434. To dry APRICOCKS like PRUNELLOS.
Take a pound of apricocks before they be full ripe, cut them in halves or quarters, let them boil till they be very tender in a thin syrrup, and let them stand a day or two in the stove, then take them out of the syrrup, lay them to dry till they be as dry as prunellos, then box 'em, if you please you may pare them.
You may make your syrrup red with the juice of red plumbs.
435. To preserve great white PLUMBS.
To a pound of white plumbs take three quarters of a pound of double refin'd sugar in lumps, dip your sugar in water, boil and skim it very well, slit your plumbs down the seam; and put them into the syrrup with the slit downwards; let them stew over the fire a quarter of an hour, skim them very well, then take them off, and when cold cover them up; turn them in the syrrup two or three times a day for four or five days, then put them into pots and keep them for use.
436. To make Gooseberry Wine another Way.
Take gooseberries when they are full ripe, pick and beat them in a marble mortar; to every quart of berries put a quart of water, and put them into a tub and let them stand all night, then strain them through a hair-sieve, and press them very well with your hand; to every gallon of juice put three pounds of four-penny sugar; when your sugar is melted put it into the barrel, and to as many gallons of juice as you have, take as many pounds of Malaga raisins, chop them in a bowl, and put them in the barrel with the wine; be sure let not your barrel be over full, so close it up, let it stand three months in the barrel, and when it is fine bottle it, but not before.
437. To pickle NASTURTIUM BUDS.
Gather your little nobs quickly after the blossoms are off, put them in cold water and salt three days, shifting them once a day; then make a pickle for them (but don't boil them at all) of some white wine, and some white wine vinegar, shalot, horse-radish, whole pepper and salt, and a blade or two of mace; then put in your seeds, and stop 'em close up. They are to be eaten as capers.
438. To make ELDER-FLOWER WINE.