The "Queen" cookery books: Pickles and Preserves

Bottled Fruit ( without sugar) for Tarts. — Choose fine (but not overripe) fruit, stalk and stone them if necessary, and put them into bottles, filling these well up ; then cork them up securely, and place them in a kettle as in the preceding recipe, and gradually heat the water to 200 deg. ; then withdraw the heat- (a gas ring, or a good lamp stove, are handiest for these preserves), and leave the bottles in the kettle till next day, when they may be lifted out, wiped dry, sealed down, and stored in straw (necks down) in a dry place. Currants, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, &c., may all be preserved in this way ; but special care must be taken in choosing the soft fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries, &c., not to have it too ripe, or it will go to a mash and probably mould. Fruit for this purpose must be gathered on a warm, dry day. Fruit Juice, to Preserve— Fruit juice can be prepared in precisely the same way as the fruit, i.e., wring all the juice attainable from the fiuit, bottle, and boil in the bain-marie for twenty minutes, then finish off just like the other recipes. Sugar may be added to the bottle, but the usual plan is not to add it till the juice is to be used. This juice is particularly good for ices. Fruit in Brandy.— Take any stone fruit, such as apricots, plums, peaches, <&c. (which, though full grown, should not be dead ripe), prick them all over with a needle, and blanch them sufficiently long tomake them soft. (This requires care, for, though. tender, they must not be too soft, as if for compote, when the skin must be thoroughly softened.) When the fruit is ready it will rise to the surface, and must then be lifted out with a skimmer and dropped into cold fresh water, well rinsed, and then drained on a sieve. Meanwhile, make a syrup by boiling sugar and water (in the proportion of two parts of sugar to one of water) together for a minute after the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, then lifting it off from the fire and skimming it carefully ; now return it to the fire and let it boil till, on dipping your finger and thumb into cold water and then into the syrup, you can stretch them to the uttermost without breaking the thread that will form between them ; then run it all through the jelly bag to clear it. (This syrup, if frequently wanted, can be made in .large quantities and bottled off for use as required.) Now lay the well-drained fruit into this syrup, give it one boil up, then lift it off the fire, and measure the syrup ; mix this with the best brandy, allowing two parts brandy to one part syrup, put the fruit into wide-mouthed bottles, pour the brandied syrup over them, being careful to have them thoroughly covered, and when cold cork down the bottles as securely as possible. Pears preserved in this way are very delicious, but, after blanching and rinsing in cold water, must have their rinds taken off very thinly, and be again pricked to the core, and once more rinsed, drained, and finished off precisely as in the preceding recipe. Pine juicy eating pears should .be chosen for this purpose. Cherries in Brandy. — Choose large, well coloured,