# The Complete Confectioner (1800)/Compotes

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Take any sort of apples, cut them in halves, take out the core and pare them very neatly, and in proportion as your cut and pare them throw them into a bason of water, for fear they should turn black; have a pan on the fire with clarified sugar in, very light, that is to say, half sugar and half water; let it boil that you may skim it a little, then put your apples in and do them gently, taking care your sugar should not boil too fast, because in such a case they would wash all to a pulp: when you see that you apples are well done, take them off from the fire, and let them cool in the sugar; for if they be too much done, in cooling in the sugar itself, they grow firm again; so set them in your ashes: but if you should perceive your syrup is too thin, you may, after you have taken off your apples, set it again over the fire, and give it what height you please.
Cut the rind of your oranges into ribs, leaving part of the rind on; cut them into eight parts, and throw them into boiling water; when a pin will easily go throw the rind, drain and put them into as much sugar, boiled till it becomes smooth, as will-cover them; give all a boil together, adding some juice of oranges to what sharpness your please; you may put a little pippin jelly into the boiling; when cold they make pretty plates.
Take pears, which must not be too ripe, split them by the head's end with a knife, put them into a pan of water, and boil them till they are a little softened, take them off and change them into cold water: have another little pan of fresh water, in which squeeze two lemons, after which pare your pears neatly, and put them in the lemon water to whiten them: take then another pan with clarified sugar very light, and put your pears in till they have well taken the sugar, and are well done.
Take any quantity of apricots, split them on one side to take out the stone, put them in a pan of water, and set them over the fire, boil them very gently for fear they should mash; when you see they are well softened, take them off and change them into cold water; take clarified sugar, put your apricots in, give them a little boiling, then take them off and set them in your dishes.
Take any quantity of green apricots, then two handfuls of salt, which wet with a little vinegar; take a coarse towel, put your apricots in it along with the salt, and rub them well in the towel till you see the apricots have lost all their down; be careful not to do them so hard as to break their skin; when that is well done, throw them into fresh water to make them lose the salt and vinegar, which is done by giving them three or ​four different successive fresh waterings; when your apricots are well cleaned, prick them well with a pin, set them in a pan of water on the fire and boil them as much as you please; when they are sufficiently done, take them off from the fire, and let them cool in that same water till the next day, when you must set them again on the fire in the same water, and as soon as it begins to boil take them off and change them into cold water; then take another pan with the first degree of clarified sugar, put your apricots in, let them simmer on a slow fire till they begin to turn very green; you must not let them be quite done the first time you put them in sugar, they must have then but one bubble in the sugar, then take them off and let them stand till the next day; when they will have thrown off all their water, and turn of the most beautiful green.
Take green gages, which prick with a pin, and set on the fire in a pan of cold water, till they are a little softened; then take them off and let them cool in the same water, when that is done take the highest degree of clarified sugar, put your plumbs in it, and set them again on a very slow fire, to make them throw off their water and turn green; you must also cover your pan during this second operation with a tin-plate, that they may not lose their steam, which makes them greener; after which take them off and dress them in your dishes.
Take quinces, which cut into four quarters, and take out their cores and pare them; set them in a pan of water on the fire, boil them as much as you please; when they are done enough take them out of the water, and put them on a cloth to drain: then take another pan with the first degree of clarified sugar, and put your quinces in and let them do gently upon a slow fire that they may be very mellow: if you would have them red, cover them as soon as you put them on the fire with a tin plate, and leave it on till they are quite done; then take them off and dress them in your dishes. If your sugar is in jelly, put them directly in your dishes and pour sugar over them.
Take cherries, and cut off half of their stalks; have clarified sugar, put your cherries in, and let them boil till they are done enough; then take them off from the fire, and let them stand till they are grown sufficiently cold to take them all one by one, and set them on their stalk upwards in your dishes, and pour sugar over them.
Pare your fruit, and cut them into slices; scald them a little, squeezing some juice of lemon on them, in the scalding, to keep them white; then drain them, and put as much clarified sugar as will just cover them; give them a boil, and then squeeze the juice from an orange or lemon, which you best approve of, and when cold they may be served to table.
Bake your wardens in an earthen pot, with a little claret, some spice, lemon peel, and sugar; when you use them, peel off the skin and dress them in plates, either whole or in halves; then make a jelly of pippins, sharpened well with the juice of lemons, and pour it upon them; when cold, break the jelly with a spoon, and it will look very agreeable upon the red pears.