1585. - Currant Jelly, (Red)

Strip off the currants, put them in a jar, set the jar in a kettle of hot water, let it boil an hour, then throw the currants and juice into a fine lawn sieve, press out all the juice, and to every pint of juice put a pound of fine sugar; put them in a preserving-pan, set it over a charcoal fire and keep it stirring till it is in a jelly, which you will know by taking a little out to cool; be careful to take off the scum as it rises, and when it is jellied and very clear pour it into glasses; when cold, cut round pieces of paper that will just cover the jelly, dipped in brandy, put white paper over the glasses, twisting round the top. Make black currant jelly the same way, using coarse sugar.

1586. - Clear Apple Jelly

Pare and cut up five dozen large juicy, acid apples; put them in a pan with as much water as will cover them, let them boil gently until soft, let them get cold, then strain them through a jelly bag, put the juice in your preserving pan, and to each pint of juice put one pound of fine sugar and the peel of two lemons, then boil it until it is reduced to the stiffness of calves'-foot jelly, skim it well, add the juice of a lemon; it should be made in September, the flavor of the apple is better.

Jelly may be made from apricots, raspberries, grapes, and other fruits, using a pound of sugar for each pint of juice, and following the above directions.

1587. - Coloring For Jellies, Etc

For a beautiful red, boil fifteen grains of cochineal in the finest powder, with a drachm and a half of cream of tartar in half a pint of water, very slowly, half an hour; add in boiling a bit of alum, the size of a pea, or use beet-root sliced, and some liquor poured over.

For white, use almonds finely powdered, with a little drop of water, or use cream.

For yellow, yolks of eggs, or a bit of saffron steeped in the liquor and squeezed.

For green, pound spinach leaves or beet leaves, express the juice, and boil a teacupful in a saucepan of water to take off the rawness.

1588. - Frosted Fruit

Pick out the finest cherries, plums, apricots, grapes, or small pears - leave on their stalks. Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth - drain them, and beat the part that drips off again. Lay the fruit in the beaten egg with the stalks upward - select them out one by one, and dip them into a cup of finely powdered sugar. Cover a pan with a sheet of fine paper, place the fruit inside of it, and set it in an oven that is cooling. When the icing on the fruit becomes firm pile them on a dish and set them in a cool place.

1589. - Grapes In Brandt

Take some close bunches, black or white, not over-ripe, and lay them in a jar. Put a good quantity of pounded white sugar upon them, and fill up the jar with brandy; tie them close down with a bladder, and keep in a dry place. Each grape should be pricked thrice.

They make a beautiful middle dish in a winter dessert.

1590. - Cranberry Jelly

Make a very strong isinglass jelly. When cold, mix it with a double quantity of cranberry juice pressed, sweeten it with loaf sugar, and boil it up; then strain it into a shape.