STEWED RAISINS.—­Soak a pint of good raisins, cleaned and freed from stems, in cold water for several hours.  When ready to cook, put them, with the water in which they were soaked, in a fruit kettle and simmer until the skins are tender.  Three or four good-sized figs, chopped quite fine, cooked with the raisins, gives an additional richness and thickness of juice.  No sugar will be needed.

DRIED APPLES.—­Good apples properly dried make a very palatable sauce; but unfortunately the fruit generally selected for drying is of so inferior a quality that if cooked in its fresh state it would not be good.  The dried fruit in most of our markets needs to be looked over carefully, and thoroughly washed before using.  Put into a granite-ware kettle, cover with boiling water, and cook gently until tender.  Fresh steam-dried or evaporated apples will cook in from one half to three fourths of an hour; if older, they may require from one to two more hours.  Add boiling water, as needed, during the cooking.  If when tender they are lacking in juice, add a little boiling water long enough before lifting from the fire to allow it to boil up once.  If the fruit is very poor, a few very thin slices of the yellow portion of lemon or orange rind added a half hour before it is done, will sometimes be an improvement.

DRIED APPLES WITH OTHER DRIED FRUIT.—­An excellent sauce may be made by cooking a few dried plums with dried or evaporated apples.  Only enough of the plums to give a flavor to the apples will be needed; a handful of the former to a pound of apples will be sufficient.  Dried cherries, raisins, English currants, dried apricots, prunelles, and peaches are also excellent used in combination with dried apples.

DRIED APRICOTS AND PEACHES.—­These fruits, if dried with the skins on, need, in addition to the preparation for cooking recommended for dried apples, a thorough rubbing with the fingers, while being washed, to remove the down.  Put into boiling water in about the proportion of two parts of fruit to three of water.  If the fruit was pared before drying, a little more water will be required.  Cook quickly, but gently, until just tender, and take from the fire as soon as done.  If too soft, they will be mushy and insipid.

EVAPORATED PEACH SAUCE.—­Soak the peaches over night in just enough water to cover.  In the morning put to cook in boiling water.  When tender, sweeten and beat perfectly smooth with an egg beater.

DRIED PEARS.—­These may be treated in the same way as dried apples.

SMALL FRUITS.—­These when dried must be carefully examined, thoroughly washed, and then cooked rather quickly in boiling water.  They swell but little, do not require much water, and usually cook in a few minutes.  They should be taken from the fire as soon as soft, as long standing makes them insipid.