TO PRESERVE GREEN GAGES.

Take large fine green gages that are not perfectly ripe. Weigh them,
and to each pound of fruit allow a pound and a half of loaf-sugar. Put
a layer of fresh vine leaves at the bottom of a porcelain preserving
kettle, place on it a layer of gages, then cover them with a layer of
vine leaves, and so on alternately, finishing with a layer of leaves at
the top. Fill up the kettle with hard water, and set it over a slow
fire. When the gages rise to the top, take them out and peel them,
putting them on a sieve as you do so. Then replace them in the kettle
with fresh vine leaves and water; cover them very closely, so that no
steam can escape, and hang them up at some distance above the fire to
green slowly for six hours. They should be warm all the time, but must
not boil. When they are a fine green, take them carefully out, spread
them on a hair sieve to drain, and make a syrup of the sugar, allowing
a half pint of water to each pound and a half of sugar. When it has
boiled and been skimmed, put in the green gages and boil them gently
for a quarter of an hour. Then take them out and spread them to cool.
Next day boil them in the same syrup for another quarter of an hour.
When cold, put them into glass jars with the syrup, and tie them up
with brandy paper.

To preserve them whole without peeling, you must prick each at the top
and bottom, with a large needle.