12. The Pourprée; or, as the French generally call it Pourprée tardive, the late Purple. The Leaves of this Tree are very large, and sawed, the Shoots strong, and the Flowers small and contracted. The Flesh, except near the Stone, from which it separates, and where it is red, is white, melting, and of a rich sugary Juice. It is not ripe till near the End of September.
13. The Nevette. The Leaves of this Tree are sawed, and the Flowers small and contracted. The Fruit is large, somewhat longer than round, of a bright red Colour next the Sun, and of a pale yellow on the other. The Flesh is melting, full of a rich Juice, and very red at the Stone, from which it separates. It ripens about the Middle of September, and is esteemed one of the best Peaches.
14. The Royal. This Tree hath smooth Leaves, and small contracted Flowers. The Fruit is large, round, and of a deep red on the Side exposed to the Sun, but of a pale yellow on the other. The Flesh is white, melting, and full of a rich Juice, of a white Colour, except near the Stone from which it separates, where it is of a deep red. This Fruit is ripe about the Middle of September.
15. The monstrous Pavy of Pomponne. The Leaves of this Tree are smooth; the Flowers large and open. The Fruit is very large and round, many times fourteen Inches in Circumference. The Flesh is white, melting, and closely adheres to the Stone, where it is of a deep red Colour. The Side next the Sun is a beautiful red, and the other of a pale flesh Colour. It ripens about the End of October, and when the Autumn is warm, is an excellent Peach.
The above Description of the different Kinds of Peaches proper for making Ratafia, will be of use to the young Artist, as the fine Flavour of this Liquor in a great Measure depends on a proper Choice of the Fruits used in the Composition; and if the Instructions relating to the Perfections and Ripeness of these Fruits are observed, an excellent Cordial may be easily made in the following manner.
Take your Peaches, bruise them, and instantly strain out their Juice thro’ a Piece of strong Linen. In this Juice, without any Mixture of Water, dissolve your Sugar. And when the Sugar is melted, add the Quantity of Spirit. No Spices must be used in this Ratafia, the fine Flavour of the Peach being far preferable to all Spices in the World. The Quantity of either the Sugar or Spirit may be augmented or lessened according to your own Judgment, or in Proportion to the Price of your Ratafia.
As soon as the Spirit is added to the dulcified Juice of the Peaches, the whole must be filtrated thro’ a Flannel Bag, put into Bottles close stopped; for the fine Flavour of the Peach will soon be lost unless the Bottles are very well corked. Some also cover the Cork with Sealing-wax, which is not a bad Caution.
If you would have your Ratafia of a bright red Colour, your must let your bruised Peaches ferment a Day or two; by which means the Colour of the Skin, and that of the Flesh near the Stone, will be extracted, and give your Ratafia the Colour desired.
4. Of Orange-flower Ratafia.
The Orange-flower has been already described, Page 127. I shall therefore only add, that the Orange-flowers used in making Ratafia should be large, in their full Perfection, gathered before the Rising of the Sun, and carefully picked from their Stalks, &c. Some blanch the Orange-flowers, by putting them into a small Quantity of Water, and boiling them a few Minutes over the Fire. But by this Method the most volatile Parts of the Flower are evaporated, by which the Ratafia will lose much of its delicate Flavour.