The Art of Confectionary Part 2

_To preserve Apricots Green._

Take the Apricots when about to stone, before it becomes too hard for a Pin easily to press through; pare them in Ribs very neatly because every Stroke of the Knife will be seen; then put them into fair Water as you pare them, then boil them till tender enough to slip easily from your Pin, then drain them, and put them into a thin Sugar, that is to say, one Part Sugar clarified, and one Part Water; boil them a little, then set them by till next Day, then give them another Boil; the Day after drain them and boil your Syrup a little smooth, and put it to them, giving them a Boil; the next Day boil your Syrup a little smooth and put it upon them without boiling your Fruit; then let them remain in the Syrup four or five Days; then boil some more Sugar till it blows, and add it to them; give all a Boil, and let them be till the Day following; then drain them from the Syrup, and lay them out to dry, dusting them with a little fine Sugar before you put them into the Stove.

_To put them up in Jelly._

You must keep them in the Syrup so preserved till Codlins are pretty well grown; take Care to visit them sometimes that they do not sour, which if they do, the Syrup will be lost; by reason it will become muddy, and then you will be obliged to make your Jelly with all fresh Sugar, which will be too sweet; but when Codlins are of an indifferent Bigness, draw a Jelly from them as from Pippins, as you are directed in _p._ 8; then drain the Apricots from the Syrup, boil it and strain it through your Strain-bags; then boil some Sugar (proportionable to your Quant.i.ty of Apricots you design to put up) till it blows, then put in the Jelly and boil it a little with the Sugar, then put in the Syrup and the Apricots, and give them all a Boil together, till you find the Syrup will be a Jelly; then remove them from the Fire, and sc.u.m them very well, and put them into your Pots or Gla.s.ses, observing as they cool if they be regular in the Gla.s.ses to sink, and disperse them to a proper Distance, and when thorough cold to cover them up.

_To preserve Green Almonds._

Take the Almonds when pretty well grown, and make a Lye with Wood or Charcoal-Ashes, and Water; boil the Lye till it feels very smooth, strain it through a Sieve and let it settle till clear, then pour off the Clear into another Pan, then set it on the Fire in order to blanch off the Down that is on the Almonds, which you must do in this Manner, _viz._ when the Lye is scalding hot throw in two or three Almonds, and try, when they have been in some Time, if they will blanch; if they will, put in the rest, and the Moment you find their Skins will come off, remove them from the Fire, and put them into cold Water, and blanch them one by one rubbing them with Salt, the better to clean them; when you have so done, wash them in several Waters, the better to clean them, in short, till you see no Soil in the Water; when you have so done, throw them into boiling Water, and let them boil till very tender, till a Pin will very easily pa.s.s through them; then drain them, and put them into clarified Sugar without Water, they being green enough, do not require a thin Sugar to bring them to a Colour, but, on the contrary, if too much heated, they will become too dark a Green; the next Day boil the Syrup, and put it on them; the Day after boil it till it becomes very smooth; the Day following give all a Boil together, sc.u.m them, and let them rest four or five Days; then, if you will dry them or put them in Jelly, you must follow the Directions as for green Apricots, _p._ 24.

_Note_, If you will have a Compose of either, it is but serving them to Table when they are first entered, by boiling the Sugar a little more.

_To preserve Goosberries green._

Take the long Sort of Goosberries the latter End of _May_ or the Beginning of _June_, before the green Colour has left them; set some Water over the Fire, and when it is ready to boil, throw in the Goosberries, and let them have a Scald, then take them out and carefully remove them into cold Water, and set them over a very slow Fire to green, cover them very close so that none of the Steam can get out; when you have obtained their green Colour, which will perhaps be four or five Hours, then drain them gently into clarified Sugar, and give them a Heat; set them by, and give them another Heat; this you must repeat four or five Times in order to bring them to a very good green Colour: Thus you may serve them to Table by Way of Compose; if you will preserve them to keep either dry or in Jelly, you must follow the Directions as for green Apricots aforementioned, _p._ 24.

_To preserve Goosberries white._

Take the large _Dutch_ Goosberries when full grown, but before they are quite ripe; pare them into fair Water, and stone them; then put them into boiling Water, and let them boil very tender, then put them into clarified Sugar in an earthen Pan, and put as many in one Pan as will cover the Bottom; then set them by till next Day, and boil the Syrup a little, and pour it on them; the Day after boil it till smooth, and pour it on them; the third Day give them a gentle Boil round, by setting the Side of the Pan over the Fire, and as it boils, turning it about till they have had a Boil all over, the Day following make a Jelly with Codlins, and finish them as you do the others, in _p._ 28.

_To dry Goosberries._

TO every Pound of Goosberries, when stoned, put two Pounds of Sugar, but boil the Sugar till it blows very strong; then strew in the Goosberries, and give them a thorough Boil, till the Sugar comes all over them, let them settle a Quarter of an Hour, then give them another good Boil, then sc.u.m them, and set them by till the next Day; then drain them, and lay them out on Sieves to dry, dusting them very much, and put a good brisk Fire into the Stove; when dry on one Side, turn them and dust them on the other; and when quite dry, put them into your Box.

_To make Goosberry-Paste._

Take the Goosberries when full grown, wash them, and put them into your preserving Pan, with as much Spring-water as will almost cover them, and boil them very quick all to a Pommish; then strew them on a Hair-sieve over an earthen Pot or Pan, and press out all the Juice; then to every Pound of this Paste, take one Pound and two Ounces of Sugar, and boil it till it cracks; then take it from the Fire and put in your Paste, and mix it well over a slow Fire till the Sugar is very well incorporated with the Paste; then sc.u.m it and fill your Paste-Pots, then sc.u.m them again, and when cold, put them into the Stove, and when crusted on the Top, turn them, and set them in the Stove again, and when a little dry, cut them in long Pieces, and set them to dry quite; and when so crusted that they will bear touching, turn them on Sieves and dry the other Side, then put them into your Box.

_Note_, You may make them red or green, by putting the Colour when the Sugar and Paste is all mixed, giving it a Warm altogether.

_Goosberry Clear-Cakes._

Goosberry Clear-Cakes are made after the same Manner as the Paste, with this Difference only, that you strain the Jelly through the Bag before you weigh it for Use.

_To dry Cherries._

Stone your Cherries and weigh them, to eight Pounds of Cherries put two Pounds of Sugar, boil it till it blows very strong: put the Cherries to the Sugar, and heat them by Degrees till the Sugar is thoroughly melted, for when the Cherries come in, it will so cool the Sugar that it will seem like Glew, and should you put it on a quick Fire at first, it will endanger the Burning; when you find the Sugar is all melted, then boil them as quick as possible till the Sugar flies all over them, then sc.u.m them, and set them by in an earthen Pan; for where the Sugar is so thin, it will be apt to cancker in a Copper or Bra.s.s, or stain in a Silver; the next Day drain them, and boil the Sugar till it rises, then put in your Cherries, and give them a Boil, sc.u.m them and set them by till the next Day, then drain them and lay them out on Sieves, and dry them in a very hot Stove.

_To preserve Cherries Liquid._

Take the best Morello Cherries when ripe, either stone them or clip their Stalks; and to every Pound take a Pound of Sugar, and boil it till it blows very strong, then put in the Cherries, and by Degrees, bring them to boil as fast as you can, that the Sugar may come all over them, sc.u.m them and set them by; the next Day boil some more Sugar to the same Degree, and put some Jelly of Currants, drawn as hereafter directed; For Example, if you boil one Pound of Sugar, take one Pint of Jelly, put in the Cherries and the Syrup to the Sugar; then add the Jelly, and give all a Boil together; sc.u.m them, and fill your Gla.s.ses or Pots; take Care as they cool, to disperse them equally, or otherwise they will swim all to the Top.

_To draw Jelly of Currants._

Wash well your Currants, put them into your Pan, and mash them; then put in a little Water and boil them to a Pommish; then strew it on a Sieve, and press out all your Juice, of which you make the Jelly for all the wet Sweet-meats that are red.

_Note_, Where white Currant-Jelly is prescribed, it is to be drawn after the same Manner; but observe you strain it first.

_To make Cherry-Paste._

Take two Pounds of Morello Cherries, stone them and press the Juice out; dry them in a Pan and mash them over the Fire; then weigh them, and take their Weight in Sugar beaten very fine; heat them over the Fire till the Sugar is well mixed, then dress them on Plates or Gla.s.ses, dust them when cold, and put them into the Stove to dry.

_To dry Currants in Bunches._

Stone your Currants and tie them up in little Bunches, and to every Pound of Currants you must boil two Pounds of Sugar, till it blows very strong, then slip in the Currants, and let them boil very fast, till the Sugar flies all over them; let them settle a Quarter of an Hour, then boil them again till the Sugar rises almost to the Top of the Pan, then let them settle, sc.u.m them, and set them by till next Day; then you must drain them, and lay them out, taking Care to spread the Sprigs that they may not dry clogged together: then dust them very much, and dry them in a hot Stove.

_To preserve Currants in Jelly._

Stone your Currants, and clip off the black Tops, and strip them from the Stalks, and to every Pound boil two Pounds of Sugar till it blows very strong, then slip in the Currants, and give them a quick Boil, then take them from the Fire and let them settle a little; then give them another Boil, and put in a Pint of Currant-Jelly, drawn as directed in _p._ 33; boil all well together, till you see the Jelly will flake from the Sc.u.mmer; then remove it from the Fire, and let it settle a little; then sc.u.m them, and put them into your Gla.s.ses; but as they cool, take Care to disperse them equally.

_To preserve Violet-Plumbs._

Violet Plumbs are a long Time Yellow, and are ripe in the Month of _June_, which are preserved as follows; put them into clarified Sugar, just enough to cover them, and boil them pretty quick; the next Day boil them again as before; the Day after drain them again, and take away their Skins, which you will find all flown off, then put them into a Sugar, boil it till it blows a little, give them a Boil; the Day following boil some more Sugar till it blows a little, give them a Boil; the next Day boil some more Sugar to blow very strong, put the Plumbs in the Syrup, boil a little, and sc.u.m them; the next Day drain them, and lay them out to dry, but dust them before you put them into the Stove.

_To preserve Orange-Flowers._

Take the Orange-Flowers just as they begin to open, put them into boiling Water, and let them boil very quick till they are tender, putting in a little Juice of Lemons as they boil, to keep them white; then drain them and dry them carefully between two Napkins; then put them into a clarified Sugar, as much as will cover them; the next Day drain the Syrup, and boil it a little smooth; when almost cold, pour it on the Flowers; the Day after you may drain them and lay them out to dry, dusting them a very little.

_To put them in Jelly._

After they are preserved, as before directed, you must clarify a little more Sugar, with Orange-Flower-Water, and make a Jelly of Codlins, which, when ready, put in the Flowers Syrup and all; give them a Boil, sc.u.m them, and put them into your Gla.s.ses or Pots.

_Note_, When you boil the Syrup, you must add Sugar if it wants, as well in the Working the foregoing Fruits, as these.

_To make Orange-Flower-Cakes._

Take four Ounces of the Leaves of Orange-Flowers, put them into fair Water for about an Hour, then drain them and put them between two Napkins, and with a Rolling-pin roll them till they are bruised; then have ready boiled one Pound of Double-refined-sugar to a bloom Degree; put in the Flowers, and boil it till it comes to the same Degree again, then remove it from the Fire, and let it cool a little; then with a Spoon grind the Sugar to the Bottom or Sides of the Pan, and when it becomes white, pour it into little Papers or Cards, made in the Form of a Dripping-pan; when quite cold, take them out of the Pans, and dry them a little in a Stove.