PEARS AND QUINCES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 146, 10 April 1942, Page 22

PEARS AND QUINCES

SUGGESTIONS FOR PEARS DELICATE and delicious A fruit, the pear. Eat plenty of them raw — the luscious, juicy kind-and be careful not to let the juice stain your handkerchiefs, or the children’s frocks or blouses. If any juice does get spilled on them, sprinkle with salt at once, then wash in cool water. If the stain cannot be attended to at once, try soaking in peroxide or in glycerine, or in borax and water, for some hours; or soak in cold starch (just mixed with cold water as for collars), or put a slice of white bread soaked in water or milk on each side of the stained material, sandwich fashion. Another method is to soak the stain in methylated spirits, then wash with thick, cool soap solution. Spread it on a plate, and work the soap solution well into the stain with the fingers. If the colour is fast, you could also add a drop or two of ammonia-but only if the colour is fast. Then leave the soap solution on till the stains disappear, and rinse again in methylated spirits. It is best to get the uncoloured methylated spirits from the chemist for this. Leave all these remedies on for some hours, and afterwards wash with a little turpentine in the water.

Having now prepared ourselves for the worst, let us consider some ways of using pears. Preserved Pears Peel the fruit with a sharp knife, cut in halves, or if large pears, in quarters. Remove a little of the hard core, Drop the peeled pears into slightly salted water until ready to pack into the jars, Pack as closely as possible into the clean bottles, and cover with syrup, made of 1 cup of sugar to 3 cups of water. If sugar is scarce, just fill with plain boiled water, slightly cooled. Add a few cloves to each jar, to give added flavour, and about one or two teaspoons of lemon juice. Adjust the rubber, and lid, loosely. Sterilise in the oven for an hour, or hour and a quarter, till the fruit is obviously cooked. Then seal immediately, and stand upside down to test the seal. The fruit may also be sterilised in the water bath, but it will take longer, possibly. Pear Snow Stew some pears, after coring and quartering, with a little, sugar. Then pour over them a mixture made with one pint of milk, 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 4 oz. fine breadcrumbs; and the grated rind of one lemon, all beaten together. Bake like custard. When cooked, put on top a meringue made with the three egg whites, and one cupful of sugar beaten stiff, and brown in the oven for a few minutes, Very delicious, especially with cream. Pear Marmalade Use 4 Ibs. of nearly ripe pears; 3 Ibs, of sugar; 2 lemons; a piece of whole ginger; and one pint of water. Peel, core and cut the pears in pieces. Put them in a stew-pan with the strained juice and grated rind of the lemons, and the water and simmer until quite soft. Then add the sugar and the ginger, wellbruised and tied in a muslin bag. Boil, stirring well, until it is a thick pulp; "re the ginger. Bottle while hot, and seal, Pear Ginger | Peel, and cut small, 3 lbs. pears. Cook with the juice and grated rind of 2 lemons, and 1 pint of water. When the fruit is cooked, add 3 Ibs. of warmed sugar; and 2 ozs. whole bruised ginger, in a bag. Bottle while hot, after testing , on a plate in the usual way. Remove the ginger. bd

Pear Jelly-a Dessert Peel, halve, and core 114 Ibs. of stewing pears, Put them into a saucepan with 3 oz. sugar; % pint water, and some lemon rind and. cloves, for flavouring. Cook until quite tender. Mixa pint packet of lemon jelly with half.a@ pint of hot water, stirring till it is dissolved; strain the juice from the stewed pears, and add to the half pint of jelly, making it up to 1 pint. Arrange the pears in a glass dish, pour the jelly over, and leave to set, Serve in the dish, with cream. Pickled Pears Choose the small, round variety, about 6 Ibs. to 8 Ibs. (Peel them, and cut into halves, leaving the seeds in. Make a syrup by boiling 2 lbs. sugar, 3 cups

vinegar, 1 stick cinnamon, a few cloves, and 1 oz. root ginger. Boil the syrup for ten minutes, then add the pears and cook gently until tender. Lift them out carefully, and put into jars, Reduce the syrup by rapid boiling and pour it over the fruit in the jars. Seal carefully, and keep in a cool place for a few weeks before using. Pear Ginger Peel and quarter 6 Ibs. pears, put into the middle of them 14 Ib. preserved ginger, cut into pieces, 414 Ibs. of sugar, and 4% pint of water. Let it stand 24 hours, then boil for 2 hours, or until a deep red colour. / QUINCES ARE READY ERE is a good recipe for making both jam and jelly from the same quinces. It comes from a Kentish woman. Quince Jelly Pare and slice the quinces, and put in preserving pan with sufficient water to float them. Boil until fruit is reduced to pulp. Strain clear juice through a jelly bag, and to each pint allow 1 Ib. sugar. Boil juice and sugar together for about % hour, removing scum. When jelly will set when tested, put into small jars. Quince Jam Put pulp from preceding recipe through sieve, or mash finely with wooden spoon. Put. 1 Ib. sugar to each 1 Ib, pulp, and boil till it will set. Keep well stirred to prevent burning. Cover when cold, Quince Honey Peel and core 6 large quinces,: put through mincer. Bring to boil 1 pint water and 4 Ibs. sugar. Add quinces, boil about 2 hours, test, and add 1 cup boiling water before taking up. It should be ted when cooked. Peels and cores may be boiled, and that juice added instead of the pint of water. Quince and Tomato Jam Peel and core 2 Ibs. quinces and mince; pour boiling water over 3 Ibs. ripe tomatoes, and remove skins, Put tomatoes and quinces in preserving pan with 5 Ibs. sugar and juice 1 lemon. Boil about 2 hours. Then test. Bottle when done. Has a delicious flavour and tastes like rich raspberry jam,