THE USEFUL PIE MELON

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 48, 24 May 1940, Page 44

THE USEFUL PIE MELON

UITE a large variety of jams can be made using the pie melons as a basis. All the 3 groug#d-vine fruits" are useful and pleasant, aren’t they? Pumpkins, vegetable marrows, water melons, cucumbers, can all be used.in many tasty ways. Pie melons are in season now, so here are some jams of different flavours to be maderfrom.them, Of course, the most tiresome part "is the cutting-up; but father and the big boys will come in handy here. They can cut up the melon during the evening, because it always has to be left. standing all night, with the sugar sprinkled on, and then in the morning it is all ready for mother to carry on with and make the jam. It is a pity we can’t. have small. machines Similar to the splendid big cutting-up machines which I saw. working 'at a great jam factory which I visited once. It Was a real joy to see it making short work of the tiresome job. First the pie melon was placed under a long knife, something like the cheese cutting machine you see in grocers’ shops, and with one chop the biggest melon was cut in half. Then a man picked up the half and stuck it on a whirling machine with three long prongs, and as it revolved ever so fast, he simply stood and held a kind of curved knife against it, so that it peeled itself, so to speak! Then it was popped into a chopping-up machine, whence it dropped down underneath on to a wire netting, through which the seeds fell on to trays, while the neatly chopped cubes of melon hurried off into big troughs to be wheeled away. All so simple, so easy, so neat! However, father wll have to do our chopping. Pie Melon and Tree Tomato Jam There are plenty of tree tomatoes to be had just now, so you will be eS to try this recipe. Put through the mincer 6lbs. of ‘pie melon after peeling and seeding it. Skin 4lbs. of tree tomatoes by scalding with boiling water and then peeling off the skin. Put the tree tomatoes also through the mincer, and add them to the piemelon with the juice of two lemons, Add 10lbs. of sugar and boil until it sets. This jam does not need to be put to stand all night, but can be made straight away. It is a nice firm jam, will keep well, and is a tested recipe. Pie Melon With Dried Fruits You can "ring the changes" on this jam-it makes a lovely combination. To 5lbs. of pie melon use half a pound of dried peaches or apricots. Some people like to add a little preserved ginger, too, cut up small, but that is a matter of taste. Soak your dried fruit in plenty of water, overnight, using about five cups.to a pound, Also leave your

cut-up pie melon standing overnight, with the sugar (pound for pound) sprinkled over it. Next day boil up the dried fruit for about half an hour in the water in which it has soaked, then put in the pie melon and sugar with it, and boil until it will set when tested-about 2 hours or longer. Say %4lb. of dried fruit, 212 cups of water, 5lbs. of pie melon, and 5ibs. of sugar. Preserved ginger to taste, about 2ozs. for this quantity. When washing dried fruit use very hot water with a pinch of baking soda in it. You will be surprised at the dirt which comes out.

Melon and Orange Jam This was sent to me by a young bachelor who runs a country store. He asked me not to "give him away" as he wishes to remain a bachelor! He said he never lets the fruit stand overnight, just cuts everything up and makes the jam right away. Have 12lbs. of cut up melon (in cubes) and into this put the juice of 6 oranges and also the grated rind. Add about 4Ib. of preserved ginger cut up into small pieces. Put all this into a pan with 5 cups of water and bring to the boil. Stir carefully, and after about half an hour, when the melon is tender, add 9lbs. of sugar. Stir till dissolved and then boil fast until it is golden brown and will set when tested. Australian Pie Melon Jam Here is an Australian way of making it. To 16lbs. of melon allow 12Ibs. of sugar, a large cup of lemon juice, the tind of three lemons, loz. of bruised ginger (lemon rind and ginger tied in a muslin bag). Cut the melon in square pieces, removing the seeds and rind and leave all night with a little sugar sprinkled over. In the morning boil for

four hours, or until quite transparent, and then add the rest of the sugar and boil till it jells. Instead of the lemonrind and bruised ginger the pulp of four or five dozen passion fruit may be put into the muslin bag and boiled with the lemon juice and the melon, This gives a delightful flavour. Or a pound of preserved ginger may be cut in small pieces and stirred into the mixture. Oranges may be used instead of lemons, or some of each. Pie Melon Pickle Cut up 3lbs. of pie melon in smali pieces and cover with vinegar. Leave all night. Next morning put it on to boil with two small cups of sugar, 2lbs. of onions, one dessertspoon of salt, two dessertspoons of spice, a few cloves, and one small teaspoon cayenne pepper. Boil for two ‘hours, then mix up one tablespoon of flour, one tablespoon of mustard, and one tablespoon of turmeric with a little vinegar, to a smooth paste, add it to the mixture, and boil a little longer. Bottle while hot. Pie Melon Jelly This is very delicate in flavour, and takes the place of breakfast marmalade with some people. Cut up into pieces 10lbs. of melon, using both seeds and skins. Sprinkle over 1141bs. of sugar and leave overnight; also cut up nine lemons. cover with boiling water, and leave all night. Next day boil all together till soft, strain through a jelly bag, and then bring to the boil. Allow cup for cup of sugar, and boil fast till it is set. Don’t hurry the straining process. I saw how carefully they strain in jelly making | at the jam factory. There were rows of jelly bags made of a kind of fine scrim, hanging from round holes in a frame, something like the ink wells in desks at school. Then the juice was strained a second time into big vats, through thick felt, Pie melons vary a good deal, and no matter how hard or how long you boil some of them they simply won’t turn golden. In that case just brown. some sugar in a spoon and put it in. Pie Melon and Passion Fruit Cut up 6lbs. of melon, Put into a basin with 1lb. of sugar. Allow to stand all night then take the pulp of 4 dozen passion fruit and tie in a piece of muslin. Put all in the preserving pan with another 5lbs, of sugar and boil 214 to 3 hours, This is excellent. Take out the bag of passion fruit pulp, of course. Melon Jam, with Ginger Cut up, say. 6lbs. of melon. Allow %lb, of sugar to each pound of melon. Sprinkle half the sugar over the melon and leave it overnight. Have some bruised ginger in a bag. It is nice with two good lemons added. Next day, as usual, boil, and add the sugar, as usual.