Apricots In Brandy

Put apricots, whole, into a jar that has a close cover; add to them one fourth their weight of sugar, and brandy sufficient to cover them. Lay a piece of thick paper over the fruit in the jar; set the jar in a saucepan of cold water; put it over the fire, and when the brandy becomes hot, remove the jar. As soon as it is quite cool, cork, and seal securely. Do not let the brandy remain on the fire after it is hot.

Preserved Peaches

Choose the white cling-stones, known by the name of the "Heath peach."

Insert the knife at the stem and cut them longitudinally through to the stone. Wring out the stones, by placing one hand on each half of the peach, and suddenly giving each a turn in opposite directions; the fruit will break in half, leaving the stone attached to one side. With a pointed knife it may easily be extracted. After the peaches have all been prepared in this manner, pare and weigh them. Then weigh a pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. Put the sugar into a preserving kettle, and allow a gill of water to each pound of sugar. Let the sugar stand until it is perfectly dissolved before it is put on the fire; to ten pounds of sugar add the half of the white of an egg, well beaten, or a piece of Russian isinglass, about an inch square, dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of water. Set the kettle over the fire, 26 and as soon as the syrup begins to boil, skim it. When the scum has ceased to rise, take the syrup off the fire, pour it into a pan, and wash the kettle, in order to prevent the scum, which adheres to the sides, from boiling into the fruit. Now pour the syrup back into the kettle, add the fruit to it, and place it over a brisk fire, let the fruit boil fast for about an hour and a quarter, or until it appears translucent when held on a fork toward the light. Then take your peaches out very carefully, a piece at a time, and place them on dishes. Put the syrup in pans until it is lukewarm. Then put the fruit in jars, and pour the syrup over it.

How To Preserve Whole Or Half Quinces

Into two quarts of boiling water, put a quantity of the fairest golden pippins, in slices not very thin, and not pared, but wiped clean. Boil them very quickly, close covered, till the water becomes a thick jelly; then scald the quinces. To every pint of pippin jelly, put one pound of the finest sugar; boil it, and skim it clear. Put those quinces that are to be done, whole into the syrup at once, and let it boil very fast; and those that are to be in halves by themselves; skim it, and when the fruit is clear, put some of the syrup into a glass to try whether it jellies, before taking it off the fire. The quantity of quinces is to be one pound, to one pound of sugar, and one pound of jelly, already boiled with the sugar.

How To Keep Oranges Or Lemons For Pastry

When you have squeezed the juice, throw the peels into salt and water; let them remain a fortnight; clean out the pulp; boil them till tender, strain them, and when they are tolerably dry, boil a small quantity of syrup of common loaf sugar and water, and put over them; in a week boil them gently in it, till they look clear.

How To Preserve Pears

Pare them very thin, and simmer in a thin syrup; let them lie a day or two. Make the syrup richer, and simmer again, and repeat this till they are clear; then drain and dry them in the sun or a cool oven, a very little time. They may be kept in syrup, and dried as wanted, which makes them more moist and rich. Jargonelles are the best for this purpose.

How To Preserve A Melon

Scrape off the thin outside skin, make a hole in the top, take out the seeds; then throw the melon into water, and after it has remained twelve hours, take it out and put it into a preserving-pan, with a large piece of loaf-sugar, and as much water as will cover it; then cover the pan closely, and let it remain for an hour, on a very slow fire. Repeat this process three times, on three successive days, taking care not to allow it to boil; make a thin syrup, drain the melon carefully out of the liquor, and put it into the syrup, set it over a slow fire, closely covered, for half an hour every day for three ensuing days, on the last day boiling the syrup until it is very rich, with the rind of one, and the juice of two lemons. To improve the flavor of a melon, take it when nearly ripe, cut out so much of the large end, as to permit the scooping out of the seeds; then fill up the hollow with water and sugar, or white wine; close the top, put the melon in a net exposed to the sun, for as many days as it remains good. A water melon will thus acquire a fine flavor; but a mush melon requires no improvement.

How To Preserve Nectarines

Split the fruit, take out the stones, and put the nectarines into clarified sugar till they take it well. Skim the liquor, cover the nectarines with paper, and set them by until the next day. Add sugar to the syrup, boiling it until it will flow; put in the nectarines, give them a good boil, skim, cover them, and lav them on a stove. The next day take them out of the sugar, drain them, place them separately, dusting sugar over them; the next day put them on the stove, or into a cool oven to dry.