FoodNet

The confectioner's and pastry-cook's guide, or, Confectionery made easy ...

1890

Page 36

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
When done, skim off the scum that remains, and pour the jelly into pots and glasses, and cover them with papers dipped in brandy, and tie paper over them, as directed for Red Currant Jelly. BOTTLING FRUITS. GENERAL DIRECTIONS. The bottles that are used for bottling fruits, are made with a wide mouth and short neck. When you pur- chase them see that the necks and mouths are perfectly round, and just run your finger round the inside, to see there are no little pieces sticking out, which is often the case in this sort of glass: which will either tear the cork as it is driven down, or else prevent its being driven in sufficiently far; in either case the air will be admitted, which will spoil the fruit. Be particularly careful that they are quite clean before you use them, and quite dry. If they are not so, make a weak lather of soap and water, get half a pound of such shots as are used to shoot sparrows; put the shots into one of the bottles, and about half till it with the soap and water, put your hand over the mouth, and shake it up and down briskly for about a minute; look through it, and see if it be clean; if not, shake it again till it is. Pour off as much of the water as you can without the shots, wffiich you will then put into the next bottle; and rinse the bottle two or three times in clean water with- out shots. Proceed in this way with all the bottles, and then set them with the neck downwards in the hot- MADE EASY. ' 1 tie-rack to drain, and bj the next day they will be dry and tit for use. , . r You should use the long corks, and not bungs: for the bungs are cut the wrong way of the cork, and wi admit air. Choose them of a good colour and close texture. Scald them, and let the water get almost cold, then drain off the water, and scald them again with clean water, and let them stand for an hour, take them out of the water, and put them in a sieve to dry; they will be dry in about two days. This will take away any unpleasant taste, which might otherwise taint the fruit. It is a common and very good practice, to pour melted fat upon the fruit in the bottles, to the thick- ness of a penny piece, just before they are corked down; this getting cold, forms a coat over them which materi- ally assists to keep out the air. When you open them for use, first remove this coat with a spoon. When you put in the cork, squeeze it as small as you possibly can, with whatever you have that will best answer the purpose, and it should then fit so tight that you cannot get it m more than an inch; then with a small bat knock it in as far as possible. Cut the cork off even with the mouth of the bottle. When you have put all the corks in, as directed, melt some bottle-wax in a small pipkin, and with a spoon completely cover the tops of both the corks and mouths of the bottles. The place where bottled fruits are kept should be cool and dry, otherwise they are apt either to get mouldy, or ferment: If you have not a store-room on purpose, a dry cupboard in that part of the house upon which the sun shines least, and a room where you do not have a fire, should be selected. TO BOTTLE ANY KIND OF FRUIT. Whatever fruit you intend to bottle, let it be ga- thered on a dry day, and before it is perfectly ripe. Prepare your bottles as before directed, and fill them to 72 CONFECTIONARY