Stewed Apples

• 6 Apples, Large and Firm
• Sugar to Taste
• The Zest of Half an Orange
• A Blade of Mace

Pare the apples, and cut into quarters or semiquarters, removing the cores and seeds. Add half a cup of water. Put them into an agate or a porcelain-lined saucepan, and strew generously with sugar. Let them simmer gently for half an hour. Then add the zest of half an orange, grated, and the ground spic