Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/338

300 with a soft brush, lay a thin layer of the yeast on the tub, and turn the mouth downwards that no dust may fall upon it, but so that the air may get under to dry it. When that coat is very dry, then lay on another till you have sufficient quantity, even two or three inches thick, to serve for several months, always taking care the yeast in the tub be very dry before you lay more on. When you have occasion to make use of this yeast cut a piece off, and lay it in warm water; stir it together, and it will be fit for use. If it is for brewing, take a large handful of birch tied together, and dip it into the yeast and hang it up to dry; take great care no dust comes to it, and so you may do as many as you please. When your beer is fit to set to work, throw in one of these, and it will make it work as well as if you had fresh yeast.

You must whip it about the wort, and then let it lie; when the vat works well, take out the broom, and dry it again, and it will do for the next brewing.

Note, In the building of your oven for baking, observe that you make it round, low roofed, and a little mouth; then it will take less fire, and keep in the heat better than a long one and high-roofed, and will bake the bread better.

TAKE twelve pounds of cherries, then stone them, put them in your preserving pan, with three pounds of double-refined sugar and a quart of water; then set them on the fire till they are scalding hot, take them off a little while, and set on the fire again. Boil them til they are tender, then sprinkle them with half a pound of double-refined sugar pounded, and skim them clean. Put them all together in a china bowl, let them stand in the syrup three days; then drain them thro' a sieve, take them out one by one, with the holes downwards on a wicker-sieve, then set them in a stove to dry, and as they dry turn them upon clean sieves. When they are dry enough, put a clean white sheet of paper in a preserving-pan, then put all the cherries, with another clean white sheet of paper on the top of them; cover them close with a cloth, and set them over a cool fire till they sweat. Take them off the fire, then let them stand till they are cold, and put them in boxes or jars to keep.