Fruit recipes

Peel and slice thin ripe fruit, spread on dishes, sprinkle over the slices granulated sugar, and set in moderate oven till the peaches are hot, when dry slowly in the sun or cool oven. Peaches may also be dried as are cherries with syrup. PEACH LEATHER Peel and crush very ripe peaches, spread on platters, and dry in slow oven. It will be like leather when thoroughly dried. Roll it up and put away in bags. When needed for use soak over night with just a little water and it should then be ready for using without stewing and without sugar. PEACH SAUCE PRESERVED Take thoroughly ripe fruit, pare, stone, and cook slowly an hour. Add sugar in proportion of three-fourths pound to each four pounds of peaches. For immediate table use it will not require long cooking, but for putting up it must become dark in colour and free of juice. Seal while hot. PEACH JAM, COOKED Prepare as for Sauce, using a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit. It should be very stiff when done. Place in jars with brandy on top and seal well. PEACH JAM, UNCOOKED Pare and slice perfect, freestone peaches. Cover the _ bottom of a jar with either brown or powdered sugar and on this place a layer of the uncooked peaches. Alternate with the sugar till jar is full, packing down well, and leaving sugar on top. Place a layer of cotton wadding soaked in brandy on top; tie a paper over all securely and keep in a cool dry place. PEACH MARMALADE No. 1 Pare and stone peaches, cutting pulp fine. Cook with a few of the cracked kernels over quick fire until soft, add then same weight of sugar, cook fifteen minutes longer, and place in jars. PEACH MARMALADE No. 2 For each pound of pared, sliced fruit allow three-fourths pound of sugar. Mash well and place in crock in oven, covering and baking like beans for several hours. When cooked sufficiently to be jelly-like, remove and place in jars. PEACH JELLY Wash and slice but do not pare the fruit, using part unripe and part ripe fruit (the latter firm). Place in earthenware crock and set in moderate oven or on the back of the stove with neither sugar nor water, watching carefully. Or the fruit may be set inside a second vessel containing hot water and let stand far back on the stove for twenty-four hours. The juice should by this be free and thick. Strain over night in cheese-cloth bag. Measure and use pound for pint of sugar and juice, heating separately before cooking together. When this juice has cooked down a little—skimming meanwhile—add sugar gradually and let boil up. If carefully made this will result in excellent jelly. CANNED PEACHES See Canned Apples. BRANDIED PEACHES See Brandied Pears. SPICED PEACHES Peaches may be spiced in either sweet or sour form as for apples and pears. PICKLED PEACHES For sufficient for a two-gallon jar use twenty-five pounds of peaches and twelve pounds of sugar. (Rub the fuzz from the peaches with crash.) In the preserving kettle place two and one half quarts of vinegar with a handful of stick cinnamon, gradually adding the sugar until all is dissolved and boiling. Place the peaches, a few at a time, in this and when they are done skim them out and place in a stone jar. Boil down the syrup a little longer, then pour over the peaches and place a weight on them. In three days pour off the syrup and boil down till quite thick. The peaches will by this have shrunk so that they will easily go into a two gallon jar. Pour the thick syrup over them; place plate on top and tie down with heavy paper. Cloves may be used instead of cinnamon or a mixture of spices as liked. PEACH MANGOES