Greengage Jam

Select sound ripe greengages, split them down the sides and remove the stones; put the fruit in a preserving-pan with a little water, stew them until quite tender, then rub the fruit through a sieve, put the pulp in the preserving-pan again, and for every six pounds of fruit, put in four and a half pounds of sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon and boil very fast, skimming off the scum as it rises. When the jam drops from the spoon like a thick jelly, it is done. Fill jars with it, let it cool, then cover with rounds of writing paper, dipped in brandy, and then with bladder. This jam should be kept in a dry cupboard until wanted.

Nectarine Jam

Peel the nectarines, cut them in halves, crack the stones, then blanch and cut the kernels into small pieces. Put the pieces and broken stones into a saucepan with one-half pint of water for every pound of the fruit, and boil till reduced to one-half its quantity, then strain the liquor. Place the fruit in a preserving-pan, and add an equal weight of granulated sugar. Add the liquor from the stones and kernels with eight blanched and chopped bitter almonds for each one-fourth pound of kernels. Place the pan over a slow fire, and stir the contents with a wooden spoon until reduced to a stiff consistency. Turn the jam into jars, and leave for several hours until quite cold, then sift a small quantity of sugar over the top of each, cover with rounds of white paper that have been dipped in beaten egg, tie round the jars with twine, and pack them away for use.

Peach Jam

Procure ripe clingstone peaches, peel them, crack the stones and blanch the kernels. Put the kernels in a mortar and pound them well. Put the skins and broken stones in a pan with twice the quantity of water required for the jam, and boil it till reduced one-half. Then strain the liquor through a fine hair-sieve. Put the peaches in a preserving-pan with the pounded kernels, and for every pound of fruit put in one pound of preserving-sugar, and a teacupful of the liquor from the stones, etc. Boil the mixture, keeping it well stirred until reduced to a stiff consistency. Fill some jars with the jam, and let them stand until the following day. Then sift a small quantity of fine sugar over each, cover them with rounds of paper that have been dipped in beaten egg, and tie round with twine. Keep the jars in a dry store-cupboard for use.

Pear Jam

Peel some ripe pears, cut them into quarters, take out the cores, weigh them, and put them into an earthenware jar, packing them closely; put the jar into a saucepan of water on the stove, cover the jar with a piece of strong paper tied over, and let the water round the jar boil till the fruit is soft enough to break, then put the same weight of sugar as there is of fruit on the stove with two breakfast cupfuls of water to each pound of sugar, and boil and skim till it is a clear syrup; put the fruit into it and stir till it boils, and boil for twenty minutes, stirring all the time; then let it get a little cool, put it into jars, and when quite cold, cover as for other marmalades.