CRYSTALLISED FRUITS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 85, 7 February 1941, Page 45

CRYSTALLISED FRUITS

adays for crystallised fruits, and indeed, they are most toothsome morsels. Unfortunately, they are too dear to share round a large family with anything like profusion, or to lavish at parties, so I thought you would be interested in making your own. Then there are candied rose petals, which are not at all difficult to make, and which may be used in several dainty ways. So I ‘welcomed these recipes, which came to me from South Africa, and am pleased to be able to give them to you. Any preserved fruits, such as watermelon, figs, pears, pineapple, may be crystalised by this method. Make a syrup from one pound of sugar and one cup of water; stir until the sugar is dissolved, and just when it begins to boil, stir in quarter of a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Then cease stirring and allow to boil quickly for about three to four minutes; test the syrup by dropping a little into cold water; if it forms a soft ball between the thumb and finger, it has reached the desired stage. Drop the fruit to be crystallised, a few pieces at a time, into this syrup; then lift out gently and drain free from all syrup. Place the fruit on wire cake-stands or trays and put in the sun to dry. When dry, make a syrup as before, and repeat the whole process, this time sifting coarse, granulated sugar over the fruit when you put it on the wire trays. When dry, put it in boxes in layers between sheets of waxed paper, and keep in a cool, dry place. That seems fairly simple, doesn’t it? Do let me know how you get on with it. Home Candied Peel Put the orange or lemon peel (which should have been taken off in quarters) into brine-water, and leave for twentyfour hours. Then drafn, rinse in clear water, and boil slowly for one hour; the boil two cups of sugar and two cups" then drain. Make a syrup by bring to of water; skim off all scum. Put in the | peel, and allow to cook for three minutes. Remove the pot from the fire and leave the peel in the syrup for 24 hours. Then drain it; boil up the syrup again for 15 minutes, then add the peel and leave again in the syrup for 24 hours. Repeat this process until the peel is well saturated with the syrup. Then, finally, cook the syrup to the "soft ball" stage (as given above), put the peel in, and stir until the sugar granulates. Then remove and dry in the sun. Pack in boxes between layers of waxed paper. Candied Rose Petals This is the professional way to candy rose petals, and violets in season. Of course, you can presefve them by dipping each one in beaten white of egg then thoroughly dusting with castor is quite a vogue now-

sugar, and drying them in the sun till crisp. Carnation petals, too, can be preserved in this way. But the candying is done almost exactly as in candying peel. Wash the petals and spread them on paper to dry. Make your syrup with two cups of sugar to half a cup of water; stir till it reaches boiling point, then stir in a pinch of cream of tartar, and let it boil rapidly until it reaches the soft ball stage, as explained above. Do not stir. Add the petals to this boiling syrup, press them well under, and let it boil up once. Then pour very gently into a meat dish rinsed with cold water. Leave till next day. Drain the flowers; add another cup of sugar to the syrup and bring again to the "soft ball" stage. Put the petals in, and again leave for 24 hours. Repeat a third time, this time stirring till the syrup turns "grainy." Separate the petals, dust off any superfluous sugar, and when quite dry pack between sheets of waxed paper. Rose petal sandwiches were sometimes served with Victorian tea parties, Have wafer-thin bread and butter, then garnish the plate with rosebuds.