CHAPTER XVII

FRUITS AND NUTS AND CANDY

Fruits and Nuts

FRUIT is especially wholesome, although not nutritious. The best time to eat fruit is in the morning. Most fruits are improved in flavor by being chilled.

A dish of different fruits attractively arranged makes a very acceptable center piece.

To prepare Fruit for the Table

Apples should be washed and wiped dry. Berries should be looked over very carefully, and, if dirty, washed by putting in a colander and allowing cold water to run gently over them, or place the colander in a bowl of cold water and raise up and down several times, then drain thoroughly and chill before serving.

Cherries should be looked over, and served with their stems on.

Bananas should be wiped and chilled.

Currants should be washed and drained, and served on the stem.

Figs, if the dried ones, should be washed, drained, and chilled.

Grape fruit should be cut in halves, the pulp loosened from the skin, and the pith cut out, then chilled; it may be served plain, or sugar and wine may be poured over it just before chilling. Serve one half grape fruit to each person.

Grapes should be washed if dirty, but the bloom is then lost; if picked on one’s own vines, it may not be necessary to wash them; but when bought in the market, it is better to wash and drain, and chill them.

Peaches and plums should be wiped with a soft cloth, and chilled before serving.

Quinces are never served raw.

Strawberries are often served with their hulls on around a mound of sugar; but if they are to be served with sugar and cream, of course they must be hulled and chilled.

Oranges may be chilled and served in the natural state; or prepared the same as grape fruit, and one half served to each person; or peeled and the sections almost, but not quite, separated; or the orange may be cut in the shape of a basket, the pulp removed, the membrane cut off, and the basket refilled with the pulp, which may be sweetened or not.

Pineapples may be served in various ways; perhaps the most popular way is to cut off a slice from the top of the pineapple, then scoop out the center with a fork, and return pulp to pineapple, put on cover, chill, and serve.

Pineapples may be cut in slices, the outer skin be removed, and the tough pith taken out, then serve one or two slices to each person.

If the pineapples are not fully ripe, it is better to remove the skin, pull the pulp in pieces with a fork, then cover with sugar, and chill over night.

Pears should be carefully wiped and chilled before serving.

Melons should be thoroughly chilled. Cantaloupes should be cut in halves, have the seeds removed, and be served one half to a person. Watermelons should be cut in halves, then each half cut in pie-shaped pieces; serve one piece to a person.

Nuts are ordinarily served only at dinner. Hard-shelled nuts should be cracked, served in the shell, or without the shell.

Almonds are cracked, and a portion of the shell discarded, or they may be blanched and salted, and served with the bonbons.

Pecans, filberts, peanuts and walnuts are treated in the same way as almonds.

Castañas or Brazilian nuts are cracked and served in the shell.

CANDY

Butter Scotch No. 1

3 cups brown sugar ¾ cup water 2 tablespoons butter ⅛ teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon flavoring few grains salt

Boil all ingredients until a thread is formed when dropped from a spoon. Pour into hot buttered pans, crease, and let stand until hard.

Butter Scotch No. 2

1 cup brown sugar 1 cup molasses ⅓ cup butter ⅛ teaspoon soda 1 tablespoon vinegar few grains salt

Cook in the same way as Butter Scotch No. 1.

Butter Taffy

1 cup molasses 1 cup sugar ⅔ cup butter ⅔ cup milk 1 tablespoon vanilla few grains salt

Cook all ingredients until brittle when tried in cold water. Pour into hot buttered pans, crease, and cool.

Cream Candy

2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook sugar, water and cream of tartar until brittle when tried in cold water; add vanilla; pour on to greased platter or marble. Pull as soon as it can be handled.

Cocoanut Candy

2 cups sugar ½ cup cream 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup cocoanut

Cook sugar and cream twelve minutes; add butter and cocoanut. Pour into greased pans, crease, and cool.

Buttercups

2 cups molasses 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup boiling water

Cook all ingredients until brittle when tried in cold water. Pour on to hot buttered platter; pull when cool enough to handle; shape in a sheet two inches wide, cover with a layer of fondant, then with a layer of molasses candy, press together and cut in inch pieces.

Molasses Candy

2 cups molasses 2 cups brown sugar ⅓ cup vinegar 1 cup water 2 tablespoons butter salt

Boil ingredients until brittle when tried in cold water. Pour into hot buttered pan; pull when cool enough to handle.

Maple Sugar Candy

1 cup maple sugar ½ cup water 1 tablespoon butter salt flavoring

Boil until brittle, pour into greased pan, crease, and cool. One cup nut meats may be added just before pouring into pans.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar 2 cups shelled peanuts

Melt sugar; when a golden brown, add chopped nuts; pour into hot buttered pan, crease, and cool.