TREE TOMATOES ARE POPULAR

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 417, 20 June 1947, Page 26

TREE TOMATOES ARE POPULAR

VERY year tree tomatoés gain in popularity. They may be used in ‘both sweet and savoury dishes, which makes them especially useful. Be sure to skin them always (just as you do ordinary tomatoes) by pouring boiling water over them, and leaving them for a minute or two, which makes it easy to strip off the skins. Most people do not like them raw, although they actually are very nice, added to a mixed saladcut in thin slices and salted a little. They may aiso be eaten plain with cream, or top-milk--just cut them in halves and scoop out the pulp, sprinkle with sugar, and leave to stand an hour. or so before eating with cream-much like passionfruit. As Breakfast Fruit Skin the tomatoes, and put them either whole, halved or sliced, into a casserole. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice; barely cover with water, and bake with the lid on, slowly, till soft. Eat hot or cold. Alternatively, cook some diced rhubarb with the tree tomatoes. Savoury with Kidneys and Bacon Slice thickly the skinned tree-toma-toes and cook slowly in a small saucepan with a little chopped onion in a little fat (butter in former days). Add a Seasoning of sugar, salt, and pepper,‘and when soft, a few spoonfuls of stock or gravy. Thicken with soft, bread-crumbs and serve with fried kidneys and bacon, or liver and bacon, or sausages, or fried bread. Tree Tomato and Apple Jam This is the recipe which converted me from disliking tree-tomato jam into a devotee. It was given to me, on water biscuits, for afternoon tea. Skin and ‘cut up 3 Ibs. of tree tomatoes; peel and "mince 1 1b. of green apples. Put these on to boil with 2 teacups of water. When boiling, add 4 Ibs. of sugar, stir continually till properly dissolved, then boil fast for about an hour, or until it will set when tested. Add the juice of one or two lemons when nearly done. This ‘adds piquancy to the flavour as well as helping it to set. Put in hot jars and seal ‘at once. Tree Tomato Chutney This recipe came to me from a very expert housewife who loves preserving. She says it is the only chutney which is better with onions than with garlic! About three pounds of tree tomatoes ‘skinned and cut up; 1 Ib. onions; 11% lbs. apples; a pint of vinegar; 244 lbs. brown sugar; % packet of mixed spice; 1 tablespoon of salt and a scant halfteaspoon of cayenne. This should not need more than an hour’s boiling, and makes 51% Ibs. of chutney. Tree Tomato and Melon Jam — Two pounds of tree tomatoes; 4 Ibs, of melon; 6 Ibs. sugar; 2 pints boiling water; and 1 level teaspoon citric acid, or the juice of 2 or 3 lemons. Peel and cut the melon. into dice. Pour the 2 pints of boiling water over the clean tomatoes. Stand in a hot place for 15 minutes, then skin the tomatoes and cut

them up. Pour the water they were soaked in over the melon and the cut-up tomatoes. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, stir till dissolved, and then boil till nearly done. Add the acid, or lemon juice, and boil till it will set when tested. Pot hot, but seal cold. Tree Tomato Jam Wipe. tree tomatoes, put in a basin, and cover with boiling water. Leave 1 hour. Lift out and skin them, slice, and put back in that same water. Leave 24 hours. Add % Ib. sugar ta 1 Ib. of fruit, and ‘$tir till»well dissolved. Boil till it will set when tested. Add the juice. of 1 or 2 lemons when nearly done. Dried Apricot and Tree Tomato Jam This is a for a "Link" at Pt. Chevalier. Wash 2 lbs. of dried apricots in hot water with a little baking soda. Rinse in clear water. Soak in 5 pints of water for 3 days. Then skin 2 lbs. of tree tomatoes, and boil together till all are soft. Add 7% libs. of sugar, stir till it is dissolved, Then boil %4-hour or until it will set when tested. Watch this jam, as it burns easily.