N.B. White currants are preserved in the same manner, adding only white currant juice to the syrup.
To preserve Green Gage Plums.
First prick your plums well with a needle, and having laid them in salt and water, for eight and forty hours, scald them in pump water till they become tender, after which put them in cold water, and there let them remain till they are cool; then drain and pack them in single layers in your preserving pan; and give them a gentle heat once a day, for three days; this done, drain them, add some more sugar boiled to the degree of what is called pearled; then put them in and give them a heat, but not so far as to boil: proceed in this manner for two or three days, till you perceive the syrup becomes thick, then drain them, strain the syrup, boil it to a good height, put in your plums, give the whole a gentle boil, set them by in pans, and they are ready for drying out or putting into jelly.
To preserve Green Orange Plums.
The manner is the same as that prescribed with respect to the green gages: but care must be taken to cover these plums with a paper every time they are heated, as an effectual means of keeping in the steam and preserving the green hue: the same method should be observed as to green fruit in general.
To preserve Apricots.
Having taken the stones out, and cut your fruit in halves, scald them till they are tender, and put them into cold water: then drain, put them into a thin sugar, give them a gentle heat and set them by: the next day, drain the syrup from them, let it boil well and afterwards put in the fruit: let the whole simmer well together; and thus proceed from day to day, till the apricots are duly prepared, which may be known from the consistence of the syrup.
N.B. The Roman apricot is the best to preserve, and the orange apricot the best for jam.
To preserve Green Apricots.
Take the fruit when you can thrust a pin through the stone: prick them, and scald them till they are tender; then having drained, and put them into a thin syrup, let them simmer for half an hour every day, for a week: this done, drain them, boil some sugar to the degree called blown, to which add the syrup, and boiling it well, put in the fruit; let all boil together and set by. The next day, drain it, boil the syrup higher, put in the fruit, and boil till you perceive the syrup hang like a thread from the skimmer: the fruit are then fit for drying, or putting in jelly.