Part 14 (1/2)

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623. +Peaches Stewed Whole.+-- Pare 1 quart small peaches; boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water for a few minutes, put in the peaches and boil till the fruit shows signs of baking; then remove and when nearly cold pour them into a gla.s.s dish and serve cold. Apricots are stewed the same way.

624. +Stewed Dried Peaches.+-- Wash and soak pound dried peaches for several hours in cold water, put them with the water they were soaked in over the fire and boil slowly till tender; add sufficient sugar to sweeten and let them boil for 2 minutes longer; transfer the fruit to a dish and serve cold.

625. +Stewed Cherries.+-- Remove the pits from 2 pounds cherries; boil 1 cup sugar with 1 pint water to a syrup, put in the cherries and boil 3 minutes; pour them into a dish and serve when cold. If the cherries are tasteless add the juice of 1 lemon or use 1 cup water, 1 cup red wine and a stick of cinnamon. If the cherries are small stew them with the pits.

626. +Stewed Quinces.+-- Pare and cut the quinces into quarters and lay them in cold water; put the peels and cores over the fire, cover with water and boil till tender; strain them through a coa.r.s.e bag made of double cheesecloth; put the liquor over the fire and when it boils add the quinces and boil till they are soft; then add sufficient sugar to sweeten, boil for a few minutes, pour them into a dish and set aside to cool till wanted.

627. +Stewed Dried Apricots.+-- Wash and soak pound dried apricots for 2 hours in cold water, put them with the water they were soaked in over the fire and boil till done; if the water boils away add more; add lastly sufficient sugar to sweeten and serve when cold.

Dried cherries are stewed the same way.

628. +Baked Pears.+-- Remove the eyes from 1 dozen nice, ripe pears, put them in a pan with 1 cup water, sprinkle over a little sugar and bake till done; remove them to a gla.s.s dish, pour over the syrup from pan, sprinkle with sugar and serve cold.

629. +Stewed Pears.+-- Pare 2 dozen stewing pears (if they are large cut them in halves or quarters, if small leave them whole); put a kettle with 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water over the fire and boil a few minutes; put in the pears and stew till done; pour them into a dish and serve cold. If the syrup should be too thin a teaspoonful cornstarch wet with cold water may be added and boiled with them for a few minutes. A little claret, cinnamon, lemon juice and rind may also be added if liked.

630. +Stewed Dried Pears.+-- Wash and soak 1 pound dried pears for 2 hours; put them over the fire, covered with cold water, add a small stick of cinnamon, a little lemon juice and peel and boil until nearly done; then add 5 tablespoonfuls sugar and boil till done.

631. +Stewed Dried Prunes.+-- Wash 1 pound dried prunes in several waters, put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add the juice and rind of 1 lemon and stew till tender; if the water boils away add more; when done add 4 tablespoonfuls sugar, pour them into a gla.s.s dish and serve cold. If the liquor of the prunes should be too much or too thin dissolve a little cornstarch in cold water, add it to the prunes and let them boil for a minute; but care must be taken not to get them too thick.

632. +Prunelles.+-- Wash pound prunelles in several waters and soak them for 2 hours in cold water; then put them over the fire with the same water they were soaked in to boil slowly till tender; when nearly done add 1 cup sugar and boil till done; pour them into a dish and serve when cold. If not sweet enough add more sugar.

633. +Stewed Cranberries.+-- 1 quart cranberries, 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water; wash and pick over the cranberries carefully, put them in a saucepan with 1 cup water, cover and stew till tender; then strain them through a sieve; return the pulp to saucepan and boil for a few minutes; add the sugar and stir and boil just long enough to melt the sugar; rinse out a mould with cold water and sprinkle with granulated sugar; pour the cranberries when nearly cold into the mould and set it in a cool place to get firm.

634. +Stewed Huckleberries.+-- Pick over 1 quart huckleberries, put them in a colander and rinse with cold water; put a saucepan with cup sugar and cup water over the fire and add the juice of 1 lemon; when it boils add the huckleberries, cover and stew slowly 10 minutes; add 1 teaspoonful cornstarch wet with cold water and boil for 1 minute; remove the berries from the fire, add cup port wine, pour them into a dish and serve when cold. They are excellent when eaten with German pancake, fried bread or French toast. Or put the huckleberries with cup water, a little lemon juice (or 1 tablespoonful vinegar) and a small stick of cinnamon in a saucepan over the fire, boil 8 or 10 minutes and sweeten them to taste; break 2 or 3 zwiebacks into small pieces, put them in a dish and pour the huckleberries over them; remove the cinnamon and serve when cold.

cup claret added to the huckleberries adds greatly to the flavor.

635. +Stewed Rhubarb.+-- Pare and cut 2 bunches rhubarb into small pieces and put over the fire in a porcelain-lined or agate saucepan; add cup water and boil till soft; add 1 cups sugar or sweeten to taste; boil until the sugar is dissolved, pour into a dish and serve cold.

636. +Stewed Rhubarb (with Eggs).+-- Stew the rhubarb the same as in foregoing recipe and take it from the fire; beat 3 eggs to a froth and add 2 tablespoonfuls cold water; then stir in the rhubarb a little at a time; mix well together and serve cold. If stewed rhubarb is too thin add 1 teaspoonful cornstarch wet with cold water and let it boil 1 or 2 minutes.

637. +Compote of Gooseberries.+-- Select 1 quart large gooseberries, remove heads and stems and wash and drain them; put them in a kettle, cover with boiling water and boil 5 minutes; pour in a colander to drain; boil 1 cup sugar with pound water to a syrup and add cup white wine; put the gooseberries in a porcelain or gla.s.s dish and pour the syrup over them; serve when cold.

638. +Compote of Strawberries.+-- Press out the juice from 1 pint large, ripe strawberries and mix it with 6 tablespoonfuls sugar; shortly before serving wash and drain 1 quarts large, ripe strawberries, put them into a gla.s.s dish, sprinkle over 3 tablespoonfuls sugar, pour in half of the cold syrup, shake them up, pour over the other half and serve at once.

639. +Compote of Cherries.+-- Remove the pits from 2 pounds large cherries; boil 1 cups sugar with cup water to a syrup, put in the cherries and boil 2 minutes; pour them into a dish, cover with paper and set in a cool place; when cool drain off the syrup and reduce it to one-half by boiling it down; then set aside to cool; in serving put the cherries into a gla.s.s or fine porcelain dish and pour the cold syrup over them.

640. +Compote of Raspberries.+-- Pick over carefully 1 quarts raspberries, put them in a gla.s.s dish and set on ice; shortly before serving sprinkle over 2 tablespoonfuls sugar; press out the juice of 1 pint raspberries, put the liquid with the same quant.i.ty of sugar over the fire and boil 10 minutes; let it get cold and pour the syrup just before serving over the raspberries. Currant juice may be used instead of raspberry juice. A compote may also be prepared with half currants and half raspberries.

641. +Compote of Greengages (or large Egg Plums).+-- Select 3 dozen ripe plums, either greengages or the large egg plums, p.r.i.c.k them with a needle all around the stem, put them in a kettle with boiling water and let them boil 30 minutes; drain them on a sieve; boil 1 cups sugar with 1 cup water to a syrup; put the plums in a dish, pour the boiling syrup over, cover with paper and set them in a cool place for 2 hours; then drain off the syrup and reduce to one-half by boiling it down; arrange the plums nicely in a dish and pour the cold syrup over them.

642. +Compote of Plums.+-- Choose 3 dozen large blue plums, cut them open on side, remove the pits and pare off the skins; boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water, put in the plums and boil a few minutes; pour them into a dish, cover with paper and let them cool; when cold pour the plums onto a sieve and drain off all the liquid; put the syrup over the fire and boil 10 minutes; when cold put the plums into a gla.s.s dish and pour the cold syrup over them.

643. +Compote of Oranges.+-- Pare and cut 10 large oranges into slices, remove the pits and sprinkle 6 tablespoonfuls sugar over them; let them stand 1 hour; drain off the syrup, put it over the fire, add the juice of 1 lemon and boil slowly 8 minutes; then set aside to cool; just before serving pour the syrup over the oranges and send to table in a gla.s.s dish.

644. +Compote of Prunes.+-- Wash 1 pound French prunes in several waters, put them in a saucepan, add sufficient red wine to cover, add a small piece of whole cinnamon and the peel of 1 lemon and boil slowly for 2 hours, or until they are soft; when done add 4 tablespoonfuls sugar and as soon as melted remove them from the fire; serve when cold in a gla.s.s dish.

645. +Compote of Raisins.+-- Remove the pits from 1 pound large raisins, put them in a saucepan with pint water, pint Madeira wine and 1 cup sugar and boil them slowly for 1 hour; serve in a gla.s.s dish when cold.

646. +Compote of Dates.+-- Cut 1 pound dates open at the side and remove the pits; put the dates with a little Malaga wine, cup water and 4 tablespoonfuls sugar over the fire and boil slowly nearly 1 hour; then serve when cold.