Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book Part 14

RENNETS.--Milk turned into a curd with wine, is by no means so good as that which is done with rennet-water alone. The curd and whey do not separate so completely: the curd is less firm, and the whey less clear; the latter being thick and white, instead of thin and greenish as it ought to be. Neither is it so light and wholesome as when turned with rennet.

Rennets of the best quality can be had at all seasons in Philadelphia market; particularly in the lower part, called the Jersey market. They are sold at twelve, eighteen, or twenty-five cents, according to their size, and will keep a year or two; but have most strength when fresh.

You may prepare excellent rennets yourself at a very trifling expense, by previously bespeaking them of a veal butcher; a rennet being the stomach of a calf. Its form is a bag. As soon as you get the rennet, empty out all its contents, and wipe it very clean, inside and out; then rinse it with cold water; but do not wash it much, as washing will weaken its power of turning milk into curd. When you have made it quite clean, lay the rennet in a broad pan, strew it over on both sides with plenty of fine salt; cover it, and let it rest five days. When you take it out of the pan, do not wipe or wash it, for it must be stretched and dried with the salt on. For this purpose hold it open like a bag, and slip within it a long, thick, smooth rod, bent into the form of a large loop; wide at the top, and so narrow at the bottom as to meet together.

Stretch the rennet tightly and smoothly over this bent rod, on which it will be double, and when you have brought the two ends of the rod together at the bottom, and tied them fast, the form will somewhat resemble that of a boy's kite. Hang it up in a dry place, and cut out a bit as you want it. A piece about two inches square will turn one quart of milk, a piece of four inches two quarts. Having first washed off all the salt in several cold waters, and wiped the bit of rennet dry; pour on it sufficient _lukewarm_ water to cover it well. Let it stand several hours; then pour the rennet-water into the milk you intend for the curd, and set it in a warm place. When the curd is entirely formed, set the vessel on ice.

Rennet may be used with good effect before it has _quite_ dried.

HINTS ON CALVES' FOOT JELLY.--In making calves' foot jelly, if you intend it for moulds, put in two or three pieces of isingla.s.s when you are boiling the ingredients. If you wish it a deep rich colour, put into the bottom of the straining-bag a large tea-spoonful of _brown_ sugar, before you pour in the jelly. After all the jelly has run through the bag, (which must on no account be squeezed,) let it, gradually, become perfectly cold before you remove it to a colder place to congeal.

SWEETMEATS, ETC.

AMERICAN CITRON.--Pare a sufficient number of citron-melons, and cut each melon into four thick quarters. Weigh them, and put them over-night into a tureen, or a large white-ware pan or basin. Prepare some very weak brine, allowing a table-spoonful of salt to a quart of water, for every pound of citron. Pour the salt and water over the citron; cover it, and let it stand all night to draw out the sliminess. Prepare some alum-water, allowing to each quart of water a bit of alum about the size of a grain of Indian corn. In the morning, drain the citron from the brine, and wash every piece separately in the alum-water, which will green and clear it. After it has lain half an hour in the alum-water, drain the citron, and put it into a porcelain preserving-kettle, allowing to every four pounds of the citron a large half pint of clear fresh water. There must be water enough to cover the citron, and keep it from burning. Add to every four pounds, the yellow rind of a large lemon, grated, or pared off very thin, and cut into shreds. Set the kettle over a clear fire, and boil it slowly, till the citron is tender enough to be easily pierced through with a large needle. If it seems to be boiling dry, add a little more cold water. When all are quite tender, take out each piece separately with a fork. Spread them out on a large dish. Then strain and measure the liquid; and to each pint allow a pound of the best double-refined _loaf-sugar_; not the sugar that is sold ready-powdered, as that is so adulterated with ground starch, that it has little or no strength, and sweetmeats made with it are sure to spoil, unless four times the usual quant.i.ty is put in.

Having broken up the loaf-sugar, add it to the liquid in the preserving-kettle, and let it boil (skimming it well) till it becomes a thick, rich, jelly-like syrup. It will most probably be boiled sufficiently in about half an hour. Next put in the pieces of citron, one at a time, and boil them ten minutes, or more, in the syrup, till it has thoroughly penetrated them. Afterwards take out the citron; spread it on a dish to cool; and transfer the syrup to a large pitcher. When cold, put the citron into gla.s.s jars, and pour the syrup over it. Cover the tops with white paper, dipped in brandy, and tie closely over each another covering of bladder, that has been previously soaked in water.

The covers of lacquered tin, that belong to gla.s.s jars, seldom fit perfectly tight, and are not to be trusted without another covering over them.

This will be found a very fine sweetmeat. To dry it, in imitation of foreign citron, select some of the finest pieces; spread them on a dish; and set them for three days in the hot sun, turning each piece several times a-day. Then make a hole near the end of each piece; run a twine string through them, and hang them on lines, across an open, sunny window. When sufficiently dry, put them into tight jars, or boxes, and keep them to use, as citron, in cakes or mince-pies.

Preserved citron may be candied, (after it has lain five or six months in the syrup,) by taking out the pieces, spreading them on a dish, and boiling the syrup again, till it is as thick as possible. It may require some additional sugar. Then pour it on the citron; and when it has grown cold, and has dried on the pieces, put them into a jar.

When giving the citron its first boiling, in the lemon-peel and water, you may add, to every four pounds of citron, half an ounce of root-ginger, (if green and tender, it will be better,) or else a few pieces of preserved ginger.

To increase the lemon-flavour, rub off, upon some lumps of sugar, (before you make the syrup,) the yellow rind of two or three other lemons.

PRESERVED CITRON-MELONS.--Take some fine citron-melons; pare, core, and cut them into slices. Then weigh them; and, to every six pounds of melon, allow six pounds of the best double-refined loaf-sugar; and the juice and yellow rind (pared off very thin) of four large, fresh lemons; also, half a pound of race-ginger.

Put the slices of melon into a preserving-kettle, and boil them half an hour, or more, till they look _quite_ clear, and are so tender that a broom-twig will pierce through them. Then drain them; lay them in a broad pan of cold water; cover them; and let them stand all night. In the morning, tie the race-ginger in a thin muslin cloth, and boil it in three pints of clear spring or pump-water, till the water is highly flavoured. Then take out the bag of ginger. Having broken up the sugar, put it into a clean preserving-kettle, and pour the ginger-water over it. When the sugar is all melted, set it over the fire; put in the yellow peel of the lemons; and boil and skim it till no more sc.u.m rises.

Then remove the lemon-peel; put in the sliced citrons, and the juice of the lemons; and boil them in the syrup till all the slices are quite transparent, and so soft that a straw will go through them; but do not allow them to break. When quite done, put the slices (while still warm) into wide-mouthed gla.s.s or white-ware jars; and gently pour on the syrup. Lay inside of each jar, upon the top of the syrup, a double white tissue-paper, cut exactly to fit the surface. Put on the lids of the jars, and paste thick paper over them.

This will be found a delicious sweetmeat; equal to any imported from the West Indies, and far less expensive. We recommend it highly.

Citron-melons are brought to Philadelphia market in the month of August.

AN EASY WAY OF PRESERVING PINE-APPLES.--Take pine-apples, as ripe as you can possibly get them; pare them, and cut them into thin, circular slices. Weigh them, and to each pound of pine-apple allow a pound of the best double-refined loaf-sugar. Place a layer of the pine-apple slices in the bottom of a large, deep dish, or white-ware pan, and sprinkle it thickly with a layer of the sugar, which must first be powdered. Then put another layer of the pine-apple, and sugar it well; and so on, till the dish is full; finishing with a layer of sugar on the top. Cover the dish, and let it stand all night. In the morning remove the slices of pine-apple to a tureen. Pour the syrup into a porcelain preserving-kettle, and boil and skim it at least half an hour. Do not remove it from the fire, till the sc.u.m has entirely ceased to rise. Then pour the syrup, _boiling hot_, over the slices of pine-apple in the tureen. Cover it, and let it stand till cold. Then transfer the sliced pine-apple and the syrup to wide-mouthed gla.s.s jars, or to large tumblers. Cover them well, pasting down thick white paper over the top.

FINE PINE-APPLE MARMALADE.--Take the largest, ripest, and most perfect pine-apples. Pare them, and cut out whatever blemishes you may find.

Weigh each pine-apple, balancing the other scale with an equal weight of the best double-refined sugar, finely powdered, _at home_. The white sugar, that is sold ready-powdered, is generally so adulterated with finely pulverized starch, as to have very little strength or sweetness, and is, therefore, unfit for sweetmeats, as, when made with it, they will not keep. Grate the pine-apples on a large dish; using a large, coa.r.s.e grater, and omitting the hard core that goes down the centre of each. Put the grated pine-apple and the sugar into a preserving-kettle, mixing them thoroughly. Set it over a moderate and very clear fire, and boil and skim it well, stirring it after skimming. After the sc.u.m has ceased to appear, stir the marmalade frequently till it is done, which will generally be in an hour, or an hour and a half after it has come to a boil. But if it is not smooth, clear, and bright, in that time, continue the boiling till it is. Put it, warm, into tumblers, or broad-mouthed gla.s.s jars. Lay inside the top of each, doubled white tissue-paper, cut exactly to fit, and press it down lightly with your finger, round the edge, so as to cover smoothly the surface of the marmalade. Then paste strong white paper over the top of each gla.s.s, and set them in a cool, dry place.

This is a very delicious preparation of pine-apple.

THE BEST WAY OF PRESERVING PINE-APPLES.--Take six large, fine, ripe pine-apples. Make them very clean, but do not pare off the rind, or cut off the leaves. Put them, whole, into a very large and very clean pot or kettle. Fill it up with cold water, and boil the pine-apples till they are so tender that you can penetrate them all through with a twig from a broom. Then take them out and drain them. When cool enough to handle without inconvenience, remove the leaves, and pare off the rind. The rind and leaves being left on, while boiling, will _keep in_ the flavour of the fruit. Cut the pine-apples into round slices, about half an inch thick, extracting the core from the centre, so as to leave a round hole in the middle of every slice. Weigh them; and to each pound allow a pound of double-refined loaf-sugar, broken up and powdered. Cover the bottom of a large dish, or dishes, with a layer of the sugar. On this, place a layer of pine-apple slices; then a layer of sugar; then one of pine-apple; and so till the pine-apple slices are all covered; finishing with a layer of sugar. Let them stand twenty-four hours. Then drain the slices from the syrup, and lay them in wide jars. Put the syrup into a clean preserving-kettle, and boil and skim it till the sc.u.m ceases to rise. Then pour it hot upon the pine-apple. While still warm, cover the jars closely, and paste paper over them. They will be found very fine.

QUINCES may be preserved in a similar manner; first boiling them whole, with the skin on; then peeling them, and extracting the cores; then slicing the quinces into round, thin pieces, and letting them stand twenty-four hours in layers of sugar. Boil the syrup, and pour it over the quinces, after they are in the jars.

Save the parings and cores, and also some of the water in which the quinces were boiled. Weigh the boiled cores and parings, and to each pound allow a half-pint of the quince-water. Set them over the fire, in a clean kettle, and boil them, till dissolved as much as possible. Then strain them through a linen bag. To each pint of juice allow a pound of loaf-sugar, powdered. Having washed the kettle, put in the sugar; pour on it the quince-liquor; and boil it till it becomes a jelly. Try it, by holding a spoonful in the open air, and, if all is right, it will congeal very soon.

FINE ORANGE MARMALADE.--Quarter some large, ripe oranges, and remove the rind, the seeds, and the strings, or filaments; taking care, as you do so, to save all the juice. Put the pulp and juice into a porcelain sauce-pan, and mix with it an equal quant.i.ty of strained honey. If not sweet enough, add some powdered loaf-sugar. Boil them together slowly, stirring it frequently. Try if it is done, by taking out a spoonful, and placing it in the cold air. If, in cooling, it becomes a very thick marmalade, it is sufficiently boiled. Put it into wide-mouth gla.s.s jars, and cover it closely; first, with a double white tissue-paper, cut exactly to fit the surface of the marmalade, and then with thick white paper, pasted down, carefully, over the top of the jar. A cover of bladder, soaked in water, and put on wet, that it may contract in drying, is still better.

APPLE MARMALADE.--Break up four pounds of fine loaf-sugar. Put it into a preserving-kettle, and pour on a quart of clear, cold water. When the sugar has melted, stir it; set the kettle over the fire, and let it boil for a quarter of an hour after it has come to a boil; skimming it well.

Have ready some fine, ripe pippin or bell-flower apples, pared, cored and sliced. There must be apple enough to weigh four pounds, when cut up. Put it into the syrup, adding the grated rinds of four large lemons.

Let it simmer, stirring it well, till the apple is all dissolved, and forming a smooth ma.s.s. Then add the juice of the lemons; boil it fast; and continue boiling and stirring, till it becomes a very thick marmalade. It will generally require _simmering_ an hour and a half, and _boiling fast_ half an hour, or more. When it is done, put it, warm, into deep white-ware jars; cover it closely, and paste paper over the top, or tie a piece of bladder closely; and put it away in a dry, cool place. If you want any for immediate use, put some into a handsome mould, and, when cold and firm, turn it out on a gla.s.s dish; first dipping the mould in warm water.

FINE ORANGE JELLY.--Take four large calves' feet, that have been singed, but not skinned. Boil them in a gallon of clear, soft water, till the liquid is reduced to one quart, and all the meat has dropped from the bones. Strain it into a pan, cover it, and let it stand till next morning. It should then be a firm cake. Take a knife, and carefully remove all the fat from the top of the cake, and all the sediment from the bottom, and press some clean, soft, blotting-paper (or white paper) upon it, to clear it from all remains of greasiness. Then cut the cake of jelly into slices, and put it into a preserving-kettle. Add to it a pound and a half of loaf-sugar, broken up, a pint and a half of strained orange-juice, and the yellow rinds of four oranges, pared thin, and cut in pieces. Beat, slightly, the whites of six eggs, and add them to the mixture, with three of their sh.e.l.ls, crushed small. Set the kettle over a clear fire, and stir till you see indications of the sc.u.m begin to rise. Then cease stirring, immediately, or the jelly will be cloudy.

After it has come to a boil, simmer it ten minutes. Then take it off the fire. Let it stand about five minutes, and then pour the whole into a jelly-bag; place a white pan beneath, for the jelly to drip into. Take care not to squeeze the bag, or the clearness of the jelly will be irrecoverably destroyed. If it is not clear, on first running through, empty the bag, wash it clean, and return the jelly to it, and let it drip again. Repeat this, if necessary, till it is quite bright and transparent. When it has congealed, and become firm, put it into a gla.s.s bowl, and break it up. If you wish it in moulds, put it into them, of course, while it is liquid; but not till it is quite clear.

It will be clear much sooner, and with certainty, if you add two or three blades of isingla.s.s, when it first begins to boil.

The oranges should be ripe, high-coloured, and rolled under the hand, to increase the juice.

EXCELLENT CURRANT-JELLY.--The currants should be quite ripe, but not _over_-ripe. Having picked them from the stems, put the fruit into a large stone jar, or pitcher, and tie closely over the top a very thick paper, (for instance, sugar-loaf paper, or coa.r.s.e brown.) Set the jar into a kettle of boiling water, the water not quite reaching the top of the jar; and let the currants remain over a moderate fire an hour after they have begun to boil. Then pour them into a linen bag, and let the juice drip into a vessel beneath. Do not squeeze the bag, or the jelly will not be clear. When the juice has ceased to drip, measure it; and to each quart allow a pound of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, broken up. Crush the sugar small, by rolling it on a clean paste-board, with a rolling-pin. Put the juice (_without the sugar_) into a preserving-kettle, and let it just come to a boil. Then take it off; and, while it is very hot, immediately stir into it the sugar, a handful at a time, using a wooden spoon to stir it with. If the sugar is of the best sort, it will require no skimming, and will have no sediment. Therefore, as nothing of it will be lost or wasted, it is more economical than sugar of inferior quality. Put the jelly immediately into tumblers, or white jars, and cover it at once; first, with double white tissue-paper, cut to fit exactly the inside of the top; and then with writing-paper, cut larger, so as to turn downward, round the outside of the top. Paste the paper firmly on, and set the jelly away in a dry, cool place. Notch the edge of the paper, with scissors.

White currant-jelly may be made as above. It will be a clear, bright, amber colour.

Raspberry, strawberry, grape, gooseberry, and cranberry-jelly, can be made in this manner. For the gooseberry, allow a pound and a half of sugar to every pint of juice; for the cranberry, a pound and a half, also.

FINE BLACK CURRANT-JELLY.--Make black currant-jelly according to the above receipt; except that when you have stemmed the black currants, and put them into the jar, to boil, you must add a little water; allowing a small half-pint of water to each quart of the stemmed currants. The juice of black currants is so very thick, that, if undiluted, the jelly would be tough and ropy.

FOUR FRUIT JELLY.--Take equal quant.i.ties of ripe strawberries, raspberries, currants, and red cherries. All should be fully ripe, and the cherries must be stoned, taking care to save the juice that comes from them in stoning. Add it, afterwards, to the rest. Mix the fruit together, and put it in a linen bag. Squeeze it well into a tureen placed beneath. When it has ceased to drip, measure the juice; and to every pint, allow a pound and two ounces of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, finely powdered. Mix together the juice and the sugar. Put them into a porcelain preserving-kettle; set it over the fire, and let it boil half an hour--skimming it frequently. Try the jelly by dipping out a spoonful, and holding it in the open air. If it congeals readily, it is sufficiently done. Put the jelly warm into tumblers or other wide-topped gla.s.ses. Cover it with double-tissue paper, which must be white, and cut exactly to fit the surface of the jelly. Lay it nicely and smoothly inside the top of the gla.s.s, pressing it down with your fingers all round the edge. Then paste white paper over the top, and a little way down the sides of the gla.s.s, notching it round with scissors to make it fit the better.

Set away the jelly in a cool dry closet.

BARBERRY JAM.--Take barberries that are perfectly ripe. Pick them from the stems; and to each quart of berries, allow three-quarters of a pound of clean rich brown sugar. Mash the barberries, and put them with all their juice into a preserving-kettle, mixing with them the sugar, and stirring it well in. Boil and skim till the sc.u.m ceases to rise, and the jam has become a thick ma.s.s, which it will not be in less than an hour.

Put it warm into stone or gla.s.s jars. Cover them immediately and paste down paper over their tops. It is a cheap and good sweetmeat for family use, either on the tea-table or in tarts.

Barberries in bunches may be put loosely into jars, and sufficient cold mola.s.ses poured in to fill up the vessels, which must be kept tightly covered. Frost grapes, also, can be kept in this homely manner.

DAMSON JAM.--Fill a stone jar with fine ripe damsons that have been washed in cold water but not dried. Cover it, set it in an open kettle with water which must not quite reach the neck of the jar, and place it over a hot fire. Let the water boil round the jar, till the stones of the damsons are all loose, and falling out from the pulp. Then transfer the damsons and their juice, to a broad pan, and carefully pick out all the stones. Next mash the pulp with a broad flat wooden ladle, or with a potatoe-masher, till it is all smooth and of an even consistence throughout. Then measure it; and to every quart of the pulp allow a pound and a half, or three large closely-packed pints of the best brown sugar. Stir the sugar and pulp well together, till it becomes a thick jam. Put the jam into a clean preserving-kettle, and boil it slowly an hour or more, skimming it well. When done, put it into broad flat stone jars, pressing it down, and smoothing the surface with the back of a large spoon. Cover the jars closely, and put them away in a cool dry place. If more convenient, you can put the jam into tumblers, pasting thick white paper closely over each. If properly made it will be so firm that you may cut it down in slices like cheese.

Plum jam may be made as above; but damsons are better for this purpose, and also for jelly, as the juice is much thicker and richer than that of plums.