VANILLA SYRUP.—Put four or five vanilla beans into a very small, clean sauce-pan, with half a pint of boiling water. Set it over the fire, (closely covered,) and boil it, till the flavour of the vanilla is thoroughly extracted, and the water tastes of it very strongly. Then take out the vanilla, and strain the liquid. Break up three pounds of the best double-refined loaf-sugar, and put it into a preserving-kettle, with a quart of hot water. When thoroughly melted, set it on the fire, and boil and skim it well; till the whole is reduced to nearly a quart. Then stir in the vanilla liquid, and let it boil five or six minutes longer. After taking it from the fire, pour it into a pitcher, till it is cool enough to transfer to small bottles. Then cork it tightly, and seal the corks.
It will be found excellent for flavouring custards, creams, &c., or to mix with ice-water, for a summer beverage.
The extract will be stronger if the vanilla beans are split and cut into pieces before boiling, and tied up in a very thin muslin bag.
ORANGE MILK.—Take two dozen large ripe oranges. Cut them in two; remove the seeds; and squeeze the juice into a very large and clean stone jar. Never use earthen-ware, to hold any thing acid, as the lead glazing may produce the most deleterious effects. Have ready four pounds of the finest loaf-sugar, dissolved in a gallon of the best rum or brandy. Pour it into the jar that contains the orange-juice; stir the mixture well; and add the yellow rind of the oranges, cut into little slips. Cover the jar, and let it stand four days; stirring it frequently. Then take a gallon of new, unskimmed milk, (the morning’s milk of that day,) boil it, and, when it has come to a hard boil, pour it, hot, into the mixture. Cover it closely, and let it stand till it gets quite cold. Then strain it into another vessel, through a linen jelly-bag. Bottle it immediately, and seal the corks. It improves by keeping, and will continue good for many years.
To use it, mix a sufficient quantity, in a tumbler, with ice-water; or take it, undiluted, in a small cordial glass.
ORANGE SYRUP.—Take large fine ripe oranges, with smooth thin rinds, and roll each orange under your hand upon the table to increase the juice. Set a very clean sieve upon a large bowl, and cut the oranges over it; first halving them, and then notching each half to let out as much juice as possible when squeezing them. Press them with all your strength in a wooden squeezer, letting the juice drain through the sieve into the bowl. To each pint of juice allow a pound and a half (a quart and a pint) of the best double-refined loaf-sugar broken up. Put the sugar into a preserving-kettle; pour the juice upon it; cover it, and let it stand till all the sugar is quite soft, and can be easily mixed with the juice. Next set the kettle over a moderate fire that has no blaze or smoke, and boil it slowly; skimming it carefully till the scum ceases to rise. Then take it off, remove the syrup from the kettle, and when it is milk-warm, put it into very clean bottles, (new ones will be best,) cork them tightly, and seal the corks. Keep it in a dry, cool place. It is very fine for flavouring cakes, puddings, sweet sauces, &c. Or for mixing with ice-water as a pleasant beverage. Also for ice-cream or water-ice, when oranges are not to be had. Or for mixing with powdered sugar to make the confection called orange-drops. Some persons, to increase the strength of orange syrup, add the yellow rind of the oranges grated on lumps of the sugar. This will do very well if the syrup is to be used up soon. But by long keeping, the peel will give it a very disagreeable taste and odour, resembling turpentine; unfitting it for all purposes.
Lemon syrup may be made as above. To this the addition of the yellow rind of the lemons grated on sugar will be an improvement; as lemon rind never acquires a turpentine taste.