A WELCOME TO DRIED APRICOTS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 427, 29 August 1947, Page 22

A WELCOME TO DRIED APRICOTS

HAVE had a spate of requests for recipes for making jam with dried apricots, so here are, various combinations. It is so long since we had this useful dried fruit that we shall enjoy it more than ever. Save this page in the hope that we may get further and more ample supplies, When cooking any dried fruits remember that the moisture lost in their evaporation has to be restored, Therefore soak the fruit in COLD water from 24 to 36 hours. In cold weather it takes longer than in warm weather. Boiling water should NOT be used, because it spoils the colour, and causes loss of flavour; it also prevents the fruit from expanding properly. Allow i1lb. of sugar and 3 pints of water to lib. of dried fruit. Wash the fruit well before soaking. After soaking, lift out the fruit, and bring the water to the boil with the sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, then put in the fruit, and it should be just right after simmering GENTLY for 3 minutes after it comes to the boil. Then you can have an apricot pie, or what you will. For jam, the average ruling is to soak lib. dried fruit in 24% pints of water for 24 hours. Boil slowly till quite tender; then add the sugar. Those are the general rules. Here are the special recipes, all tried and sent in at one time or another by our Daisy Chain: Dried Apricot and Tree Tomato Jam Wash llb. dried apricots in warm water containing a little baking sodayou will find the water gets quite dirty. Rinse in clean water. Soak them in 212 pints of water for 36 hours. Then skin llb. ‘of tree tomatoes, and boil all of them ‘together till soft. Add 334lb. sugar and stir till this is dissolved. Then boil fast till it will set when testedroughly half an hour-watch carefully, as it is apt to burn. Dried Apricot and Rhubarb Jam ‘Soak 1lb. dried apricots in 1. quart water for 36 hours. Cut up 4lb. rhubarb, sprinkle with 2lb. sugar, leave overnight. Boil rhubarb and sugar, then add the apricots. and water, and cook till soft. Add 2lb. more of warm sugar, and boil till ‘it will set when: tested, Dried Apricot and Orange Jam Two pounds washed dried apricots, 8lb. sugar, 5 medium-sized oranges, 14 breakfastcups water. Soak apricots with grated rind and sliced orange pulp for 24 hours in the water. Then bring to the boil, boil half an hour. Add sugar, and boil another half hour, or until it jellies. Dried Apricot and Lemon Jam One pound dried apricots; 11b. lemons; — 5lb. sugar; 5 pints boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the apricots and stand overnight. Boil lemons whole until tender: Drain well, and when cold slice very thinly, removing the pips, Boil the apricots until pulpy, then add lemons and sugar and boil until jam _ sets (usually one hour).

Dried Apricot and Orange Jam (2) Four sweet oranges, 1lb. dried apricots. Wash the apricots and cut into 2 or 3 parts and cover with 1 quart of cold water and stand all night. Cut oranges in quafters and put pulp and peel through a mincer; add td the apricots: Put pips in separate basin

and a little water to soak. Next day add another quart of water less what is over the pips. Weigh all, ingredients together with strained juice from pips. To each pound allow llb. sugar. Boil all gently for % hour without sugar, then add sugar and boil all 44 hour or until it sets when tested.