The economical cook book

Pare, core and quarter nice juicy tart apples; stew them until tender in as little water as possible ; when done, rub them through a cullender, sweeten to your taste, and if you prefer a flavor, grate in half the peel of a lemon, or add a little cinnamon and nutmeg. * To prepare Dried Peaches Wash them very clean, and put them in a deep vessel with tepid water to cover the top at least three inches. Do this early in the morning ; cover them and set them aside until next morning, or for twenty-four hours ; then put them over a slow fire in the water they were soaked in. When they commence to cook, set them where they will simmer slowly; keep them closely covered, and cook them in this way for five or six hours. When very soft, add light brown sugar to your taste (and they take a great deal to make them good) and half a teacup of the best syrup molasses to two pounds or quarts of fruit ; leave them uncovered and boil a little faster until a rich syrup is around them. Take them from the fire, and if you intend to make pies of them, add half the rind of an orange grated and the juice from two fine oranges. If you are going to use them with meat, put no flavor in them. * To Stew Prunes Soak them for several hours until perfectly soft; put them over the fire in the water they were soaked in, adding plenty of sugar ; simmer for about ten minutes. Take them out with a perforated skimmer ; boil the syrup until quite rich, and pour over. * Dried Apples. Wash them clean and put them in water to cover them ; soak them all night; put them on to stew in the water they were FBESEBVmO AND CANNING FRUITS. 285 soaked in ; simmer them slowly for several hours. When they will mash they are done } grate the peel of a lemon, add it with the juice and sugar to your taste. Give one boil up, and pour them out. * Prunellas. Pull them apart, wash them clean, cover with cold water, put more than their weight in light brown or white sugar, and stew them in a covered vessel until they are tender PICKLES * Pickled Cucumber One hundred small cucumbers fresh from the vines; wash the sand from them and wipe them dry, put them in a large Stone jar ; put on the top of them a pint of salt, and a piece of alum the size of a nutmeg, and cover them with boiling water ; tie thick paper over the jar or place on it a close-fitting lid, and let it stand twenty-four hours } take out the cucumbers, wipe them dry, place them in a clean dry jar, in layers alternately with the following spices : One tablespoonful of mustard-seed one of whole allspice, one root of horseradish grated or cut in thin strips, a few small red peppers, and pour over them sufficient vinegar to fill the jars, which must only be two-thirds full of cucumbers. When cold, cover them closely ; they will keep for years. Pour the vinegar over the pickles boiling hot. * Pickled Cucumbers, No. 2. Wash them to remove the sand, make a strong pickle of salt and water to bear an egg, lay the cucumbers in it for two weeks, then place them in stone jars, boil the brine, and pour over them every morning for nine days, adding more brine if it does not cover them; then remove the pickles from the brine, and throw them into cold water for twenty-four hours. Take them from the brine, and lay them in a bell-metal kettle alternately with green cabbage-leaves, a layer of each, cover them with cold water, and put them on the back of the range or stove where they will become hot, but not cook, until they are a nice green, then take them off, wipe them dry, and place them in jars alternately in layers with the following spices: Green ginger-root sliced, one clove of garlic and a blade of mace to each layer; boil (287)