FRUIT DRYING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 89, 8 January 1918, Page 3

FRUIT DRYING

To dry fruit with success it should ■ be gathered before it is too soft. Summer fruits, such as peaches and apricots, need an even temperature for the process, and this changeable weather is not good drying weather. Tho fruit "should Be in eating condition, but not, as stated above, too soft. To remove the skins* a solution; of soda often used, but it affects the taste. Summer ■ fruits' may be treated by placing them in boiling water for a few. minutes, whfen tlio will .'come off readily.■ Take them out; at once, halve the fruit; or quarter it.if. large, and spread in the sun to dry. This method should bo successful without the us§ of sulphur, which is not to be recommended , to amateurs. ■ Cherries may bo dried if stoned and placed on a flat dish, whibh should be , deep enough to hold the juice. S'tono the cherries and leave them spread out singly onHhe dish for a day; then pour off the juice which has run from them, and then pour it on them again, a little at a time, until it all dries. Stir them so that they dry evenly. Thoy should be perfectly, dry when packed in jars or a box,"a layer at a time'paeked close with white paper round them; a little brown sugar should bo sprinkled on top before the paper is wrapped i round them. Keep in a dry place. lAnother way of drying, cherries is ■ to take large tiiieSj stone and put sugar to them, equal weight of moist sugar,

stew gently till tho boiling point is reached, take off and place them in a jug, so that they may all bo in tha liquor to be coloured. Repeat this stewing and soaking next day. The day after boil till all the liquor has evaporated. Then drain them in a- collander, pour warm 'water over thorn, lay thein in tho sun upon sieves, or on a piece of .unpainted wire gauze. Leave till dry. Glace cherries "are made in the above way, except that, after draining, they are rolled in crystallised sugar and left to dry. Cherries are also very nice if spiced, by . boiling them in vinegar, sugar, and spice. Tho fruit should bo stoned; the liquor is prepared by boiling the vinegar (half a cupful to lib. of cherries), lib. white sugar,, a few cloves,' and a little cinnamon. Boil the. syrup, put in the', fruit, and boil li> minutes. Spoon out the cherries into jars, and pour the syrup over them. Tie down while warm, or they may be boiled in a sugar-and-water syrup, bottled, and tied up.

Figs are dried by picked when ripe, and laid out in tho sun; they should be pulled and stretched by.hand. Pack closely. To make fig syrup, peel and chop up with a silver or stainless steel knife into large pieces. Add Jib. brewer's crystals to each pound of fruit. Stand all night, pour off tho liquoi 1 in tho morning, seeds and all, and boil, skimming off and removing seeds which come to the top. AVheu at boiling point add more sugar, about the same quantity as was snrinlded • 011. Boil about two hours. It should be thick and syrupy. The figs left can be made into jam, with sugar and a little boiling water added.