cle of food. The
young leaves of the peach are sometimes used in cookery, from
their agreeable flavour; and a liqueur resembling the fine
noyeau of Martinique may be made by steeping them in brandy
sweetened with sugar and fined with milk: gin may also be
flavoured in the same manner. The kernels of the fruit have the
same flavour. The nectarine is said to have received its name
from nectar, the particular drink of the gods. Though it is
considered as the same species as the peach, it is not known
which of the varieties come from the other; the nectarine, is by
some considered as the superior fruit.

PEACHES PRESERVED IN BRANDY.

1573. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of fruit weighed before being stoned,
allow 1/4 lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar; brandy.

_Mode_.--Let the fruit be gathered in dry weather; wipe and weigh it,
and remove the stones as carefully as possible, without injuring the
peaches much. Put them into a jar, sprinkle amongst them pounded loaf
sugar in the above proportion, and pour brandy over the fruit. Cover the
jar down closely, place it in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire,
and bring the brandy to the simmering-point, but do not allow it to
boil. Take the fruit out carefully, without breaking it; put it into
small jars, pour over it the brandy, and, when cold, exclude the air by
covering the jars with bladders, or tissue-paper brushed over on both
sides with the white of an egg. Apricots may be done in the same manner,
and, if properly prepared, will be found delicious.

_Time_.--From 10 to 20 minutes to bring the brandy to the
simmering-point.

_Seasonable_ in August and September.

BAKED PEARS.

1574. INGREDIENTS.--12 pears, the rind of 1 lemon, 6 cloves, 10 whole
allspice; to every pint of water allow 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar.

_Mode_.--Pare and cut the pears into halves, and, should they be very
large, into quarters; leave the stalks on, and carefully remove the
cores. Place them in a clean baking-jar, with a closely-fitting lid; add
to them the lemon-rind cut in strips, the juice of 1/2 lemon, the
cloves, pounded allspice, and sufficient water just to cover the whole,
with sugar in the above proportion. Cover the jar down closely, put it
into a very cool oven, and bake the pears from 5 to 6 hours, but be very
careful that the oven is not too hot. To improve the colour of the
fruit, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added; but this wil