Extract from The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director, 1732

This extract is from Part II, which includes ‘A great Variety of the most curious Receipts for Dressing all the Sorts of Flesh, Fish, Fowl, Fruit and Herbs’.

Plums to make Marmalade of. From Lady M.
THERE are several sorts of Plums, which are fit for this use. And though they differ in colour, that is, some red and some white, yet the Marmalade made of any of them will be white, for the Colour is only in the skin; and that if it was to be used, could give no Tincture; but in our Case, we do not want it. The Sorts are either the Bonum Magnum, as it is call’d, which is a large, long, red Plum, with a Pulp very tender, but sour, when it is raw from the Tree. Another is a large Plum, rather yellowish than white, when it is ripe, and of the former Shape, like an Egg, which is called by some the Egg-Plum; but more particularly the white Holland Plum, and is so called by the Gardeners. These two have a Flesh and Juice much like one another, and make a fine Shew in a Dish, by way of Desert; but are in my Opinion only fit for stewing. However, the Skins will part easily from ’em, when they are ripe, and they both quit the Stone freely. Take these and peel them, and divide them; then put them in a little Water and their weight of fine Sugar, made into a Syrup, over a gentle Fire: put them in when the Liquor is only warm, and when they are cover’d with the syrup, stew them gently, if you would preserve them in their Shape; and put them, with the Syrup, into Glasses as soon as they are clear, or else mash them into the Syrup, and let them boil till they become like a Paste; keeping all stirring while they are over the Fire, or else they will burn to the Pan. This Marmalade is good to be serv’d in Glasses, as a Sweet-meat in a Desert, or to be put into Coffins1 for Tarts, or to be brought upon the Table in Saucers among the other Sweetmeats in a Desert.

1Coffins: containers, (pie) dishes