The Art of Confectionary Part 4

_To preserve Walnuts Black._

Take of the smaller Sort of Walnuts, when full grown, and not sh.e.l.led; boil them in Water till very tender, but not to break, so they will become black; then drain them, and stick a Clove in every one, and put them into your preserving Pan, and if you have any Peach Syrup, or of that of the white Walnuts, it will be as well or better than Sugar; put as much Syrup as will cover the Walnuts, boil them very well, then sc.u.m them and set them by; the next Day boil the Syrup till it becomes smooth, then put in the Walnuts and give them another good Boil; the Day after drain them and boil the Syrup till it becomes very smooth, adding more Syrup, if Occasion; give all a Boil, sc.u.m them, and put them in your Pot for Use.

_Note_, These Walnuts are never offered as a Sweet-meat, being of no Use but to purge gently the Body, and keep it open.

_To preserve Nectarines._

Split the Nectarines, and take out the Stones, then put them into a clarified Sugar; boil them round, till they have well taken Sugar; then take off the Sc.u.m, cover them with a Paper and set them by; the next Day boil a little more Sugar till it blows very strong, and put it to the Nectarines, and give them a good Boil; take off the Sc.u.m, cover them, and put them into the Stove; the next Day drain them and lay them out to dry, first dusting them a little, then put them into the Stove.

_To preserve green Amber-Plumbs._

Take the green Amber-Plumbs, when full grown, p.r.i.c.k them in two or three Places, and put them into cold Water; then set them over the Fire to scald, in which you must be very careful not to let the Water become too hot, lest you hurt them; when they are very tender, put them into a very thin Sugar, that is to say, one Part Sugar, and two Parts Water; give them a little Warm in this Sugar, and cover them over; the next Day give them a Warm again; the third Day drain them and boil the Syrup, adding a little more Sugar; then put the Syrup to the Plumbs, and give them a Warm; the next Day do the same; the Day following boil the Syrup till it becomes a little smooth, put in the Plumbs and give them a Boil; the Day after boil the Syrup till very smooth, then put it to the Plumbs, cover them, and put them into the Stove; the next Day boil some more Sugar to blow very strong, put it to the Fruit and give all a Boil, then put them into the Stove for two Days; then drain them and lay them out to dry, first dusting them very well, and manage them in the Drying as other Fruits.

_Note_, If you find them shrink when first you put them into Sugar, you must let them lie in that thin Syrup three or four Days, till they begin to work; then casting away that Syrup, begin the Work as already set down.

_To preserve Green Orange-Plumbs._

Take the green Orange-Plumbs, when full grown, before they turn, p.r.i.c.k them with a fine Bodkin, as thick all over as possible you can; put them into cold Water as you p.r.i.c.k them, when all are done, set them over a very slow Fire, and scald them with the utmost Care you can, nothing being so subject to break, for if the Skin flies they are worth nothing; when they are very tender, take them off the Fire and set them by in the same Water for two or three Days; when they become sour, and begin to float on the Top of the Water, be careful to drain them very well; then put them in single Rows in your preserving Pan, and put to them as much thin Sugar as will cover them, that is to say, one Part Sugar, and two Parts Water; then set them over the Fire, and by Degrees warm them till you perceive the Sourness to be gone, and the Plumbs are sunk to the Bottom, set them by; and the next Day throw away that Syrup, and put to them a fresh Sugar, of one Part Sugar, and one Part Water; in this Sugar give them several Heats, but not to boil, lest you burst them; then cover them, and set them in a warm Stove that they may suck in what Sugar they will; the next Day drain the Sugar, and boil it till it becomes smooth, adding some more fresh Sugar; pour this Sugar on them, and return them into the Stove; the next Day boil the Syrup to become very smooth, and pour it upon your Plumbs, and give all a gentle Boil, sc.u.m it and put them into the Stove; the Day following drain them out of that Syrup, and boil some fresh Sugar, as much as you judge will cover them, till very smooth put it to your Plumbs, and give all a very good covered Boiling; then take off the Sc.u.m and cover them, let them stand in the Stove two Days, then drain them and lay them out to dry, dusting them very well.

_To preserve the green Mogul-Plumb._

Take this Plumb when just upon the turning ripe, p.r.i.c.k with a Pen-knife to the very Stone on that Side where the Cleft is, put them into cold Water as you do them, then set them over a very slow Fire to scald; when they are become very tender, take them carefully out of the Water and put them into a thin Sugar, that is, half Sugar, and half Water, warm them gently, then cover them, and set them by; the next Day give them another Warm and set them by; the Day following drain their Syrup and boil it smooth, adding to it a little fresh Sugar, and give them a gentle Boil, the Day after boil the Sugar very smooth, pour it upon them and set them in the Stove for two Days; then drain them and boil a fresh Sugar to be very smooth, or just to blow a little, put it to your Plumbs and give them a good covered Boiling; then sc.u.m them and put them into the Stove for two Days, then drain them and lay them out to dry, dusting them very well.

_To preserve the Green Admirable-Plumb._

This is a little round Plumb, about the Size of a Damson; it leaves the Stone, when ripe, is somewhat inclining to a Yellow in Colour, and very well deserves its Name, being of the finest Green when done, and with the tenth Part of the Trouble and Charge, as you will find by the Receipt.

Take this Plumb, when full grown, and just upon the Turn, p.r.i.c.k them with a Pen-knife in two or three Places, and scald them, by Degrees, till the Water becomes very hot, for they will even bear boiling; continue them in the Water till they become green, then drain them, and put them into a clarified Sugar, boil them very well, then let them settle a little, and give them another Boil; if you perceive they shrink and take not the Sugar in very well, p.r.i.c.k them with a Fork all over as they lie in the Pan, and give them another Boil, sc.u.m them, and set them by; the next Day boil some other Sugar till it blows, and put it to them, and give them a good Boil, then sc.u.m them and set them in the Stove for one Night; the next Day drain them and lay them out, first dusting them.

_To preserve yellow Amber-Plumbs._

Take these Plumbs, when full ripe, put them into your preserving Pan, and put to them as much Sugar as will cover them, and give them a very good Boil; then let them settle a little, and give them another Boil three or four Times round the Fire, sc.u.m them, and the next Day drain them from the Syrup, and return them again into the Pan, and boil as much fresh Sugar as will cover them to blow; give them a thorough Boiling, and sc.u.m them, and set them in the Stove twenty-four Hours; then drain them, and lay them out to dry, after having dusted them very well.

_Note_, In the scalding of green Plumbs, you must always have a Sieve in the Bottom of your Pan to put your Plumbs in, that they may not touch the Bottom, for those that do, will burst before the others are any thing warm.

_To put Plumbs in Jelly._

Any of these Sorts of Plumbs are very agreeable in Jelly, and the same Method will do for all as for one: I might make some Difference which would only help to confound the Pract.i.tioner, and thereby swell this Treatise in many Places; but, as I have promised, so I will endeavour to lay down the easiest Method I can to avoid Prolixity, and proceed as above, _viz._

[Plumbs in Jelly.] When your Plumbs are preserved in their first Sugar, and you have drained them in order to put them in a second, they are then fit to be put up Liquid, which you must do thus: Drain the Plumbs, and strain the Syrup through a Bag; then make a Jelly of some ripe Plumbs and Codlins together, by boiling them in just as much Water as will cover them, press out the Juice and strain it, and to every Pint of Juice boil one Pound of Sugar to blow very strong, put in the Juice and boil it a little; then put in the Syrup and the Plumbs, and give all a good Boil; then let them settle a little, sc.u.m them and fill your Gla.s.ses or Pots.

_To preserve green Figs._

Take the small green Figs, slit them on the Top, and put them in Salt and Water for ten Days, and make your Pickle as follows.

Put in as much Salt into the Water as will make it bear an Egg, then let it settle, take the Sc.u.m off, and put the clear Brine to the Figs, and keep them in Water for ten Days; then put them into fresh Water, and boil them till a Pin will easily pa.s.s into them; then drain them and put them into other fresh Water, shifting them every Day for four Days; then drain them, and put them into a clarified Sugar; give them a little Warm, and let them stand till the next Day; then warm them again, and when they are become green give them a good Boil, then boil some other Sugar to blow, put it to them, and give them another good Boil; the next Day drain them and dry them.

_To preserve ripe Figs._

Take the white Figs, when ripe, slit them in the Top, and put them into a clarified Sugar, and give them a good Boil; then sc.u.m them, and set them by; the next Day boil some more Sugar till it blows, and pour it upon them, and boil them again very well, sc.u.m them and set them in the Stove; the Day after drain them and lay them out to dry, first dusting them very well.

_To preserve green Oranges._

Take the green Oranges and slit them on one Side, and put them into a Brine of Salt and Water, as strong as will bear an Egg, in which you must soak them at least fifteen Days; then drain them and put them into fresh Water, and boil them tender; then put them into fresh Water, again, shifting them every Day for five Days together; then give them another Scald, and put them into a clarified Sugar; then give them a Boil, and set them by till next Day, then boil them again; the next Day add some more Sugar, and give them another Boil; the Day after boil the Syrup very smooth and pour it on them, and keep them for Use.

_Note_, That if at any Time you perceive the Syrup begin to work, you must drain them, and boil the Syrup very smooth and pour it on them; but if the first prove sour, you must boil it likewise.

Green Lemons are done after the same Manner.

_Note also_, If the Oranges are any thing large, you must take out the Meat from the inside.

_To preserve green Grapes._

Take the largest and best Grapes before they are thorough ripe, stone them and scald them, but let them lie two Days in the Water they were scalded in; then drain them and put them into a thin Syrup, and give them a Heat over a slow Fire; the next Day turn the Grapes in the Pan and warm them again; the Day after drain them and put them into a clarified Sugar, give them a good Boil, and sc.u.m them, and set them by; the following Day boil some more Sugar to blow, and put it to the Grapes, and give them a good Boil, sc.u.m them and set them in a warm Stove all Night; the next Day drain them and lay them out to dry, first dusting them very well.

_To preserve Bell-Grapes in Jelly._

Take the long, large Bell, or Rouson-Grapes, and pick them from the Stalks, then Stone them and put them in boiling Water, and give them a thorough Scald; then take them from the Fire and cover them close down, so that no Steam can come out; then set them upon a very gentle Fire, so as not to boil for two or three Hours; then take them out, and put them into a clarified Sugar boiled, till it blows very strong, as much Sugar as will a little more than cover them; then give them a good Boil and let them settle a little: then give them another Boil, sc.u.m them, and then boil some other Sugar to blow very strong; and take as much Plumb-Jelly as Sugar, and give all a Boil, then add to it the Grapes, and give them all a Boil together, sc.u.m them well, and put them up into your Pots or Gla.s.ses.