The Ocklye cookery book

To each pound of fruit allow six ounces of castor sugar. Put the cherries into wide-necked bottles, shaking them gently down, so that the bottles may be full, leaving just room for the sugar; put the corks in lightly, set them in a pan with clean straw at the bottom, and fill it with cold water up to the necks of the bottles. Let it remain on the stove after it has begun to simmer for twenty minutes; then take the pan off and let the bottles stay in the water till they are quite cold. Beat the corks in tight, and tie a piece of bladder over each; or they may be sealed. COCOANUT TOFFEE Ingredients One pound of castor sugar. Two tablespoonfuls of vinegar. One ounce of butter. Dessicated cocoanut. Three tablespoonfuls of water. Put the sugar, butter, water, and vinegar into an enamelled saucepan, and mix them well together with a spoon; stir it over the fire until it boils; then let it boil without stirring until it becomes a light brown colour; take a little out with a spoon and drop it into some cold water; if it forms into small balls it is done; if not, boil it a little longer; then pour it into a buttered tin or dish and sprinkle dessicated cocoanut on the top before it sets. CRAB APPLE JELLY Ingredients Two gallons of crab apples. Loa! sugar. Four cloves. Water. An inch of cinnamon. Put the crab apples into a preserving pan and cover them with cold water; add the cloves and cinnamon, and boil them slowly till they become a soft pulp. Pass it through a jelly bag, previously scalded, and to each pint of juice add one pound of good loaf sugar; boil it gently for about an hour, skimming it well all the time. It should be quite clear and a rich colour. DAMSON CHEESE Ingredients Damsons. Loaf sugar. Put the damsons without water into an earthen jar, cover it closely to keep in the moisture, place it in a saucepan of boiling water, and allow it to boil for two hours, or until the fruit is soft enough to rub through a sieve; crack the stones, add the kernels to the pulp, and to every pound of pulp allow one pound of loaf sugar; boil it for one hour and a half, stirring it all the time to prevent its burning. The jar may be put in a cool oven to bake, instead of being boiled, if more convenient. FRUIT CAKE Ingredients Fruit. Gelatine. Pounded sugar. Pass currants, raspberries, gooseberries, or any other fruit liked through a hair sieve. Weigh the pulp and allow one pound and a quarter of finely powdered sugar and a quarter of an ounce of gelatine to every pound of pulp. Put the pulp into a preserving pan and boil for twenty minutes; then add the sugar, first making it very hot in the oven, and the gelatine, previously dissolved in a little water; then bring it to boiling heat, but do not let it boil up, or it will be spoilt. Pour it on to large flat dishes and put in the sun to dry. When set sufficiently, cut into squares or other shapes; turn them every day until perfectly dry, when they may be packed in tins for winter use. Put the dishes in a nice sunny room while they are drying and keep the windows shut. GREEN TOMATO JAM Ingredients Four pounds of tomatoes. Tliree pounds of preserving One lemon. sugar. Slice the tomatoes into a preserving pan, boil them for one hour, then add the sugar and grated lemon peel to taste; boil for half to three-quarters of an hour. MEDLAR JELLY Ingredients Ripe medlars. Loaf sugar. Water. Wash the medlars and put them into a preserving pan with enough cold water to cover them. Let them simmer