Pick full ripe currants from the stem, and put them in a stone pot; then set it in an iron pot of water—­take care that no water gets in:  when the currants have yielded their juice, pour them into a jelly bag—­let it run as long as it will without pressing, which must be reserved for the best jelly; you may then squeeze the bag to make inferior kind.  To each pint of this juice, put one pound of loaf sugar powdered—­boil it fifteen or twenty minutes—­skim it clean, and put it in glasses; expose them daily to the sun to prevent fermentation.

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Quince jelly.

Prepare the quinces as before directed, take off the stems and blossoms, wash them clean, and cut them in slices without paring; fill the pan, and pour in water to cover them—­stew them gently, putting in a little water occasionally till they are soft; then pour them into a jelly bag; let all the liquor run through without pressing it, which must be set aside for the best jelly; to each pint of this, put a pound of loaf sugar pounded, and boil it to a jelly.  The bag may be squeezed for an inferior, but a very nice jelly.

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Quince marmalade.

Boil the quinces in water until soft, let them cool, and rub all the pulp through a sieve:  put two pounds of it to one of sugar, pound a little cochineal, sift in through fine muslin, and mix it with the quince to give a colour; pick out the seeds, tie them in a muslin bag, and boil them with the marmalade:  when it is a thick jelly, take out the seeds, and put it in pots.

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Cherries.

The most beautiful cherries to preserve, are the carnation and common light red, with short stems; select the finest that are not too ripe; take an equal weight with the cherries of double refined sugar, make it into a syrup, and preserve them without stoning, and with the stems on; if they be done carefully, and the “Directions for preserving” closely attended to, the stems will not come off, and they will be so transparent that the stones may be seen.

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Morello cherries.

Take out the stones with a quill over a deep dish, to save the juice that runs from them; put to the juice a pound of sugar for each pound of cherries, weighed after they are stoned; boil and skim the syrup, then put in the fruit, and stew till quite clear.

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To dry cherries.

Stone them, and save the juice:  weigh the cherries, and allow one pound of good brown sugar to three of the fruit; boil it with the juice, put the cherries in, stew them fifteen or twenty minutes, take them out, drain off the syrup, and lay the cherries in dishes to dry in the sun; keep the syrup to pour over a little at a time, as it dries on the cherries, which must be frequently turned over; when all the syrup is used, put the cherries away in pots, sprinkling a little powdered loaf sugar between the layers.  They make excellent pies, puddings, and charlottes.