PIE MELONS AND PUMPKINS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 310, 1 June 1945, Page 22

PIE MELONS AND PUMPKINS

HESE useful members of the ground-vine family are now in good supply, and any suggestions for using them, which you may be able to send in for the benefit of the younger links in our Daisy Chain, will be published in this page. One good hint came in lately. The writer said that it is no use trying to make jam from under-ripe pie melons. They must be matured. If you need only a small quantity therefore she advises you to buy part of a large ripe melon in preference to a small under-ripe one. They should ripen on the vine. There is a knack in making melonjam. If over-boiled even a little it becomes very stiff and sugary. The juice of one or two lemons will help it to set; or a dash of citric or tartaric acid when this is once more available. It adds a zest to the flavour too. Another good idea is to boil one or two chillies with the jam (tie them in a muslin bag) and remove them afterwards; or add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Preserved ginger is still too scarce and, expensive to use in melon jam although of course it makes it more delicious than anything else; and there are no dried apricots either or tinned pineapple. Much can be done however by adding pineapple or ginger essences to the jam after it has been lifted from the fire. Always add flavouring when the boiling is finished; and taste the mixture to find out the necessary quantity. As a general rule, in making pie melon jam, use a pound of sugar to a pound of cut-up mielon, and sprinkle half of this over the fruit the night before. Next day bofl up the mixture, which will be quite wet enough then add the remainder of the sugar and any fruit you may be combining, stir till the sugar is thoroughly dissolved; then boil fast till the jam will set when tested. I will give some pumpkin recipes next week. Here are the pie melon ideas: Melon, Cape Gooseberry and Passion Fruit Jam Six pounds of melon, 14lb. gape gooseberries, 16 passionfruit, and 6b. sugar. Cut melon into blocks and shell gooseberries. Cover with sugar, stand 24 hours. Boil 2 to 3 hours. Put passionfruit in when jam boils.. Melon and Quince Jam Five pounds melon, 3lb. quinces, 6!b. sugar. Peel the melon, remove seeds, and cut-into dice. Sprinkle half of the sugar over melon, and leave all night. Next morning boil for 1 hour. Pare, core and cut up quinces, and stew till soft in some of the juice from the boiling melon. Then put both together, add rest of sugar, and boil till it will set when tested. Es Melon and Passion Fruit Conserve To 3lb. melon (peeled, seeded and cut into dice) allow 3lb. sugar, 1 pint water, rind of a lemon, about 4% cup lemon juice and 4% dozen passionfruit. Put in

pan the water and sugar, and when sugar is dissolved, add the melon, lemon juice, and rind cut very finely. Boil for about 3 hours or till the melon is clear, and then add the pulp, etc., from the passionfruit, and boil a little longer-remove scum as it rises, but this conserve does not need mutch stirring. Pie Melon and Tree Tomato Jam Three pounds pie melon (after peeling and seeding), 2lb. tree tomatoes (skinned). Put all through mincer, add the juice of 1 or 2 lemons and stir 5lb. sugar well through. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring often, then boil briskly till it will set when tested. A nice firm jam. Pie Melon Jelly This is very delicate in flavour, and takes the place of breakfast marmalade with many people. Cut into pieces 10Ib., melon, using both skins and seeds, Sprinkle over 1¥4lb. sugar and leave all night."Also eut up 9 lemons, cover with boiling water and leave all night. Next day boil all together till soft, and strain through jelly bag, allowing plenty of time. Then measure the juice and allow cup for cup of sugar. Bring juice to the boil, add sugar, gradually (warmed is best), stir till dissolved, and then boil fast till it will set when tested. Melon and Raspberry Jam Take 6lb. melon (weighed after peeling and seeding) and 61b. sugar. Cut up melon, sprinkle layers with ‘sugar, and leave overnight. Next day, boil until tender, and add either 3lb. raspberry pulp and 3lb. sugar, or a 2Ib. tin or jar of raspberry jam and NO sugar. Boil till it will set when tested.