The Art of Confectionary / Shewing the Various Methods of Preserving All Sorts of Fruits, Dry and Liquid; viz. Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, Golden Pippins, Wardens, Apricots Green, Almonds, Goosberries, Cherries, Currants, Plumbs, Rasberries, Peaches, Walnuts, Nectarines, Figs, Grapes, &c., Flowers and Herbs; as Violets, Angelica, Orange-Flowers, &c.; Also How to Make All Sorts of Biscakes, Maspins, Sugar-Works, and Candies. With the Best Methods of Clarifying, and the Different Ways of Boiling Sugar.

by Edward Lambert

To preserve Violet-Plumbs.

Violet Plumbs are a long Time Yellow, and are ripe in the Month of June, which are preserved as follows; put them into clarified Sugar, just enough to cover them, and boil them pretty quick; the next Day boil them again as before; the Day after drain them again, and take away their Skins, which you will find all flown off, then put them into a Sugar, boil it till it blows a little, give them a Boil; the Day following boil some more Sugar till it blows a little, give them a Boil; the next Day boil some more Sugar to blow very strong, put the Plumbs in the Syrup, boil a little, and scum them; the next Day drain them, and lay them out to dry, but dust them before you put them into the Stove.

To preserve Orange-Flowers.

Take the Orange-Flowers just as they begin to open, put them into boiling Water, and let them boil very quick till they are tender, putting in a little Juice of Lemons as they boil, to keep them white; then drain them and dry them carefully between two Napkins; then put them into a clarified Sugar, as much as will cover them; the next Day drain the Syrup, and boil it a little smooth; when almost cold, pour it on the Flowers; the Day after you may drain them and lay them out to dry, dusting them a very little.

To put them in Jelly.

After they are preserved, as before directed, you must clarify a little more Sugar, with Orange-Flower-Water, and make a Jelly of Codlins, which, when ready, put in the Flowers Syrup and all; give them a Boil, scum them, and put them into your Glasses or Pots.

Note, When you boil the Syrup, you must add Sugar if it wants, as well in the Working the foregoing Fruits, as these.

To make Orange-Flower-Cakes.

Take four Ounces of the Leaves of Orange-Flowers, put them into fair Water for about an Hour, then drain them and put them between two Napkins, and with a Rolling-pin roll them till they are bruised; then have ready boiled one Pound of Double-refined-sugar to a bloom Degree; put in the Flowers, and boil it till it comes to the same Degree again, then remove it from the Fire, and let it cool a little; then with a Spoon grind the Sugar to the Bottom or Sides of the Pan, and when it becomes white, pour it into little Papers or Cards, made in the Form of a Dripping-pan; when quite cold, take them out of the Pans, and dry them a little in a Stove.