BLACKBERRY AND APPLE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 36, 1 March 1940, Page 44

BLACKBERRY AND APPLE

HAT a real joy blackberries.are--a, heaven-sent joy,, too, for they grow. wild, and one can help oneself if one lives near them. I often wonder that we don’t cultivate them, for though they are counted a "noxious weed," a way could be found to keep them in check, I suppose. People who object to the seeds.can strain them through a sieve or butter-muslin; and how delicious they are, too, when cooked with apples. A big blackberry and apple pie, made in a very deep dish, with a good crust of biscuit pastry, or the old friend "digestive short pastry," eaten cold, with plenty of cream, is a truly delightful thing! Perhaps I had better give you thése | two'-pastries first? © °Y'-

Pastry for Blackberry Pie ‘Biscuit Pastry: Quarter of a pound of butter, 2o0z. sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of water, 1lb. flour, 1/4. teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice;:and a pinch of salt. Soften together the butter and sugar, adding the egg yolk and water, followed by sifted flour, etc. Digestive Short Pastry Four ounces of flour, ‘4oz.: butter. or. lard, 20z. ground rice, 1 teaspoon, of baking powder, 1 egg, a pinch of. salt, and a. little water, Rub. the fat into. the dry ingredients, handling . as lightly as possible. Whisk the egg, and add enough water to make the ‘dough the proper consistency. Then roll. ‘out and bake as usual. , Short Pie Crust Half a pound of fidtr,’%41b. of dripping, 42 teaspoon of ‘seda, 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, and a small half cup of water. Cream’ the dripping, ovis oe mix into the flour and cream of tartar. Dissolve ‘the soda in the water, and add. Then roll out the pastry. It can be used for either meat or fruit pies, and is very nice made into tarts. Blackberry Jelly and Preserve When making blackberry jelly, pick the berries when they are just ripe, but not soft. Do not make too much at once. Half .a dozen small pots at a time is better than a large quantity, as’ it sets quicker. To preserve the berries, oak a few in the bottom of the jars and sprinkle with sugar and put more berries and sugar until the jars are filled up, Place the jars in the oven, and leave until the sugar is all turned to syrup. Tighten the lids and treat as other preserves. Blackberry and Apple Jam (Seedless) Take 1 gallon of blackberries, some ted ones among them, and three pounds of apples. Simmer the berries to a pulp with 1-pint of water. Strain through a muslin bag without squeezing. Cut up

the unpeeled and uncored apples, and boil to a pulp, and strain through a colander. Mix these two strained pulps, and to every pint add three-quarters of a pound of sugar. Boil until it will set when tested, Blackberry and Apple Jelly This recipe calls for .6lbs. of blackberries, 2lbs. of apples; and a cup of sugar to each cup of juice, » Chop-the apples finely, including the ‘and cores, place in the preserving pan with’ the blackberries and water, to cover. "Cook until soft. Strain through a ‘jelly. ‘bag. Measure the juice, bring to the boil, and stir in the sugar gradually. Boil about half to three-quarters of an hour, when a little tested on a saucer should jell. Blackberry Syrup Two: pounds of blackberries, 15%4lbs. of sugar, loz. of citric acid,.and 11 breakfast. cups of warm water. Put the berries.in a bowl with the acid and water. Let all stand for twenty-four hours. Then strain. Stir in the sugar, melt" it and just bring to the boil. Bottle »warm, but cork when cold. Use it just like, any cordial, a little in the bottom of the glass, and fill with cold water, Blackberry Cordial Put half as much vinegar as blackberries. Let stand thirty-six hours. Boil for five minutes with 34lb. of sugar to every llb. of berries. Strain and boil again for five minutes. Bottle and cork tight. Blackberry Surprise Stew enough berries almost to fill a pie. dish. If they are the’ small, seedy kind, it is nicer to pass them through a sieve, after they are cooked. Cream together 20z. of butter and 2o0z. of sugar. Add 4oz, of flour and 1% teaspoon of baking powder. Mix well together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the hot fruit, and’ bake to a nice light brown. Serve with thin cream or custard. Blackberry Wine This is a well proved ‘recipe, sent from Patuamahoe, near Auckland: Put any

quantity of blackberries in a wooden or stone vessel, crush them and cover well with either boiling or cold water. Stir often for a few hours, then cover with a light cloth and leave for three or four days. Strain off the liquid, and add 3%4lbs. of sugar to every gallon. Put this into a keg or stone jar, but do not have it quite full. Also keep some of the liquid in a jug for adding after every skimming, to keep the quantity the same. It will work for two or three weeks. Skim it daily, adding a little more of the liquid each time. Keep a piece of muslin over the keg, When it has finished working, cork or bung it lightly, and gradually tighten up daily.

Do not move the keg at all. Bottle the wine in six months; but it is better if you can leave it for twelve months. Blackberry Trifle Put some sponge cake in a glass dish and spread it with whipped cream, but no jam. Stew some blackberries, mashing them well, then strain, and add soaked gelatine to set it. Remember that a dessertspoonful of gelatine sets a breakfast cup of liquid. Let the blackberry jelly cool, and just before it sets, pour it over the sponge cake. Leave to set, and serve with plain or whipped cream. Blackberry and Plum Jam Ten pounds of blackberries, 4 lbs. of plums (any kind with a good sharp flavour); 1 quart of water; and ten pounds of sugar. ; Stew the plums in the water for a few minutes; add the blackberries, and boil together for about fifteen minutes, taking cafe it does not burn. Heat the sugar in a baking dish, stir into the jam, and boil for 14% hours. A teaspoonful. of tartaric or citric acid putin ten minutes before the jam is done is an improvement. Sour apples may be used instead of plums,