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.