Preserves
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean and dry all equipment, especially bottles.
Place the preserving pan on a trivet or lowered bar, not flat on the fire.
Cook the fruit
After adding sugar, stir gently at first, then more quickly towards the end, without leaving the pot.
Remove all scum from the preserves.
Blanch or gently boil the fruit until softened, allowing it to absorb sugar.
Make the syrup and finish
Pour a thin syrup over the fruit initially to prevent shriveling.
Prepare the syrup by mixing 1 pint of water with each pound of sugar and boil for 15-20 minutes at the start.
Add the remaining sugar each time the syrup is reboiled.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fruit
- Provides the main flavour and bulk, and softens as it cooks and absorbs sugar.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the preserve and draws water out of the fruit, helping it keep.
The step that matters
Pour a thin syrup over the fruit first. Strong sugar draws water out of fruit quickly, causing it to shrivel. A thin syrup lets the fruit take up sugar gradually, so it stays plump while softening.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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