iling; for, as it rises suddenly, if it should boil over, it would
take fire, being of a very inflammable nature. Let it boil up again;
then take it off, and remove carefully the scum that has risen. Boil the
solution again, throw in a little more cold water, remove the scum, and
so on for three or four times successively; then strain it. It is
considered to be sufficiently boiled when some taken up in a spoon pours
out like oil.

1498. Although sugar passes so easily into the state of fermentation,
and is, in fact, the only substance capable of undergoing the vinous
stage of that process, yet it will not ferment at all if the quantity be
sufficient to constitute a very strong syrup: hence, syrups are used to
preserve fruits and other vegetable substances from the changes they
would undergo if left to themselves. Before sugar was in use, honey was
employed to preserve many vegetable productions, though this substance
has now given way to the juice of the sugar-cane.

1499. The fruits that are the most fit for preservation in syrup are,
apricots, peaches, nectarines, apples, greengages, plums of all kinds,
and pears. As an example, take some apricots not too ripe, make a small
slit at the stem end, and push out the stone; simmer them in water till
they are softened and about half done, and afterwards throw them into
cold water. When they have cooled, take them out and drain them. Put the
apricots into the pie-serving-pan with sufficient syrup to cover them;
let them boil up three or four times, and then skim them; remove them
from the fire, pour them into an earthen pan, and let them cool till
next day. Boil them up three days successively, skimming each time, and
they will then be finished and in a state fit to be put into pots for
use. After each bailing, it is proper to examine into the state of the
syrup when cold; if too thin, it will bear additional boiling; if too
thick, it may be lowered with more syrup of the usual standard. The
reason why the fruit is emptied out of the preserving-pan into an
earthen pan is, that the acid of the fruit acts upon the copper, of
which the preserving-pans are usually made. From this example the
process of preserving fruits by syrup will be easily comprehended. The
first object is to soften the fruit by blanching or boiling it in water,
in order that the syrup by which it is preserved may penetrate through
its substance.

1500. Many fruits, when preserved by boiling, lose much of