633. Confitures de raisin (Grapes). ·

Peel the grapes, and proceed exactly as for confitures de bar (No. 618, page 258).

634. Confitures de pêches (Peaches).

Brush the peaches with a soft brush, and choose them not quite ripe. Proceed then exactly as for abricots entiers (see No. 621).

635. Manière de couvrir les pots de confitures (How to cover Preserves).

About ten or twelve days after making preserves, cut some papers the size and shape of the pots, dip them in brandy and lay them on the top of the preserves. Cut out some other papers, large enough to be tied round the rims of the pots, and fasten them with a small piece of string. Some persons use gummed paper dipped in water, to make the edges stick to the pot. Preserves should be kept in a cold and dry place. If they are in a warm place they ferment, if in a damp place they get covered with mould.

FRUITS EN BOUTEILLES (BOTTLED FRUIT).

636. Fraises en bouteilles (Bottled Strawberries). Choose some fine strawberries, not quite ripe, and fill up some small bottles with them. Prepare a syrup of sugar au grand boulé (see No. 601, 2nd

degree), and when it is cold pour it upon the strawberries. Cork the bottles and fasten the corks tightly. Place the bottles in a large pan-a preserving-pan is the best, and put cold water into the pan as high as the neck of the bottles; put some hay between the bottles to prevent them from breaking when the water boils. Let the fruit boil for seven minutes; remove the pan from the fire and let the water become cold; then take out the bottles, cut the corks close to the bottles, and dip the necks in melted sealing-wax. If you see air-bubbles on the top, dip them a second time.

637. Cerises en bouteilles (Bottled Cherries).

Proceed exactly as above, only let the cherries boil for twenty-five minutes.

638. Abricots en bouteilles (Bottled Apricots).

Proceed exactly as for No. 634, only prick the apricots all over to the core, and let them boil for three-quarters of an hour.

639. Pêches en bouteilles (Bottled Peaches). Proceed exactly as for apricots, No. 636.

SIROPS (SYRUPS).

640. Sirop de groseilles (Red-currant Syrup).

Have ready half a pound of cherries (the acid kind are the best), take out the stones, and pound the fruit

place. Then, when required, put a table-spoonful of those dried petals in a tea-pot, and pour upon them a gill of boiling milk. Serve like tea, with sugar.

This is a most agreeable drink. It may be given at an evening party.

596. Lait d'amandes.

Break five almonds, with their shells, and put them in a gill of new milk; add a small piece of vanilla and some sugar. Boil the two together, pass it through a tammie, and serve hot in small glasses, at an evening party.

597. Bavaroises à la liqueur.

Boil a quart of milk with sugar, add to it two wineglasses of rum, kirschenwasser, anisette, or any other liqueur, and serve hot in small glasses, for an evening party.

598. Punch.

Rub two pounds of sugar, cut in pieces, upon the rinds of three lemons: put the sugar in a punchbowl; add two quarts of strong hot tea; stir, to make the sugar melt; add gradually a bottle of rum. Mix thoroughly and quickly. Set fire to the punch, and serve in small glasses.

599. Vin chaud.

Have ready two bottles of good red Burgundy wine; put them over the fire with two cloves, a small piece of cinnamon, and half a pound of sugar. Let it

Pass it

become very hot, but do not let it boil. through a silk tammie, then add to it three oranges cut in slices. Serve hot in small glasses, with a slice of orange in each glass. You may use lemons instead of oranges, and increase the quantity of sugar.

600. Сасао.

Take a tumblerful of cocoa-bark, and put it in a pan with a tumblerful of water; let it boil for twenty minutes, pour it through a sieve, and afterwards into a gill of boiling milk; add a little sugar. Let the whole boil together for five minutes, and serve hot.

This drink is very cheap and agreeable, but it would be dangerous for some persons to use it, for it is astringent and does not suit everybody's constitution.

CHAPTER XXI.

BONBONS DE MÉNAGE.

BEFORE giving receipts for making bonbons, I shall indicate how to make the different syrups of sugar: they are all made alike, and the only difference lies in the degree to which the sugar is boiled. Those degrees are very numerous, but I shall only give the requisite. number for making preserves and bonbons de ménage, for it is extremely difficult to succeed after a certain degree; then, if you fail, the cost is very great, and it would be cheaper to buy bonbons ready made.

601. Sucre clarifié (To clarify sugar).

Break coarsely four pounds of sugar and put it in a preserving pan (not tinned inside) with two pounds and a half of water. Beat the white of an egg with a few drops of water, add it to the water and mix thoroughly with it, when the sugar is melted. Let the white remain with the sugar until it begins to boil, then remove the pan from the fire, and when it ceases to boil, skim it with a copper skimming-spoon; being careful to remove all the egg.

Sugar in this state is ready for making liqueurs.