The Virginia Housewife
by
Mary Randolph
Part 3 out of 4
* * * * *
TO MAKE MINCEMEAT FOR PIES.
Boil either calves or hogs' feet till perfectly tender, rub them through
a colander; when cold, pass them through again, and it will come out
like pearl barley; take one quart of this, one of chopped apples, the
same of currants, washed and picked, raisins stoned and cut, of good
brown sugar, suet nicely chopped, and cider, with a pint of brandy; add
a tea-spoonful of pounded mace, one of cloves and of nutmegs; mix all
these together intimately. When the pies are to be made, take out as
much of this mixture as may be necessary; to each quart of it, add a
tea-spoonful of pounded black pepper, and one of salt; this greatly
improves the flavour, and can be better mixed with a small portion than
with the whole mass. Cover the moulds with paste, put in a sufficiency
of mince-meat, cover the top with citron sliced thin, and lay on it a
lid garnished around with paste cut in fanciful shapes. They may be
eaten either hot or cold, but are best when hot.
* * * * *
TO MAKE JELLY FROM FEET.
Boil four calfs' feet, that have been nicely cleaned, and the hoofs
taken off; when the feet are boiled to pieces, strain the liquor through
a colander, and when cold, take all the grease off, and put the jelly in
a skillet, leaving the dregs which will be at the bottom. There should
be from four feet, about two quarts of jelly: pour into it one quart of
white wine, the juice of six fresh lemons strained from the seeds, one
pound and a half of powdered loaf sugar, a little pounded cinnamon and
mace, and the rind thinly pared from two of the lemons; wash eight eggs
very clean, whip up the whites to a froth, crush the shells and put with
them, mix it with the jelly, set it on the fire, stir it occasionally
till the jelly is melted, but do not touch it afterwards. When it has
boiled till it looks quite clear on one side, and the dross accumulates
on the other, take off carefully the thickest part of the dross, and
pour the jelly in the bag; put back what runs through, until it becomes
quite transparent--then set a pitcher under the bag, and put a cover all
over to keep out the dust: the jelly looks much prettier when it is
broken to fill the glasses. The bag should be made of cotton or linen,
and be suspended in a frame made for the purpose. The feet of hogs make
the palest coloured jelly; those of sheep are a beautiful amber-colour,
when prepared.
* * * * *
A SWEETMEAT PUDDING.
Make a quart of flour into puff paste; when done, divide it into three
parts of unequal size; roll the largest out square and moderately thin,
spread over it a thin layer of marmalade, leaving a margin all round
about an inch broad; roll the next largest in the same manner, lay it
on, cover that with marmalade, leaving a margin; then roll the smallest,
and put it on the other two, spreading marmalade; fold it up, one fold
over the other, the width of your hand--press the ends together, tie it
in a cloth securely, and place it in a kettle of boiling water, where it
can lie at length without doubling; boil it quickly, and when done, pour
melted butter with sugar and wine in the dish.
* * * * *
TO MAKE AN ORANGE PUDDING.
Put two oranges and two lemons, into five quarts of water--boil them
till the rinds are quite tender; take them out, and when cold, slice
them thin, and pick out the seeds; put a pound of loaf sugar into a pint
of water--when it boils, slice into it twelve pippins pared and
cored--lay in the lemons and oranges, stew them tender, cover the dish
with puff paste, lay the fruit in carefully, in alternate layers--pour
on the syrup, put some slips of paste across, and bake it.
* * * * *
AN APPLE CUSTARD.
Pare and core twelve pippins, slice them tolerably thick, put a pound of
loaf sugar in a stew pan, with a pint of water and twelve cloves: boil
and skim it, then put in the apples, and stew them till clear, and but
little of the syrup remains--lay them in a deep dish, and take out the
cloves; when the apples are cold, pour in a quart of rich boiled
custard--set it in water, and make it boil till the custard is set--take
care the water does not get into it.
* * * * *
BOILED LOAF.
Pour a quart of boiling milk over four little rolls of bread--cover them
up, turning them occasionally till saturated with the milk; tie them
very tight in cloths, and boil them an hour; lay them in the dish, and
pour a little melted butter over them; for sauce, have butter in a boat,
seasoned with wine, sugar, and grated nutmeg.
* * * * *
TRANSPARENT PUDDING.
Beat eight eggs very light, add half a pound of pounded sugar, the same
of fresh butter melted, and half a nutmeg grated; sit it on a stove, and
keep stirring till it is as thick as buttered eggs--put a puff paste in
a shallow dish, pour in the ingredients, and bake it half an hour in a
moderate oven; sift sugar over it, and serve it up hot.
* * * * *
FLUMMERY.
One measure of jelly, one of cream, and half a one of wine; boil it
fifteen minutes over a slow fire, stirring all the time; sweeten it, and
add a spoonful of orange flower or rose water; cool it in a mould, turn
it in a dish, and pour around it cream, seasoned in any way you like.
* * * * *
BURNT CUSTARD.
Boil a quart of milk--and when cold, mix with it the yelks of eight
eggs; stir them together over the fire a few minutes; sweeten it to your
taste, put some slices of savoy cake in the bottom of a deep dish, and
pour on the custard; whip the whites of the eggs to a strong froth, lay
it lightly on the top, sift some sugar over it, and hold a salamander
over it until it is a light brown; garnish the top with raspberry
marmalade, or any kind of preserved fruit.
* * * * *
AN ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING.
Beat eight eggs very light, add to them a pound of flour sifted, and a
pound of powdered sugar; when it looks quite light, put in a pound of
suet finely shred, a pint of milk, a nutmeg grated, and a gill of
brandy; mix with it a pound of currants, washed, picked, and dried, and
a pound of raisins stoned and floured--tie it in a thick cloth, and boil
it steadily eight hours.
* * * * *
MARROW PUDDING.
Grate a large loaf of bread, and pour on the crumbs a pint of rich milk
boiling hot; when cold, add four eggs, a pound of beef marrow sliced
thin, a gill of brandy, with sugar and nutmeg to your taste--mix all
well together, and either bake or boil it; when done, stick slices of
citron over the top.
* * * * *
SIPPET PUDDING.
Cut a loaf of bread as thin as possible, put a layer of it in the bottom
of a deep dish, strew on some slices of marrow or butter, with a handful
of currants or stoned raisins; do this till the dish is full; let the
currants or raisins be at the top; beat four eggs, mix with them a quart
of milk that has been boiled a little and become cold, a quarter of a
pound of sugar, and a grated nutmeg--pour it in, and bake it in a
moderate oven--eat it with wine sauce.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATO PUDDING.
Boil one pound of sweet potatos very tender, rub them while hot through
a colander; add six eggs well beaten, three quarters of a pound of
powdered sugar, three quarters of butter, and some grated nutmeg and
lemon peel, with a glass of brandy; put a paste in the dish, and when
the pudding is done, sprinkle the top with sugar, and cover it with bits
of citron. Irish potato pudding is made in the same manner, but is not
so good.
* * * * *
AN ARROW ROOT PUDDING.
Boil a quart of milk, and make it into a thick batter, with arrow root;
add six eggs, half a pound of butter, the same of pounded sugar, half a
nutmeg, and a little grated lemon peel; put a paste in the dish, and
bake it nicely; when done, sift sugar over it, and stick slips of citron
all over the top.
* * * * *
SAGO PUDDING.
Wash half a pound of sago in several waters; put it on to boil in a
quart of milk, with a stick of cinnamon; stir it very frequently, for it
is apt to burn: when it becomes quite thick, take out the cinnamon, stir
it in half a pound of butter, and an equal quantity of sugar, with a
gill of wine; when cold, add six eggs and four ounces of currants that
have been plumped in hot water--bake it in a paste.
* * * * *
PUFF PUDDING.
Beat six eggs, add six spoonsful of milk, and six of flour, butter some
cups, pour in the batter, and bake them quickly; turn them out, and eat
them with butter, sugar and nutmeg.
* * * * *
RICE PUDDING.
Boil half a pound of rice in milk, until it is quite tender; beat it
well with a wooden spoon to mash the grains; add three quarters of a
pound of sugar, and the same of melted butter; half a nutmeg, six eggs,
a gill of wine, and some grated lemon peel; put a paste in the dish, and
bake it. For change, it may be boiled, and eaten with butter, sugar, and
wine.
* * * * *
PLUM PUDDING.
Take a pound of the best flour, sift it, and make it up before sunrise,
with six eggs beaten light; a large spoonful of good yeast, and as much
milk as will make it the consistence of bread; let it rise well, knead
into it half a pound of butter, put in a grated nutmeg, with one and a
half pounds of raisins stoned and cut up; mix all well together, wet the
cloth, flour it, and tie it loosely, that the pudding may have room to
rise. Raisins for puddings or cakes, should be rubbed in a little flour,
to prevent their settling to the bottom--see that it does not stick to
them in lumps.
* * * * *
ALMOND PUDDING.
Put a pound of sweet almonds in hot water till the skin will slip off
them; pound them with a little orange flower or rose water, to keep them
from oiling; mix with them four crackers, finely pounded, or two gills
of rice flour; six eggs, a pint of cream, a pound of sugar, half a pound
of butter, and four table-spoonsful of wine; put a nice paste in the
bottom of your dish, garnish the edges, pour in the pudding bake it in a
moderate oven.
* * * * *
QUIRE OF PAPER PANCAKES.
Beat sixteen eggs, add to them a quart of milk, a nutmeg, half a pound
of flour, a pound of melted butter, a pound of sugar, and two gills of
wine; take care the flour be not in lumps; butter the pan for the first
pancake, run them as thin as possible, and when coloured, they are done;
do not turn them, but lay them carefully in the dish, sprinkling
powdered sugar between each layer--serve them up hot. This quantity will
make four dozen pancakes.
* * * * *
A CURD PUDDING.
Put two quarts of milk on the fire; when it boils, pour in half a pint
of white wine, strain the curd from the whey, and pound it in a mortar,
with six ounces of butter, half a pound of loaf sugar, and half a pint
of rice flour, or as much crackers beaten as fine as flour; six eggs
made light, and half a grated nutmeg--beat all well together, and bake
them in saucers in a moderate oven; turn them out carefully in your
dish, stick thin slices of citron in them, and pour on rich melted
butter, with sugar and wine.
* * * * *
LEMON PUDDING.
Grate the rind from six fresh lemons, squeeze the juice from three, and
strain it; beat the yelks of sixteen eggs very light, put to them
sixteen table-spoonsful of powdered loaf sugar, not heaped up--the same
of melted butter; add the grated rind, and the juice, four crackers
finely pounded, or an equal quantity of rice flour; or for change, six
ounces of corn meal which is excellent--beat it till light, put a puff
paste in your dish, pour the pudding in, and bake it in a moderate
oven--it must not be very brown.
* * * * *
BREAD PUDDING.
Grate the crumb of a stale loaf, and pour on it a pint of boiling
milk--let it stand an hour, then beat it to a pulp; add six eggs, well
beaten, half a pound of butter, the same of powdered sugar, half a
nutmeg, a glass of brandy, and some grated lemon peel--put a paste in
the dish, and bake it.
* * * * *
THE HENRIETTA PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, sift into them a pound of loaf sugar powdered,
and a light pound of flour, with half a grated nutmeg, and a glass of
brandy; beat all together very well, add a pint of cream, pour it in a
deep dish, and bake it--when done, sift some powdered sugar over it.
* * * * *
TANSEY PUDDING.
Beat seven eggs very light, mix with them a pint of cream, and nearly as
much spinach juice, with a little juice of tansey; add a quarter of a
pound of powdered crackers or pounded rice made fine, a glass of wine,
some grated nutmeg and sugar; stir it over the fire to thicken, pour it
into a paste and bake it, or fry it like an omelette.
* * * * *
CHERRY PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, add half a pint of milk, six ounces flour,
eight ounces grated bread, twelve ounces suet, chopped fine, a little
salt; when it is beat well, mix in eighteen ounces preserved cherries or
damsins; bake or boil it. Make a sauce of melted butter, sugar and wine.
* * * * *
APPLE PIE.
Put a crust in the bottom of a dish, put on it a layer of ripe apples,
pared and sliced thin--then a layer of powdered sugar; do this
alternately till the dish is full; put in a few tea-spoonsful of rose
water and some cloves--put on a crust and bake it.
* * * * *
BAKED APPLE PUDDING.
Take well flavoured apples, bake, but do not burn them, rub them through
a sieve, take one pound of the apples so prepared, mix with it, while
hot, half a pound of butter, and half a pound of powdered sugar; the
rinds of two lemons grated--and when cold, add six eggs well beaten; put
a paste in the bottom of a dish, and pour in the apples--half an hour
will bake it; sift a little sugar on the apples when baked.
* * * * *
A NICE BOILED PUDDING.
Make up a pint of flour at sun rise, exactly as you do for bread; see
that it rises well--have a large pot of water boiling; and half an hour
before the puddings are to go to table, make the dough in balls, the
size of a goose egg; throw them in the water, and boil them quickly,
keeping the pot covered: they must be torn asunder, as cutting will make
them heavy; eat them with powdered sugar, butter, and grated nutmeg.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT AND CHEAP DESSERT DISH.
Wash a pint of small homony very clean, and boil it tender; add an equal
quantity of corn meal, make it into a batter with eggs, milk, and a
piece of butter; bake it like batter cakes on a griddle, and eat it with
butter and molasses.
* * * * *
SLICED APPLE PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, add a pint of rich milk, pare some apples or
peaches--slice them thin, make the eggs and milk into a tolerably thick
batter with flour, add a small cup of melted butter, put in the fruit,
and bake it in a deep dish--eat with sugar, butter, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
BAKED INDIAN MEAL PUDDING.
Boil one quart of milk, mix in it two gills and a half of corn meal very
smoothly, seven eggs well beaten, a gill of molasses, and a good piece
of butter, bake it two hours.
* * * * *
BOILED INDIAN MEAL PUDDING.
Mix one quart of corn meal, with three quarts of milk; take care it be
not lumpy--add three eggs and a gill of molasses; it must be put on at
sun rise, to eat at three o'clock; the great art in this pudding is
tying the bag properly, as the meal swells very much.
* * * * *
PUMPKIN PUDDING.
Stew a fine sweet pumpkin till soft and dry; rub it through a sieve, mix
with the pulp six eggs quite light, a quarter of a pound of butter, half
a pint of new milk, some pounded ginger and nutmeg, a wine glass of
brandy, and sugar to your taste. Should it be too liquid, stew it a
little drier, put a paste round the edges, and in the bottom of a
shallow dish or plate--pour in the mixture, cut some thin bits of paste,
twist them, and lay them across the top, and bake it nicely.
* * * * *
FAYETTE PUDDING.
Slice a loaf of bread tolerably thick--lay the slices in the bottom of a
dish, cutting them so as to cover it completely; sprinkle some sugar and
nutmeg, with a little butter, on each layer; when all are in, pour on a
quart of good boiled custard sweetened--serve it up cold.
* * * * *
MACCARONI PUDDING.
Simmer half a pound of maccaroni in a plenty of water, with a
table-spoonful of salt, till tender, but not broke--strain it, beat five
yelks, two whites of eggs, half a pint of cream--mince white meat and
boiled ham very fine, add three spoonsful of grated cheese, pepper and
salt; mix these with the maccaroni, butter the mould, put it in, and
steam it in a pan of boiling water for an hour--serve with rich gravy.
* * * * *
POTATO PASTE.
Boil mealy potatos quite soft, first taking off the skins; rub them
while hot through a sieve, put them in a stew pan over the fire, with as
much water as will make it the consistence of thick mush; sift one quart
of flour, and make it into a paste; with this mush, knead it till light,
roll it out thin, make the dumplins small--fill them with apples, or any
other fruit--tie them up in a thick cloth, and boil them nicely--eat
them with butter, sugar, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
COMPOTE OF APPLES.
Pare and core the apples, and if you prefer it, cut them in four, wash
them clean, and put them in a pan with water and sugar enough to cover
them; add cinnamon and lemon peel, which has been previously soaked,
scraped on the inside, and cut in strings; boil them gently until the
apples are done, take them out in a deep dish, boil the syrup to a
proper consistency, and pour it on them: it will take a pound of sugar
for a large dish.
* * * * *
CHARLOTTE.
Stew any kind of fruit, and season it in any you like best; soak some
slices of bread in butter; them while hot, in the bottom and round the
sides of a dish, which has been rubbed with butter--put in your fruit,
and lay slices of bread prepared in the same manner on the top: bake it
a few minutes, turn it carefully into another dish, sprinkle on some
powdered sugar, and glaze it with a salamander.
* * * * *
APPLE FRITTERS.
Pare some apples, and cut them in thin slices--put them in a bowl, with
a glass of brandy, some white wine, a quarter of a pound of pounded
sugar, a little cinnamon finely powdered, and the rind of a lemon
grated; let them stand some time, turning them over frequently; beat two
eggs very light, add one quarter of a pound of flour, a table-spoonful
of melted butter, and as much cold water as will make a thin batter;
drip the apples on a sieve, mix them with the batter, take one slice
with a spoonful of batter to each fritter, fry them quickly of a light
brown, drain them well, put them in a dish, sprinkling sugar over each,
and glaze them nicely.
* * * * *
BELL FRITTERS.
Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a pint of water; let it
boil a few minutes--thicken it very smoothly with a pint of flour; let
it remain a short time on the fire, stir it all the time that it may not
stick to the pan, pour it in a wooden bowl, add five or six eggs,
breaking one and beating it in--then another, and so on till they are
all in, and the dough quite light--put a pint of lard in a pan, let it
boil, make the fritters small, and fry them of a fine amber colour.
* * * * *
BREAD FRITTERS.
Cut your bread of a convenient size, pour on it some white wine, and let
it stand a few minutes--drain it on a sieve, beat four eggs very light,
add four spoonsful of wine, beat all well together--have your lard
boiling, dip the bread in the egg, and fry it a light brown; sprinkle
sugar on each, and glaze them.
* * * * *
SPANISH FRITTERS.
Make up a quart of flour, with one egg well beaten, a large spoonful of
yeast, and as much milk as will make it a little softer than muffin
dough; mix it early in the morning; when well risen, work in two
spoonsful of melted butter, make it in balls the size of a walnut, and
fry them a light brown in boiling lard--eat them with wine and sugar, or
molasses.
* * * * *
TO MAKE MUSH.
Put a lump of butter the size of an egg into a quart of water, make it
sufficiently thick with corn meal and a little salt; it must be mixed
perfectly smooth--stir it constantly till done enough.
* * * * *
CAKES.
JUMBALS.
Put one pound of nice sugar into two pounds of flour, add pounded spice
of any kind, and pass them through a sieve; beat four eggs, pour them on
with three quarters of a pound of melted butter, knead all well
together, and bake them.
* * * * *
MACAROONE.
Blanch a pound of sweet almonds, pound them in a mortar with rose water;
whip the whites of seven eggs to a strong froth, put in one pound of
powdered sugar, beat it some time, then put in the almonds--mix them
well, and drop them on sheets of paper buttered; sift sugar over, and
bake them quickly. Be careful not to let them get discoloured.
* * * * *
TO MAKE DROP BISCUIT.
Beat eight eggs very light, add to them twelve ounces of flour, and one
pound of sugar; when perfectly light, drop them on tin sheets, and bake
them in a quick oven.
* * * * *
TAVERN BISCUIT.
To one pound of flour, add half a pound of sugar, half a pound of
butter, some mace and nutmeg powdered, and a glass of brandy or wine;
wet it with milk, and when well kneaded, roll it thin, cut it in shapes,
and bake it quickly.
* * * * *
RUSK.
Rub half a pound of sugar into three pounds of flour--sift it, pour on
half a pint of good yeast, beat six eggs, add half a pint of milk--mix
all together, knead it well: if not soft enough, add more milk-it should
be softer than bread; make it at night--in the morning, if well risen,
work in six ounces of butter, and bake it in small rolls; when cold,
slice it, lay it on tin sheets, and dry it in the oven.
* * * * *
GINGER BREAD.
Three quarts of flour, three quarters of a pound of brown sugar, a large
spoonful of pounded ginger, one tea-spoonful of powdered cloves--sift
it, melt half a pound of butter in a quart of rich molasses, wet the
flour with it, knead it well, and bake it in a slack oven.
* * * * *
PLEBEIAN GINGER BREAD.
Mix three large spoonsful of pounded ginger, with three quarts of
flour--sift it, dissolve three tea-spoonsful of pearl-ash in a cup of
water, and pour it on the flour; melt half a pound of butter in a quart
of molasses, mix it with the flour, knead it well, cut it in shapes, and
bake it.
* * * * *
SUGAR GINGER BREAD.
Take two pounds of the nicest brown sugar, dry and pound it, put it into
three quarts of flour, add a large cup full of powdered ginger, and sift
the mixture; wash the salt out of a pound of butter, and cream it; have
twelve eggs well beaten; work into the butter first, the mixture, then
the froth from the eggs, until all are in, and it is quite light; add a
glass of brandy butter shallow moulds, pour it in, and bake in a quick
oven.
* * * * *
DOUGH NUTS--A YANKEE CAKE.
Dry half a pound of good brown sugar, pound it and mix it with two
pounds of flour, and sift it; add two spoonsful of yeast, and as much
new milk as will make it like bread: when well risen, knead in half a
pound of butter, make it in cakes the size of a half dollar, and fry
them a light brown in boiling lard.
* * * * *
RISEN CAKE.
Take three pounds of flour, one and a half of pounded sugar, a
tea-spoonful of cloves, one of mace, and one of ginger, all finely
powdered--pass the whole through a sieve, put to it four spoonsful of
good yeast, and twelve eggs--mix it up well, and if not sufficiently
soft, add a little milk: make it up at night, and set it to rise--when
well risen, knead into it a pound of butter, and two gills of brandy;
have ready two pounds of raisins stoned, mix all well together, pour it
into a mould of proper size, and bake it in an oven heated as for bread;
let it stand till thoroughly done, and do not take it from the mould
until quite cold.
* * * * *
POUND CAKE.
Wash the salt from a pound of butter, and rub it till it is soft as
cream--have ready a pound of flour sifted, one of powdered sugar, and
twelve eggs well beaten; put alternately into the butter, sugar, flour,
and the froth from the eggs--continuing to beat them together till all
the ingredients are in, and the cake quite light: add some grated lemon
peel, a nutmeg, and a gill of brandy; butter the pans, and bake them.
This cake makes an excellent pudding, if baked in a large mould, and
eaten with sugar and wine. It is also excellent when boiled, and served
up with melted butter, sugar and wine.
* * * * *
SAVOY OR SPUNGE CAKE.
Take twelve fresh eggs, put them in the scale, and balance them with
sugar: take out half, and balance the other half with flour; separate
the whites from the yelks, whip them up very light, then mix them, and
sift in, first sugar, then flour, till both are exhausted; add some
grated lemon peel; bake them in paper cases, or little tin moulds. This
also makes an excellent pudding, with butter, sugar, and wine, for
sauce.
* * * * *
A RICH FRUIT CAKE.
HAVE the following articles prepared, before you begin the cake: four
pounds of flour dried and sifted, four pounds of butter washed to free
it from salt, two pounds of loaf sugar pounded, a quarter of a pound of
mace, the same of nutmegs powdered; wash four pounds of currants clean,
pick and dry them; blanch one pound of sweet almonds, and cut them in
very thin slices; stone two pounds of raisins, cut them in two, and
strew a little flour over to prevent their sticking together, and two
pounds of citron sliced thin; break thirty eggs, separating the yelks
and whites; work the butter to a cream with your hand-put in
alternately, flour, sugar, and the froth from both whites and yelks,
which must be beaten separately, and _only_ the froth put in. When all
are mixed and the cake looks very light, add the spice, with half a pint
of brandy, the currants and almonds; butter the mould well, pour in part
of the cake, strew over it some raisins and citron--do this until all is
in: set it in a well heated oven: when it has risen, and the top is
coloured, cover it with paper; it will require three hours baking--it
must be iced.
* * * * *
NAPLES BISCUIT.
Beat twelve eggs light, add to them one pound of flour, and one of
powdered sugar; continue to beat all together till perfectly light; bake
it in long pans, four inches wide, with divisions; so that each cake,
when done, will be four inches long, and one and a half wide.
* * * * *
SHREWSBURY CAKES.
Mix a pound of sugar, with two pounds of flour, and a large spoonful of
pounded coriander seeds; sift them, add three quarters of a pound of
melted butter, six eggs, and a gill of brandy; knead it well, roll it
thin, cut it in shapes, and bake without discolouring it.
* * * * *
LITTLE PLUM CAKES.
Prepare them as directed for pound cake, add raisins and currants, bake
them in small tin shapes, and ice them.
* * * * *
SODA CAKES.
Dissolve half a pound of sugar in a pint of milk, add a tea-spoonful of
soda; pour it on two pounds of flour--melt half a pound of butter, knead
all together till light, put it in shallow moulds, and bake it quickly
in a brisk oven.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BREAD.
When you find the barrel of flour a good one, empty it into a chest or
box, made for the purpose, with a lid that will shut close: it keeps
much better in this manner than when packed in a barrel, and even
improves by lying lightly; sift the quantity you intend to make up--put
into a bowl two gills and a half of water for each quart, with a
tea-spoon heaped up with salt, and a large spoonful of yeast for each
quart; stir this mixture well, put into another bowl one handful of
flour from every quart; pour a little of the mixture on to wet it, then
more, until you get it all in, taking great care that it be smooth, and
quite free from lumps; beat it some minutes, take one-third of the flour
out of the kettle, pour on the batter, and sprinkle over it the dry
flour; stop the kettle, and set it where it can have a moderate degree
of warmth: when it has risen well, turn it into a bowl, mix in the dry
flour, and knead it on a board till it looks quite light; return it to
the kettle, and place it where it can have proper heat: in the morning,
take the dry crust carefully from the top, put the dough on a board,
knead it well, make it into rolls, set them on tin sheets, put a towel
over, and let them stand near the fire till the oven is ready. In
winter, make the bread up at three o'clock, and it will be ready to work
before bed time. In summer, make it up at five o'clock. A quart of flour
should weigh just one pound and a quarter. The bread must be rasped when
baked.
* * * * *
TO MAKE NICE BISCUIT.
Rub a large spoonful of butter into a quart of risen dough, knead it
well, and make it into biscuit, either thick or thin: bake them quickly.
* * * * *
RICE BREAD.
Boil six ounces of rice in a quart of water, till it is dry and
soft--put it into two pounds of flour, mix it in well; add two
tea-spoonsful of salt, two large spoonsful of yeast, and as much water
as will make it the consistence of bread: when well risen, bake it in
moulds.
* * * * *
MIXED BREAD.
Put a tea-spoonful of salt, and a large one of yeast, into a quart of
flour; make it sufficiently soft, with corn meal gruel; when well risen,
bake it in a mould. It is an excellent bread for breakfast. Indifferent
flour will rise much better, when made with gruel, than with fair water.
* * * * *
PATENT YEAST.
Put half a pound of fresh hops into a gallon of water, and boil it away
to two quarts; then strain it, make it a thin batter with flour; add
half a pint good yeast, and when well fermented, pour it in a bowl, and
work in as much corn meal as will make it the consistency of biscuit
dough; set it to rise, and when quite light, make it into little cakes,
which must be dried in the shade, turning them very frequently; keep
them securely from damp and dust. Persons who live in town, and can
procure brewer's yeast, will save trouble by using it: take one quart of
it, add a quart of water, and proceed as before directed.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE THE CAKES.
Take one or more cakes, according to the flour you are to make; pour on
a little warm water; when it is dissolved, stir it well, thicken with a
little flour, and set it near the fire, to rise before it is used. The
best thing to keep yeast in, is a small mug or pitcher, with a close
stopper, under which must be placed a double fold of linen, to make it
still closer. This is far preferable to a bottle, and more easily
cleaned.
* * * * *
ANOTHER METHOD FOR MAKING YEAST.
Peel one large Irish potato, boil it till soft, rub it through a sieve;
add an equal quantity of flour, make it sufficiently liquid with hop
tea; and when a little warmer than new milk, add a gill of good yeast;
stir it well, and keep it closely covered in a small pitcher.
* * * * *
NICE BUNS.
Put four ounces of sugar with three quarters of a pound of flour; make
it up with two spoonsful of yeast, and half a pint of milk; when well
risen, work into it four ounces of butter, make it into small buns, and
bake them in a quick oven--do not burn them.
* * * * *
MUFFINS.
Sift a quart of flour, put to it a little salt, and a large spoonful of
yeast--beat the white of a fresh egg to a strong froth, add it, and make
the flour up with cold water, as soft as you can to allow it to be
handled; set it in a moderately warm place. Next morning, beat it well
with a spoon, put it on the griddle in a round form, and bake it nicely,
turning them frequently till done.
* * * * *
FRENCH ROLLS.
Sift a quart of flour, add a little salt, a spoonful of yeast, two eggs
well beaten, and half a pint of milk--knead it, and set it to rise: next
morning, work in an ounce of butter, make the dough into small rolls,
and bake them. The top crust should not be hard.
* * * * *
CRUMPETS.
Take a quart of dough from your bread at a very early hour in the
morning; break three fresh eggs, separating the yelks from the
whites--whip them both to a froth, mix them with the dough, and add
gradually milk-warm water, till you make a batter the thickness of
buckwheat cakes: beat it well, and set it to rise till near breakfast
time; have the griddle ready, pour on the batter to look quite round:
they do not require turning.
* * * * *
APOQUINIMINC CAKES.
Put a little salt, one egg beaten, and four ounces of butter, in a quart
of flour--make it into a paste with new milk, beat it for half an hour
with a pestle, roll the paste thin, and cut it into round cakes; bake
them on a gridiron, and be careful not to bum them.
* * * * *
BATTER CAKES.
Boil two cups of small homony very soft; add an equal quantity of corn
meal with a little salt, and a large spoonful of butter; make it in a
thin batter with three eggs, and a sufficient quantity of milk--beat all
together some time, and bake them on a griddle, or in woffle irons. When
eggs cannot be procured, yeast makes a good substitute; put a spoonful
in the batter, and let it stand an hour to rise.
* * * * *
BATTER BREAD.
Take six spoonsful of flour and three of corn meal, with a little
salt--sift them, and make a thin batter with four eggs, and a sufficient
quantity of rich milk; bake it in little tin moulds in a quick oven.
* * * * *
CREAM CAKES.
Melt as much butter in a pint of milk, as will make it rich as
cream--make the flour into a paste with this, knead it well, roll it out
frequently, cut it in squares, and bake on a griddle.
* * * * *
SOUFLE BISCUITS.
Rub four ounces of butter into a quart of flour, make it into paste with
milk, knead it well, roll it as thin as paper, and bake it to look
white.
* * * * *
CORN MEAL BREAD.
Rub a piece of butter the size of an egg, into a pint of corn meal--make
it a batter with two eggs, and some new milk--add a spoonful of yeast,
set it by the fire an hour to rise, butter little pans, and bake it.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATO BUNS.
Boil and mash a potato, rub into it as much flour as will make it like
bread--add spice and sugar to your taste, with a spoonful of yeast; when
it has risen well, work in a piece of butter, bake it in small rolls, to
be eaten hot with butter, either for breakfast or tea.
* * * * *
RICE WOFFLES.
Boil two gills of rice quite soft, mix with it three gills of flour, a
little salt, two ounces melted butter, two eggs beaten well, and as much
milk as will make it a thick batter--beat it till very light, and bake
it in woffle irons.
* * * * *
VELVET CAKES.
Make a batter of one quart of flour, three eggs, a quart of milk, and a
gill of yeast; when well risen, stir in a large spoonful of melted
butter, and bake them in muffin hoops.
* * * * *
CHOCOLATE CAKES.
Put half a pound of nice brown sugar into a quart of flour, sift it, and
make it into a paste, with four ounces of butter melted in as much milk
as will wet it; knead it till light, roll it tolerably thin, cut it in
strips an inch wide, and just long enough to lay in a plate; bake them
on a griddle, put them in the plate in rows to checker each other, and
serve them to eat with chocolate.
* * * * *
WAFERS.
Beat six eggs, add a pint of flour, two ounces of melted butter, with as
much milk as will make a thin batter--put in pounded loaf sugar to your
taste, pour it in the wafer irons, bake them quickly without browning,
and roll them while hot.
* * * * *
BUCKWHEAT CAKES.
Put a large spoonful of yeast and a little salt, into a quart of
buckwheat meal; make it into a batter with cold water; let it rise well,
and bake it on a griddle--it turns sour very quickly, if it be allowed
to stand any time after it has risen.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS ON ICE CREAMS.
It is the practice with some indolent cooks, to set the freezer
containing the cream, in a tub with ice and salt, and put it in the ice
house; it will certainly freeze there; but not until the watery
particles have subsided, and by the separation destroyed the cream. A
freezer should be twelve or fourteen inches deep, and eight or ten wide.
This facilitates the operation very much, by giving a larger surface for
the ice to form, which it always does on the sides of the vessel; a
silver spoon with a long handle should be provided for scraping the ice
from the sides as soon as formed: and when the whole is congealed, pack
it in moulds (which must be placed with care, lest they should not be
upright,) in ice and salt, till sufficiently hard to retain the
shape--they should not be turned out till the moment they are to be
served. The freezing tub must be wide enough to leave a margin of four
or five inches all around the freezer, when placed in the middle--which
must be filled up with small lumps of ice mixed with salt--a larger tub
would waste the ice. The freezer must be kept constantly in motion
during the process, and ought to be made of pewter, which is less liable
than tin to be worn in holes, and spoil the cream by admitting the salt
water.
* * * * *
ICE CREAMS.
When ice creams are not put into shapes, they should always be served in
glasses with handles.
* * * * *
VANILLA CREAM.
Boil a Vanilla bean in a quart of rich milk, until it has imparted the
flavour sufficiently--then take it out, and mix with the milk, eight
eggs, yelks and whites beaten well; let it boil a little longer; make it
very sweet, for much of the sugar is lost in the operation of freezing.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CREAM.
Make a quart of rich boiled custard--when cold, pour it on a quart of
ripe red raspberries; mash them in it, pass it through a sieve, sweeten,
and freeze it.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRY CREAM
Is made in the same manner--the strawberries must be very ripe, and the
stems picked out. If rich cream can be procured, it will be infinitely
better--the custard is intended as a substitute, when cream cannot be
had.
* * * * *
COCOA NUT CREAM.
Take the nut from its shell, pare it, and grate it very fine; mix it
with a quart of cream, sweeten, and freeze it. If the nut be a small
one, it will require one and a half to flavour a quart of cream.
* * * * *
CHOCOLATE CREAM.
Scrape a quarter of a pound of chocolate very fine, put it in a quart of
milk, boil it till the chocolate is dissolved, stirring it
continually--thicken with six eggs. A Vanilla bean boiled with the milk,
will improve the flavour greatly.
* * * * *
OYSTER CREAM.
Make a rich soup, (see directions for oyster soup,) strain it from the
oysters, and freeze it.
* * * * *
ICED JELLY.
Make calf's foot jelly not very stiff, freeze it, and serve it in
glasses.
* * * * *
PEACH CREAM.
Get fine soft peaches perfectly ripe, peel them, take out the stones,
and put them in a China bowl: sprinkle some sugar on, and chop them very
small with a silver spoon--if the peaches be sufficiently ripe, they
will become a smooth pulp; add as much cream or rich milk as you have
peaches; put more sugar, and freeze it.
* * * * *
COFFEE CREAM.
Toast two gills of raw coffee till it is a light brown, and not a grain
burnt; put it hot from the toaster without grinding it, into a quart of
rich, and perfectly sweet milk; boil it, and add the yelks of eight
eggs; when done, strain it through a sieve, and sweeten it; if properly
done, it will not be discoloured. The coffee may be dried, and will
answer for making in the usual way to drink, allowing more for the
quantity of water, than if it had not gone through this process.
* * * * *
QUINCE CREAM.
Wash ripe quinces and boil them whole till quite tender--let them stand
to drain and cool--then rub them through a hair sieve; mix with the pulp
as much cochineal finely powdered, as will make it a pretty colour; then
add an equal quantity of cream, and sweeten it. Pears or apples may be
used, prepared in the same manner.
* * * * *
CITRON CREAM.
Cut the finest citron melons when perfectly ripe--take out the seeds,
and slice the nicest part into a China bowl in small pieces, that will
lie conveniently; cover them with powdered sugar, and let them stand
several hours--then drain off the syrup they have made, and add as much
cream as it will give a strong flavour to, and freeze it. Pine apples
may be used in the same way.
* * * * *
ALMOND CREAM.
Pour hot water on the almonds, and let them stand till the skins will
slip off, then pound them fine, and mix them with cream: a pound of
almonds in the shells, will be sufficient for a quart of cream--sweeten
and freeze it. The kernels of the common black walnut, prepared in the
same way, make an excellent cream.
* * * * *
LEMON CREAM.
Pare the yellow rind very thin from four lemons--put them in a quart of
fresh cream, and boil it; squeeze and strain the juice of one lemon,
saturate it completely with powdered sugar; and when the cream is quite
cold, stir it in--take care that it does not curdle--if not sufficiently
sweet, add more sugar.
* * * * *
LEMONADE ICED.
Make a quart of rich lemonade, whip the whites of six fresh eggs to a
strong froth--mix them well with the lemonade, and freeze it. The juice
of morello cherries, or of currants mixed with water and sugar, and
prepared in the same way, make very delicate ices.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CUSTARD.
Make a quart of milk quite hot, that it may not whey when baked; let it
stand to get cold, and then mix six eggs with it; sweeten it with loaf
sugar, and fill the custard cups--put on the covers, and set them in a
Dutch oven with water, but not enough to risk its boiling into the cups;
do not put on the top of the oven. When the water has boiled ten or
fifteen minutes, take out a cup, and if the custard be the consistence
of jelly; it is sufficiently done; serve them in the cups with the
covers on, and a tea-spoon on the dish between each cup--grate nutmeg on
the tops when cold.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A TRIFLE.
Put slices of Savoy cake or Naples biscuit at the bottom of a deep dish;
wet it with white wine, and fill the dish nearly to the top with rich
boiled custard; season half a pint of cream with white wine and sugar;
whip it to a froth--as it rises, take it lightly off, and lay it on the
custard; pile it up high and tastily--decorate it with preserves of any
kind, cut so thin as not to bear the froth down by its weight.
* * * * *
RICE BLANC MANGE.
Boil a tea-cup full of rice in a very small of water, till it is near
bursting--then add half a pint of milk, boil it to a mush, stirring all
the time; season it with sugar, wine, and nutmeg; dip the mould in
water, and fill it; when cold, turn it in a dish, and surround it with
boiled custard seasoned, or syllabub--garnish it with marmalade.
* * * * *
FLOATING ISLAND.
Have the bowl nearly full of syllabub, made with milk, white wine, and
sugar; beat the whites of six new laid eggs to a strong froth--then mix
with it raspberry or strawberry marmalade enough to flavour and colour
it; lay the froth lightly on the syllabub, first putting in some slices
of cake; raise it in little mounds, and garnish with something light.
* * * * *
SYLLABUB.
Season the milk with sugar and white wine, but not enough to curdle it;
fill the glasses nearly full, and crown them with whipt cream seasoned.
* * * * *
COLD CREAMS.
LEMON CREAM.
Pare the rind very thin from four fresh lemons, squeeze the juice, and
strain it--put them both into a quart of water, sweeten it to your
taste, add the whites of six eggs, beat to a froth; set it over the
fire, and keep stirring until it thickens, but do not let it boil--then
pour it in a bowl; when cold, strain it through a sieve, put it on the
fire, and add the yelks of the eggs--stir it till quite thick, and serve
it in glasses.
* * * * *
ORANGE CREAM.
Is made in the same manner, but requires more juice to give a flavour.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CREAM.
Stir as much raspberry marmalade into a quart of cream, as will be
sufficient to give a rich flavour of the fruit--strain it, and fill your
glasses, leaving out a part to whip into froth for the top.
* * * * *
TEA CREAM.
Put one ounce of the best tea in a pitcher, pour on it a table spoonful
of water, and let it stand an hour to soften the leaves; then put to it
a quart of boiling cream, cover it close, and in half an hour strain it;
add four tea-spoonsful of a strong infusion of rennet in water, stir it,
and set it on some hot ashes, and cover it; when you find by cooling a
little of it, that it will jelly, pour it into glasses, and garnish with
thin bits of preserved fruit.
* * * * *
SAGO CREAM.
Wash the sago clean, and put it on the fire with a stick of cinnamon,
and as much water as will boil it thick and soft; take out the cinnamon,
and add rich boiled custard till it is of a proper thickness; sweeten
it, and serve in glasses or cups, with grated nutmeg on the top.
* * * * *
BARLEY CREAM.
Is made the same way--you may add a little white wine to both; it will
give an agreeable flavour.
* * * * *
GOOSEBERRY FOOL.
Pick the stems and blossoms from two quarts of green gooseberries; put
them in a stew pan, with their weight in loaf sugar, and a very little
water--when sufficiently stewed, pass the pulp through a sieve; and when
cold, add rich boiled custard till it is like thick cream; put it in a
glass bowl, and lay frothed cream on the top.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SLIP.
Make a quart of rich milk moderately warm: then stir into it one large
spoonful of the preparation of rennet, (see receipt to prepare rennet,)
set it by, and when cold, it will be as stiff as jelly. It should be
made only a few hours before it is used, or it will be tough and watery;
in summer, set the dish in ice after it has jellied--it must be eaten
with powdered sugar, cream, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
CURDS AND CREAM.
Turn one quart of milk as for the slip--let it stand until just before
it is to be served: then take it up with a skimming dish, and lay it on
a sieve--when the whey has drained off, put the curds in a dish, and
surround them with cream--use sugar and nutmeg. These are Arcadian
dishes; very delicious, cheap, and easily prepared.
* * * * *
BLANC MANGE.
Break one ounce of isinglass into very small pieces; wash it well, and
pour on a pint of boiling water; next morning, add a quart of milk, boil
it till the isinglass is dissolved, strain it, put in two ounces sweet
almonds, blanched and pounded; sweeten it, and put it in the mould--when
stiff, turn them into a deep dish, and put raspberry cream around them.
For a change, stick thin slips of blanched almonds all over the blanc
mange, and dress round with syllabub, nicely frothed. Some moulds
require colouring--for an ear of corn, mix the yelk of an egg with a
little of the blanc mange; fill the grains of the corn with it--and when
quite set, pour in the white, but take care it is not warm enough to
melt the yellow: for a bunch of asparagus, colour a little with spinach
juice, to fill the green tops of the heads. Fruit must be made the
natural colour of what it represents. Cochineal and alkanet root pounded
and dissolved in brandy, make good colouring; but blanc mange should
never be served, without raspberry cream or syllabub to eat with it.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A HEN'S NEST.
Get five small eggs, make a hole at one end, and empty the shells--fill
them with blanc mange: when stiff and cold, take off the shells, pare
the yellow rind very thin from six lemons, boil them in water till
tender, then cut them in thin strips to resemble straw, and preserve
them with sugar; fill a small deep dish half full of nice jelly--when it
is set, put the straw on in form of a nest, and lay the eggs in it. It
is a beautiful dish for a dessert or supper.
* * * * *
Little Dishes for a Second Course, or Supper.
PHEASANTS A-LA-DAUB.
Roast two pheasants in the nicest manner--get a deep dish, the size and
form of the one you intend to serve the pheasants in--it must be as deep
as a tureen; put in savoury jelly about an inch and a half at the
bottom; when that is set, and the pheasants cold, lay them on the jelly
with their breasts down; fill the dish with jelly up to their backs;
take care it is not warm enough to melt the other, and that the birds
are not displaced--just before it is to be served, set it a moment in
hot water to loosen it; put the dish on the top, and turn it out
carefully.
* * * * *
PARTRIDGES A-LA-DAUB.
Truss six partridges neatly, cover them with thin slices of fat bacon
taken from the top of a middling; this keeps them white, and gives a
good flavour; they must be wrapped entirely in it--roast them, and when
done, take off the bacon; let them get cold, and use jelly as for the
pheasants.
* * * * *
CHICKENS A-LA-DAUB.
Roast two half grown chickens, cut off the legs and wings, pull the
breast from each side entire, take the skin from all the pieces, lay it
in the dish, and cover it with jelly.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAVOURY JELLY.
Put eight or ten pounds of coarse lean beef, or the same quantity of the
inferior parts of the fore quarter of veal, into a pot with two gallons
of water, a pound of lean salt pork, three large onions chopped, three
carrots, a large handful of parsley, and any sweet herb that you choose,
with pepper and salt; boil it very gently till reduced to two quarts;
strain it through a sieve--next day, take off the fat, turn out the
jelly, and separate it from the dregs at the bottom; put it on the fire
with half a pint of white wine, a large spoonful of lemon pickle, and
the whites and shells of four eggs beaten: when it boils clear on one
side, run it through the jelly bag.
* * * * *
TURKEY A-LA-DAUB.
Bone a small turkey, put pepper and salt on the inside, and cover it
with slices of boiled ham or tongue; fill it with well seasoned
forcemeat, sew it up and boil it--cover it with jelly.
* * * * *
SALMAGUNDI.
Turn a bowl on the dish, and put on it in regular rings, beginning at
the bottom, the following ingredients, all minced:--anchovies with the
bones taken out, the white meat of fowls without the skin, hard boiled
eggs, the yelks and whites chopped separately, parsley, the lean of old
ham scraped, the inner stalks of celery; put a row of capers round the
bottom of the bowl, and dispose the others in a fanciful manner; put a
little pyramid of butter on the top, and have a small glass with egg
mixed as for sallad, to eat with the salmagundi.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT RELISH AFTER DINNER.
Put some soup or gravy from any of the dishes on the table, into the
stew dish; add a good portion of pepper, vinegar, wine, catsup and salt;
let it be very highly seasoned; broil the legs, liver, and gizzard of a
turkey, the kidney of veal, or any thing you fancy; cut it up in small
pieces: when broiled, put it in the gravy, and stew it at table.
* * * * *
TO STEW PERCH.
Lay the perch in a deep pan with the heads on; sprinkle salt, pepper,
and a little chopped onion over each layer; when they are all in, take
as much water as will be sufficient to fill the pan less than half full;
add a gill of wine, one of catsup, a little lemon pickle and spice;
cover the pan, and let it stew gently till done; take out the fish
without breaking, put them in a deep dish, pour the gravy on, and neatly
turn them out.
* * * * *
PRESERVES.
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING PRESERVES.
The preserving pan should be made of bell metal, flat at the bottom,
very large in diameter, but not deep. It should have a cover to fit
closely, and handles at the sides of the pan, for taking it off with
ease when the syrup boils too fast. There should also be a large
chafing-dish with long legs, for the convenience of moving it to any
part of the room. The process is a tedious one; and if the
superintendent be not comfortably situated, the preserves cannot be
properly managed. A ladle the size of a saucer, pierced and having a
long handle, will be necessary for taking up the fruit without syrup.
When a chafing-dish cannot be procured, the best substitute is a brick
stove, with a grating, to burn charcoal. The sugar should be the best
double refined; but if the pure amber coloured sugar house syrup from
the West Indies can be got, it is greatly superior; it never ferments,
and the trouble is very much lessened by having ready made syrup, in
which it is only necessary to boil the fruit till clear. All delicate
fruit should be done gently, and not allowed to remain more than half an
hour after it begins to stew, before it is laid on dishes to cool; it
must be put into the syrup again for the same time; continue this until
it is sufficiently transparent. The advantage of this method is that the
preserves are less liable to boil to pieces, than when done all at one
time. It is injudicious to put more in the pan at once, than can lie on
the bottom without crowding. The pan must be made bright, and nothing
permitted to cool in it, lest it should canker. Delicate preserves
should be kept in small glasses or pots, that will not hold more than
one or two pounds, for the admission of air injures them; put letter
paper wet with brandy on the preserves, and cover the tops with many
folds of soft paper, that will tie round closely; keep them in a dry
place, and expose them constantly to the sun to check fermentation.
Fruit for preserving should be in full perfection, but not too ripe.
* * * * *
TO PRESERVE CLING-STONE PEACHES.
Get the finest yellow cling-stones, pare them, and lay them in a bowl;
have their weight of sugar pounded, and sprinkle it over them as they
are put in; let them stand two or three hours, put them together with
the sugar into the pan, add a little water, and let the peaches remain
till thoroughly scalded; take them out with the ladle, draining off the
syrup; should there not be enough to cover the peaches, add more Water,
boil it and skim it, return the fruit, and do them gently till quite
clear. Have some stones cracked, blanch the kernels, and preserve them
with the peaches.
* * * * *
CLING-STONES SLICED.
Pare the peaches, and cut them in as large slices as possible; have
their weight in sugar, and preserve them as the others.
* * * * *
SOFT PEACHES.
Get yellow soft peaches that are not quite ripe, pare and divide them,
scrape the places where the stones lay with a tea-spoon, and follow the
former directions.
* * * * *
PEACH MARMALADE.
Take the ripest soft peaches, (the yellow ones make the prettiest
marmalade,) pare them, and take out the stones; put them in the pan with
one pound of dry light coloured brown sugar to, two of peaches: when
they are juicy, they do not require water: with a silver or wooden
spoon, chop them with the sugar; continue to do this, and let them boil
gently till they are a transparent pulp, that will be a jelly when cold.
Puffs made of this marmalade are very delicious.
* * * * *
PEACH CHIPS.
Slice them thin, and boil them till clear in a syrup made with half
their weight of sugar; lay them on dishes in the sun, and turn them till
dry; pack them in pots with powdered sugar sifted over each layer;
should there be syrup left, continue the process with other peaches.
They are very nice when done pure honey instead of sugar.
* * * * *
PEARS.
The small pears are better for preserving than large ones. Pare them,
and make a syrup, with their weight of sugar, and a little water--leave
the stem on, and stick a clove in the blossom end of each; stew them
till perfectly transparent.
* * * * *
PEAR MARMALADE.
Boil the pears till soft--when cold, rub the pulp through a sieve, and
boil it to a jelly, allowing one pound of sugar to two of pears.
* * * * *
QUINCES.
Select the finest and most perfect quinces, lay them on shelves, but do
not let them touch each other; keep them till they look yellow and have
a fragrant smell; put as many in the preserving pan as can lie
conveniently, cover them with water, and scald them well: then take out
the cores, and put them in water; cover the pan and boil them some time;
strain the water, add to it the weight of the quinces in pounded loaf
sugar, dissolve and skim it, pare the quinces, put them in the pan, and
should there not be syrup enough to cover them, add more water--stew
them till quite transparent. They will be light coloured if kept covered
during the process, and red if the cover be taken off. Fill the space
the cores occupied with quince jelly, before they are put into the
pots--and cover them with syrup.
* * * * *
CURRANT JELLY.
Pick full ripe currants from the stem, and put them in a stone pot; then
set it in an iron pot of water--take care that no water gets in: when
the currants have yielded their juice, pour them into a jelly bag--let
it run as long as it will without pressing, which must be reserved for
the best jelly; you may then squeeze the bag to make inferior kind. To
each pint of this juice, put one pound of loaf sugar powdered--boil it
fifteen or twenty minutes--skim it clean, and put it in glasses; expose
them daily to the sun to prevent fermentation.
* * * * *
QUINCE JELLY.
Prepare the quinces as before directed, take off the stems and blossoms,
wash them clean, and cut them in slices without paring; fill the pan,
and pour in water to cover them--stew them gently, putting in a little
water occasionally till they are soft; then pour them into a jelly bag;
let all the liquor run through without pressing it, which must be set
aside for the best jelly; to each pint of this, put a pound of loaf
sugar pounded, and boil it to a jelly. The bag may be squeezed for an
inferior, but a very nice jelly.
* * * * *
QUINCE MARMALADE.
Boil the quinces in water until soft, let them cool, and rub all the
pulp through a sieve: put two pounds of it to one of sugar, pound a
little cochineal, sift in through fine muslin, and mix it with the
quince to give a colour; pick out the seeds, tie them in a muslin bag,
and boil them with the marmalade: when it is a thick jelly, take out the
seeds, and put it in pots.
* * * * *
CHERRIES.
The most beautiful cherries to preserve, are the carnation and common
light red, with short stems; select the finest that are not too ripe;
take an equal weight with the cherries of double refined sugar, make it
into a syrup, and preserve them without stoning, and with the stems on;
if they be done carefully, and the "Directions for preserving" closely
attended to, the stems will not come off, and they will be so
transparent that the stones may be seen.
* * * * *
MORELLO CHERRIES.
Take out the stones with a quill over a deep dish, to save the juice
that runs from them; put to the juice a pound of sugar for each pound of
cherries, weighed after they are stoned; boil and skim the syrup, then
put in the fruit, and stew till quite clear.
* * * * *
TO DRY CHERRIES.
Stone them, and save the juice: weigh the cherries, and allow one pound
of good brown sugar to three of the fruit; boil it with the juice, put
the cherries in, stew them fifteen or twenty minutes, take them out,
drain off the syrup, and lay the cherries in dishes to dry in the sun;
keep the syrup to pour over a little at a time, as it dries on the
cherries, which must be frequently turned over; when all the syrup is
used, put the cherries away in pots, sprinkling a little powdered loaf
sugar between the layers. They make excellent pies, puddings, and
charlottes.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY JAM.
To each pound of ripe red or English raspberries, put one pound of loaf
sugar--stir it frequently, and stew till it is a thick jelly.
* * * * *
TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES.
Get the largest strawberries before they are too ripe; have the best
loaf sugar, one pound to each of strawberries--stew them very gently,
taking them out to cool frequently, that they may not be mashed; when
they look clear, they are done enough.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRY JAM.
Is made in the same manner as the raspberry, and is very fine to mix
with cream for blanc mange, puffs, sweet-meat puddings, &c. &c.
* * * * *
GOOSEBERRIES.
Select young gooseberries, make a syrup with one pound of loaf sugar to
each of fruit; stew them till quite clear and the syrup becomes thick,
but do not let them be mashed. They are excellent made into tarts--do
not cover the pan while they are stewing.
* * * * *
APRICOTS IN BRANDY.
Take freshly gathered apricots not too ripe; to half their weight of
loaf sugar, add as much water as will cover the fruit; boil and skim it:
then put in the apricots, and let them remain five or six minutes: take
them up without syrup, and lay them on dishes to cool; boil the syrup
till reduced one half; when the apricots are cold, put them in bottles,
and cover them with equal quantities of syrup and French brandy. If the
apricots be cling-stones, they will require more scalding.
* * * * *
PEACHES IN BRANDY.
Get yellow soft peaches, perfectly free from defect and newly gathered,
but not too ripe; place them in a pot, and cover them with cold weak
lye; turn over those that float frequently, that the lye may act equally
on them; at the end of an hour take them out, wipe them carefully with a
soft cloth to get off the down and skin, and lay them in cold water;
make a syrup as for the apricots, and proceed in the same manner, only
scald the peaches more.
* * * * *
CHERRIES IN BRANDY.
Get the short stemmed bright red cherries in bunches--make a syrup, with
equal quantities of sugar and cherries; scald the cherries, but do not
let the skins crack, which they will do if the fruit be too ripe.
* * * * *
MAGNUM BONUM PLUMS IN BRANDY.
Select those that are free from blemish--make a syrup with half their
weight of sugar, and preserve them in the same manner directed for
apricots--green gages. The large amber, and the blue plums, are also
excellent, done in the same way.
* * * * *
PICKLING.
LEMON PICKLE.
Grate the yellow rind from two dozen fine fresh lemons, quarter them but
leave them whole at the bottom; sprinkle salt on them, and put them in
the sun every day until dry; then brush off the salt, put them in a pot
with one ounce of nutmegs, and one of mace pounded; a large handful of
horse radish scraped and dried two dozen cloves of garlic, and a pint of
mustard seed; pour on one gallon of strong vinegar, tie the pot close,
put a board on, and let it stand three months--strain it, and when
perfectly clear, bottle it.
* * * * *
TOMATO CATSUP.
Gather a peck of tomatos, pick out the stems, and wash them; put them on
the fire without water, sprinkle on a few spoonsful of salt, let them
boil steadily an hour, stirring them frequently; strain them through a
colander, and then through a sieve; put the liquid on the fire with half
a pint of chopped onions, half a quarter of an ounce of mace broke into
small pieces; and if not sufficiently salt, add a little more--one
table-spoonful of whole black pepper; boil all together until just
enough to fill two bottles; cork it tight. Make it in August, in dry
weather.
* * * * *
TOMATO MARMALADE.
Gather full grown tomatos while quite green; take out the stems, and
stew them till soft; rub them through a sieve, put the pulp on the fire
seasoned highly with pepper, salt, and pounded cloves; add some garlic,
and stew all together till thick: it keeps well, and is excellent for
seasoning gravies, &c. &c.
* * * * *
TOMATO SWEET MARMALADE.
Prepare it in the same manner, mix some loaf sugar with the pulp, and
stew until it is a stiff jelly.
* * * * *
TOMATO SOY.
Take a bushel of full ripe tomatos, cut them in slices without
skinning--sprinkle the bottom of a large tub with salt, strew in the
tomatos, and over each layer of about two inches thick, sprinkle half a
pint of salt, and three onions sliced without taking off the skins.
When the bushel of tomatos is thus prepared, let them remain for _three_
days, then put them into a large iron pot, in which they must boil from
early in the morning till night, constantly stirring to prevent their
sticking and mashing them.
The next morning, pass the mixture through a sieve, pressing it to
obtain all the liquor you can; and add to it one ounce of cloves,
quarter of a pound of allspice, quarter of a pound of whole black
pepper, and a small wine glass of Cayenne; let it boil slowly and
constantly during the whole of the day--in the evening, put it into a
suitable vessel to cool; and the day after, bottle and cork it well:
place it in a cool situation during warm weather, and it will keep for
many years, provided it has been boiled very slowly and sufficiently in
the preparation. Should it ferment it must be boiled a second time.
* * * * *
PEPPER VINEGAR.
Get one dozen pods of pepper when ripe, take out the stems, and cut them
in two; put them in a kettle with three pints of vinegar, boil it away
to one quart, and strain it through a sieve. A little of this is
excellent in gravy of every kind, and gives a flavour greatly superior
to black pepper; it is also very fine when added to each of the various
catsups for fish sauce.
* * * * *
MUSHROOM CATSUP.
Take the flaps of the proper mushrooms from the stems--wash them, add
some salt, and crush them; then boil them some time, strain them through
a cloth, put them on the fire again with salt to your taste, a few
cloves of garlic, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves pounded, to a peck
of mushrooms; boil it till reduced to less than half the original
quantity--bottle and cork it well.
* * * * *
TARRAGON OR ASTRAGON VINEGAR.
Pick the tarragon nicely from the stem, let it lie in a dry place
forty-eight hours; put it in a pitcher, and to one quart of the leaves
put three pints of strong vinegar; cover it close, and let it stand a
week--then strain it, and after standing in the pitcher till quite
clear, bottle it, and cork it closely.
* * * * *
CURRY POWDER.
One ounce turmeric, one do. coriander seed, one do. cummin seed, one do.
white ginger, one of nutmeg, one of mace, and one of Cayenne pepper;
pound all together, and pass them through a line sieve; bottle and cork
it well--one tea-spoonful is sufficient to season any made dish.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS.
Gather them full grown, but quite young--take off the green rind, and
slice them tolerably thick; put a layer in a deep dish, strew over it
some chopped onion and salt; do this until they are all in; sprinkle
salt on the top, let them stand six hours, put them in a colander--when
all the liquor has run off, put them in a pot; strew a little cayenne
pepper over each layer, and cover them with strong cold vinegar; when
the pot is full, pour on some sweet oil, and tie it, up close; at the
end of a fortnight, pour off the first vinegar, and put on fresh.
* * * * *
OIL MANGOS.
Gather the melons a size larger than a goose egg--put them in a pot,
pour boiling salt and water made strong upon them, and cover them up;
next day, cut a slit from the stem to the blossom end, and take out the
seeds carefully--return them to the brine, and let them remain in it
eight days; then put them in strong vinegar for a fortnight, wipe the
insides with a soft cloth, stuff them and tie them, pack them in a pot
with the slit uppermost; strew some of the stuffing over each layer, and
keep them covered with the best vinegar.
* * * * *
TO MAKE THE STUFFING FOR FORTY MELONS.
Wash a pound of white race ginger very clean; pour boiling water on it,
and let it stand twenty-four hours; slice it thin, and dry it; one pound
of horse-radish scraped and dried, one pound of mustard seed washed and
dried, one pound of chopped onion, one ounce of mace, one of nutmeg
pounded fine, two ounces of turmeric, and a handful of whole black
pepper; make these ingredients into a paste, with a quarter of a pound
of mustard, and a large cup full of sweet oil; put a clove of garlic
into each mango.
* * * * *
TO MAKE YELLOW PICKLE.
Put all the articles intended for the yellow pickle in a pot, and pour
on them boiling salt and water--let them stand forty-eight hours, take
advantage of a clear hot day, press the water from the articles, and lay
them to dry in full sunshine, on a table covered with a thick soft
cloth, with the corners pinned securely, that they may not blow up over
the things--the cloth absorbs the moisture; and by turning them
frequently on a dry place, they become white, and receive the colour of
the turmeric more readily--one day of clear sunshine is enough to
prepare them for the first vinegar. When dried, put them in a pot of
plain cold vinegar, with a little turmeric in it--let them remain in it
two weeks to draw off the water from them, and to make them plump--then
put them in a clean pot, and pour on the vinegar, prepared by the
following directions--this is the most economical and best way of
keeping them--mix the turmeric very smoothly, before you add it to your
pickles.
* * * * *
TO MAKE GREEN PICKLES.
Put the articles you intend to pickle, in a pot--and cover them with
boiling salt and water: put a thick cloth on the top, and then a plate
that will fit it--let it stand till the next morning, then pour off the
salt and water, boil it again, and cover them as before; do this until
your pickles are a good green--then put them in plain cold vinegar, with
some turmeric in it; and at the end of a fortnight, put them up, as you
do the yellow pickle.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE VINEGAR FOR GREEN OR YELLOW PICKLE.
One pound of ginger sliced and dried, one of horse-radish scraped and
dried, one of mustard seed washed and dried, one ounce long pepper, an
ounce of mace, and one of nutmegs finely pounded; put all these
ingredients in a pot, pour two gallons of strong vinegar on, and let it
stand twelve months, stirring it very frequently. When this vinegar is
used for the pickles, put two gallons more vinegar, with some mace and
nutmegs, and keep it for another year. When the prepared vinegar is
poured from the ingredients, do it very carefully, that it may be quite
clear. Pickles keep much better when the vinegar is not boiled. Should
the green pickles at any time lose their colour, it may be restored by
adding a little more turmeric. All pickles are best, when one or two
years old.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ONIONS.
Get white onions that are not too large, cut the stem close to the root
with a sharp knife, put them in a pot, pour on boiling salt and water to
cover them, stop the pot closely, let them stand a fortnight, changing
the salt and water every three days; they must be stirred daily, or
those that float will become soft; at the end of this time, take off the
skin and outer shell, put them in plain cold vinegar with a little
turmeric. If the vinegar be not very pale, the onion will not be of a
good colour.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE NASTERTIUMS.
Gather the berries when full grown but young, put them in a pot, pour
boiling salt and water on, and let them stand three or four days; then
drain off the water, and cover them with cold vinegar; add a few blades
of mace, and whole grains of black pepper.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE RADISH PODS.
Cut them in nice bunches as soon as they are fully formed; they must be
young and tender--pour boiling salt and water on them, cover with a
thick cloth, and pewter plate, to keep in the steam; repeat this every
day till they are a good green; then put them in cold vinegar, with mace
and whole pepper; mix a little turmeric, with a small portion of oil,
and stir it into the vinegar; it will make the pods of a more lively
green. They are very pretty for garnishing meats.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ENGLISH WALNUTS.
The walnuts should be gathered when the nut is so young that you can run
a pin into it easily; pour boiling salt and water on, and let them be
covered with it nine days, changing it every third day--take them out,
and put them on dishes in the air for a few minutes, taking care to turn
them over; this will make them black much sooner--put them in a pot,
strew over some whole pepper, cloves, a little garlic, mustard seed, and
horse-radish scraped and dried; cover them with strong cold vinegar.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE PEPPERS.
Gather the large bell pepper when quite young, leave the seeds in and
the stem on, cut a slit in one side between the large veins, to let the
water in; pour boiling salt and waler on, changing it every day for
three weeks--you must keep them closely stopped; if at the end of this
time, they be a good green, put them in pots, and cover them with cold
vinegar and a little turmeric; those that are not sufficiently green,
must be continued under the same process till they are so. Be careful
not to cut through the large veins, as the heat will instantly diffuse
itself through the pod.
* * * * *
TO MAKE WALNUT CATSUP.
Gather the walnuts as for pickling, and keep them in salt and water the
same time; then pound them in a marble mortar--to every dozen walnuts,
put a quart of vinegar; stir them well every day for a week, then put
them in a bag, and press all the liquor through; to each quart, put a
tea-spoonful of pounded cloves, and one of mace, with six cloves of
garlic--boil it fifteen or twenty minutes, and bottle it.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE GREEN NECTARINES OR APRICOTS.
Gather them while the shell is soft--green them with salt and water as
before directed; when a good green, soak them in plain vinegar for a
fortnight, and put them in the yellow pickle pot.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ASPARAGUS.
Pour boiling salt and water on, and cover them close--next day, take
them out, dry them, and after standing in vinegar, put them with the
yellow pickle.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS ON PICKLING.
The vessels for keeping pickles should be made of stone ware, straight
from the bottom to the top, with stone covers to them; when the mouth is
very wide, the pickles may be taken out without breaking them The motive
for keeping all pickles in plain vinegar, previous to putting them in
the prepared pot, is to draw off the water with which they are
saturated, that they may not weaken the vinegar of the pot. Pickles keep
much better when the vinegar is not boiled.
* * * * *
CORDIALS, &c.
GINGER WINE.
To three gallons of water, put three pounds of sugar, and four ounces of
race ginger, washed in many waters to cleanse it; boil them together for
one hour, and strain it through a sieve; when lukewarm, put it in a cask
with three lemons cut in slices, and two gills of beer yeast; shake it
well, and stop the cask very tight; let it stand a week to ferment; and
if not clear enough to bottle, it must remain until it becomes so; it
will be fit to drink in ten days after bottling.
* * * * *
ORGEAT.
_A Necessary Refreshment at all Parties._
Boil two quarts of milk with a stick of cinnamon and let it stand to be
quite cold, first taking out the cinnamon; blanch four ounces of the
best sweet almonds, pound them in a marble mortar with a little
rose-water; mix them well with the milk, sweeten it to your taste, and
let it boil a few minutes only, lest the almonds should be oily; strain
it through a very fine sieve till quite smooth, and free from the
almonds, serve it up either cold or lukewarm, in glasses with handles.
* * * * *
CHERRY SHRUB.
Gather ripe morello cherries, pick them from the stalk, and put them in
an earthen pot, which must be set into an iron pot of water; make the
water boil, but take care that none of it gets into the cherries; when
the juice is extracted, pour it into a bag made of tolerably thick
cloth, which will permit the juice to pass, but not the pulp of your
cherries; sweeten it to your taste, and when it becomes perfectly clear,
bottle it--put a gill of brandy into each bottle, before you pour in the
juice--cover the corks with rosin. It will keep all summer, in a dry
cool place, and is delicious mixed with water.
* * * * *
CURRANT WINE.
Gather full ripe currants on a dry day, pick them from the stalks, and
weigh them; then crush them with your hands, leaving none whole; for
every two pounds of currants put one quart of water; stir all well
together, and let it stand three hours, and strain the liquor through a
sieve; then, for every three pounds of currants, put one pound of
powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is dissolved, boil it, and
keep skimming it, as long as any scum will rise; let it stand sixteen
hours to cool, before you put it in the cask--stop it very close. If the
quantity be twenty gallons, let it stand three weeks before you bottle
it; if it be thirty gallons, it must remain a month; it should be
perfectly clear when drawn off--put a lump of sugar in each bottle, cork
it well, and keep it in a cool place, or it will turn sour. This is a
pleasant and cheap wine--and if properly made, will keep good for many
years. It makes an agreeable beverage for the sick, when mixed with
water.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CHERRY BRANDY.
Get equal quantities of morello and common black cherries; fill your
cask, and pour on (to a ten gallon cask) one gallon of boiling water; in
two or three hours, fill it up with brandy--let it stand a week, then
draw off all, and put another gallon of boiling water, and fill it again
with brandy--at the end of the week, draw the whole off, empty the cask
of the cherries, and pour in your brandy with water, to reduce the
strength; first dissolving one pound of brown sugar in each gallon of
your mixture. If the brandy be very strong, it will bear water enough to
make the cask full.
* * * * *
ROSE BRANDY.
Gather leaves from fragrant roses without bruising, fill a pitcher with
them, and cover them with French brandy; next day, pour off the brandy,
take out the leaves, and fill the pitcher with fresh ones, and return
the brandy; do this till it is strongly impregnated, then bottle it;
keep the pitcher closely covered during the process. It is better than
distilled rose water for cakes, &c.
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