Get the apricots before the stone is formed in them, when they can be pierced through with a pin or needle; put them into a bag with plenty of salt, and shake them about in it to take off the down and silkiness of the skin; take them out and put them in cold water. Or this may be done by making a strong ley with wood ashes; strain it through a cloth; let it be quite clear; make it boiling hot and throw in your apricots; let them remain about a minute, take them out, and put them into cold water; then take off the fur when they are cool by either rubbing them with your hands in the water, or drain, and rub them in a towel or coarse cloth. Put them into another pan of cold water, and place them over a slow fire to heat gradually and scald. When they are quite soft and can be crushed between the finger and thumb, take them out and throw them into cold water; drain them quite dry in sieves; make a thin syrup, that is, at the small thread; boil it in a flat preserving pan, put in the apricots, give them a few boils, and take off any scum that rises; have sufficient syrup in the pan that the fruit may float; pour them with the syrup into an earthen pan, and keep them covered until the next day; then drain off the syrup, add more syrup or sugar to it, and boil to the large thread; put in the fruit, and let the syrup boil over them four or five times: repeat these operations for five days, increasing the syrup a degree each day until it has attained the large pearl, taking off the scum each time: it must not exceed this, or it will crystallize; put them in dry pans covered with syrup, for use; or, when cold, drain them from the syrup, and put them into small glasses by themselves, or mixed with other fruits preserved in the same manner; fill the vacancies with apple jelly, wet a piece of bladder and tie it over the top.