The "Queen" cookery books: Pickles and Preserves

peaches over a basin, so as to lose none of the juice, then add the kernels, lightly bruised, and 3oz. to 4oz. crushed sugar candy, pouring over it all lastly a bottle of good brandy, and let it stand closely covered for six weeks. Now strain and bottle, corking down closely. Some people prefer adding the sugar in a clear syrup when the liqueur has been strained, as then they can regulate the sweetening to taste. (N.B. — This remark applies to almost every kind of home-made liqueur.) Or : Peel and halve six good ripe and large peaches, and arrange them in layers, with the hollow uppermost in a large glass jar, placing a blanched kernel in every second half peach ; strew caster sugar over each layer, covering the top layer rather more thickly, and using about 1lb. in all. Let this stand ■60 till next day, then cover with one and a half pints of pale brandy previously mixed with half a pint of syrup. Let it now stand for a month, then add a pint of spirit, and filter off as required. Apricots and the large “ golden drop ” plum are delicious in this way. Brandy, Lemon. — Pare off very thinly the rinds of six large fresh lemons, and steep these for six weeks in a pint of good brandy. Now strain it off, and add to it the strained juice of four lemons, a pint of good clear syrup, and, if liked, just enough saffron to colour it lightly. Creme d’ Absinthe. — Put 3oz. of young green wormwood (absinthe) or, better still, the young flower shoots as they are about to open, into four or five quarts of good spirit, with three cloves and 1oz. of stick cinnamon. Let it infuse for eight or nine days, then strain ; add to it one pint of plain syrup, filter, bottle, and cork securely. Mind nothing but silver (in the way of metal) touches this liqueur. Add a drop or two of liquid green colouring if not sufficiently coloured, but be careful with this. Be Menthe. — Lay from twelve to fifteen freshly gathered sprays of young mint in a jar, strain on to them the juice of two lemons, and then pour a pint of good brandy on it all, cover down closely and let it infuse for seven to fourteen days, according to the strength of flavour desired ; then strain, sweeten with syrup to taste, bottle, and cork closely. ■ d’ Oranges. — Slice twelve or thirteen oranges and pour on to them three quarts of best rectified spirit and a pint of orange flower water • cover the jar containing all this very closely and let it stand for ten days. Now add to it 51b. of clarified sugar syrup, a quart of water, and foz. of tincture of saffron. Close tlie jar again closely, let it stand a fortnight longer, then strain it off through a jelly bag, and when it has settled pour it carefully off the lees, and bottle and seal it. (The lees of this liqueur are excellent for flavouring puddings, &c.) Cassis. — Pick over and crush 3lb. of fine ripe black currants and put them in a jar with four and a half quarts of good gin, 1lb. of raspberries, twocloves, a bit of cinnamon, and sugar or crushed sugar candy to taste. Let it stand for six weeks, then strain, bottle, and keep for at least three months.