Compote D'Abricots

Take apricots nearly ripe; remove the stone without breaking them; put them in a pan of water on the fire, but do not let them boil; for every twenty-five apricots take a pound of sugar; clarify it, and put in the apricots; set them on a very slow fire, that the sugar may incorporate; when quite tender, they are done. If they are to be preserved for future use, drain them, boil the syrup next day, and pour it, when cold, over the fruit; continue doing this for five days, adding each time a little more sugar, as it is necessary the fruit should be quite covered with the syrup. On the last day put the apricots into the boiling sugar, and give them a gentle boil; skim them well; and peaches and quinces may be done in the same way, either for present use or to keep a year.

Apricot Paste

Take any quantity of perfectly ripe apricots you choose; take out the stones; put them in a pan of water on the fire to boil till they break; drain and rub them through a sieve; dry and weigh the paste; take as much clarified sugar as fruit; mix well together; put it again on the fire to boil; it must be more done than for marmalade; then put the paste into moulds, or make it into thin flat cakes, and dry them in the oven or stove; paper each one, and put them by in boxes.

Pine-Apple In Slices

Pare off the outside, and cut the pine-apple in slices about half an inch thick; put a layer of fruit and a layer of sugar alternately in an earthen pan; let it remain on the stove three or four days, then put it into a preserving-pan with the juice of four lemons, and boil for ten minutes, skimming it well; next day boil it again for ten minutes, and put it up. Or the slices may be drained from the syrup, powdered with sugar, and dried in the oven; the syrup being kept to flavour jellies, creams, etc.

Strawberries Whole

Take two quarts of clarified syrup, boil to a strong blow, put eight pounds of fine large strawberries in it, and boil them up gently, taking care they do not break Repeat this boiling three times, letting them stand a quarter of an hour to cool between each. Now add two quarts of apple-jelly made as above; boil it up three times more, and put it hot into glasses or pots,

Gooseberry-Cheese

Mash two quarts of ripe red or green gooseberries, add a pound of fine-sifted sugar to them, and let them stand all night; next day boil it up; rub the gooseberries through a sieve, and boil the pulp, stirring it all the time over a gentle fire for twenty-five minutes; put it in moulds or pots. Cheese of apricots, peaches, or plums may be made in the same way.

Gooseberry-Biscuits

Gather the fruit when full grown, but not ripe; put them into a jar, and set them to boil in a kettle of water till they become soft; rub through a sieve. To every pound of pulp add a pound of loaf-sugar; stir it till the sugar is dissolved over the fire; then pour it into shallow dishes to dry in the sun or in a cool oven. When it begins to candy, you may cut them into any form you please. Turn them every day till they become dry and hard; keep in tin boxes in a dry place. Barberries, apricots, lemons, etc., to be done the same way.