# Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats/Part 3

SWEETMEATS.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
In preparing sugar for sweetmeats, let it be entirely dissolved, before you put it on the fire. If you dissolve it in water, allow about half a pint of water to a pound of sugar.
If you boil the sugar before you add the fruit to it, it will be improved in clearness, by passing it through a flannel bag. Skim off the brown scum, all the time it is boiling.
If sweetmeats are boiled too long, they lose their flavour and become of a dark colour.
If boiled too short a time, they will not keep well.
You may ascertain when jelly is done, by dropping a small spoonful into a glass of water.
If it spreads and mixes with the water, it requires more boiling. If it sinks in a lump to the bottom, it is sufficiently done. This trial must be made after the jelly is cold.
APPLE JELLY.
Take the best pippin, or bell-flower apples. No others will make good jelly. Pare, core, and quarter them. Lay them in a preserving kettle, and put to them as much water only, as will cover them, and as much lemon-peel as you choose. Boil them till they are soft, but not till they break. Drain off the water through a cullender, and mash the apples with the back of a spoon. Put them into a jelly bag, set a deep dish or pan under it, and squeeze out the juice.
To every pint of juice, allow a pound of loaf-sugar, broken up, and the juice of two lemons. Put the apple-juice, the sugar, and the lemon-juice, into the preserving kettle. Boil it twenty minutes, skimming it well. Take it immediately from the kettle, and pour it warm into your glasses, but not so hot as to break them. When cold, cover each glass with white paper dipped in brandy, and tie it down tight with another paper. Keep them in a cool place.
Quince Jelly is made in the same manner, but do not pare the quinces. Quarter them only.
RED CURRANT JELLY.
Wash your currants, drain them, and pick them from the stalks. Mash them with the back of a spoon. Put them in a jelly-bag, and squeeze it till all the juice is pressed out. ​To every pint of juice, allow a pound of the best loaf-sugar. Put the juice and the sugar into your kettle and boil them twenty minutes, skimming it all the while. Pour it warm into your glasses, set it for several hours in the sun, and, when cold, tie it up with brandy paper. Jellies should never be allowed to get cold in the kettle. If boiled too long, they will lose their flavor, and become of a dark colour.
Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and grape jelly may be made in the same manner, and with the same proportion of loaf-sugar.
Red currant jelly may also be made in a very simple manner, by putting the currants whole into the kettle, with the sugar; allowing a pound of sugar to a pound of currants. Boil them together twenty minutes, skimming carefully. Then pour them into a sieve, with a pan under it. Let them drain through the sieve into the pan, pressing them down with the back of a spoon.
Take the jelly, while warm, out of the pan, and put it into your glasses. Tie it up with brandy paper when cold.
BLACK CURRANT JELLY.
Pick the currants from the stalks, wash and drain them. Mash them soft with a spoon, put them in a bag, and squeeze out the juice. To each pint of juice allow three quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into a preserving kettle, and boil them about ten minutes, skimming them well. ​Take it immediately out of the kettle. Put it warm into your glasses. Tie it up with brandy papers.
The juice of black currants is so very thick, that it requires less sugar and less boiling than any other jelly.
GOOSEBERRY JELLY.
Cut the gooseberries in half, (they must be green) and put them in a jar closely covered. Set the jar in an oven, or pot filled with boiling water. Keep the water boiling round the jar till the gooseberries are soft, take them out, mash them with a spoon, and put them into a jelly bag to drain. When all the juice is squeezed out, measure it, and to a pint of juice, allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into the preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming them carefully. Put the jelly warm into your glasses. Tie them up with brandy paper.
Cranberry jelly is made in the same manner.
GRAPE JELLY.
Pick the grapes from the stems, wash and drain them. Mash them with a spoon. Put them in the preserving kettle, and cover them closely with a large plate. Boil them ten minutes. Then pour them into your jelly bag, and squeeze out the juice. ​Allow a pint of juice to a pound of sugar. Put the sugar and juice into your kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming them well.
Fill your glasses while the jelly is warm, and tie them up with brandy papers.
PEACH JELLY.
Wipe the wool off your peaches, (while should be free-stones, and not too ripe) and cut them in quarters. Crack the stones, and break the kernels small.
Put the peaches and the kernels into a covered jar, set them in boiling water, and let them boil till they are soft.
Strain them through a jelly-bag, till all the juice is squeezed out. Allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pint of juice. Put the sugar and juice into a preserving kettle, and boil them twenty minutes, skimming carefully.
Put the jelly warm into your glasses, and when cold, tie them up with brandy paper.
Plum and green-gage jelly may be made in the same manner, with the kernels, which greatly improve the flavour.
PRESERVED QUINCES.
Pare and core your quinces, carefully taking out the parts that are knotty and defective. Cut them into quarters, or into round slices. Put them into a preserving kettle, and cover them with the parings and a very little water. Lay a large plate over ​them to keep in the steam, and boil them till they are tender.
Take out the quinces, and strain the liquor through a bag. To every pint of liquor, allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Boil the juice and sugar together, about ten minutes, skimming it well. Then put in the quinces, and boil them gently twenty minutes. When the sugar seems to have completely penetrated them, take them out, put them in a glass jar, and pour the juice over them warm. Tie them up, when cold, with brandy paper.
In preserving fruit that is boiled first without the sugar, it is generally better (after the first boiling) to let it stand till the next day before you put the sugar to it.
PRESERVED PIPPINS.
Pare and core some of the largest and finest pippins. Put them in your preserving kettle, with some lemon-peel, and all the apple parings. Add a very little water, and cover them closely. Boil them till they are tender, taking care they do not burn. Take out the apples, and spread them on a large dish to cool. Pour the liquor into a bag, and strain it well. Put it into your kettle with a pound of loaf-sugar to each pint of juice, and add lemon juice to your taste. Boil it five minutes, skimming it well. Then put in the whole apples, and boil them slowly half an hour, or till they are quite soft and clear. Put them, with the juice, into your jars, and where quite cold, tie them up with brandy paper. ​Preserved apples are only intended for preset use, as they will not keep long.
Pears may be done in the same way, either whole or cut in half. They may be flavoured either with lemon or cinnamon, or both. The pears for preserving should be green.
PRESERVED PEACHES.
Take the largest and finest free-stone peaches, before they are too ripe. Pare them, and cut them in halves or in quarters. Crack the stones, and take out the kernels, and break them in pieces. Put the peaches, with the parings and kernels, into your preserving kettle, with a very little water. Boil them till they are tender. Take out the peaches and spread them on a large dish to cool. Strain the liquor through a bag or sieve. Next day, measure the juice, and to each pint allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Put the juice and sugar into the kettle with the peaches, and boil them slowly half an hour, or till they are quite soft, skimming all the time. Take the peaches out, put them into your jars, and pour the warm liquor over them. When cold, tie them up with brandy paper.
If boiled too long, they will look dull, and be of a dark colour.
If you do not wish the juice to be very thick, do not put it on to boil with the sugar, but first boil the ​sugar alone, with only as much water as will dissolve it, and skim it well. Let the sugar, in all cases, be entirely melted before it goes on the fire. Having boiled the sugar and water, and skimmed it to a clear syrup, then put in your juice and fruit together, and boil them till completely penetrated with the sugar.
PRESERVED CRAB APPLES.
Wash your fruit. Cover the bottom of your preserving kettle with grape-leaves. Put in the apples. Hang them over the fire, with a very little water, and cover them closely. Do not allow them to boil, but let them simmer gently till they are yellow. Take them out, and spread them on a large dish to cool. Pare and core them. Put them again into the kettle, with fresh vine-leaves under and over them, and a very little water. Hang them over the fire till they are green. Do not let them boil.
Take them out, weigh them, and allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pound of crab-apples. Put to the sugar just water enough to dissolve it. When it is all melted, put it on the fire, and boil and skim it. Then put in your fruit, and boil the apples till they are quite clear and soft. Put them in jars, and pour the warm liquor over them. When cold, tie them up with brandy paper.
PRESERVED PLUMS.
Cut your plums in half, (they must not be quite ripe,) and take out the stones. Weigh the plums, ​and allow a pound of loaf-sugar to a pound of fruit. Crack the stones, take out the kernels and break them in pieces. Boil the plums and kernels very slowly for about fifteen minutes, in as little water as possible. Then spread them on a large dish to cool, and strain the liquor.
Next day make your syrup. Melt the sugar in as little water as will suffice to dissolve it, (about half a pint of water to a pound of sugar) and boil it a few minutes, skimming it till quite clear. Then put in your plums with the liquor, and boil them fifteen minutes. Put them in jars, pour the juice over them warm, and. tie them up, when cold, with brandy paper.
Syrups may be improved in clearness, by adding to the dissolved sugar and water, some white of egg very well beaten, allowing the white of one egg to each pound of sugar. Boil it very hard, and skim it well, that it may be quite clear before you put in your fruit.
PRESERVED STRAWBERRIES.
Weigh the strawberries after you have picked off the stems. To each pound of fruit allow a pound of loaf-sugar, which must be powdered. Strew half of the sugar over the strawberries, and let them stand in a cold place two or three hours. Then put them in a preserving kettle over a slow fire, and by ​degrees strew on the rest of the sugar. Boil them fifteen or twenty minutes, and skim them well.
Put them in wide-mouthed bottles, and when cold, seal the corks.
If you wish to do them whole, take them carefully out of the syrup, (one at a time) while boiling. Spread them to cool on large dishes, not letting the strawberries touch each other, and when cool, return them to the syrup, and boil them a little longer. Repeat this several times.
Keep the bottles in dry sand, in a place that is cool and not damp.
Gooseberries, currants, raspberries, cherries and grapes may be done in the same manner. The stones must be taken from the cherries (which should be morellas, or the largest and best red cherries ;) and the seeds should be extracted from the grapes with the sharp point of a penknife. Gooseberries, grapes, and cherries, require longer boiling than strawberries, raspberries or currants.
PRESERVED CRANBERRIES.
Wash your cranberries, weigh them, and to each pound allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Dissolve the sugar in a very little water, (about half a pint of water to a pound of sugar) and set it on the fire in a preserving kettle. Boil it nearly ten minutes, skimming it well. Then put in your cranberries, and boil them slowly, till they are quite soft, and of a fine colour.
Put them warm into your jars or glasses, and tie them up with brandy paper when cold. ​All sorts of sweetmeats keep better in glasses, than in stone or earthen jars. When opened for use, they should be tied up again immediately, as exposure to the air spoils them.
Common glass tumblers are very convenient for jellies, and preserved small fruit. White jars are better than stone or earthen, for large fruit.
PRESERVED PUMPKIN.
Cut slices from a fine high-coloured pumpkin, and cut the slices into chips about the thickness of a dollar. The chips should be of an equal size, six inches in length, and an inch broad. Weigh them, and allow to each pound of pumpkin chips, a pound of loaf-sugar. Have ready a sufficient number of fine lemons, 'pare off the yellow rind, and lay it aside. Cut the lemons in half, and squeeze the juice into a bowl. Allow a gill of juice to each pound of pumpkin.
Put the pumpkin into a broad pan, laying the sugar among it. Pour the lemon-juice over it. Cover the pan, and let the pumpkin chips, sugar and lemon-juice, set all night.
Early in the morning put the whole into a preserving pan, and boil all together (skimming it well) till the pumpkin becomes clear and crisp, but not till it breaks. It should have the appearance of lemon-candy. You may, if you choose, put some lemon-peel with it, cut in very small pieces.
Half an hour's boiling (or a little more) is generally sufficient.
When it is done, take out the pumpkin, spread it on a large dish, and strain the syrup through a bag.—Put the pumpkin into your jars or glasses, pour the syrup over it, and tie it up with brandy paper. ​If properly done, this is a very fine sweetmeat. The taste of the pumpkin will be lost in that of the lemon and sugar, and the syrup is particularly pleasant. It is eaten without cream, like preserved ginger. It may be laid on puff-paste shells, after they are baked.
PRESERVED PINE-APPLE.
Pare your pine-apples, and cut them in thick slices. Weigh the slices, and to each pound allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Dissolve the sugar in a very small quantity of water, stir it, and set it over the fire in a preserving-kettle. Boil it ten minutes, skimming it well. Then put in it the pine-apple slices, and boil them till they are clear and soft, but not till they break. About half an hour (or perhaps less time) will suffice. Let them cool in a large dish or pan, before you put them into your jars, which you must do carefully, lest they break. Pour the syrup over them. Tie them up with brandy paper.
RASPBERRY JAM.
Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.—Mash the raspberries, and put them with the sugar into your preserving kettle. Boil it slowly for an hour, skimming it well. Tie it up with brandy paper.
All jams are made in the same manner.
* ↑ The use of brass or bell-metal kettles is now almost entirely superseded by the enamelled kettles of iron lined with china, called preserving kettles; brass and bell-metal having always been objectionable on account of the verdigris which they engender.
* ↑ To preserve peaches whole, pare them and thrust out the stones with a skewer. Then proceed as above, only blanch the kernels and keep them whole. When the peaches are done, stick a kernel into the hole of every peach, before you put them into the jars. Large fruit will keep best in broad shallow stone pots.
* ↑ Plums, for common use, are very good done in molasses. Put your plums into an earthen vessel that holds a gallon, having first slit each plum with a knife. To three quarts of plums put a pint of molasses. Cover them and set them on hot coals in the chimney corner. Let them stew for twelve hours or more, occasionally stirring them, and renewing the coals. Next day put them up in jars. Done in this manner they will keep till the next spring.