[Modern cookery, in all its branches

Orange plums, when green, 6 lbs. : 40 to 60 minutes Sugar, 4\ lbs. : 30 to 50 minutes. Obs. — The blanched kernels of part of the fruit should be added to this preserve a few minutes before it is poured out : if too long boiled in it they -will become tough. They should always be wiped very dry after they are blanched. GREENGAGE JAM, OR MARMALADE. When the plums are thoroughly ripe, take off the skins, stone, weigh, and boil them quickly without sugar for fifty minutes, keeping them well stirred; then to every four pounds add three of good sugar reduced quite to powder, boil the preserve from five to eight minutes longer, and clear off the scum perfectly before it is poured into the jars. When the flesh of the fruit will not separate easily from the stones, weigh and throw the plums whole into the preserving-pan, boil them to a pulp, pass them through a sieve, and deduct the weight of the stones from them w hen apportioning the sugar to the jam. The Orleans plum may be substituted for greengages in this receipt. Greengages, stoned and skinned, 6 lbs. : 50 minutes. Sugar, 41 lbs. : 5 to 8 minutes. PRESERVE OF THE MAGNUM BONUM, OR MOGUL PLUM. Prepare, weigh, and boil the plums for forty minutes ; stir to them half their weight of good sugar beaten fine, and when it is dissolved continue the boiling for ten additional minutes, and skim the preserve carefully during the time. This is an excellent marmalade, but it may be rendered richer by increasing the proportion of sugar The blanched kernels of a portion of the fruit stones will much improve its flavour, but they should be mixed with it only two or three minutes before it is taken from the fire. When the plums are not entirely ripe, it is difficult to free them from the stones and skins : they should then be boiled dowm and pressed through a sieve, as directed for greengages, in the receipt above. Mogul plums, skinned and stoned, 6 lbs. : 40 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 5 to 8 minutes. TO DRY OR PRESERVE MOGUL PLUMS IN SYRUP. Pare the plums, but do not remove the stalks or stones ; take their weight of dry sifted sugar, lay them into a deep dish or bowl, and [chap. xxiv.] strew it over them; let them remain thus for a night, then pour them gently into a preserving-pan with all the sugar, heat them slowly, and let them just simmer for five minutes ; in two days repeat the process, and do so again and again at an interval of two or three days, until the fruit is tender and very clear ; put it then into jars, and keep it in the syrup, or drain and dry the plums very gradually, as directed for other fruit. When they are not sufficiently ripe for the skin to part from them readily, they must be covered with spring water, placed over a slow fire, and just scalded until it can be stripped from them easily. They may also be entirely prepared by the receipt for dried apricots which follows, a page or two from this. MUSSEL PLUM CHEESE AND JELLY.