CHAPTER XXIX

FRUITS, COOKED AND UNCOOKED[13]

658.--TO COOK DRIED FRUIT

Wash thoroughly in two or three cold waters; put in granite kettle, cover with water, and soak twenty-four hours; cook very slowly two or three hours until tender; add sugar, and simmer half an hour.

659.--BAKED APPLES WITH DATES

Wipe and core apples, and place in baking dish (not tin); in each cavity put a stoned date, a tablespoon of sugar, and two tablespoons of boiling water; bake in a moderate oven about half an hour, basting often. Apple jelly may be used in place of dates, or sugar may be mixed with a little cinnamon or nutmeg.

660.--GRAPE AND APPLE JELLY

1/2 peck grapes Sugar 3 tart apples

Pick over, stew, and mash grapes, put in kettle with apples, which have been coarsely chopped, but not pared or cored; heat to boiling point, mash, and boil thirty minutes; strain through a jelly bag; measure juice, return to kettle, and boil five minutes; add an equal amount of heated sugar, and boil three minutes. Skim well and pour into glasses.

661.--SPICED APPLE JELLY

Wash apples, cut in quarters, cover with equal parts of water and vinegar, and cook half an hour; drain; and to each quart of juice add one-third cup of mixed spices (tied in a bag), and boil twenty minutes. Remove spices. Add heated sugar, allowing one quart for each quart of juice. Boil ten minutes, and pour into glasses. When cold and firm cover with melted paraffin.

662.--GRAPE JUICE AND APPLE SAUCE

1 cup grape juice 4 apples 1/2 cup sugar 4 slices sponge cake or toast

Boil grape juice and sugar for five minutes; pare, core, and slice apples, and cook in grape juice until tender; cool, and serve on toast or cake. Two cups of grapes cooked with one-half cup of water and pressed through a sieve may be used in place of juice.

663.--DARK RED APPLE SAUCE

8 tart apples 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup hot water

Pare and core apples, and cut into eighths; put into an earthen dish; add sugar, nutmeg, and hot water; cover closely, and bake in a slow oven three hours.

664.--BAKED BANANAS

Peel, scrape, and slice six bananas; put into a greased baking dish in layers, and sprinkle each layer with brown sugar; dot a tablespoon of butter over the top, and sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon. Bake in a moderate oven half an hour.

665.--BANANAS WITH FIGS AND NUTS

4 bananas 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 4 figs 1/4 cup chopped nut meats

Peel, scrape, and slice bananas; wash, dry, and chop figs; spread over bananas; sprinkle with sugar and nut meats, and serve with cream. Grape nuts may be used in place of nut meats.

666.--MOCK BAR-LE-DUC CURRANTS

1/2 cup large, hard cranberries 1/2 cup boiling water 1 cup sugar

Cut cranberries in quarters, place in colander, and wash under running water to remove the seeds; heat sugar and water slowly to the boiling point, and boil seven minutes; add cranberries, and boil seven minutes. Seal in small glasses.

667.--RED CURRANT CONSERVE

2 pounds red currants 1 cup raisins 2 oranges 1-1/2 pounds sugar

Wash currants; grate rind of oranges and remove pulp; seed raisins and cut in halves; put in preserving kettle with sugar, heat gradually to boiling point, and simmer until as thick as marmalade.

668.--CRANBERRY CONSERVE

1 quart cranberries 1 cup raisins seeded and chopped 1 cup water 2-1/4 cups sugar Grated rind 1 orange 1/2 cup nut meats chopped Pulp and juice of 2 oranges

Wash cranberries and chop rather coarsely; put in colander and rinse with running water to remove seeds; add water, oranges, and raisins; cook fifteen minutes; add sugar and boil two minutes; add nut meats and pour into glasses.

669.--SPICED CRANBERRIES

1 quart cranberries 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 cups brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon clove 1/2 cup vinegar 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 cup water

Mix in order given, heat slowly to the boiling point, and simmer half an hour. Serve with cold meats.

670.--PRESERVED CRANBERRIES

1/2 cup water 1 cup cranberries 1 cup sugar

Heat water and sugar to the boiling point, and cook five minutes; add berries, and simmer for fifteen minutes, skimming when necessary. The berries should be unbroken. (Useful for garnishing.)

671.--CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 pint cranberries 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water

Pick over and wash berries, add the water, and cook until very soft. Mash with a wooden spoon, add the sugar, and cook until sugar is dissolved. For thick cranberry jelly, press through a sieve and pour into glasses.

672.--FIG PASTE (Laxative)

1 pound prunes 1/2 pound figs 1 ounce senna leaves Cold water

Soak prunes over night in cold water to cover, add the senna leaves tied in cheesecloth, and cook slowly until prunes are tender. Stone the prunes, and chop fine; add figs chopped fine, put in top of double boiler, remove senna, add prune juice, and cook until thick.

673.--CANDIED GRAPE FRUIT PEEL

Cut grape fruit peel into thin strips, and soak twenty-four hours in salted water, allowing one teaspoon of salt to each quart of water; drain, cover with cold water, and boil about one hour, or until tender, changing the water once; drain, weigh peel, and add an equal weight of sugar; heat slowly, and cook until sugar is almost absorbed; spread on a platter to dry for five or six hours; roll in powdered sugar. If put in airtight jars it will keep indefinitely. Orange or lemon peel may be used in the same way.

674.--BAKED PEARS

8 hard pears 1/2 cup boiling water 3/4 cup sugar 4 cloves

Wipe pears, remove stems, and put in an earthen dish; add sugar, water, and cloves; cover, and bake in a slow oven for four hours, basting occasionally. Serve cold.

675.--PEAR AND GINGER MARMALADE

8 pounds hard pears 1/4 pound preserved ginger Grated rind 4 lemons 6 pounds sugar Juice of 4 lemons

Quarter and core pears, and put through food chopper; add lemon rind, juice, and ginger (chopped); mix fruit with sugar, heat gradually to boiling point, and cook slowly about two hours, or until thick.

676.--SPICED PRUNES

2 cups cooked prunes Juice of 1 orange 1/4 cup chopped cranberries Few gratings orange rind 1/2 cup prune juice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Stone prunes, cut in small pieces, add other ingredients, and simmer twenty minutes. Serve with cold meats.

677.--QUINCE HONEY

6 quinces 1 quart water 3-1/2 pounds sugar

Pare, quarter, and core quinces; to the cores and parings add one pint of water, simmer half an hour, and press through a sieve. Chop quinces, using the finest cutter, add a pint of water, and simmer while cores are cooking; add pulp and juice from cores and boil ten minutes; add sugar and boil about five minutes, or until it jellies.

678.--BAKED RHUBARB AND BANANAS

2 cups rhubarb 3/4 cup sugar 3 bananas 1 tablespoon butter

Wash rhubarb and cut, unpeeled, into one-inch pieces; peel and slice bananas, and arrange in a baking dish in alternate layers with the rhubarb; add sugar and butter, cover, and bake in a slow oven two hours. Serve hot or cold.

679.--RHUBARB AND ORANGE MARMALADE

4 cups rhubarb Juice 1/2 lemon 4 oranges 6 cups sugar 1 tablespoon orange rind grated

Cut rhubarb in half-inch pieces; add pulp and juice of oranges, rind, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook slowly until juice will "jell" when tried on a cold plate.

680.--RHUBARB AND FIG MARMALADE

3 pounds rhubarb 1 teaspoon ginger 1 pound figs 1/4 teaspoon clove 3 pounds sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 lemon

Cut rhubarb unpeeled into inch pieces; wash figs and put through food chopper; put in preserving kettle with half of sugar and let stand over night; in the morning boil until clear, then add remaining sugar, juice and grated rind of lemon, and seasonings. Cook slowly until thickened.

681.--THREE-IN-ONE MARMALADE

Cut in halves one grape fruit, one orange, and one lemon; remove pulp with a teaspoon, saving juice and discarding seeds; remove the membrane from peels, and put peel through the food chopper, using medium cutter; mix peel, pulp, and juice; measure, and to each cup add three cups of cold water; let stand over night; heat slowly to the boiling point, and cook one hour, or until peel is tender; measure, add an equal amount of sugar; boil about forty minutes, or until a little will "jell" when tried on a cold plate.

682.--RED TOMATO JAM

3 pounds ripe tomatoes 1 teaspoon ginger 3 pounds sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 lemons

Scald and peel tomatoes; cut in halves crosswise and discard seeds; put in preserving kettle with sugar, lemon juice, and ginger; cook slowly about two hours, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Skim when necessary. This may be kept in a stone crock or sealed in glasses.

683.--SWEET PICKLED WATERMELON RIND

Rind of 1/2 watermelon 1-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon 3 pounds brown sugar 1 tablespoon cloves 1 quart vinegar 1 tablespoon allspice

Pare melon rind, cut in inch squares, wash, and drain; put sugar and vinegar in a preserving kettle, add spices tied in a bag, and boil one hour; add melon rind, and cook about one hour, or until tender; put melon rind into a stone crock, boil sirup hard for fifteen minutes, and pour over melon.

FOOTNOTES:

[13] For standard recipes for jellies and preserves, see Farmers' Bulletin No. 203.