1591. - To Preserve Strawberries, Raspberries, And Blackberries, Whole

The strawberries should be gathered fresh from the vines. Select the largest, and those perfectly unbroken. Mash up the others and boil them for a quarter of an hour without any water - strain them through a fine jelly-bag.

Measure the juice, and allow a pound of loaf sugar, to every quart of strawberry juice.

When you make the syrup allow a pint of spring water to every two pounds of sugar - skim the syrup thoroughly. When the scum ceases to rise pour in the juice of the berries and boil it from five to fifteen minutes, or until the syrup will hang in drops from a spoon.

Pour the syrup into glass jars or tumblers, and lifting the whole strawberries with a spoon, put as many of them in each jar as it will hold, without being at all crowded. The syrup should cover all well, and it is better to have too few than too many in every jar. Let the jars stand until the syrup is quite cold, and then tie them up with paper dipped in brandy.

1594. - Figs Green, To Preseeve

Slit some small green figs on the top, and put them into water for ten days, and proceed thus:- Put as much salt into the water as will make it bear an egg, then let it settle, take off the scum and put the clear brine to the figs, keep them for ten days; then put them into fresh water, shifting them every day for four days; again drain, then put them into clarified sugar, warm them a little and let them stand till the next day; warm them again, and when they are become green give them a good boil, then boil some sugar down, put it to them and give them another boil, and next day drain and dry them.

1595. - Figs Ripe, To Preserve

Take the figs when ripe, slit them in the tops, put them into clarified sugar, and give them a good boil, skim them, and leave them to stand till the next day, then boil some more sugar, put it to the figs and give them another boil, the next day drain and dry them.

Ripe or Green Tomatoes - Make a nice preserve. They require a more than usual quantity of sugar.

1597. - Marmalade

Marmalade may be composed almost of any fruit; the best however for this purpose are apricots, peaches, oranges, quinces, eggs, plums, apples, etc.; they are usually made by boiling the fruit and sugar together to a kind of pulp, stirring them constantly while on the fire. It is kept in pots which must not be covered, till the marmalade is quite cold; the proportion of sugar is half a pound to each pound of fruit.

1598. - Apple Marmalade. Boil Some Pippins Until They Begin To

get tender, then put them into cold water, pare and core them, squeeze the pulp through a sieve, and put it over the fire, letting it remain till it becomes very thick, then weigh an equal quantity of fine sugar, boil till the sugar rises in sparkles which cluster together, put the marmalade to it, and stir them well with a wooden spoon till the apples begin to boil, then take it off, and when a little cool put it into pots, but do not cover them until quite cold.

1599. - Orange Marmalade

Blanch the rinds of fifteen oranges without any of the white till soft, then soak them in cold water for a few minutes, drain and pound them to a paste, which rub through a sieve; ascertain its weight, and for each pound allow a pound and a half of sugar; clarify and boil the sugar till the bubbles rise strongly to the surface; put in the paste and boil them together, stirring continually till the marmalade is done. To know when the marmalade is fit to turn out and be potted, take some up between your thumb and finger, and if on opening them it draws out like a thread it is done. The Southerners use bitter oranges.

Marmalades of raspberries, blackberries, plums, grapes, etc, are most in favor.