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The Art of Cookery,


set them on a gentle fire, let them boil, but not too fast, lest they break: and when they have boiled and you perceive that the sugar has entered them, take them off; cover them white paper, and set them by till the next day. Then take them out of the syrup, and boil the syrup till it begins to be ropy; skim it and put it to them again, then set them on a gentle fire, and let them preserve gently, till your perceive the syrup will rope; then take them off, set them by till they are cold, cover them with paper, then boil some gooseberries in fair water, and when the liquor is strong enough, strain it out. Let it stand to settle, and to every pint take a pound of double-refined sugar, then make a jelly of it, put the gooseberries in glasses, when they are cold, cover them with the jelly the next day, peper them wet, and then half dry the paper, that goes in the inside, it closes down better, and then white paper over the glass. Set it in your stove, or a dry place.

To preserve white walnuts.

FIRST pare your walnuts till the white appears, and nothing else. You must be careful in the doing of them, that they don't turn black, and as fast as you do them throw them into salt and water, and let them lie till your sugar is ready. Take three puonds of good loaf-sugar, put it into your preserving pan, set it over a charcoal fire, and put as much water as will just wet the sugar. Let it boil, then have ready ten or a dozen whites of eggs strained and beat up to froth, cover your sugar with the froth as it boils, and skim it; then boil it and skim it till it is as clear as crystal, then throw in your walnuts, just give them a boil till they are tender, then take them out, and lay them in a dish to cool; when cool, put them in your preserving pan, and when the sugar is as warm as milk pour it over them; when quite cold, paper them down.

Thus clear your sugar for all preserves, apricots, peaches, gooseberries, currants, &c.

To preserve walnuts green.

WIPE them very clean, and lay them in strong salt and water twenty-four hours; then take them out, and wipe them very clean, have ready a skillet of water boiling, throw then in, let them boil a minute, and take them out. Lay them on a coarse cloth, and boil your sugar as above; then just give your walnuts a scald in the sugar, take them up and lay them to cool. Put them in your preserving-pot, and pour on your syrup as above.