Pare off very thin the yellow rind of a dozen large lemons; throw the
parings into a gallon of white brandy, and let them steep till next
day, or at least twelve hours. Break up four pounds of loaf-sugar into
another vessel, and squeeze upon it the juice of the lemons. Let this
too stand all night. Next day mix all together, boil two quarts of
milk, and pour it boiling hot into the other ingredients. Cover the
vessel, and let it stand eight days, stirring it daily. Then strain it
through a flannel bag till the liquid is perfectly clear. Let it stand
six weeks in a demijohn or glass jar, and then bottle it.
To make it still more clear, you may filter it through a piece of fine
muslin pinned down to the bottom of a sieve, or through blotting paper,
which must be frequently renewed. It should be white blotting paper.
Orange cordial may be made in the same manner.
ROSE CORDIAL.--Put a pound of fresh rose leaves into a tureen, with
a quart of lukewarm water. Cover the vessel, and let them infuse for
twenty-four hours. Then squeeze them through a linen bag till all
the liquid is pressed out. Put a fresh pound of rose leaves into the
tureen, pour the liquid back into it, and let it infuse again for two
days. You may repeat this till you obtain a very strong infusion.
Then to a pint of the infusion add half a pound of loaf-sugar, half a
pint of white brandy, an ounce of broken cinnamon, and an ounce of
coriander seeds. Put it into a glass jar, cover it well, and let it
stand for two weeks. Then filter it through a fine muslin or a blotting
paper (which must be white) pinned on the bottom of a sieve; and bottle
it for use.
STRAWBERRY CORDIAL.--Hull a sufficient quantity of ripe strawberries,
and squeeze them through a linen bag. To each quart of the juice allow
a pint of white brandy, and half a pound of powdered loaf-sugar.
Put the liquid into a glass jar or a demijohn, and let it stand a
fortnight. Then filter it through a sieve, to the bottom of which
a piece of fine muslin or blotting paper has been fastened; and
afterwards bottle it.
RASPBERRY CORDIAL--May be made in the above manner.
QUINCE CORDIAL.--Take the finest and ripest quinces you can procure,
wipe them clean, and cut out all the defective parts. Then grate them
into a tureen or some other large vessel, leaving out the seeds and
cores. Let the grated pulp remain covered in the tureen for twenty-four
hours. Then squeeze it through a jelly-bag or cloth. To six quarts of
the juice allow a quart of cold water, three pounds of loaf-sugar,
(broken up,) and a quart of white brandy. Mix the whole well together,
and put it into a stone jar. Have ready three very small flannel or
thick muslin bags, (not larger than two inches square,) fill one with
grated nutmeg, another with powdered mace, and the third with powdered
cloves; and put them into the jar that the spice may flavour the
liquor without mixing with it. Leave the jar uncorked for a few days;
reserving some of the liquor to replace that which may flow over in
the fermentation. Whenever it has done working, bottle it off, but do
not use it for six months. If not sufficiently bright and clear, filter
it through fine muslin pinned round the bottom of a sieve, or through a
white blotting paper fastened in the same manner.
PEACH CORDIAL.--Take the ripest and most juicy free-stone peaches you
can procure. Cut them from the stones, and quarter them without paring.
Crack the stones, and extract the kernels, which must be blanched and
slightly pounded. Put the peaches into a large stone jar in layers,
alternately with layers of the kernels, and of powdered loaf-sugar.
When the jar is three parts full of the peaches, kernels, and sugar,
fill it up with white brandy. Set the jar in a large pan, and leave it
uncovered for three or four days, in case of its fermenting and flowing
over at the top. Fill up what is thus wasted with more brandy, and then
close the jar tightly. Let it stand five or six months; then filter it,
and bottle it for use.
Cherry, apricot, and plum cordial may be made in the above manner;
adding always the kernels.
ANNISEED CORDIAL.--Melt a pound of loaf-sugar in two quarts of water.
Mix it with two quarts of white brandy, and add a table-spoonful of oil
of anniseed. Let it stand a week; then filter it through white blotting
paper, and bottle it for use.
Clove or Cinnamon Cordial may be made in the same manner, by mixing
sugar, water and brandy, and adding oil of cinnamon or oil of cloves.
You may colour any of these cordials red by stirring in a little
powdered cochineal that has been dissolved in a small quantity of
brandy.
ROSE BRANDY.--Nearly fill a china or glass jar with freshly-gathered
rose leaves, and pour in sufficient French white brandy to fill it
quite up; and then cover it closely. Next day put the whole into a
strainer, and having squeezed and pressed the rose leaves and drained
off the liquid, throw away the leaves, put fresh ones into the jar,
and return the brandy to it. Repeat this every day while roses are
in season, (taking care to keep the jar well covered,) and you will
find the liquid much better than rose water for flavouring cakes and
puddings.
LEMON BRANDY.--When you use lemons for punch or lemonade, do not throw
away the peels, but cut them in small pieces, and put them into a glass
jar or bottle of brandy. You will find this brandy useful for many
purposes.
In the same way keep for use the kernels of peach and plum stones,
pounding them slightly before you put them into the brandy.
NOYAU.--Blanch and break up a pound of shelled bitter almonds or peach
kernels. Mix with them the grated rinds of three large lemons, half a
pint of clarified honey that has been boiled and skimmed, and three
pounds of the best double-refined loaf-sugar. Put these ingredients
into a jar or demijohn; pour in four quarts of the best white brandy or
proof spirit; stop the vessel, and let it stand three months, shaking
it every day for the first month. Then filter it, dilute it with rose
water to your taste, (you may allow a quart of rose water to each quart
of the liquor,) and bottle it for use.
This and any other cordial may be coloured red by mixing with it (after
it is filtered) cochineal, powdered, dissolved in a little white
brandy, and strained through fine muslin.
RATAFIA.--Pound in a mortar, and mix together a pound of shelled bitter
almonds, an ounce of nutmegs, a pound of fine loaf-sugar, and one grain
(apothecaries' weight) of ambergris. Infuse these ingredients for a
week in a gallon of white brandy or proof spirit. Then filter it, and
bottle it for use.
CAPILLAIRE.--Powder eight pounds of loaf-sugar, and wet it with three
pints of water and three eggs well beaten with their shells. Stir the
whole mass very hard, and boil it twice over, skimming it well. Then
strain it, and stir in two wine glasses of orange flower water. Bottle
it, and use it for a summer draught, mixed with a little lemon juice
and water; or you may sweeten punch with it.
ORGEAT.--To make orgeat paste, blanch, mix together, and pound in a
mortar till perfectly smooth, three quarters of a pound of shelled
sweet almonds, and one quarter of a pound of shelled bitter almonds;
adding frequently a little orange-flower or rose water, to keep them
from oiling; and mixing with them, as you proceed, a pound of fine
loaf-sugar that has been previously powdered by itself. When the whole
is thoroughly incorporated to a stiff paste, put it into little pots
and close them well. It will keep five or six months, and, when you
wish to use it for a beverage, allow a piece of orgeat about the size
of an egg to each half pint or tumbler of water. Having well stirred
it, strain the mixture.
To make liquid orgeat for present use; blanch and pound in a mortar,
with rose water, a quarter of a pound of sweet and an ounce and a half
of bitter almonds. Then sweeten three pints of rich milk with half a
pound of loaf-sugar, and stir the almonds gradually into it. Boil it
over hot coals; and as soon as it comes to a boil, take it off and stir
it frequently till it gets cold. Then strain it, add a glass of brandy
and put it into decanters. When you pour it out for drinking dilute it
with water.
LEMONADE.--Take fine ripe lemons, and roll them under your hand on the
table to increase the quantity of juice. Then cut and squeeze them into
a pitcher, and mix the juice with loaf-sugar and cold water. To half
a pint of lemon juice you may allow a pint and a half of water, and
ten or twelve moderate sized lumps of sugar. Send it round in little
glasses with handles.
To make a tumbler of _very good_ lemonade, allow the juice of one lemon
and four or five lumps of sugar, filling up the glass with water. In
summer use ice water.
ORANGEADE--Is made of oranges, in the same proportion as lemonade. It
is very fine when frozen.