CHERRIES, PLUMS, STRAWBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 7, Issue 181, 11 December 1942, Page 15

CHERRIES, PLUMS, STRAWBERRIES

HE early fruits are now plentiful, and though expensive in the city, our Country Links are already sending me recipes for preserving them. Strawberries These are generally so popular to eat freshly picked that not many are left for jam. However, the smaller ones may be used for this purpose, and eked out by using with cheaper fruits. Christmas Plum and Strawberry Four pounds of Christmas plums and 2 cups of water, boiled together till tender. Press through a colander. Then add 2 chips of strawberries (or even loganberries), and 6lbs. of warmed sugar. Boil hard. till it will set-which should be about half an hour. Strawberry and Rhubarb To ilb. of strawberries allow Yalb. rhubarb and 1%lbs. sugar. Cut the rhubarb to the size of a strawberry, and cover all the fruit with half the sugar. Leave all night. Next day; bring to the boil, add the rest of the sugar, and boil till it will set when tested. Strawberry Jam For those who like this jam "straight," here are two recipes. (1) Six pounds of strawberries and 442lbs. of sugar. Wash and drain the berries, sprinkle with the sugar, and leave overnight. Next day, simmer till the berries are plumpabout 30 to 40 minutes, (2) Four poutids of strawberries, 344lbs. sugar, and the juice of 3 or 4 lemons. Cook the fruit and the lemon juice, simmering gently till soft. Add the sugar, and boil till it will set when tested. Pot when cold,

stirring before bottling. This ensures that the berries are evenly through the jelly. Cherry Plum and Green Gooseberry Three pounds of cherry plums, 3lbs. of green gooseberries, 3 quarts of water, and 44% to 6lbs. of sugar, depending on how sweet you like your jam. Boil the fruit and water for about half an hour, then add the sugar, and boil till it will set. Cherry Jam Stone 4lbs. of cherries catefully, sav ing all the juice. Bring to the boil 41bs. of sugar, and 3 teacups of water, Boil far 10 minutes, add the cherries, and boil for about half an hour, or until the jam will set when tested. Let it cool a little before bottling. Preserved Cherries (Cumberland) ‘ Add a little water to some fine sugar, and boil it to make a thick, heavy syrup. Stone the cherries, put them in the mix ture, and boil for a little while. Let them stand in the syrup fort 2 or 3 days. Remove the cherries, boil the syrup again, and pour it over the cherries. Let them stand for some time, then lay on a sieve to dry. D : Green Plum Jam To 1lb. green plums allow 114ibs. of sugar and 1 cup of water. Boil the sugar and water hard for half an hour, Add the plums and boil hard another half hour. Pour into pots, and let it set, It looks very thin, but usually sets nicely. Cherry (or Christmas) Plum Jam Boil the fruit in just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan until '

® ‘tender, Then add pound for pound of sugar-warm it first-the juice of one or two lemons, and boil till it will set when tested. It may be put through a coarse colander to remove the stones and skins,