PEACHES AND NECTARINES.
Before they are ripe, take the choicest of these fruit, rub off the down from them with soft old linen, and divide the skin at the seam with a sharp pointed knife. Put them into a clean jar, cover them with French brandy, and let them remain so for ten days; then take them out, and having ready a fine clear syrup, put the fruit into a pan with it, and boil them until they are beautifully bright and clear. When cold, take out the fruit, place it in glasses and jars, and fill up with the syrup nearly cold. Lay brandy paper over and cover with bladder.
LEMONS PRESERVED.
Take two dozen fine lemons, wipe them well, and pare off the yellow rind very thin. Cut out a piece of the rind at the blossom end, and take out the whole of the pulp and seeds. Rub the lemons over with fine bay salt, and lay them in cold water, so let them lie for a week, quite covered, and then boil them in fresh salt and water twenty minutes. Now prepare a syrup of one pound of the best loaf sugar to a quart of water, and well skimmed, and into which put the lemons, and boil them five or six minutes for four days successively, then place them in a jar and let them stand six weeks, and all the time well covered with the syrup. Now make a clear, thick, fine syrup of the best refined sugar and water, put the lemons into it, and boil them gently for ten minutes; then put them away, and in twenty-four hours boil them again at short intervals, until they look plump and clear. Now lay them in jars and glasses, and pour the syrup over them cold; cover with brandy-paper and tie bladder over them.
APRICOTS.
Take two dozen of the largest and soundest apricots when they are just fully ripe, wipe them clear from gum and other filth; push the stones out through the stalk ends with a blunted piece of wood; weigh the fruit now, and for each pound of apricots, allow one pound of the best refined sugar, the half of which, when reduced to a powder and sifted, you must strew over the fruit, and let them remain so for twenty-four hours. Boil them up gently, and when they have been cold repeat the boiling four or five times, at intervals of three hours, by which means they will have become clear and bright. Now take them up and lay them on a sieve, and when you have prepared a good clear thick syrup, boil the fruit up in it for five minutes, and skimming it well. Then put the apricots into clear glass jars, and pour the syrup over them. When cold make all safe with writing paper steeped in brandy, and tie wetted bladder over. They must be stored in a dry, airy room.
DAMSONS.
Choose the finest, large prune damsons for this purpose, pick them over carefully, throwing out the stalks, and all that are the least crushed, cut them open lengthwise, and take out the stones, put them into a pan with water sufficient to cover them, and boil them ten minutes; turn them out upon a sieve, and when cold, or nearly so, wipe each separately with some old soft linen or flannel. To each pound of the fruit allow one pound of the best refined sugar, the half of which, after being sifted finely, you must scatter equally over the damsons, on large dishes; put the other half of the sugar to the water in which the fruit was scalded, set it in a pan on a clear fire, and let it boil up; skim it thoroughly, and then simmer only, for ten or twelve minutes; put in the fruit and bring it to a boil; then take it off the fire, and let it stand, closely covered, half an hour; then put it again to simmer for half an hour longer, and then put it aside until the next day. Now boil up the fruit until it is tender, put the damsons into a sieve while warm, and boil the jelly alone full half an hour, and taking off any scum that may yet have arisen. Put the fruit into your pots, jars, &c., and pour your jelly over them, well heated. When cold, put brandy-paper upon the fruit, and melted mutton suet above that. Make all safe with bladder and leather, and store them in a dry, airy, cool room.
MORELLO CHERRIES.
Pick thoroughly ripe and sound fruit from the stalks and wipe them separately; prick them with a needle in three or four places. To each pound of fruit allow one pound and a half of the best sugar, and strew one half of it when finely sifted over the cherries upon clean large dishes, and let them remain so for twenty-four hours. Take now as much strained red-currant juice as will effectually dissolve the other half of the sugar, and put it into a pan over a moderate fire, and let it boil twelve or fifteen minutes, skim it well, add to it the fruit with their sugar, and let all simmer five minutes, being careful to not allow them to boil. Then remove the cherries into glasses, boil the syrup until it is thick and pour it cool over them. When cold guard them with brandy paper, and paste writing paper neatly cut over the glasses.