CHAPTER X. FRUITS, PUDDINGS AND GRUELS. STERILIZED DRIED FRUITS. Place some dried cherries, apricots, currants or prunes in a Mason jar. Fill to the top, cover with water, and let stand over night. The next day set the jar into a water bath, heat to the boiling point, then cool. Enough can be prepared to last for several days. The juice may be used again for soaking, or it can be used for fruit gruels. SOAKED FRUIT. No. 1. Wash some dried fruit, put into a bowl, pour over some hot or cold water, place over it a little saucer with a weight upon it; in this way it requires less water; let stand over night. It is ready for use the next morning, and may be mixed with boiled cereals in place of sugar. SOAKED FRUIT. No. 2. Place some dried fruit in a bowl, pour over it some hot cereal coffee. Use in the same way as number one. This is excellent for people suffering with fermentation of the stomach. The cereal coffee acts as a preservative. FIG BUTTER. No. 1. Wash some dried figs, dry them; then cut into small pieces, and grind on a nut grinder. Mix with one-fourth (in quantity) of ryenuts. Serve with whipped or sterilized cream. FIG BUTTER. No. 2. Prepare as the foregoing. Mix with about one-third or one-fourth of ground nuts, also with ryenuts, if desired. Serve with lettuce. RAISIN OR CURRANT BUTTER. Prepare like figs. Mix with ground nuts. Serve with lettuce or with chopped apples. GROUND DATES. Remove the stones and prepare as above. Mix with ryenuts or orange juice. Serve with lettuce and sliced bananas or nuts. GROUND DRIED PRUNES. Prepare like figs. Mix with ryenuts. Serve with cream or with nuts and lettuce. BAKED APPLES. Wash and remove the core; then place in a baking tin, stem end down; pour over some water and a little sugar, if desired, bake in a moderate oven until tender. Let cool and serve plain with butter and bread or with whipped or sterilized cream. BAKED PEACHES. Prepare the same as baked apples, and serve with cream. AMBROSIA. Mash baked apples very fine and rub through a colander. Mix with soaked or stewed raisins, if desired. Serve in place of apple sauce with beaten whites of egg or whipped cream and zwieback. BAKED APPLES IN GELATINE. Prepare in the usual way, pour some fruit or rye gelatine over them. APPLE SAUCE. No. 1. Wash some tart apples, cut into four pieces and remove the seeds; steep with a little water and sugar until tender. Then mash fine with a potato masher and run through a colander. Add a piece of butter while warm. Apple sauce prepared in this way is more wholesome than prepared from apples that have been peeled. APPLE SAUCE. No. 2. Soak some dried apples over night, steep for 30 or 40 minutes with a piece of cinnamon and a little sugar, and mash fine with a potato masher. Add a piece of butter. Let cool and serve with fish, eggs, boiled beef or cheese. APPLE SNOW.