Chapter 146
PINEAPPLE-AND-APRICOT CONSERVE
2 qt. apricots 1 large pineapple 1 c. hot water 2-1/2 lb. sugar
Wash the apricots, plunge them into boiling water to remove the skins, and then cut into quarters. Peel and slice the pineapple, remove the eyes, and cut into cubes. Add the water to the sugar in a preserving kettle, and bring to the boiling point. Add the pineapple to the sirup, and cook until tender. Then drop in the apricots and boil several minutes longer. Have hot sterilized gla.s.ses ready, fill them with the conserve, and when cool seal in the usual way. Before putting the gla.s.ses away, label each one neatly.
64. CRAB-APPLE-AND-ORANGE CONSERVE.--It is a good idea to make crab-apple-and-orange conserve at the same time that crab-apple jelly is made, for the pulp that remains after extracting the juice may be utilized for the conserve. However, if it is desired to make it at some other time, fresh pulp can be prepared for the purpose.
CRAB-APPLE-AND-ORANGE CONSERVE
1 qt. crab-apple pulp 3 lb. sugar 8 oranges
To the crab-apple pulp, add the sugar, and place over the fire to boil.
Peel the oranges, scoop out the white portion from the peelings, cut the peelings into thin strips, and add to the crab-apple pulp. Remove the pulp of the orange from the skins and from between the sections, cut it into small pieces, and add to the boiling mixture a few minutes before it is removed from the stove. When it has cooked thick, pour into hot sterilized gla.s.ses. Cool and then seal and label.
65. PLUM CONSERVE.--A rather unusual conserve is made by combining raisins and English walnut meats with plums. The accompanying recipe gives directions for the preparation of this conserve.
PLUM CONSERVE
4 qt. plums 1 c. hot water 2 lb. sugar 1 lb. raisins 2 c. English walnut meats
Wash the plums, cut them in half, and remove the seeds. Add the water to the sugar, place over the fire in a preserving kettle, and stir until the mixture comes to a rapid boil. Wash the raisins, which should be seeded, add them with the plums to the sirup, and cook until the mixture is the consistency of jelly. Just before removing from the stove, add the nut meats. Pour the mixture into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label. If very sour plums are used, increase the amount of sugar.
66. CHERRY-AND-PINEAPPLE CONSERVE.--Cherries combine very well with pineapple in a conserve. Sweet cherries should, if possible, be used for this purpose.
CHERRY-AND-PINEAPPLE CONSERVE
2 qt. sweet cherries 1 pineapple 2 lb. sugar 1 c. hot water
Wash, stem, and seed the cherries. Slice and peel the pineapple and remove the eyes. Put the sugar and water over the fire in a preserving kettle, and stir until the sirup comes to the boiling point. To this sirup add the pineapple and the cherries and cook until the juice is very thick. Pour into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
67. RED-RASPBERRY-AND-CURRANT CONSERVE.--A conserve having a very attractive color and a most appetizing flavor is made by combining red raspberries with red currants.
RED-RASPBERRY-AND-CURRANT CONSERVE
3 qt. red raspberries 1 qt. red currants 1 c. hot water 2-1/2 lb. sugar
Look the raspberries over carefully, and remove any that show signs of spoiling. Wash the
68. CARROT CONSERVE.--Conserve made from carrots will be found to be surprisingly delicious, and it has the added advantage of being inexpensive.
CARROT CONSERVE
1-1/2 qt. cooked cut carrots Rind of 2 lemons 5 c. sugar 2 c. hot water Juice of 3 lemons
Boil the carrots until tender and chop or put through a grinder with the lemon rind. Then mix with the sugar, water, and lemon juice, and boil for about 1/2 hour or until thick. Put into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
MARMALADES
69. MARMALADES are a form of preserves that differ from the other varieties more in the nature of the fruit used than in any other respect. For marmalades, large fruits are generally used, and, as a rule, the fruits are left in sections or in comparatively large pieces.
The preparation of this food, however, differs in no way from preserves proper and conserves, the processes of cooking, sealing, storing, etc.
being practically the same.
70. ORANGE MARMALADE.--Oranges combined with half as many lemons make a marmalade that most persons like. In fact, orange marmalade is probably made more often than any other kind.
ORANGE MARMALADE
12 oranges 6 lemons 1-1/2 qt. hot water 5 lb. sugar
Peel the oranges and the lemons in the same way an apple would be peeled, inserting the knife deep enough to cut through the skin covering the sections. Remove the contents of the sections and squeeze out any juice that may remain in the thin skin. Remove the white material from the inside of the peeling, and cut the yellow portion that remains into thin strips. Add the water to the skins and simmer slowly for 1 hour. At the end of this time, add the sugar and the orange and the lemon pulp, and boil until the mixture is thick. Pour into hot, sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, and then seal and label.
71. ORANGE-AND-RHUBARB MARMALADE.--If a somewhat different flavor is desired in a marmalade, rhubarb instead of lemons may be used with oranges, as shown in the accompanying recipe.
ORANGE-AND-RHUBARB MARMALADE
8 oranges 1 qt. hot water 4 lb. sugar 3 qt. rhubarb cut into pieces
Prepare the oranges as for orange marmalade. Slowly cook the yellow part of the skin in 1 quart of water for 1/2 hour. To this add the sugar and the rhubarb, and cook slowly until it is quite thick. Stir in the orange pulp and cook until the mixture is again thick. Pour into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
72. QUINCE MARMALADE.--Quinces cut into quarters, cooked, and then forced through a sieve make an exceptionally good marmalade, so far as both flavor and color are concerned. No other fruit need be used with the quinces, as they have enough flavor in themselves.
QUINCE MARMALADE
4 qt. quartered quinces 1 qt. hot water 4 lb. sugar
Wipe the fuzz from the quinces, wash, quarter, and remove the cores, but do not peel. Put over the fire in a preserving kettle with the water.
Cook until the quinces are soft, remove from the fire, and mash through a sieve. Add the sugar to the quince pulp, replace on the fire, and cook until the mixture is thick, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Pour into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
73. GRAPE MARMALADE.--The pulp and skins of grapes are especially satisfactory for marmalade. In fact, most persons who are fond of grapes find marmalade of this kind very appetizing.
GRAPE MARMALADE
4 qt. stemmed grapes 2 c. hot water 3 lb. sugar
Separate the pulp of the grapes from the skins, put it into a preserving kettle with the water, and heat to the boiling point. Cook slowly until the seeds can be separated from the pulp, and then remove the seeds by pressing the pulp through a sieve. Return to the preserving kettle with the grape skins. Add the sugar, and cook the mixture slowly until it is thick, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Care must be taken not to cook it too long, as the marmalade becomes quite stiff. Pour into hot, sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
74. ORANGE-AND-PINEAPPLE MARMALADE.--No better combination can be secured than oranges and pineapple. To make marmalade, both fruits are cut into small pieces and then cooked in a thick sirup.
ORANGE-AND-PINEAPPLE MARMALADE
8 oranges 2 c. hot water 2 pineapples 4 lb. sugar
Wash the oranges, cut skins and all into small pieces, remove the seeds, and boil slowly in the water until the skins are soft. Prepare the pineapples by peeling them, removing the eyes, and then shredding or cutting into very small pieces. Add the pineapple to the orange, stir in sugar, and continue to boil until the juice is at the jelly stage. Pour into hot sterilized gla.s.ses, cool, seal, and label.
JAMS
75. JAM is similar to preserves, except that the fruit used is made into a pulp before it is cooked with the sugar or after a part of the cooking is done. As a rule, only whole small fruits are used for jams, but the larger fruits can be utilized for this purpose by being cut fine and made into a pulp. When small fruits are used, part or all of the seeds are sometimes removed, but generally the seeds are allowed to remain if they are not too large. Jam is made thick by long boiling, and when done is usually quite smooth. A precaution, however, that should always be taken is not to cook it too long, for jam is very unappetizing if it is too thick.