and squeeze out the juice.
Allow a pint of juice to a pound of sugar. Put the sugar and juice into your kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming them well.
Fill your glasses while the jelly is warm, and tie them up with brandy papers.
PEACH JELLY
Wipe the wool off your peaches, (which should be free-stones and not too ripe) and cut them in quarters, Crack the stones, and break the kernels small.
Put the peaches and the kernels into a covered jar, set them in boiling water, and let them boil till they are soft.
Strain them through a jelly-bag, till all the juice is squeezed out. Allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pint of juice. Put the sugar and juice into a preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming carefully.
Put the jelly warm into your glasses, and when cold, tie them up with brandy paper.
Plum, and green-gage jelly may be made in the same manner, with the kernels, which greatly improve the flavour.
PRESERVED QUINCES
Pare and core your quinces, carefully taking out the parts that are knotty and defective. Cut them into quarters, or into round slices. Put them into a preserving kettle and cover them with the parings and a very little water. Lay a large plate over them to keep in the steam, and boil them till they are tender.
Take out the quinces, and strain the liquor through a bag. To every pint of liquor, allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Boil the juice and sugar together, about ten minutes, skimming it well. Then put in the quinces, and boil them gently twenty minutes. When the sugar seems to have completely penetrated them, take them out, put them in a glass jar, and pour the juice over them warm. Tie them up, when cold, with brandy paper.
In preserving fruit that is boiled first without the sugar, it is generally better (after the first boiling) to let it stand till next day before you put the sugar to it.
PRESERVED PIPPINS.
Pare and core some of the largest and finest pippins. Put them in your preserving kettle, [Footnote: The use of brass or bell-metal kettles is now most entirely superseded by the enamelled kettles of iron lined with china, called preserving kettles; brass and bell-metal having always been objectionable on account of the verdigris which collects in them.] with some lemon-peel, and all the apple-parings. Add a very little water, and cover them closely. Boil them till they are tender, taking care they do not burn. Take out the apples, and spread them on a large dish to cool. Poor the liquor into a bag, and strain it well. Put it into your kettle with a pound of loaf-sugar to each pint of juice, and add lemon juice to your taste. Boil it five minutes, skimming it well. Then put in the whole apples, and boil them slowly half an hour, or till they are quite soft and clear. Put them with the juice, into your jars, and when quite cold, tie them up with brandy paper.