Luncheon

Preserved Peaches. — Fill a four-quart steamer with perfectly sound ripe peaches ; place the steamer on top of a pot of fast-boiling water for three minutes, then remove, and allow the fruit to become cold ; peel them carefully, and weigh them. Boil together three pounds of sugar and one pint of water ; remove all scum until quite clear. Soak a tablespoonful of Nelson's gelatine in a gill of cold water ten minutes, drain off the cold and add a pint of hot water. Add this to the sugar, and boil and skim until clear. If not clear enough, whisk into it the white and shell of one egg, and strain through a flannel bag; but this is hardly necessary for ordinary household sirup used in preserving. Make an incision in one side of each peach down to the stone. Add four pounds of the BRANDY PEACHES. 1 9 peaches to the sirup, and boil five minutes. Scald the jars carefully, so as not to crack them, then place them in a dripping-pan, and surround them with hot water ; fill the jars with the sirup, and put about nine peaches in each quart jar ; place the clean rubber band on each jar as fast as it is filled, and screw on the cover. Remove, and when they are cold test the covers to make them as tight as possible. (The gelatine is used only when a thick sirup is desirable.) Brandy Peaches. — Prepare the peaches and the sirup as in the foregoing recipe, using the same proportions, and before filling the jars add a pint of the best brandy, slightly warmed. " Sweet -Pickle " Peaches. — Mix the following spices together : a teaspoonful each of whole allspice and " chip " cinnamon, a tablespoonful of minced green ginger, half a teaspoonful of cloves, and one nutmeg broken into small pieces ; put the mixed spice in an earthen crock, and pour on it a quart of hot vinegar; cover, and let it infuse three days, stirring it daily; allow it to settle, then strain. Put into a porcelain-lined ketde or pot five pounds of C sugar ; add the spiced vinegar, and boil ; skim, and when no more scum rises it is ready. Do not procure your peaches until the pickle is ready. Scald five pounds of firm 20 CRAB APPLES PICKLED. but ripe peaches ; wipe them well ; boil the pickle, and pour it over the peaches ; boil five minutes, and let stand until cold; remove the fruit, and boil the pickle once more ; add the peaches, and put into a large crock with a cover. Six days afterwards, boil up once, fill the warm jars, and make them air-tight. [It sometimes happens that the most carefully-prepared pickles or preserves will prove a disappointment; but if you will keep all kinds of home-made relishes in a room or cellar free from sudden changes of temperature, you will experience very little trouble with them. Should they appear cloudy, or develop a fungoid growth, drain off the sirup, and boil up once, or open the jars and place them in warm water which should be brought to the boiling point. All jars not filled to the top should be refilled. This is best done by using the contents of one of the jars, which is less troublesome than preparing a fresh pickle. Do not put too many peaches in a jar ; if quart jars are used, nine medium-sized peaches to each jar will be sufficient.]