1337. Stewed Plums.
—Proceed exactly the same as for the above ([No. 1336]), substituting the same quantity of plums for the green-gages.
1338. Stewed Quinces.
—Take twelve fine, firm, ripe quinces, peel and core them thoroughly, then cut them into quarters, and put them in a saucepan with a pint of cold water and half a pound of granulated sugar. Place them on the stove; when boiling, skim well, and let cook for fifteen minutes, stirring them gently at the bottom with a spatula to avoid mashing the fruit. Remove from the fire, and immediately add a gill of maraschino; stir lightly again, then pour into a china bowl to let cool. Dress on a dessert-dish and serve.
1339. Syrup for Preserving Fruits.
—Put seven pounds of granulated sugar into a sugar-pan, adding five pints of cold water, and when on the hot stove, stir with the spatula until thoroughly heated, but it must not boil. Remove it from the fire, lay it aside, and use when needed for different fruits. The above quantity will produce five quarts at thirty degrees Fahrenheit.
1340. Preserved Peaches.
—The best variety for preserving are either the “Crawford Late,” or “Smoke.” Select one hundred thoroughly ripe, sound, medium-sized peaches; peel them neatly, cut them in halves, and remove the stones with care. Have ready ten patent lightning-glass jars, each holding one quart, or twenty holding only a pint each; then divide the peaches equally into them, and pour into each one pint of syrup prepared as for [No. 1339], or half a pint, if using the pint jars, taking care that the peaches floating on the top should be entirely covered, even if it be necessary to press them down lightly. Put on the cover very tight, then bring the larger wire up in the very centre between the two small knobs, and press the smaller one downwards. Place the jars in a large saucepan standing, seeing that they do not touch each other, otherwise they might break, and arrange a little hay or straw between every one. Fill the pan with cold water so as to cover them entirely, and placing it on the hot stove, let boil for ten minutes. Take from off the fire, stand the pan on a table, and with a towel lift up the jars one by one, laying them most carefully on a dry kitchen table, and avoid putting them in a cold place. When all are so arranged, taking the towel into the hand, lift up the smaller wire, so that the gas slightly escapes for one minute, then immediately pull it down again until hermetically sealed. Let them stand till thoroughly cold, then put them away for general use. The right temperature for keeping them is from 65 to 75 degrees. Should the saucepan not be sufficiently large to contain all the jars, boil five at a time.
The best time to select the peaches is from August 20 to September 20.