PIE-MELONS IN PICKLES AND PRESERVES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 151, 15 May 1942, Page 22

PIE-MELONS IN PICKLES AND PRESERVES

IE-MELONS are now in good supply, and no time should be lost in making them up into preserves and pickles. Although we have not so much sugar at our disposal as in other years, we can still manage quite well by making our jam in smaller boilings, which is really all to the good, for many people have always made up their jellies, particularly, in three or four small boilings, instead of one large one, finding that they get better results. So in using the following recipes, you may try halving, or even quartering, the quantities. Pie-melon and Dried Apricot Jam Nine pounds of pie-melon, 1 Ib. dried apricots, 1% Ib. preserved ginger, 9 Ibs. sugar, and 5 cups water. Soak apricots in water overnight, then boil 20 minutes. Add the pie-melon, which has been cut up overnight, and left to stand with the sugar. Boil all together 242 to 3 hours, or until it will set. Pie-melon and Quince Jam Five pounds of melon, 3 Ibs. quinces, 6 lbs. sugar. Peel melon, remove seeds and cut into dice. Sprinkle with 4 Ibs. of the sugar, and allow to stand al! night. Next morning, bring to the boil and simmer for one hour. Then pee! core, and cut up the quinces, and stew them for an hour in the juice taken from the boiling melon. Finally, put the two

together, add the remaining two pounds of sugar, stir till well dissolved, and boil until the jam will set when tested on a cold plate. ‘Pie-melon and Lemon Jelly The Link in our Daisy Chain who invented this jelly, adds that it is really delicious. Cut up into smallish pieces 10 lbs. of pie-melon, putting in both seeds and skins. Sprinkle 142 lbs. sugar over it in a bowl, mixing the sugar well through. Leave overnight. Also cut up 9 lemons, cover with boiling water, and leave overnight. Next day, boil all together until soft, then strain slowly ‘through jelly bag. Bring this juice to the boil, allow cup for cup of sugar, and boi! fast till it will set. Pie-melon, Passionfruit and Lemon Jam Five pounds melon, 4 dozen passionfruit, 3 lemons, and 6 Ibs. sugar. Cut up melon into small dice, cover with the sugar, and leave overnight. Next day add the lemon juice and boil till tender. In the meantime cut open the passionfruit, and scoop out all the pulp. Press it through a sieve so that the seeds are kept back. Add the passionfruit juice to the cooked pie-melon, and boil another 15 minutes. A few minutes before taking up, add some, or all, of the passionfruit seeds. These harden with much boiling, but give a good flavour. This is a well tried recipe. Pie-melon and Passionfruit Cut up 6 Ibs. melon. Put into basin with 1 Ib. sugar. Allow to stand all night,

Take the pulp from 4 dozen passionfruit, and tie in a piece of muslin. Put all in preserving pan with another 5 lbs. sugar, and boil 24% to 3. hours, till it will set. Excellent. Be careful not to overboil, Pie-melon Jam (with Preserved Ginger) To 6 lbs. prepared melon allow 6 Ibs. sugar, 2 lemons, ¥2 lb. preserved ginger, VY teaspoon cayenne, Cut up melon into dice, chop the ginger, grate in the rind of the lemons, and add the juice. Cover all with half the sugar, and leave overnight. Next day, bring to the boil, then add the rest of the sugar, stir till well dissolved, and boil fast until the jam will set when tested. Melon and Passionfruit Conserve To 3 Ibs. melon, peeled, seeds taken out, and cut into dice, allow 3 Ibs. sugar, 1 pint water, rind of a lemon, about %4 cup lemon! juice, and 2 dozen passionfruit. Put sugar and water in pan, when dissolved add melon, lemon juice and grated rind. Boil about 3 hours till melon is soft. Add passionfruit pulp, including pink soft pulp from inside the skins which have been boiled soft. Boil till it will set-not long after adding the passionfruit, Pie-melon Pickle Cut up 3 Ibs. pie-melon in small pieces, and covet with vinegar until morning. Then put on to boil with two small cups sugar, 2 Ibs. sliced onions, 1 dessertspoon salt, 2 dessertspoons spice, a few cloves, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Boil 2 hours. Then mix 1 tablespoon each of flour, mustard and turmeric, and. add to the mixture, and boil a little longer. Bottle while hot. Melon Jam (like Strawberry) Six pounds melon, cut up not too small, and 6 lbs, sugar, sprinkled over. Leave all night. Boil till cooked, then

add either a 2 Ib. tin of raspberry jam, or 3 lbs. of raspberry pulp and 3 Ibs. of sugar. This is like strawberry jam.