They are shelled first, then by pouring boiling water on them and leaving them in it for two or three minutes, they are easily skinned.
They are sometimes used as soon as skinned, and sometimes dried after being skinned and just before using.
When wanted dried, place them in a pan in a slow oven with the door open, and turn them occasionally.
Put two ounces of loaf sugar in a quart of water, also the rind of an orange or one of lemon. Half an hour after strain the whole, and press into it the juice of the orange, and a few drops of lemon-juice. If found too strong, add water and sugar. It is a very good drink in summer, or for evening parties. A little currant jelly may be added to make a variety.
To the above lemonade or orangeade you add, instead of water and sugar, some barley-water and sugar; it is very good and very refreshing.
Barley-water is made by soaking in lukewarm water a pint of barley, drain it two or three minutes after; put the barley in a crockery pan, cover it with cold water (about three quarts), set it on the fire, and boil till the barley is perfectly cooked; skim off the scum during the cooking, drain, let cool, and use the water.
Soak a quart of barley in lukewarm water for two or three minutes, and drain. Put the barley in a crockery stewpan, with four or five quarts of water, and set it on a good fire, boil till the barley is overdone, and then take from the fire, mash it as well as possible and strain, throwing away what there is in the strainer, and if the remainder does not make a kind of jelly when cool, the barley has not been boiled enough.
Mix that jelly with sugar and fry it; it is better than any other candy, barley being refreshing, and the principal substance of it.
Put in a tin pan a pint of milk, with one ounce of chocolate, and two of sugar; set it over the fire, but do not allow it to boil; stir well with a wooden spoon during the process, and when the whole is well mixed, serve warm in cups.
It is an excellent and wholesome drink in the evening.
_The same with Coffee or Tea._--Proceed as above in every particular, except that you put in the pan a small cup of coffee or tea instead of chocolate, and a little more sugar.
Put in a crockery tureen two bottles of white wine, with an orange and a lemon, both cut in slices; cover, and place it in a warm place for about ten hours; then strain into a vessel, and mix well with the liquor about a pound of loaf sugar, and a little grated cinnamon.