Mulberry Jelly.—It should be made like red currant jelly: the fruit first stewed, by putting it in jars and setting the jars in a saucepan of water and letting it simmer till the juice is well drawn; then strain it off, and to every pint of juice put 1 lb. lump sugar; boil gently for ¾ hour. Two or three kernels of peaches or almonds are a great improvement.
Orange Chips.—Cut your oranges longways, take out all the pulp, and put the rind into rather strong salt and water for 6 days, then boil them in a large quantity of spring water until they are tender; take them out and lay them on a hair sieve to drain, then make a thin syrup of fine loaf sugar (1 lb. to 1 qt. water), put in your peels, and boil them over a slow fire till you see the syrup candy about the pan and peels, then take them out and grate fine sugar over them. Lay them on a hair sieve to drain, and set them in a stove or before the fire to dry. Lemon chips or candied peel may be made in the same way.
Orange Jelly.—Peel 6 oranges very thin, and 1 lemon. Put a little hot water on the peel, and let it soak. Scoop out all the inside of oranges and lemon into a basin. Then pour 1 oz. melted gelatine over it, boil it a little while over the fire, and add white lump sugar, sweetening to taste. Then pour it hot over the peel which has been soaking in a little warm water, strain it all through some muslin, and then put it into a shape till cold.
Orange Marmalade.—(a) Put 6 lb. oranges (bitter) and 6 lemons into a brass pan, cover them completely with water, and boil until soft (about 3 hours). Lay a plate on the top of the oranges, to keep them below the water during the boiling. When soft take them out, cut in halves, scoop out the pulp, and throw away the stones. Scrape the skins free from the white fibre inside, then cut into very thin stripes with a silver knife. Strain the water in which oranges were boiled—probably now reduced to less than 1 qt.—put it into the pan with 12 lb. loaf sugar, another qt. of water and the pulp; boil 15 minutes, add the cut skins, boil 10 minutes, and pot.
(b) Cut up, say, 12 Seville oranges very thin and small, pick out the seeds, and to each lb. sliced fruit add 3 pints cold spring water; let them stand 24 hours, then boil till tender. The seeds should be put in a muslin bag, and boiled with the oranges. Let all stand till next day, then to each lb. boiled fruit add 1½ lb. loaf sugar; boil, stirring constantly, till the syrup jellies and the chips are quite clear. The grated rind and juice of 2 China oranges will improve the flavour at the last boiling, or the juice and grated rind of 2 lemons. This quantity will require a large preserving pan, and, when finished, ought to be quite clear and jellied. Excellent marmalade can also be made from oranges cut up in large pieces and put twice through the mincing machine, instead of being sliced in the ordinary way.
(c) An equal weight of Seville oranges and loaf sugar must be allowed. Wash and dry the oranges, and grate the peel of about ¼ them, setting aside the grating for after use. Pare off the peel from the other ¾ of the oranges, and cut it into very fine chips; tie these chips in a thin cloth, and let them boil slowly for 2-3 hours. Cut the oranges into pieces, and scrape out the pulp, separating from it the pips and white parts or refuse; put this refuse into a basin with about 1 pint cold water, and when all the oranges are scraped, strain this refuse through a cloth, and throw the liquid from it and the pulp over the sugar in the boiling pan, and place it on the fire or hot hearth, allowing the sugar to melt slowly. After it comes to the boil, put in the chips, first straining the water from them, and let the whole boil slowly for at least ½ hour. The grating to be put in 10 minutes before the marmalade is taken from the fire. The juice of 2 lemons added is an improvement.
Oranges Preserved Whole.—Take, say, ½ doz. nice looking oranges, cut a small hole near the stalk at one end, and carefully scoop out the pips, and press out the juice without damaging the fruit, and allow the pulp to remain. Put them in a basin with 2-3 qt. fresh, spring water, and leave them 3 days, changing the water each day. In the meantime strain the juice as soon as squeezed out, and place the jar into which it is strained in a pan of boiling water for about ¼ hour, after which boil it with 1 lb. loaf sugar. Put this syrup, just as it comes off the fire, into a jar, tie it over with a bladder, and set it by. On the third day lift the fruit into a lined preserving pan, strain the water on to them, and let them boil very gently for about 2 hours. Leave them in the pan as they are till the next day, when boil again until quite tender. Then add another lb. sugar, bring it to the boil and leave it to cool. Next day boil up the syrup and pour it over the fruit in the pan, adding another lb. sugar and hot water to supply any deficiency caused by boiling. Lift out the fruit, and repeat the boiling of the syrup every day for a fortnight, pouring it daily boiling hot on the fruit, then do it only every 2-3 days, adding more and more sugar up to 3 lb. When the fruit looks clear and bright boil up the syrup again, adding the juice that was set by at the commencement, boil them up together and skim. Put the fruit into wide-necked jars, pour the syrup on, and tie up quickly with bladders.
Peaches, Brandied.—(a) Drop the fruit into a weak boiling lye until the skin can be wiped off. Make a thin syrup to cover them, boil until they are soft to the fingernail; make a rich syrup, and add, after they come from the fire and while hot, the same quantity of brandy as syrup. The fruit must be covered. (b) The peaches must be ripe, but firm. Prick them to the stone several times all over with a pin; clarify some sugar, allowing ¾ lb. to each lb. fruit. Break the sugar in large lumps; dip each lump into cold water quickly, and put it into the preserving pan. The quantity of water absorbed by the lumps in dipping will be right for boiling. Watch carefully that it does not boil over. When it has come to a boil, let it simmer slowly, and be ready with a cold spoon to check it whenever it begins to rise. When it forms little beads it is boiled enough. Now lay in the peaches, and let it simmer slowly till it is a little softened but still firm; then set it all by to get cold. Next day take out the fruit and drain it on a sieve or dish. Boil down the syrup to thicken, and when it is cold mix it with an equal quantity of pale brandy. Arrange the fruit in glasses, and pour the brandy syrup over. ½ lb. sugar to the lb. of fruit is often considered sufficient.
Peach Jam.—Cut the peaches in quarters, and take off the skins and stones, put them in a pan with equal weight of white powdered sugar, let them stand all night in the sugar, and next day boil them slowly until they become quite soft and the juice jellies well. Fruit that is not quite ripe is far preferable, because, when ripe, peaches have so much juice that it is impossible to reduce it sufficiently to keep well. Cover the pots with paper dipped in brandy, like all other preserves, but not till a few days after it is made.