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Compotcs, Syrup For

The quantity of sugar used for the syrup in compotes must depend upon the acidity of the fruit. For rhubarb, green gooseberries, early apples, etc., we should recommend ten ounces of loaf sugar to be boiled gently with half a pint of water for ten minutes. One pound of fruit must then be put in and boiled gently until it is sufficiently cooked. Lift the fruit into a deep glass dish, pour the syrup round it, and serve. For apricots, plums, strawberries, and cherries, six ounces of sugar will be sufficient. Exact directions can scarcely be given, as the degree of ripeness which the fruit has attained, and the state of the weather when it was gathered, must be considered in deciding what quantity of sugar should be used; but we can assure those who have not been accustomed to serve fruit in this way that it is most delicious and wholesome. The flavour of the fruit is preserved, and a compote is always an elegant and agreeable addition to the table. Generally speaking, the larger the amount of sugar used the clearer will be the syrup, and the longer it will keep. It should be broken into lumps, not crushed to powder.