The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

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292                          JELLIES AND PRESERVES.
them over a slow fire till melted, then reduce, by stirring over a fierce fire, cool and dish up the apples into a compute dish, sprinkle some fine sugar over the top and glaze it with the red hot salamander.
Orange Marmalade. (K. A.) —Carefully remove the rind from bitter or sweet oranges, without any of the white, boil till soft, chang­ing the water twice ; then soak them in cold water for a few minutes, drain and pound them to a fine paste; to each pound of peel allow 1-2 a pound of white granulated sugar, make a strong syrup of it, put into the paste and boil the two together, stirring constantly, till the marmalade is done. When done, it will draw out like a thread between the thumb and finger. The rind of shaddock or pomeloe can be used in the same way.
Lemon Cheese Cake.—1-4 pound of butter, 1 pound of loaf sugar, the rind of 2 lemons, and the juice of 3; put all the ingredients into a stew pan, carefully grating the lemon rind and straining the juice ; keep stirring the mixture over the fire, till the sugar is dissolved, and it begins to thicken. When of the consistency of honey, it is done ; then put it into small jars and keep in a dry place. This mixture will remain good for 3 or 4 months. When made into cheesecakes, add a few pounded almonds, or candied peel, or grated sweet bis­cuit, line some patty pans with good stiff paste, rather more than half fill them with the mixture; bake for 1-4 hour in a good brisk oven. Sufficient for 24 cheese cakes. Seasonable at any time.
Lemon Butter.—1 pound of white sugar, 1-4 pound of fresh but­ter, 6 eggs, juice and grated rind of 3 lemons, taking out all the seeds. Boil all together a few minutes, till thick as honey, stirring constant­ly ; put in small jars or tumblers, covered with paper, dipped in white of egg. One teaspoonful is enough for about a cheese cake. This will keep for a long time in a cool, dry place.
Apricots Preserved Whole.—Take the largest and cleanest ap­ricots to be had, pick out the stones by slitting them down the sides with a silver knife or skewer; take nearly their weight in good lump sugar, dip each lump in water, and put over the fire, which just boil, skim, and put by till cold, then pour it over the fruit in the preserv­ing pan, warm very quickly, and only allow them to simmer, put them by till next day, and warm them again, continuing this till they look clear ; then take the fruit from the syrup. The latter must now be well boiled and skimmed, and when cold, poured over the fruit.
GREEn Gages Preserved Whole.—Prick them all over with a pin or splinter, then put them in scalding water; let them simmer, skim and take their weight in sugar ; put the sugar into the preserving pan, with 1-2 its bulk in water, let it boil well and skim ver/clean ; put in the plums, let them boil up once, take them off and set them by till next day; then take them out one by one from the syrup, boil it and