The Virginia Housewife by Mary Randolph
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Mary Randolph >> The Virginia Housewife
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* * * * *
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.
* * * * *
PEACH CORDIAL.
Gather ripe cling-stone peaches, wipe off the down, cut them to the
stone in several places, and put them in a cask; when filled with
peaches, pour on as much peach brandy as the cask will hold; let it
stand six or eight weeks, then draw it off, put in water until reduced
to the strength of wine; to each gallon of this, add one pound of good
brown sugar--dissolve it, and pour the cordial into a cask just large
enough to hold it--when perfectly clear, it is fit for use.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CORDIAL.
To each quart of ripe red raspberries, put one quart of best French
brandy; let it remain about a week, then strain it through a sieve or
bag, pressing out all the liquid; when you have got as much as you want,
reduce the strength to your taste with water, and put a pound of
powdered loaf sugar to each gallon--let it stand till refined.
Strawberry cordial is made the same way. It destroys the flavour of
these fruits to put them on the fire.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY VINEGAR.
Put a quart of ripe red raspberries in a bowl; pour on them a quart of
strong well flavoured vinegar--let them stand twenty-four hours, strain
them through a bag, put this liquid on another quart, of fresh
raspberries, which strain in the same manner--and then on a third quart:
when this last is prepared, make it very sweet with pounded loaf sugar;
refine and bottle it. It is a delicious beverage mixed with iced water.
* * * * *
MINT CORDIAL.
Pick the mint early in the morning while the dew is on it, and be
careful not to bruise it; pour some water over it, and drain it--put two
handsful into a pitcher, with a quart of French brandy, cover it, and
let it stand till next day; take the mint carefully out, and put in as
much more, which must be taken out next day--do this the third time:
then put three quarts of water to the brandy, and one pound of loaf
sugar powdered; mix it well together--and when perfectly clear, bottle
it.
* * * * *
HYDROMEL, OR MEAD.
Mix your mead in the proportion of thirty-six ounces of honey to four
quarts of warm water; when the honey is completely held in solution,
pour it into a cask. When fermented, and become perfectly clear, bottle
and cork it well. If properly prepared, it is a pleasant and wholesome
drink; and in summer particularly grateful, on account of the large
quantity of carbonic acid gas which it contains. Its goodness, however,
depends greatly on the _time_ of bottling, and other circumstances,
which can only be acquired by practice.
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