The best way to Preserve Goose-Berries.
Gather them with their stalks on, cut off their heads, and stone them, then put them in scalding water, and let them stand therein covered a quarter of an hour, then take their weight in sugar finely beaten, and laying first a lay of sugar, then one of your Goose-Berries, in your Preserving Skillet or pan, till all be in, putting in for every pound of Goose-Berries, six spoonfulls of water, set them on the embers till the sugar be melted, then boyle them up as fast as you can, till the Syrupe be thick enough, and cold, and then put them up. This way serves also for Respasses and Mulberries.
Of Plums.
The best way to dry Plums.
Take your Plums when they are full growne, with the stalks on them, but yet green, split them on the one side, and put them in hot water, but not too hot, and so let them stand three or four hours, then to a spoonfull of them, take three quarters of a pound of sugar, beaten very fine, and eight spoonfulls of water to every pound, and set them on hot embers till the sugar be melted, and after that boyle them till they be very tender, letting them stand in that Syrupe three dayes to plump them; then take them out, wash the Syrupe from them with warm water, and wipe them with a fine linnen cloath, very dry, and lay them on plates, and set them to dry in a Stove, for if you dry them in an Oven, they will be tough.
To Preserve Damsons.
Take Damsons before they be full ripe, but new gathered off the Tree, allow to every pound of them a pound of sugar, put a little Rose-water to them, and set them in the bottome of your pan, one by one, boyle them with a soft fire, and as they seeth strew your sugar upon them, and let them boyle till the Syrupe be thick enough, then while the Syrupe is yet warme, take the Plums out, and put them in a gally pot, Syrupe and all.
To Preserve Bullasses as green as grasse.
Take your Bullasses, as new gathered as you can, wipe them with a cloath, and prick them with a knife, and quaddle them in two waters, close covered, then take a pound of Clarified sugar, and a pint of Apple water, boyle them well together (keeping them well scummed) unto a Syrupe, and when your Bullases are well dript from the water, put them into the Syrupe, and warm them three or four times at the least, at the last warming take them up, and set them a dropping from the Syrupe, and boyle the Syrupe a little by it selfe, till it come to a jelly, and then between hot and cold put them up to keep for all the year.