CHUTNEYS, SAUCES, PICKLES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 454, 5 March 1948, Page 22

CHUTNEYS, SAUCES, PICKLES

HILE nearly all housewives make jam, and many also bottle fruit, fewer make sauces or chutneys and pickles, yet this branch of preserving is a most useful oneand much easier to do, There is no worry about the. "setting," and much less sugar is necessary-in fact golden syrup can very often be used in pickle recipes. Imperfect fruit, too, can be used in this way, provided the bruised parts are cut off. Very often a good homemade sauce or chutney is the means of making enjoyable the otherwise uninteresting meal of cold meat. Sauces and chutneys are also good in helping to vary sandwiches, and for mixing in "spreads" for plain biscuits. | Do not let metal lids touch pickles, as it causes rust and corrosion and looks "uninviting. Put pieces of white paper,

cut to fit, over the pickle, if you have metal tops. Corks are very good if you are making sauce. It is safer to dip the tops of corked bottles in melted wax or fat (or brush over with wax if more convenient) in order to make a good seal. Pickles are apt to shrink in the jars. Try covering them with paraffin wax when cold. Then cork or screw down as usual. Fruit Chutney Two pounds each of tomatoes (skinned), peaches, pears, and apples; 1lb. onions. Prepare these and cut into small pieces. Put into preserving pan with %lb. seeded raisins or sultanas, 1%4lb, light brown sugar; %0z. ground ginger; 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon cloves; 30z, salt; 1 dessertspoon curry powder; and 3 pints vinegar. Boil all together for 2 hours approximately. Plum Sauce Six pounds plums; 21b. onions; 3 large apples; 1¥40z. cloves; 1 oz. peppercorns; 3 tablespoons salt; 2lb. sugar; loz. ground ginger; 2 quarts vinegar. Put all ingredients into pan and boil to a pulp. Rub through sieve and bottle. Bean Relish Four pounds sliced beans (scarlet runners are good); 7 large onions sliced finely; 2 tablespoons each of salt, flour | and mustard; 2 small teaspoons pepper; 6

pints vinegar; 2 heaped teaspoons turmeric; 144lb. sugar. Boil vinegar, pepper, salt, sugar, beans and onions together for 1 hour, or till tender. Mix flour, mustard and turmeric with a little cold vinegar, Stir into beans and boil few minutes longer. Cover when cold. A small piece of finely chopped garlic is an improvement, too. Apple and Pear Chutney Two pounds each of pears and plums; 1lb. apples; ilb. dates; 1lb. chopped raisins; 1lb. onions (or shallots); 14lb. treacle; lb. salt; Y2 teaspoon cayenne; 1 packet mixed spice; 20z. ground ginger. Mince or chop finely all the fruit and the onions. Mix with the seasonings and add 3 pints vinegar. Boil slowly for 2 hours. If too thick, thin down with a little more vinegar. — Apricot Chutney Six pounds apricots; 244Ilb. onions; 1341]b. sugar; 1 dessertspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cloves; 1 teaspoon peppercorns; 1 teaspoon ground mace; 1 teaspoon curry powder; 4% teaspoon cayenne; 1 bottle vinegar. Cut up the apricdts, and put in pan with rest of ingredients. Boil for 1 hour, Nice in sandwiches for supper. Beetroot Chutney Three pounds of beetroot; 1%4lb. apples; 2 onions; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 pint vinegar; % teaspoon ground ginger; 141b. sugar; juice of 1 lemon. Cook beetroot in salted water for 1 hour. It does not seem to affect the colour. Cut beetroot and apples irito dice, mince onion. Mix apples and onions, and all other ingredients except beetroot. Boil for 20 minutes. Add beetroot, boil for 15 minutes. Seal hot in sterilised jars. Chutney with Honey Four pounds of tomatoes; 11b: dates; 1 large onion; 2lb. sultanas; 1lb. apples; llb. honey; 1 tablespoon salt; 4 teaspoon ground cloves; juice 2 lemons; 4 cup vinegar. Peel and cut up tomatoes, apples and onions. Put all together and boil for 2 hours. Sweet Pickled Cucumber Peel and scrape out the inside of large, full-grown cucumbers. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with salt, and leave all night. Next day, strain. To 4lb. cucumber add 1 quart boiling vinegar. Let stand 1 day. Pour off vinegar, boil with ¥1b. sugar; cloves; cinnamon and ginger to taste. When cool, pour over pickle. Put into screw top jars. In two weeks’ time pour off the vinegar, etc., reboil, and return to pickle when cold. Make airtight.