Take apricocks before they be full ripe, stone and pare ’em; then weigh ’em, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of double refined sugar, beat it very small, lie one part of your sugar under the apricocks, and the other part at the top, let them stand all night, the next day put them in a stew-pan or brass pan; don’t do over many at once in your pan, for fear of breaking, let them boil over a slow fire, skim them very well, and turn them two or three times in the boiling; you must but about half do ’em at the first, and let them stand whilst they be cool, then let them boil whilst your apricocks look clear, and the syrrup thick, put them into your pots or glasses, when they are cold cover them with a paper dipt in brandy, then tie another paper close over your pot to keep out the air.

344. To make MARMALADE of APRICOCKS.

Take what quantity of apricocks you shall think proper, stone them and put them immediately into a skellet of boiling water, keep them under water on the fire till they be soft, then take them out of the water and wipe them with a cloth, weigh your sugar with your apricocks, weight for weight, then dissolve your sugar in water, and boil it to a candy height, then put in your apricocks, being a little bruised, let them boil but a quarter of a hour, then glass them up.

345. To know when your SUGAR is at CANDY HEIGHT.

Take some sugar and clarify it till it comes to a candy-height, and keep it still boiling ’till it becomes thick, then stir it with a stick from you, and when it is at candy-height it will fly from your stick like flakes of snow, or feathers flying in the air, and till it comes to that height it will not fly, then you may use it as you please.

346. To make Marmalade of Quinces white.

Take your quinces and coddle them as you do apples, when they are soft pare them and cut them in pieces, as if you would cut them for apple pies, then put your cores, parings, and the waste of your quinces in some water, and boil them fast for fear of turning red until it be a strong jelly; when you see the jelly pretty strong strain it, and be sure you boil them uncovered; add as much sugar as the weight of your quinces into your jelly, till it be boiled to a height, then put in your coddled quinces, and boil them uncovered till they be enough, and set them near the fire to harden.

347. To make Quiddeny of Red Curranberries.

Put your berries into a pot, with a spoonful or two of water, cover it close, and boil ’em in some water, when you think they are enough strain them, and put to every pint of juice a pound of loaf sugar, boil it up jelly height, and put them into glasses for use.

348. To preserve GOOSEBERRIES.

To a pound of ston’d gooseberries put a pound and a quarter of fine sugar, wet the sugar with the gooseberry jelly; take a quart of gooseberries, and two or three spoonfuls of water, boil them very quick, let your sugar be melted, and then put in your gooseberries; boil them till clear, which will be very quickly.