WHAT TO DO WITH PEACHES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 14, Issue 345, 1 February 1946, Page 22

WHAT TO DO WITH PEACHES

F course the obvious thing to do with ripe luscious peaches is to eat. them — raw; fresh fruit is the best for us and the more we can eat the better. But all peaches are not suitable for eating raw; moreover, we must make jam and jelly and chutney, Don’t forget how useful chutneys and sauces are in sandwiches and savouries, as well as for eating with cold meat, or cheese dishes, or with curry. . Peach Jam This is a popular recipe, the jam being less stiff than most peach jams; 3lbs. peaches, cut up and boiled in 3 pints of water till soft. Then add gradually 5lbs. sugar, the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of butter. Stir until the sugar is properly dissolved and the jam comes back to boiling point. Then boil fast until it will set when tested on cold plate-perhaps 45 minutes. Another Peach Jam Allow %lb. sugar to each pound of peaches. Peel and slice the peaches and put into enamel bowl, cover with half the sugar and leave overnight. Next day, boil up until the peaches are tender, then add the rest of the sugar, stirring until all dissolved. Then boil rapidly until jam will set when tasted. Spiced Peaches These are very good with cold ham or any cold meat. Boil together for 10 minutes 1 pint vinegar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 114 cups sugar, and a few cloves. Add the halved and stoned peaches and boil till tender but not broken. Lift into hot jars carefully; boil up the syrup again and pour over, Add a few cloves to each jar and seal. Peach and Passionfruit Jam If sugar is scarce, make half the quantity. 6lb. peaches, not too ripe; 2 dozen or more passionfruit, 6lb. sugar, and the juice of a couple of lemons. Peel and stone peaches, cut into pieces. Sprinkle with a little sugar; leave awhile and prepare passionfruit. Scoop out seeds of passionfruit, boil skins till soft, and scoop out pulp, adding to the seed mixture. Boil peaches till soft. Add rest of sugar and boil -for an hour. Then add passionfruit mixture, lemon juice, and b extra cup of sugar, and boil till it will set when tested. Peach Marmalade (from Balclutha) Four lbs. peaches, 1 pint apple juice and grated rind of a-large lemon; and 4lbs. of sugar. Cut up the peaches and boil them till soft in the apple juice. (This may be bought in bottles, or you may make your own by boiling apples with very little water and straining through a sieve.) Add the lemon-juice and grated rind, and the warmed sugar gradually. Stir till properly dissolved, sash boil very fast till it will set when tested, ; Peach Chutney Two pounds peaches, 2lbs. tomatoes, 2lbs. onions, 2lbs. apples, 1lb. sultanas, 2lb. brown sugar, 140z: salt, 2 teaspoon (or to taste) of cayenne pepper, a little powdered ginger (or crushed

root ginger), 142 bottles of vinegar. Cut up the fruit and vegetables into small pieces. Add other ingredients, and cover with vinegar. Boil for 2 hours, Be sure it boils all the time. Peach Chutney (without tomatoes) Cup up 6lbs. peaches and nearly cover with vinegar. Then add 3ibs. brown sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 small teaspoon cayenne, 20z. garlic, V40z, whole ginger bruised and put in a muslin bag, and 2lbs,. sultanas. Boil all to pulp, Peach and Rhubarb Jam (using peach skins) This recipe was worked out by a Link who could not bear to waste the skins from two cases of peaches which she had peeled and bottled. So she minced the skins and made good jam and good chutney. The Jam: 5lbs, minced peach peel; 3lbs. rhubarb chopped up; 3 cups of peach syrup which she had left over from her preserving; and 4lbs. of sugar. Cook as usual. If you have no peach syrup, use 3 cups of water and add about a pound of sugar. This recipe made 5 big and 3 small jars of jam. @ Peach Chutney (using skins) This is the same lady’s second recipe. Five Ibs. minced peach peel, 4 large onions, 6 good-sized apples (no tomatoes), 1lb, sultanas, Put all into a pan, just cover with vinegar, and bring to the boil. Add a 2lb, tin of golden syrup, stir thoroughly, and boil all together for about 142 hours. This quantity made 3 large and 3 small bottles of good flayoured chutney.