white pepper, 6 cloves, cayenne or ginger to taste, 3 quarts of medium
stock.
_Mode_.--Peel and quarter the apples, taking out their cores; put them
into the stock, stew them gently till tender. Rub the whole through a
strainer, add the seasoning, give it one boil up, and serve.
_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_ per quart, 1s.
_Seasonable_ from September to December.
_Sufficient_ for 10 persons.
[Illustration: APPLE AND BLOSSOM.]
THE APPLE.--This useful fruit is mentioned in Holy Writ; and
Homer describes it as valuable in his time. It was brought from
the East by the Romans, who held it in the highest estimation.
Indeed, some of the citizens of the "Eternal city" distinguished
certain favourite apples by their names. Thus the Manlians were
called after Manlius, the Claudians after Claudius, and the
Appians after Appius. Others were designated after the country
whence they were brought; as the Sidonians, the Epirotes, and
the Greeks. The best varieties are natives of Asia, and have, by
grafting them upon others, been introduced into Europe. The
crab, found in our hedges, is the only variety indigenous to
Britain; therefore, for the introduction of other kinds we are,
no doubt, indebted to the Romans. In the time of the Saxon
heptarchy, both Devon and Somerset were distinguished as _the
apple country_; and there are still existing in Herefordshire
some trees said to have been planted in the time of William the
Conqueror. From that time to this, the varieties of this
precious fruit have gone on increasing, and are now said to
number upwards of 1,500. It is peculiar to the temperate zone,
being found neither in Lapland, nor within the tropics. The best
baking apples for early use are the Colvilles; the best for
autumn are the rennets and pearmains; and the best for winter
and spring are russets. The best table, or eating apples, are
the Margarets for early use; the Kentish codlin and summer
pearmain for summer; and for autumn, winter, or spring, the
Dowton, golden and other pippins, as the ribstone, with small
russets. As a food, the apple cannot be considered to rank high,
as more than the half of it consists of water, and the rest of
its properties are not the most nourishing. It is, however, a
useful adjunct to other kinds of food, and, when cooked, is
esteemed as slightly laxative.
ARTICHOKE (JERUSALEM) SOUP.
(_A White Soup_.)