Modern cookery, in all its branches

Take the stalks from the fruit which should be of a highly flavoured sort, quite ripe, fresh from the beds, and gathered in dry weather ; weigh and put it into large glass jars, or wide-necked bottles, and to each pound pour about a pint and a half of fine pale white wine vinegar, which will answer the purpose better than the entirely colourless kind sold under the name of distilled vinegar, but which is often, we believe, merely pyroligneous acid greatly diluted.* Tie a thick paper over them, and let the strawberries remain from three to four days ; then pour off the vinegar and empty them into a jellybag, or suspend them in a cloth, that all the liquid may drop from them without pressure ; replace them with an equal weight of fresh fruit, pour the vinegar upon it, and three days afterwards repeat the same process, diminishing a little the proportion of strawberries, of which the flavour ought ultimately to overpower that of the vinegar. * For these fine acidulated fruit-syrups vinegar of the purest quality, hut only of medium strength, is required. P P [chap. XXIX. In from two to four days drain off the liquid very closely, and after having strained it through a linen or a flannel bag, weigh it, and mix with it an equal quantity of highly-refined sugar roughly powdered : when this is nearly dissolved, stir the syrup over a very clear fire until it has boiled for five minutes, and skim it thoroughly ; pour it into a delicately clean stone pitcher, or into large china jugs, throw a thick folded cloth over and let it remain until the morrow. Put it into pint or half-pint bottles, and cork them lightly with new velvet corks ; for if these be pressed in tightly at first, the bottles will sometimes burst:* in four or five days they may be closely corked, and stored in a dry and cool place. Damp destroys the colour and injures the flavour of these fine fruit-vinegars, of which a spoonful or two in a glass of water affords so agreeable a summer beverage, and one which, in many cases of illness, is so acceptable to invalids. They make also most admirable sauces for Her Majesty's pudding, common custard, batter, and various other simple and sweet light puddings. Strawberries (stalked), 4 lbs. ; vinegar, 3 quarts : 3 to 4 days. Vinegar drained and poured on fresh strawberries, 4 lbs. : 3 days Drained again on to fresh fruit, 3 to 4 lbs. : 2 to 4 days. To each pound of the vinegar, 1 lb. of highly-refined sugar : boiled 5 minutes. Lightly corked, 4 to 5 days. Obs. — Where there is a garden the fruit may be thrown into the vinegar as it ripens, within an interval of forty-eight hours, instead of being all put to infuse at once, and it must then remain in it a proportionate time : one or two days in addition to that specified will make no difference to the preparation. The enamelled stewpans are the best possible vessels to boil it in : but it may be simmered in a stone jar set into a pan of boiling water, when there is nothing more appropriate at hand ; though the syrup does not usually keep so well when this last method is adopted. Raspberries and strawberries mixed will make a vinegar of very pleasant flavour ; black currants also will afford an exceedingly useful syrup of the same kind VERY FINE RASPBERRY VINEGAR.