THE HOME

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2155, 1 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE HOME

Qoince Jam.— Pare the quinces, and boil in just enough water to cover thorn till they will break easily. Drain off the water carefully, and rub the fruit to a pulp with a spoon. To each pound add lOoz of brown sugar ; boil half an hour, stirring well, then pour into pots. We have now come to the time when the vegetables and fruits of autumn are being gathered in, and when pickling and preserving for winter use is almost as great a business as in the summer. It is . satisfactory to nil to know that our staple wiuter fruit, the apple, has in most districts been very plentiful. Very few of the windfalls, as they are termed, will keep well, even though they are of the best storing fruit ; and the best plan is to use them as soon as possible. For a good household jam, if the apples are juicy and sweet, three-quarters of a pound of sugar to every ponnd of fruit will be quite sufficient if well boiled, Qcisch Marmalade. — Take ripe quiuees, pare, core, and cut into quarter*} put them into the preaerviug p.iu, and coyer with the parings, then add enough water to cover the whole, nnd stew till the fruit is soft and has a pinkish tinge; then carefully pick out the quince-, and with the back of a wooden spoou press them to a pulp. Take the weight of the pulp in loaf sugar, desolve it in just us much water an it will take, boil, and *kirn well, thon put in the quince pulp, and idmtnsr gently for an hour, stirring well. About ten minutes before pouring up put in a few out ilioes of lemon. Stewed Pears for Winter Use.— The following recipe is a good one : Peel the pears, and out them into halves, without removing the Htalks, and carefully take out the oores; then put them into a jar, with n ltd, which should fit closely — I have found empty aalt jars answer the purpose perfectly— add a small quantity of lemon peel and one or two cloves. Pour over them a syrup of sugar and water, in the proportion of £lb. of loaf tmgar to every pint of water. After cloning the jar. put into the ovefn, whiuh must not be too hot. Let the pear* b.i*e till tender— about five or nix hours; then turn them out of the jar to cool. To keep them, put them into clenn jam or bottles when quite cold, and tie them down carefully like jam. If they do not keep, the fault will probably lie with the fruit. The proper baking pear* should be used, and they must not be too ripe. If gently cooked, the colour will be good without any addition, but, if necessary, about three drops of cochineal may be added when the fruit ia nearly done. Fill * new or very clean iron saucepan half full with cold spring water, the very thin rind of a lemon, Jib lump sugar to six or eight pears. Peel them very thinly, leaving on the stalks ; halve them ; take out the core if liked. As they are peeled and divided, put them in the saucepan at once { place them on the stove ; let them simmer without ceasing nix, eight, or even ten hours. The colour will be perfeot if boiled long enough. Cochineal is no improvement. They should be tied down tightly whilst hot to keep them, and a little brandy might be added. I think it better to do them when they are wanted, as baking pears will keep a loner time.