London Metropolitan Archives: Recipe Book (CLC/270/MS00558)

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Rules to keep Preserues, And all Manner of Sweet meats

All wett sweetmeats must be couled close to the sirup,with a cleane white paper, when they are putt by to keepe and cold,to prevent miteing and frothing the Longer, yett you must open your sweetmeat potts once a month, to prevent miteing and frothing, that if they doe you may put new papers to them; And if they [all] thance at any time, to froth or candy, the best way to recoul them is to sett the pott in a posnett of hott water, till you see it come to the perfect sirrup againe; and this is good if they Sowre alsoe.

But if you can, prevent wett sweetmeats, standing in, hott or moist places, but drier sweetmeats or candyes, must be kept from moistnes, though not to drye. Regard when you spend of a pott of wett sweetmeats, take them out if you can, all of a Roe, that yourpaper may lye as neerd to the sirup as you can to keepe it from miteing

Note that all sweetmeats, the next yeare after they are preserued, about the time that the same fruite Blossomed, they will lose theire couler, att least for that time.

Note that the greener any fruite is it will keepe the Longer as example the sucket.

Note that if you will send any sweetmeats that the sooner you send them after the preseruing it is the better; for the Longer they stand when they are caried, they are the apt er to froth.

If you will haue your Quinces to preserud white, they must not be to ripe, and new gathered, and the Aple Quinces, and free from knotts and stonenines.

Some hold that potts or boxes of marmalett and Sweetmeats, being sett one vpon another, will mould the sooner.

Note that if your Porsnett or pann that you preserus in, haue a peece in the bottom it will make the sweetmeats to be all burnt too.

M-

Note that all white sweetmeats must be done with double refined sugar, or clarified Sugar, and as your preserue them strew parte of the waight of the sugar on the sirrup, of white or greene it will make them keepe theire couler.

Note that for preserueing all plumbet to keepe them from Breaking, is to giue them a little slitt in the Lower End, if you doe not stone them, or pare them, this is most proper for dampsons

Note that for preserued Quince, the best way for them is to vse noe other but faire water, that hath Quince seeds steeped or boiled in it.

Some doe put in the Iuice of Aples to make the Quince Ielly the moud and looke cleere, But its nothing soe good, nor tasts soe kindly.