Mrs. Mary Eales's receipts. (1733)

Excerpt

RECEIPTS.

To dry Angelica.

Take the Stalks of Angelica, and boil them tender; then put them to drain, and scrape 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 Apricocks.

Take Apricocks before the Stones are very hard; wet them, and lay them in a coarse 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 Apricocks; 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 Scum; fill it into Pots, and set it in the Stove to dry; when it is candy’d on the Top, turn it out on Glass; 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 Glass, 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 scum 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 Glass; and when it is dry on one Side, turn it again; if any of the Cakes stick, hold the Glass 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....