Take freshly gathered apricots not too ripe; to half their weight of loaf sugar, add as much water as will cover the fruit; boil and skim it: then put in the apricots, and let them remain five or six minutes: take them up without syrup, and lay them on dishes to cool; boil the syrup till reduced one half; when the apricots are cold, put them in bottles, and cover them with equal quantities of syrup and French brandy. If the apricots be cling-stones, they will require more scalding.
PEACHES IN BRANDY.
Get yellow soft peaches, perfectly free from defect and newly gathered, but not too ripe; place them in a pot, and cover them with cold weak lye; turn over those that float frequently, that the lye may act equally on them; at the end of an hour take them out, wipe them carefully with a soft cloth to get off the down and skin, and lay them in cold water; make a syrup as for the apricots, and proceed in the same manner, only scald the peaches more.
CHERRIES IN BRANDY.
Get the short stemmed bright red cherries in bunches--make a syrup, with equal quantities of sugar and cherries; scald the cherries, but do not let the skins crack, which they will do if the fruit be too ripe.
MAGNUM BONUM PLUMS IN BRANDY.
Select those that are free from blemish--make a syrup with half their weight of sugar, and preserve them in the same manner directed for apricots--green gages. The large amber, and the blue plums, are also excellent, done in the same way.