The Book of Household Management Part 187

_Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September, October, or November.

APPLE JAM.

1517. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit weighed after being pared, cored, and sliced, allow 3/4 lb. of preserving-sugar, the grated rind of 1 lemon, the juice of 1/2 lemon.

_Mode_.--Peel the apples, core and slice them very thin, and be particular that they are all the same sort. Put them into a jar, stand this in a saucepan of boiling water, and let the apples stew until quite tender. Previously to putting the fruit into the jar, weigh it, to ascertain the proportion of sugar that may be required. Put the apples into a preserving-pan, crush the sugar to small lumps, and add it, with the grated lemon-rind and juice, to the apples. Simmer these over the fire for 1/2 hour, reckoning from the time the jam begins to simmer properly; remove the sc.u.m as it rises, and when the jam is done, put it into pots for use. Place a piece of oiled paper over the jam, and to exclude the air, cover the pots with tissue-paper dipped in the white of an egg, and stretched over the top. This jam will keep good for a long time.

_Time_.--About 2 hours to stew in the jar; 1/2 hour to boil after the jam begins to simmer.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 6s.

_Sufficient._--7 or 8 lbs. of apples for 6 pots of jam.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September, October, or November.

APPLE JELLY.

I.

1518. INGREDIENTS.--To 6 lbs. of apples allow 3 pints of water; to every quart of juice allow 2 lbs. of loaf sugar;--the juice of 1/2 lemon.

_Mode_.--Pare, core, and cut the apples into slices, and put them into a jar, with water in the above proportion. Place them in a cool oven, with the jar well covered, and when the juice is thoroughly drawn and the apples are quite soft, strain them through a jelly-bag. To every quart of juice allow 2 lbs. of loaf sugar, which should be crushed to small lumps, and put into a preserving-pan with the juice. Boil these together for rather more than 1/2 hour, remove the sc.u.m as it rises, add the lemon-juice just before it is done, and put the jelly into pots for use.

This preparation is useful for garnishing sweet dishes, and may be turned out for dessert.

_Time_.--The apples to be put in the oven over-night, and left till morning; rather more than 1/2 hour to boil the jelly.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 3s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 small pots of jelly.

_Seasonable_,--This should be made in September, October, or November.

II.

1519. INGREDIENTS.--Apples, water: to every pint of syrup allow 3/4 lb.

of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Pare and cut the apples into pieces, remove the cores, and put them in a preserving-pan with sufficient cold water to cover them. Let them boil for an hour; then drain the syrup from them through a hair sieve or jelly-bag, and measure the juice; to every pint allow 3/4 lb.

of loaf sugar, and boil these together for 3/4 hour, removing every particle of sc.u.m as it rises, and keeping the jelly well stirred, that it may not burn. A little lemon-rind may be boiled with the apples, and a small quant.i.ty of strained lemon-juice may be put in the jelly just before it is done, when the flavour is liked. This jelly may be ornamented with preserved greengages, or any other preserved fruit, and will turn out very prettily for dessert. It should be stored away in small pots.

_Time_.--1 hour to boil the fruit and water; 3/4 hour to boil the juice with the sugar.

_Average cost_, for 6 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, 3s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 small pots of jelly.

_Seasonable_.--Make this in September, October, or November.

TO PRESERVE APPLES IN QUARTERS, in imitation of Ginger.

1520. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of apples allow 3/4 lb. of sugar, 1-1/2 oz. of the best white ginger; 1 oz. of ginger to every 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Peel, core, and quarter the apples, and put the fruit, sugar, and ginger in layers into a wide-mouthed jar, and let them remain for 2 days; then infuse 1 oz. of ginger in 1/2 pint of boiling water, and cover it closely, and let it remain for 1 day: this quant.i.ty of ginger and water is for 3 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion. Put the apples, &c., into a preserving-pan with the water strained from the ginger, and boil till the apples look clear and the syrup is rich, which will be in about an hour. The rind of a lemon may be added just before the apples have finished boiling; and great care must be taken not to break the pieces of apple in putting them into the jars. Serve on gla.s.s dishes for dessert.

_Time_.--2 days for the apples to remain in the jar with sugar, &c.; 1 day to infuse the ginger; about 1 hour to boil the apples.

_Average cost_, for 3 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, 2s. 3d.

_Sufficient._--3 lbs. should fill 3 moderate-sized jars.

_Seasonable_.--This should be made in September, October, or November.

COMPOTE OF APRICOTS.

(_An elegant Dish_.)

1521. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of syrup No. 1512, 12 green apricots.

_Mode_.--Make the syrup by recipe No. 1512, and when it is ready, put in the apricots whilst the syrup is boiling. Simmer them very gently until tender, taking care not to let them break; take them out carefully, arrange them on a gla.s.s dish, let the syrup cool a little, pour it over the apricots, and, when cold, serve.

_Time_.--From 15 to 20 minutes to simmer the apricots.

_Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ in June and July, with green apricots.

APRICOT JAM or MARMALADE.

1522. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of ripe apricots, weighed after being skinned and stoned, allow 1 lb. of sugar.

_Mode_.--Pare the apricots, which should be ripe, as thinly as possible, break them in half, and remove the stones. Weigh the fruit, and to every lb. allow the same proportion of loaf sugar. Pound the sugar very finely in a mortar, strew it over the apricots, which should be placed on dishes, and let them remain for 12 hours. Break the stones, blanch the kernels, and put them with the sugar and fruit into a preserving-pan.

Let these simmer very gently until clear; take out the pieces of apricot singly as they become so, and, as fast as the sc.u.m rises, carefully remove it. Put the apricots into small jars, pour over them the syrup and kernels, cover the jam with pieces of paper dipped in the purest salad-oil, and stretch over the top of the jars tissue-paper, cut about 2 inches larger and brushed over with the white of an egg: when dry, it will be perfectly hard and air-tight.

_Time_.--12 hours sprinkled with sugar; about 3/4 hour to boil the jam.

_Average cost_.--When cheap, apricots may be purchased for preserving at about 1s. 6d. per gallon.

_Sufficient_,--10 lbs. of fruit for 12 pots of jam.