MAKING THE MOST OF A CASE OF APPLES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 98, 9 May 1941, Page 45

MAKING THE MOST OF A CASE OF APPLES

ERE is the entry which won the first prize, Ten Guineas, in the "Daisy Chain Apple Competition." Dear Aunt Daisy, This is how I made the most of our last 40lb. case of ‘‘Cox’s Orange’’ apples: First I set aside 10 pounds for eating and using raw; 6lbs. I used for apple pulp, producing 4 pint jars; 6lbs. I bottled in quarters in syrup, producing 4 quart jars; 2lbs. I made up into chutney, which produced 8 jelly jars; 12lb. of the apples I made up into mincemeat2 jelly jars; /21b. was made into apple butter, for fillings-2 jelly jars; 1lb. became toffee apples for the children-4 toffee apples. With the peelings and cores from the above I got 8 jars of jelly. I keep a sort of stock-pot for all skins and cores which accumulate during the day. At night, while cooking tea, I boil these peelings, barely covering them with water; and strain them after half an hour’s boiling. This liquid is kept, and the next day’s added to it; this is brought to the boil again, and cup for cup of sugar is added. For flavouring I sometimes put a few peach or laurel leaves with the peelings, which give an almond flavouring; or sometimes grated lemon rind, Other times, I leave it plain until the jelly is ready to dish up; then divide it into two or three basins and add a few drops of ginger flavouring to one, clove flavouring to another, with perhaps strawberry to a third. When preparing the peelings for boiling I always put in with them one or two cut up beetroot, the juice from which makes the resulting jelly a beautiful ruby red, without affecting the apple flavour. The remaining fourteen pounds of the case I used in the following ways, the recipes for each being given-Vegetarian Soup, Apple Fruit Cake, Scones, Gems, Fuddings, Savouries and Salads. For breakfast we would have any one of the following-(1) Stewed apples with wholemeal biscuits and hot milk. (2) Bacon with apple rings dipped in beaten egg, then in breakfast cereal and fried in the bacon fat. (3) Porridge-de luxe, made by peeling and cutting up 3 apples and putting in a large greased pie-dish, sprinkling over them 2 cups of rolled oats; 4% cup of raw sugar, and 4 cups of boiling water, a pinch of salt, and one teaspoon of butter. Bake for half an hour. (4) Apple omelet-two peeled and grated apples, stir in 3 egg yolks, a little lemon juice, and pinch of salt, add to mixture. and fry in butter till set and brown underneath, Fold over and serve with red-currant or apply jelly. If we had had apples for breakfast, I would " give them a miss" for lunch, and serve them either as a savoury or sweet at the evening meal, in any of the following ways: — P (1) Core, but do not peel, six apples. Fill centres with the following mixture: 1 cup minced liver, 2 cup seeded raisins,

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, salt and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Place in greased baking dish with 2 tablespoons of water and bake till apples are tender. In baking apples, I always slit the skins right round the middle. This enables the apples to retain their shape instead of the skin bursting and letting the pulp run into one mass. (2) Core six apples, do not peel, fill cavity with skinned pork sausages, bake till apples are tender, serve with parsley sauce poured over each apple. (3) Stew together till soft, one onion and 2 apples; cool, Line a tin with flaky pastry, spread apple and onion mixture over, add a layer of grated cheese, then pour over a custard made of 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, pepper and salt. Sweets (1) APPLE SOUFFLE: Cook together 4 apples, 1 dessertspoom butter, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind, in as little water as possible, as the pulp has to be smooth and dry. Leave until cold. Beat into the mixture 2 egg yolks, then the 2 whites stiffly beaten; pour into buttered fire-proof dish. Bake in a moderate oven till set and brown. (2) APPLES BAKED IN HONEY: Six apples, 1 cup honey, 4% cup water, a few cloves. Core the apples, fill the cavity with soaked prunes or dates, stick a clove in each, place in pyrex dish, Heat honey and water together, pour over the apples; bake one hour, basting frequently with the honey syrup. (3) APPLE, CARAMEL RICE MERINGUE; Cut the tops off six apples, so as to form lids. With a teaspoon, scoop out part of the inside (which goes into the stock pot to be converted into jelly). Then fill with Rice Caramel made as follows: Half a cup of well-washed rice cooked in salted boiling water until all the water is absorbed, In another pot have 1 heaped tablespoon of butter melted, then add 1 small cup of brown sugar; place over low heat for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Beat this caramel into the cooked rice, fill the apple cases with same, and put on the apple lid. Bake % hour, then take out and cover each with meringue, made by beating, till stiff, two egg whites with a good half cup of sugar, and a pinch or salt. Return to oven to set the me- ringue-about fifteen minutes. (4) Make up a red jelly; pour one inch into a round dish, first placing a mason jar in the centre. When the jelly is almost set, place slices of raw apple overlapping on top of the jelly. Now pour on the rest of the jelly. When set, put a little warm water into the jar in the centre, which will enable it to be lifted out. Fill the centre with Spanish Cream, or Custard.

(5) In making an Apple Pie, I add a sliced banana, which we think is an improvement. (6) A delicious sauce for any pudding is made with 3 apples stewed till soft-add one tablespoon of brown sugar, a nut of butter, and whip well. Add 1 tablespoon of cream or condensed milk; whisk for 1 minute. Lunch Dishes Serve apples in the following ways. (1) Vegetarian Soup. Half a cup of pearl barley cooked for 1 hour in two cups of water; then add to it 2 cups of milk, 1 grated onion, 1 grated carrot, 1 grated apple, a little chopped parsley, 4 cup chopped celery, pepper and salt. Cook half an hour longer, Thicken with a little cornflour and add a nut of butter. (2) Salad. Three peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples, 1 sliced onion. Pour over a dressing of 12 cup cream (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. This is delicious with cold corned beef, especially when salad greens are scarce. (3) Apple Scones. One grated apple in the usual scone mixture, using a little less milk, and 2 tablespoons of sugar, (4) Apple Gems. One cup of sugar; 1% lb. butter; 1 egg; 1 cup chopped raisins; 1 cup stewed apples; 134 cups flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon spice; 44 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda in a little hot water, and a pinch of salt. Bake in hot gem irons. (5) Apple Sauce Cake (to keep-no eggs). One cup of sugar; 42 cup butter; 1 cup stewed apple dry and unsweetened; 4% cup seeded raisins; 2 cups flour; 12 cup sultanas; 1 tablespoon peel; 4 cup nuts; 2 level teaspoons soda; ¥2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 tablespoon hot water, and a pinch of salt. Cream the butter and sugar, add the cold apple, then fruits; dissolve soda in hot water; add sifted dry ingredients, Put in greased tin, sprinkle nuts on top, and bake in a moderate oven for about an hour. (6) Trifle. One small stale sponge cake, place in glass dish, and pour over 1 pint of warm red jelly, Slice four bananas, and grate 3 raw apples, place on top, and then pour on 1 pint of cus‘tard when cold. Top with whipped cream and decorate with nuts, and the cores of the three apples cut in half, and a slice taken off the bottom to make it level. Then take a teaspoon and fill the core cavity with a little of the jelly which has been kept back. It makes a pretty five petalled daisy and looks very pretty. Place these six corehalves containing ‘the jelly, on top of the cream when set, and sprinkle with nuts. Extra Uses Cider. From the peelings eed leftovers of some of the above recipes, I made 3 bottles of cider by putting them in a large basin, adding 1 cup of sugar, % packet of raisins, and 1 sliced lemon;

nearly covering all with cold water, and stirring every day for four days, Strain and: bottle, Pips. I even keep the apple seeds, as the children love threading them, sometimes combining them with pumpkin seeds, to make necklaces for themselves. Given a coat of clear enamel when finished, they really look pretty, It provides them with a wet day occupation, besides developing their artistic sense, as so many designs are possible. Health Drink, Every night I grate half an apple into a cup, add 8 raisins, and fill with boiling water. Cover and leave till morning; on rising the children (two) drink the liquid, and eat the apple and raisins. It is a mild laxative, and pleasant to take, too. Removing Skins, If any one cannot digest apple skins, and yet wants the goodness which lies just under the skin, put the apple into a basin, pour boiling water on, leave for 2 minutes, and the skin will rub off very thinly, leaving the goodness behind. Keep an apple, if possible, in your cake tin, especially with fruit cake, and it will keep it moist for a long time. I always try and keep an apple in the pocket of the car for use when the windscreen wiper refuses to work properly in heavy rain. Cut the apple, and rub it on the wet windscreen. After that treatment, the rain drops will not hang, and blur one’s vision, And, of course, you know that an apple eaten raw with a glass of milk, cures rheumatism. Even the Budgie can say " Billy wants some apple please," so he gets a wee piece, and, of course, the canary gets his daily slice, so altogether we are all very apple conscious. The empty case, I used to make a bedside table and slipper box for the children’s bedroom. The lid was used to make a shelf half way up the box, which was stood on its end, the whole box being covered with cretonne.-Mrs. " Backblocks" (Pehu, Uriti).