The complete cook book

Old bottled wines generally form a sediment, more or less pronounced, according to the year. This sediment is not injurious to the quality, provided the wine be carefully decanted before serving. The easiest way is to stand the bottle Up for some hours without shaking it, taking care to mark the side on which it had been lying, so as to decant it with the same side down. The bottle should be carefully uncorked and not shaken. Care should be taken to hold the bottle before a light so as not to let pass the smallest particle of sediment, for the sediment mixed with the wine takes away its bouquet and gves it a hard taste. CHAMPAGNE CUP. Squeeze the juice of half a good-sized, sound lemon into a fancy glass pitcher large enough to contain five pints; sweeten with one tablespoonful of powdered sugar, then add two ponies of red curagoa, one bottle of plain soda, and two slices of cucumber rind. Pour in three pints of any brand of champagne, adding about a quarter of a pound of ice, then mix thoroughly with a 3IO The Complete Cook Book. spoon, and ornament the punch nicely with strawberries, very thin slices of pineapple, a finely sliced, medium-sized orange, and half a bunch of fine, fresh mint; send the cup to the table with six champagne glasses. CLARET CUP. Have a glass pitcher holding two and a half quarts, or five pints ; squeeze in the juice of three mediumsized, sound lemons, add four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, two ponies of red curagoa, and two slices of cucumber rind, then pour in three pints of claret, and one bottle of plain soda; or a pint of either Clysmic, Apollinaris, or carbonic water will answer. Mix thoroughly with a spoon, adding a lump of ice weighing about three-quarters of a pound; mix again, then decorate with a finely sliced orange, cut into small pieces, berries of any kind, and finally with half a bunch of fresh mint. Serve in six punch glasses, and the effect will be exceedingly pretty. MIXED FRUIT WINE. Cherries, black currants and raspberries, mixed together, make good wine. Dilute the juice and add the usual amount of sugar, and let it ferment; then bottle. A SUPERIOR BLACKBERRY WINE. Bruise your berries, measure them, and to every gallon, add a quart of boiling water. Let this stand twenty-four hours, stirring it three or four times during this time. The third day strain off the juice, and to every gallon of this strained liquor, put two pounds of refined sugar. Cork it tight, and let it stand until cool weather; when you will have a wine that you will never voluntarily be without. BLACKBERRY WINE. Mash the berries without boiling them ; strain the juice, and to six pints of juice, add two pints of water and three pounds of sugar. Mix thoroughly and put it, in a wide-mouthed stone jar to ferment. Cover it care- The Complete Cook Book. - 311 fully with a cloth, to keep out all insects ; open it and skim it every morning; then cover it up again carefully, for much of the bouquet of the wine depends on this. When it ceases to ferment, and when cold, cover up like jelly. This is an excellent medicine in summer for dysentery; but if intended for invalids, you must spice it, and add a gill of brandy — fourth proof — to each pound of jam. TO MAKE CUERANT WINE.