good sugar, rolled or pounded, to twice the weight of fruit ; set them
into a very cool oven for four or five hours ; or, if more convenient,
place them, with a little hay between them, in a pan of cold water
and boil them gently for rather more than three hours. Leave them
in the syrup for a few days, and finish them as directed for the
drying of other fruits. Tie a bladder over the necks of the jars or
bottles before they are placed in the pan of water, and fasten two or
three folds of paper over the former, or cork the bottles when the
fruit is to be baked. The sugar should be put in after the fruit,
without being shaken down ; it will then dissolve gradually, and be
absorbed by it equally.
To each pound of plums✪ To Dry Imperatrice Plums, 8 ounces pounded sugar : baked in cool
oven 4 or 5 hours, or steamed 3 hours.
TO BOTTLE FRUIT FOR WINTER USE.
Gather the fruit in the middle of the day in very dry weather ;
strip off the stalks, and have in readiness some perfectly clean and
dry wide- necked bottles ; turn each of these the instant before it is
filled, with the neck downwards, and hold in it two or three lighted
matches : drop in the fruit before the vapour escapes, shake it gently
down, press in some new corks, dip the necks of the bottles into
melted resin, set them at night into an oven from which the bread
has been drawn six or seven hours at least, and let them remain
until the morning : if the heat be too great the bottles will burst.
Currants, cherries, damsons, greengages, and various other kinds of
plums will remain good for quite twelve months when bottled thus,
if stored in a dry place.
To steam the fruit, put the bottles into a copper or other vessel up
to their necks in cold water, with a little hay between and under
them ; light the fire, let the water heat slowly, and keep it at the
point of gentle simmering until the fruit is sufficiently scalded.
Some kinds will of course require a much longer time than others
From half to three quarters of an hour will be sufficient for goose-
berries, currants, and raspberries ; but the appearance of all will
best denote their being done. When they have sunk almost half the
depth of the bottles, and the skins are shrivelled, extinguish the fire,
but leave them in the water until it is quite cold; then wipe and
store the bottles in a dry place. A bit of moistened bladder tied over
corks is better than the resin when the fruit is steamed.
APPLE JELLY.
Various kind of apples may be used successfully to make this jelly,
but the nonsuch is by many persons preferred to all others for the
purpose. The Eipstone pippin, however, may be used for it with
very good effect, either solely, or with a mixture of pearmains. It is
necessary only that the fruit should be finely flavoured, and that it
CHAP. XXIV.]
PRESERVES.
523
✪ Apple Jelly
Page 455 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
good sugar, rolled or pounded, to twice the weight of fruit ; set them into a very cool oven for four or five hours ; or, if more convenient, place them, with a little hay between them, in a pan of cold water and boil them gently for rather more than three hours. Leave them in the syrup for a few days, and finish them as directed for the drying of other fruits. Tie a bladder over the necks of the jars or bottles before they are placed in the pan of water, and fasten two or three folds of paper over the former, or cork the bottles when the fruit is to be baked. The sugar should be put in after the fruit, without being shaken down ; it will then dissolve gradually, and be absorbed by it equally.
To each pound of plums, 8 ounces pounded sugar : baked in cool oven 4 or 5 hours, or steamed 3 hours.
TO BOTTLE FRUIT FOR WINTER USE.
Gather the fruit in the middle of the day in very dry weather ; strip off the stalks, and have in readiness some perfectly clean and dry wide- necked bottles ; turn each of these the instant before it is filled, with the neck downwards, and hold in it two or three lighted matches : drop in the fruit before the vapour escapes, shake it gently down, press in some new corks, dip the necks of the bottles into melted resin, set them at night into an oven from which the bread has been drawn six or seven hours at least, and let them remain until the morning : if the heat be too great the bottles will burst. Currants, cherries, damsons, greengages, and various other kinds of plums will remain good for quite twelve months when bottled thus, if stored in a dry place.
To steam the fruit, put the bottles into a copper or other vessel up to their necks in cold water, with a little hay between and under them ; light the fire, let the water heat slowly, and keep it at the point of gentle simmering until the fruit is sufficiently scalded. Some kinds will of course require a much longer time than others From half to three quarters of an hour will be sufficient for gooseberries, currants, and raspberries ; but the appearance of all will best denote their being done. When they have sunk almost half the depth of the bottles, and the skins are shrivelled, extinguish the fire, but leave them in the water until it is quite cold; then wipe and store the bottles in a dry place. A bit of moistened bladder tied over corks is better than the resin when the fruit is steamed.
APPLE JELLY.
Various kind of apples may be used successfully to make this jelly, but the nonsuch is by many persons preferred to all others for the purpose. The Eipstone pippin, however, may be used for it with very good effect, either solely, or with a mixture of pearmains. It is necessary only that the fruit should be finely flavoured, and that it
Records on this page
To Dry Imperatrice PlumsApple Jelly