The Dudley book of cookery and household recipes

Lay half-ripe oranges or lemons in water for three days, changing the water every day. Then put them into boiling water and parboil them until they are bright in colour. Boil until they are tender, and then steep again in cold water for another three days. Divide the fruit into quarters. Weigh them, and make a syrup with their equivalent in weight, allowing half a pint of water to each pound of sugar. When the syrup is cold add the quarters of the fruit and let them steep in the synip for two or three days. Then prepare a thick syrup, and let it boil until it is nearly candied. Add a little lemon juice, and pour over the fruit. After it is cool, set the quarters of the fruit to dry on waxed paper and lay in boxes. FOR CLEANING MARBLE ONE pound of American potash to half a gallon of boiling water, well stirred and allowed to settle. When clear, strain it off and make it with whiting the thickness of cream. Then lay it on the marble with a brush (a paste brush will do). When dry it may be washed off, using as little water as possible. If the marble is badly stained the mixture may remain on twelve hours. N.B. — It is advisable to wet marble as little as possible. Be careful no one uses this mixture with cracked hands. ¥ TO REMOVE IRON STAINS FROM WHITE MARBLE MANTELPIECES Heat a flat iron red hot and hold it within half an inch of the yellow stain for fifteen minutes, but not allowing the hot iron to touch the marble. Two irons are necessary, as one gets cool apply another until the marble gets quite hot, this will drive the stain back, and it will fade away. On carved flowers or ornaments in the marble apply a little chloride of lime made into a paste with diluted American potash. Leave it on for a day, wash it carefully off with cold water, let it 2 H 249 dry, and then apply the hot iron as to the other stains. These will also disappear after a few days. FOR SPONGE GLASSES ON WRITING TABLES FOR WIPING PENS One ounce of oxalic acid to a pint of hot water. When cold saturate the sponge well and place it in the glass. It must not be put into a metal receptacle. When the sponge becomes dry add cold water only, until the acid gets too weak, then a fresh supply of acid is required. ^ A RECIPE TO KEEP THE HANDS SMOOTH AND PREVENT CHAPPING Take one ounce pure glycerine, five ounces pure spirits of wine, one ounce of any perfume preferred, violet, lavender, mimosa, etc. Mix all well together and put into a bottle with a robinet cork. Sprinkle a little over the hands each time after washing them. FOR A DELICIOUS BATH WHEN ELDER FLOWERS ARE IN BLOSSOM PUT the elder fiowers into a large jug and pour boiling water over them, let them stand for some hours, and strain off the liquid, which, when added to the bath water, softens it and is cool and fragrant. ELDER FLOWER WATER Fill the still with elder flowers and some of the young tendrils. Fill up with soft water (rain water) and put under the still a slow fire, but it must not boil. Put a piece of muslin pver a large jug to catch the drops as they distil, then bottle for use. This will keep a long time. Rose water can be made in the same way, using sweet scented rose leaves instead of elder flowers, also orange flowers. COLD CREAM