Francatelli Recipes for Preserved Vegetables, Chapter 32
Welcome to Celtnet's Francatelli Recipes for Preserved Vegetables — This page gives you the entire contents of the Thirty-second Chapter: Various Kinds of Preserved Vegetables from Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Francatelli's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...
The text presented here is derived directly from Francatelli's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
CHAPTER XXXII.
No. 957.—PRESERVED PEAS, PLAIN.
First, procure a pint-size French preserve tin box, such as are sold at all Italian warehouses ; and get any tin-man to make you the required number of them, with round flat tops to set on them; next, fill them with fresh-gathered young peas; add a good teaspoonful of salt, and half a gill of water; get the tops soldered down, put the boxes of peas in a stock-pot, fill up with boiling-water, and boil them fast for half an hour, and withdraw them from the fire. When the boxes are cold, ascertain whether any of them leak ; and set them aside to be soldered over afresh on the leaky part; the peas are to be kept in a very cool place: a cellar is best adapted for this purpose.
No. 958.—PRESERVED FRENCH BEANS.
Pick and string any given quantity of small fresh-gathered French beans, and throw them into a large untinned copper preserving-pan containing boiling water with salt; cover them over with fresh vine-leaves, and set them aside for twenty-four hours ; they must then be drained upon a sieve, gathered up in neatly-arranged bunches, and packed closely in tin boxes similar to those named in No. 957, filled up with fresh-made salt-water, slightly impregnated with salt, soldered down, and treated in the same manner as peas.
No. 959.—PRESERVED WINDSOR BEANS.
These must be gathered when scarcely half grown, and treated in the same way as peas. A sprig of green winter savory should be added to each box of beans.
No 960.—CUCUMBERS FOR SAUCE.
Split, peel, remove the seeds, and out the cucumbers in inch pieces, and when all are finished, throw in some salt—at the rate of two ounces to the pound of cucumbers ; move them together for a few minutes, and allow them to steep in the salt for four hours, to extract the water : they must then be drained, and filled into the tin boxes; fill up with boiled water, solder them down, and boil them in the usual way for half an hour.
No. 961.—PRESERVED YOUNG CARROTS.
Turn the carrots in their own shape, and as you do so, throw them into hot water ; when all are ready, put them in a stewpan with water enough to cover them; add fresh butter in the proportion of an ounce to the pound of carrots, and salt to season ; boil the carrots in this till half done, and then arrange them neatly in tin boxes ; fill up with their own liquor, solder down, boil for half an hour, and put them away in the cool.
No. 962.—PRESERVED MUSHROOMS.
Choose firm button-mushrooms for this purpose ; wash them well, and put them into the boxes, and immediately fill them up with the following liquid :—to every quart of water add four ounces of butter, an ounce of salt, and the juice of three lemons; boil for two minutes, and finish as directed above. The boxes are to be soldered down, and boiled for a quarter of an hour.
No. 963.—PRESERVED TRUFFLES.
During the months of December and January, English truffles are at their best; and as they may be bought at about one-fifth of the cost of French truffles, it will be evident that economy will readily suggest the propriety of preserving a few for gala days. The best means to attain that end is to attend to the following directions :—thoroughly wash so as to entirely remove all dirt and grit from the truffles, and then peel them very thinly ; put them into dry bottles with large necks; add a table-spoonful of water, a saltspoonful of salt, and a good sprig of thyme to each bottle ; cork tight, and tie down securely with wire or string; boil for half an hour, and when the bottles are cold, wax over the corks.
No. 964.—DRIED HERBS.
All herbs used for culinary purposes, intended to be dried for winter use, should be tied up in handful branches, and laid upon sheets of paper to dry in the sun, and when perfectly dry, should be tied up in paper bags, and kept for use in a dry place.
No. 965.—PRESERVED ARTICHOKES.
Young quick-grown artichokes only, are fit for preserving; their leaves should bcd pulled off without tearing or in any way injuring the pithy part, or, as it is familiarly termed, the bottom : these must then be peeled or turned so as to remove all the rough green which covers them, and then thrown into a pan containing water with some vinegar ; and when all are finished, put them into a stewpan with water enough to make them swim ; two ounces of butter to a quart of water, and salt to season ; add the juice of two lemons, and boil gently till the artichokes are three-parts done ; they are then to be put into their tin boxes, filled up with their own liquor, soldered down, and after being boiled for twenty minutes, are to be put away in a cool place.
The text presented here is derived directly from Francatelli's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
Francatelli's Chapter XXXII: Various Kinds of Preserved Vegetables.
CHAPTER XXXII.
VARIOUS KINDS OF PRESERVED VEGETABLES.
First, procure a pint-size French preserve tin box, such as are sold at all Italian warehouses ; and get any tin-man to make you the required number of them, with round flat tops to set on them; next, fill them with fresh-gathered young peas; add a good teaspoonful of salt, and half a gill of water; get the tops soldered down, put the boxes of peas in a stock-pot, fill up with boiling-water, and boil them fast for half an hour, and withdraw them from the fire. When the boxes are cold, ascertain whether any of them leak ; and set them aside to be soldered over afresh on the leaky part; the peas are to be kept in a very cool place: a cellar is best adapted for this purpose.
Pick and string any given quantity of small fresh-gathered French beans, and throw them into a large untinned copper preserving-pan containing boiling water with salt; cover them over with fresh vine-leaves, and set them aside for twenty-four hours ; they must then be drained upon a sieve, gathered up in neatly-arranged bunches, and packed closely in tin boxes similar to those named in No. 957, filled up with fresh-made salt-water, slightly impregnated with salt, soldered down, and treated in the same manner as peas.
These must be gathered when scarcely half grown, and treated in the same way as peas. A sprig of green winter savory should be added to each box of beans.
Split, peel, remove the seeds, and out the cucumbers in inch pieces, and when all are finished, throw in some salt—at the rate of two ounces to the pound of cucumbers ; move them together for a few minutes, and allow them to steep in the salt for four hours, to extract the water : they must then be drained, and filled into the tin boxes; fill up with boiled water, solder them down, and boil them in the usual way for half an hour.
Turn the carrots in their own shape, and as you do so, throw them into hot water ; when all are ready, put them in a stewpan with water enough to cover them; add fresh butter in the proportion of an ounce to the pound of carrots, and salt to season ; boil the carrots in this till half done, and then arrange them neatly in tin boxes ; fill up with their own liquor, solder down, boil for half an hour, and put them away in the cool.
Choose firm button-mushrooms for this purpose ; wash them well, and put them into the boxes, and immediately fill them up with the following liquid :—to every quart of water add four ounces of butter, an ounce of salt, and the juice of three lemons; boil for two minutes, and finish as directed above. The boxes are to be soldered down, and boiled for a quarter of an hour.
During the months of December and January, English truffles are at their best; and as they may be bought at about one-fifth of the cost of French truffles, it will be evident that economy will readily suggest the propriety of preserving a few for gala days. The best means to attain that end is to attend to the following directions :—thoroughly wash so as to entirely remove all dirt and grit from the truffles, and then peel them very thinly ; put them into dry bottles with large necks; add a table-spoonful of water, a saltspoonful of salt, and a good sprig of thyme to each bottle ; cork tight, and tie down securely with wire or string; boil for half an hour, and when the bottles are cold, wax over the corks.
All herbs used for culinary purposes, intended to be dried for winter use, should be tied up in handful branches, and laid upon sheets of paper to dry in the sun, and when perfectly dry, should be tied up in paper bags, and kept for use in a dry place.
Young quick-grown artichokes only, are fit for preserving; their leaves should bcd pulled off without tearing or in any way injuring the pithy part, or, as it is familiarly termed, the bottom : these must then be peeled or turned so as to remove all the rough green which covers them, and then thrown into a pan containing water with some vinegar ; and when all are finished, put them into a stewpan with water enough to make them swim ; two ounces of butter to a quart of water, and salt to season ; add the juice of two lemons, and boil gently till the artichokes are three-parts done ; they are then to be put into their tin boxes, filled up with their own liquor, soldered down, and after being boiled for twenty minutes, are to be put away in a cool place.