Recipe Manuscript

To Make Past Of Oringes

Name: To Make Past Of Oringes
Prep time: PTP8DT30M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 20
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 4–6 medium oranges (ideally Seville) (approx. 1 kg); 1.2 kg granulated sugar; Water (as needed for blanching and syrup); Parchment paper (for drying and storage)

1738

From the treasured pages of Cookery book of Ann Goodenough

Written by Ann Goodenough

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1738

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Past Of Oringes

"take your oringes and blanch them and water them eight / Dayes and Shift them twice a day then boyle them untill / they bee Soe tender that a Straw will goe thorough them / Shifting the water often as they boyle and Still with fresh / water and when they are tender enoughe take out all / the seeds or Strings then waigh it and then waighe / your Suger Something more waight then your oringes / then beat your Suger but with noe more water then / will disolve itt and boyle it to a Candy height a great / candy then put in your oringe and when it is well / Stirred with the Suger not to boyle put it in glasse and / dry them in a Stow and when they are dry turn them / oute upon paper"

Note on the Original Text

Early modern recipes were written as brief instructions, assuming cooks already understood the basics of boiling sirup 'to candy height' or blanching fruit. Spelling reflects oral dialects and is inconsistent—'oringes' for oranges, 'bee' for be, 'boyle' for boil. Line breaks and slashes (/) act as punctuation and formatting, helping the eye through dense paragraphs in handwritten manuscripts. Quantities are proportional rather than exact, as scales could vary, and cooks were expected to adapt to what they had.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookery book of Ann Goodenough - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookery book of Ann Goodenough (1738)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ann Goodenough

Era

1738

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey into the kitchens of early 18th-century England, this collection captures the flair and flavors of its time with recipes crafted by the inventive Ann Goodenough. Expect a charming medley of hearty roasts, comforting pies, and time-honored confections, perfect for those wishing to dine as they did in Georgian days.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the kitchen of Ann Goodenough, whose working life spanned the early to mid-18th century. At this time, sugar had become somewhat more affordable, and preserving fruit in sugar was both a culinary art and a sign of status. 'Paste of oranges' was not only a treat for winter but also a way to display refined household skills and hospitality. Such recipes were often passed among women of the gentry and aspiring middle classes, capturing both their taste for luxury and a pressing need to preserve food before refrigeration.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the era would have used large copper or earthenware pots for boiling and soaking the oranges. A slotted spoon or simple wooden implements were used to lift fruit. Spoons and shallow earthen dishes or glass 'salvers' held the orange paste for drying. Baking would occur in a low, wood-fired 'stow' (stove or oven), and muslin or paper lined the final product.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

P8DT30M

Cook Time

2 hrs

Servings

Ingredients

4–6 medium oranges (ideally Seville) (approx. 2.2 lbs)
2 lbs 10 oz granulated sugar
Water (as needed for blanching and syrup)
Parchment paper (for drying and storage)

Instructions

To make this historical orange paste, start by taking whole oranges (preferably Seville for their traditional tartness).
Blanch them in boiling water, then soak them in fresh water for 8 days, changing the water twice daily.
This long soaking removes bitterness from the peel.
Next, simmer the oranges in fresh water, changing the water several times as you go, until they become so soft that a straw will pass through them easily.
Remove all seeds and any stringy bits inside.
Weigh the cooked oranges, then measure out slightly more sugar by weight than oranges.
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar with only enough water to cover, then bring it to the 'great candy height'—the stage where a drop of syrup forms a hard ball in cold water (around 250–266°F).
Stir in the prepared oranges, mix well but do not let it boil further.
Pour the mixture into glass dishes (or a tray) to dry in a low oven or dehydrator.
Once set, turn out onto parchment paper.

Estimated Calories

180 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Blanching, soaking, simmering, and candying the oranges take time. Most of the effort is waiting for soaking and drying—the cooking itself is much shorter. With sugar and oranges, this sweet treat is rich in calories. The recipe makes about 20 servings.