The complete cook book

For this purpose always use very ripe fruit. Add a cupful of water to each quart of fruit, place in a granite kettle and cook until well softened ; then press out all the juice as for jelly, and strain through a cheese cloth. Allow a cupful of sugar to each pint of juice. Boil to a syrup, not thicker, and strain through a cheese cloth. Bottle at once, while hot. Press in the corks, dip into hot sealing wax and label. Use, diluted to taste with water, adding cracked ice to make very cold. These directions are for the syrups which can be kept any length of time. In season, if wanted for immediate use, obtain the juice as directed. When cold, sweeten and dilute to taste and serve in glasses half filled with cracked ice. RASPBERRY SYRUP. For this purpose never use other than the red raspberry. Get some nice ripe berries, put them, after carefully looking them over, into a large crock and bruise them well. Let them stand, well covered, in a cool place over night. In the morning press out the juice, but do not press too thoroughly, as the same berries can be used in making raspberry vinegar. To a pint of the strained juice thus obtained, allow a pint of granulated sugar, and boll together about five minutes, or until it is a rather thick syrup, but not until it jellies. Strain through a cheese cloth and bottle. Cork while hot, then dip each cork in melted sealing wax to make perfectly air-tight. Label and put in a cool, dry place. After a bottle has been opened, it will keep quite a while without fermenting, if kept well corked and in a cool, dry place, or in the ice chest. To use, allow about two tablespoonfuls or less to a glass of water. Pour the water slowly over the syrup, stirring well to thoroughly blend, and add plenty of cracked ice to make quite cold. This will be found a very inexpensive and refreshing summer beverage. RASPBERRY VINEGAR. Take the berries partially pressed, as directed in the 320 The Complete Cook Book. previous recipe, and cover with clear, cold vinegar. Let them stand well covered in a crook or earthen dish until the next morning, keeping them in the cellar or other cool place. Press out very dry and to a pint of juice thus obtained allow half a pint of granulated sugar. Boil together to a syrup, strain through a cheese cloth, then bottle, cork and seal immediately. Use as directed for raspberry syrup, diluting to taste with water. Many persons prefer this to the syrup, it being much more tart. STRAWBERRY SHERBET. Take fifteen ounces of picked strawberries, crush them in a mortar, then add to them a quart of water; pour this into a basin, with a sliced lemon, and a teaspoonf ul of orange-flower water ; let it remain for two or three hours. Put eighteen ounces of sugar into another basin, cover it with a cloth, through which pour the strawberry juice, after as much has run through as will; gather up the cloth, and squeeze out as much juice as possible from it; when the sugar is all dissolved, strain it again. Set the vessel containing it on ice, until ready to serve. PINEAPPLE SHERBET. Squeeze the juice from a large can of grated pineapple and add to it the strained juice of one lemon and two oranges ; add two quarts of water and three cups of sugar, and freeze. ORANGE SHERBET. Grate the rind of four oranges on two and one-half cupfuls of sugar. Add to it one quart of water; put it in a double boiler and cook to a clear syrup, being very careful to remove all the scum. Remove from the fire and strain through a fine muslin cloth. When cold, add the strained juice of twelve oranges and two lemons and one pint of cold water. If not sweet enough, add more sugar. Strain it and freeze. THE END. INDEX TO The Complete Cook Book. INDEX. SOUPS. Asparagus Soup 23 . Beef Soup 20 Brunswick Stew 31 Brunswick Stew 32 Cabbage Soup 22 Celery Soup — Snough to Serve to Six People 24