
BRANDY PEACHES.

Take large white or yellow free-stone peaches, the finest you can
procure. They must not be too ripe. Rub off the down with a flannel,
score them down the seam with a large needle, and prick every peach to
the stone in several places. Scald them with boiling water, and let
them remain in the water till it becomes cold, keeping them well
covered. Repeat the scalding three times: it is to make them white.
Then wipe them, and spread them on a soft table-cloth, covering them
over with several folds. Let them remain in the cloth to dry.
Afterwards put them into a tureen, or a large jar, and pour on as much
white French brandy as will cover them well. Carefully keep the air
from them, and let them remain in the brandy for a week. Then make a
syrup in the usual manner, allowing to each pound of peaches a pound of
loaf-sugar and half a pint of water mixed with a very little beaten
white of egg; one white to three or four pounds of sugar.

When the syrup has boiled, and been well skimmed, put in the peaches
and boil them slowly till they look clear; but do not keep them boiling
more than half an hour. Then take them out, drain them, and put them
into large glass jars. Mix the syrup, when it is cold, with the brandy
in which you had the peaches, and pour it over them. Instead of
scalding the peaches to whiten them, you may lay them for an hour in
sufficient cold weak lye to cover them well. Turn them frequently while
in the lye, and wipe them dry afterwards.

Pears and apricots may be preserved in brandy, according to the above
receipt. The skin of the pears should he taken off, but the stems left
on.

Large egg plums may be preserved in the same manner.

Another way of preparing brandy peaches is, after rubbing off the down
and pricking them, to put them into a preserving kettle with cold
water, and simmer them slowly till they become hot all through; but
they must not be allowed to boil. Then dry them in a cloth, and let
them lie till they are cold, covering them closely from the air.
Dissolve loaf-sugar in the best white brandy, (a pound of sugar to a
quart of brandy,) and having put the peaches into large glass jars,
pour the brandy and sugar over them (without boiling) and cover the
jars well with leather.

Pears, apricots, and egg plums may also be done in this manner.