The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a FarmBradley, Richard
Science
The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a Farm
Bradley, Richard
Cooking -- Early works to 1800; Cooking, English
I have now done with the Wines that are to be made in this Month: I shall
in the next place set down the Method of keeping or preserving Fruits for
Tarts all the Year about, as I had it from a very curious Person, in whose
House I have seen it practised with extraordinary Success. The Fruits which
are chiefly to be put up this Month, are Goosberries, Currants and
Cherries.
To preserve Fruits for Tarts all the Year.
The Goosberries must be full grown, but not ripe, they must be gather'd in
dry Weather, and pick'd clean of their Stalks and Tops; then put them into
Quart Bottles, that are made on purpose, with large wide Necks, and cork
them gently with new sound Corks, and put them into an Oven after the Bread
is drawn, letting them stand there till they have shrunk about a fourth
part; observing to change them now and then, because those which you set at
the further part of the Oven, will be soonest done. When you find them
enough, according to the above Direction, take them out, and immediately
beat the Corks in as tight as you can, and cut the Tops off even with the
Bottles, and pitch them over; you must then set your Bottles by, in a dry
Place. I have tasted of Fruits done this way, that have made as good Tarts
at the Year's end, as those that were fresh gather'd: The only difference
between the preserving Goosberries and Currants, is, that the Currants must
be full ripe when we put them into the Bottles, and so likewise the
Cherries.
There is another way of putting up Fruits for this use, which is, by half
preserving them with Sugar, _i.e._ half a Pound of Sugar to every Pound of
Fruit. Apricots especially, when they are near ripe, make excellent Tarts;
being split and pared from the Skin, and boiled in a Syrup, they will keep
the Year round, as an ingenious Lady has told me. It is also to be
remark'd, that ripe Goosberries make very fine Tarts.
The beginning of this Month, when the Goosberries are full grown, but not
ripe, is the right Season for preserving of them in sweet-meat: The white
_Dutch_ Goosberry is the best for this use.
So likewise if you have plenty of _Kentish_ Cherries, pick some of them
from the Stalks, and lay the Cherries upon a fine Wire Sieve, and dry them
in an Oven; when they are dried enough, and quite cold, put them in an
Earthen glazed Jar, and stop them up close: These must be kept in a dry
place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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