The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

APRICOTS IN SYRUP. -Apricots preserved in syrup is by far the most useful form in which they can be kept. I will run through a variety of different ways in which they can be used. First of all they can be sent to table quite plain. But it will be best to give each receipt under a separate heading, commencing with — APRICOTS, PLAIN.— Open a tin of apricots and pile the fruit up in a pyramid form on a glass dish. Then ornament the crevices with preserved cherries and small round pieces of angelica, or sliced preserved green almonds. Some blanched dried almonds can also be cut into strips, and these strips can be stuck into the, apricots, similar to a tipsy-cake. Some of the syrup of the apricots should be poured round the base of the dish. As this syrup is generally of a somewhat muddy colour, a little cochineal should be added to it to make it a bright pink or red. This dish can be served either as a sweet or for dessert, and can be got ready at a few moments’ notice ; but when there is ample time beforehand a far prettier sweet can be made out of apricots, for instance — APRICOTS IN RICE BORDERS.— Make a border of boiled rice, sweetened and flavoured with vanilla, or cinnamon, or lemon, or essence of almonds, etc. The rice border must be round and set with egg. A good mould, where none is at hand for the purpose, can be made by I putting a small cake tin inside a larger ! ' ,ne> aiid baking the rice and egg round I the outer rim thus formed. Place the rice border on a dish, and pile up the apricots high in the middle in a pyramid shape, and ornament it with dried cherries and angelica, or some green preserve as before mentioned. Next take the syrup, strain it, and clarify it with a white of egg. Dissolve in it sufficient isinglass or gelatine to make it a jelly when cold. You must add the gelatine in proportion to the quantity of syrup you have to set, the proportion being two. ounces of gelatine to a quart. When you have added and dissolved the proper quantity of gelatine, colour it red with cochineal, and when nearly cold add a small glass of brandy. When the jelly is nearly set pour some gently over the apricots, and also over the border of rice, which will look like rice covered with red glass. Alternate red preserved cherries and almonds green crystallised, the latter cut in halves, can ■ be placed round the top of the rice border, which gives it a finish. This dish, considering the small cost, is well worth taking tne trouble to make as here directed. Of course it is not absolutely necessary to clear the syrup, but the improved appearance will well repay you the extra trouble. APRICOT FRITTERS. — Open a tin of apricots and pick out the least ripe ones. Drain them from the syrup and dry l them as much as possible. Have ready some good stiff batter and some smoking hot lard. Dip each piece of apricot in some powdered sugar, so as to have them perfectly dry, and then immediately dip the pieces into the batter, and throw them into the lard. As soon as the fritter is a nice brown — if the lard is properly hot it will be done in a few seconds— take them out, drain the fritlei's on a napkin for a minute, shake some powdered sugar over them, and served hot.