146 



by dropping a little on a dish, when, if it cools into a jelly, it has boiled 

 sufficiently. 



" As for the simple marmalade of the North, when the 6 gallons have 

 been skimmed and are reduced by boiling to 4 gallons, the pan is 

 taken from the fire and the liquor poured into stone pans, where it is 

 left for 48 hours in a cool place. At the end of that time the sur- 

 face is covered with crystals of salt of tartar, which must be remov- 

 ed with great caution with a skimmer ; the separation of this; quantity 

 diminishes the too marked acidity of the preserve, and increases its 

 sweetness. This process is highly necessary in the North, and ac- 

 cording to the sea"cn the tartar is in greater or less quantities ; but 

 in the South, the presence of tartar is rather desirable to relieve the in- 

 sipid sweetness of the sweetmeat, which is so great, thit aromatics 

 have to be used to give it a flavour. When skimmed of the tartar, 

 the must is strained through a thin cloth, decanted and put back on 

 the fire, where it must be stirred without ceasing. The must has 

 become marmalade when it sets in a jelly, on being stood to cool. 



Compound marmalade of the South. When the must has been boil- 

 ed to one half, and been sufficiently skimmed, it must be strained ; and 

 the peeled and quartered fruits must be thrown into the pan ; pour over 

 them the liquor, which by the first boiling up, melts into the necessa- 

 ry fluidity for actmg on the fruit, and softening it into a pulp; stir 

 constantly, until the boiled fruit is mashed and incorporated, and the 

 whole syrup is *one homogeneous mass. Towards the last, the fire 

 should be gradually moderated. To know when it is done, take about 

 the size of a hazel-nut and drop it on a china dish; if it does not sink 

 flat, and if no moisture escapes from it forming an areola around it, 

 the jelly is done. If the fruit has, on account of the vintage ripen- 

 ing late, been previously stewed — before adding it, the must should 

 have nearly reached its final consistence. 



For the compound marmalade of the North: after the must has been 

 thickened by boiling, and freed of its superabundant tartar.it is put back 

 upon the nre with the fruits that are to be mixed with it, precisely re- 

 gulating the whole in the way already mentioned for the compound 

 marmalade of the South. But, as the fruit selected is sometimes so 

 acid that the preserve could not be used without the addition of some 

 sweetening, a little grape syrup is added, while boiling ; the syrup of 

 sweetmeats, or Southern marmalade. The housekeepers to the North, 

 who have not at command these means, first clay the must, that is, 

 neutralize it with powdered chalk ; then boil it to a syrup, and after- 

 wards add the fruit, and proceed with the reduction of the whole as 

 before mentioned. 



