Mrs. Mary Ealess receipts | Page 7

Sugar as will cover them; drain your Plums, put them
into the Syrup, and give them two or three Boils; repeat it two or three
Days, 'till they are very clear; let them stand in their Syrup above a
Week; then lay them out on Sieves, in a hot Stove, to dry: If you would
have your Plums green very soon, instead of Allom, take Verdigreece
finely beaten, and put in Vinegar; shake it in a Bottle, and put it into
them when the Skin cracks; let them have a Boil, and they will be very
soon green; you may put some of them in Codling-Jelly, first boiling
the Jelly with the Weight in Sugar.
To dry AMBER, or any WHITE PLUMS.
Slit your Plums in the Seam; then make a thin Syrup. If you have any
Apricock-Syrup left, after your Apricocks are dry'd, put a Pint of Syrup
to two Quarts of Water; if you have none, clarify single-refin'd
Loaf-Sugar, and make a thin Syrup: Make the Syrup scalding hot, and
put in the Plums; there must be so much Syrup as will more than cover
the Plums; they must be kept under the Syrup, or they will turn red:
Keep them in a Scald 'till they are tender, but not too soft; then have
ready a thick Syrup of the same Sugar, clarify'd and cold, as much as
will cover the Plums; let them boil, but not too fast, 'till they are very
tender and clear, setting them sometimes off the Fire; then lay a Paper

close to them, and set them by 'till the next Day; then boil them again
'till the Syrup is very thick; let them lye in the Syrup four or five Days,
then lay them on Sieves to dry: You may put some in Codling-Jelly,
first boiling the Jelly with the Weight in Sugar, and put in the Plums
hot to the Jelly. Put them in Pots or Glasses.
To dry BLACK PEAR-PLUMS, or MUSCLES, or the GREAT
MOGULS.
Stone your Plums, and put them in a large earthen Pot; make a Syrup
with a Pound of single-refin'd Sugar and three Pints of Water; or if you
have the Syrup the white Plums are dry'd out of, thin it with Water, it
will do as well as Sugar; boil your Syrup well, and when it is cold
enough to hold your Hand in it, put it to the Plums; cover them close,
and let them stand all Night; heat the Syrup two or three Times, but
never too hot; when they are tender, lay them on Sieves, with the Slit
downwards to dry; put them in the Oven, made no hotter than it is after
Bread or Pyes come out of it; let them stand all Night therein; then
open them and turn them, and set them in a cool Oven again, or in an
hot Stove, for a Day or two; but if they are too dry, they will not be
smooth; then make a Jam to fill them with. Take ten Pound of Plums,
the same Sort of your Skins, cut them off the Stones, put to them three
Pound of Powder-Sugar; boil them on a slow Fire, keeping them
stirring 'till it's so stiff, that it will lye in a Heap in the Pan; it will be
boiling at least four or five Hours; lay it on Earthen Plates; when it is
cold, break it with your Hands, and fill your Skins; then wash every
Plum, and wipe all the Clam off with a Cloth: As you wash them, lay
them on a Sieve; put them in the Oven, make your Oven as hot as for
your Skins; let them stand all Night, and they will be blue in the
Morning. The great white Mogul makes a fine black Plum; stone them,
and put them in the Syrup with or after the black Plum; and heat the
Syrup every Day, 'till they are of a dark Colour; they will blue as well
as the Muscles, and better than the black Pear-Plums. If any of these
Plums grow rusty in the Winter, put them into boiling hot Water; let
them lye no longer than to be well wash'd: Lay them on a Sieve, not
singly, but one on the other, and they will blue the better: Put them in a
cool Oven all Night, they will be as blue and fresh as at first.

To preserve BLACK PEAR-PLUMS or DAMASCENES.
Take two Pound of Plums, and cut them in the Seam; then take a Pint
and half of Jelly, made of the same Plum, and three Pound and a half of
Sugar; boil the Jelly and Sugar, and scum it well; put your Plums in a
Pot; pour the Jelly on them scalding