[648.] Compote Chaude de Marrons.— Shortly before serving roast 2 or 3 dozen large Italian chestnuts in the oven, remove the shells and lay the nuts into a hot dish; put 1 gill rum in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoonfuls sugar; let it get hot, pour over the chestnuts, light the rum and bring it burning to table.
[649.] Compote of Pineapple.— Cut a large, ripe pineapple into thin slices, pare them carefully and remove the core in center; boil 1 cup sugar with ½ cup water; lay the pineapple slices into a dish and pour the syrup over them boiling hot; cover and let them stand 2 hours; shortly before serving lay the slices in a glass dish and pour the syrup through a fine sieve over them.
[650.] Compote of Quinces.— Chose ½ dozen large apple quinces, pare and cut them into quarters, remove the cores and lay the quinces in cold water; put the peels and cores in a kettle, cover with water and boil till soft; strain them first through a coarse bag, then through a flannel bag; return the liquor to kettle, add 1 cup sugar, boil for a few minutes, put in the quinces and boil till tender; put them into a dish and strain the syrup over them.
[651.] Compote of Peaches.— Cut into halves 20 large, sound peaches, pare them carefully and remove the pits; crack the pits open, take out the kernels, scald them in boiling water and remove the brown skins; place a porcelain-lined or agate kettle with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water over the fire and boil a few minutes; put in the peaches and kernels and boil from 6-8 minutes; pour them into a deep porcelain dish, cover with paper and set aside; when cold put them in a sieve or colander over the kettle the peaches were boiled in; drain off all the liquid and boil it down to one-half; shortly before serving pile the peaches up high in a glass dish and pour the syrup over them cold.
[652.] Compote of Apricots is made the same as Compote of Peaches.
[653.] Compote of Pears.— Pare and cut 2 dozen medium sized ripe pears into halves, remove the cores and put the pears in cold water with the juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoonfuls white vinegar; place a kettle over the fire with 1 pint water, 10 tablespoonfuls sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, half the rind and boil 3 minutes; remove the scum, put in the pears and boil till a straw will pierce through them easily; then pour them in a deep stone bowl, cover with paper and set aside; when cold drain off the liquor and boil it down to one-half; then set aside to cool; shortly before serving pile the pears up high in a glass dish and pour the syrup over them cold. If large pears are taken use a smaller quantity; if small pears are chosen use a larger quantity, leave them whole, cut the stems off half way and pare them.
[654.] Compote de Melons.— Select 1 large muskmelon (not too ripe), cut it in half, remove the seeds with a tablespoon, cut the melon into large pieces, pare off the skin and cut each long piece in two; put the melon pieces in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and boil 5 minutes; take them out with a skimmer and lay the melon pieces on a dish to cool; put a kettle over the fire with 1 pound sugar and 1 pint water and boil a few minutes; put in the melon and boil 20 minutes; pour it into a dish, cover with paper and set in a cool place; when cold drain off the syrup, return it to kettle and boil slowly 10 minutes; then set aside to cool; pile the melon up high in a glass dish and pour the cold syrup over it. A piece of green ginger root or the juice of 1 lemon may be boiled with the melon.
[655.] Compote of Watermelon.— Select a nice, ripe watermelon, cut it in half, then into slices, remove the black pits and cut the red part into small pieces; take for 1 quart of such pieces 2 cups sugar, 1 pint water, a piece of green ginger and the juice of 1 lemon; put sugar, ginger and lemon juice over the fire and boil 5 minutes; put in the melon pieces and boil slowly about 20 minutes; pour into a dish and cover with paper; when cold drain off the syrup, return it to kettle and boil 10 to 15 minutes; arrange the melon nicely in a glass dish and pour the cold syrup over it; remove the ginger before sending to table. The white part of the melon may be used for preserving. If the melon is a large one part of it may be used for compote and the other part cut up into slices and served. A third part may be used as a fruit salad. (See Fruit Salad.)
[656.] Compote of Apples.— Choose medium sized tart apples, pare and cut them into halves, take out the cores, round the edges and lay them in cold water with lemon juice; boil 1 pound sugar with 1 pint water and the rind and juice of 1 lemon in a wide, low saucepan; put in the apples and let them boil 3 minutes; then turn the apples around, cover the pan and set it on side of stove, where they will stop boiling; let them stand 10 minutes; then thrust a straw through them; if it goes through easily they are done; if not, boil them for a minute longer; remove them from fire and set aside; when cold take the apples out of the syrup and lay them on a sieve; boil the syrup down until it thickens; pile the apples up in a glass dish and pour the syrup over when cold.
[657.] Compote de Strélity.— Pare, core, cut into quarters and then into fine slices 12 large pippin apples; boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup Rhine wine, 1 cup water, the juice of 1 lemon and 3 ounces finely sliced citron; put in the apples and boil them for a few minutes; then set aside to cool; soak 1 ounce gelatine in 1 cup water 20 minutes; add 1 cup boiling water and stir until dissolved; add it to the apples and boil for 1 minute; then remove from fire; when cold and beginning to thicken rinse out some small cups or forms with cold water, sprinkle each one with granulated sugar, fill them ¾ full of apples and set on ice; boil ¾ cup sugar with ½ cup Rhine wine and a little lemon juice to a syrup and set it in a cool place until wanted; in serving turn the apples out of the cups, put them on a round or oval-shaped dish and pour the syrup over them; or serve the apples with whipped cream.