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86 DOMESTIC COOKERY AND

cider half away, put in the peaches, and let them stew
slowly till done; they will keep without any sugar, but
you can put some in if you wish them sweeter. Pears
can be kept in the same way.

Peaches in Brandy.

Take fresh yellow peaches or large clingstones, pour
boiling water on them and wipe off the down, make a
syrup of half a pound of sugar, to a pound of fruit, and
boil and skim it; put in the peaches, and let them cook
for fifteen minutes, take them up without any syrup,
and cool them on dishes; boil the syrup down to half,
and put an equal quantity of peach or French brandy;
pour this over the peaches after they are in jars.
Plums or cherries may be done in the same way.

Grapes in Brandy.

Put some close bunches of grapes in a jar when not
too ripe, and prick each one with a needle, strew over
them half their weight in pounded rock candy, and fill
up the jar with brandy.

To Preserve Pears.

Pare and core the fruit, but leave the stem on, put them
in a syrup of a pound of sugar, and half a pint of water
to a pound of pears, with some green ginger or lemon
peel; boil the syrup half an hour after they are done.

To Conserve Pears.

Have the nicest pears you can get, pare them and
leave on the stems, take half a pound of loaf sugar to a
pound of pears; put them in the kettle together, with
water enough to moisten them; if the pears are very
juicy, they will not need any; cover them over with a
plate and let them boil very gently for two hours; take
them out on dishes, and boil the syrup to jelly, and put
it away by itself; set the pears in the sun or in a moderately
heated oven; when quite dry, sprinkle them with
loaf sugar, and put them away in glass jars.