GRAPES, GUAVAS, GOOSEBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 461, 23 April 1948, Page 22

GRAPES, GUAVAS, GOOSEBERRIES

RAPES, guavas and cape gooseberries are in plentiful supply and I have received many requests for recipes. I should have liked to have devoted a page to each of these fruits, but-to do so would have meant delaying passionfruit recipes unduly. Guava Jelly This recipe came from a Link in the Daisy Chain who grew quantities of guavas and was noted for her jelly. She always insisted that it is much better to make this jelly in small quantities at a time. Crush the guavas in the pan with, a large wooden spoon, having first cut them up and removed the tops. Only half fill a preserving pan with them, and just cover them with water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring sometimes, and simmer till thoroughly soft-about 2 hours, Strain through a wetted flannel or double muslin for 24 hours. Then bring juice to the boil, add cup for cup of sugar (which should be warmed), and stir constantly until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, and boiling-point is reached. Then boil briskly till it will set when tested on a cold plate-about 45 minutes. Lemon juice adds to the flavour and helps it to set-2 lemons to 2 quarts of guavas. Add the juice after the sugar has been added and the pan is boiling again. Should be a rich red colour and transparent. Begin’ ‘testing jelly very soon, as overboiling causes crystallization and makes it stringy and tough. Test it every few minutes. Grape Jelly Make this practically the same as guava-or ,any other jelly. Leave, the stalks on the grapes, and barely cover with water. Crush with wooden spoon, bring slowly to the boil, and boil till well-mashed. Wring the jelly bag out of cold water, and strain the grapes 24 hours. Then bring juice to boil, and after 10 minutes add the warmed sugar, allowing. cup for cup. Stir well until boiling again, being sure sugar is dissolved. Boil till it will set when tested. Grape and Blackberry Take an equal quantity of green grapes and blackberries. Boil with a little water till soft. Strain through jelly bag as usual. Allow cup for cup of sugar. Bring to boil, add sugar, and boil till it will set when tested. Guava, Apple and Feijoa Three pounds feijoas; 1lb. ordinary red guavas, and 2lb. small apples. Cut up fruit roughly and boil till well pulped (about 1 hour). Strain well, boil the juice and add 1 cup sugar to each cup of juice and boil till a little jellsabout 10 minutes. Cape Gooseberry Jam Weigh the cape gooseberries, and allow pound for pound of sugar. Squeeze the juice of 2 or 3 lemons into the preserving pan. Add the berries and keep stirring until cooked to a pulp.

Then add the sugar and boil until a pale amber colour. No water required. Test before taking up. With Melon and Passionfruit One and a-half pounds cape gooseberries; 6lb. melon; 16 passionfruit and 6lb. sugar. Cut melon into blocks, and shell gooseberries. Cover with sugar -and stand 24 hours. Boil 3 to 4 hours or till it will set. Put passionfruit in when jam boils. I Cape Gooseberry and Lemon Five pounds gooseberries; 5lb. sugar; 1 pint water; juice 5 lemons. Put sugar and water in pan, bring to the boil. Add

; * i lemon juice, and when syrup is quite clear add shelled gooseberries, They may be pricked with a needle. Boil for about 114% hours, or until it will set when tested. Cape Gooseberry Conserve Three pounds shelled cape gooseberries; 144lb. sliced apples; 114Ib. sliced skinned tomatoes, 6 large bananas sliced, juice of 6 lemons, 6lb. sugar. Put gooseberries, apples and tomatoes in pan with sugar. Leave to stand an hour. Add lemon juice and boil hard 15 minutes. Add bananas, boil 5 minutes longer. Remove from fire, stir well for 5 minutes. Bottle and seal while hot. Like fruit salad. Cape Gooseberry and Apple Four and a-half pounds shelled cape gooseberries and 144lb. green apples. Mince or grate apples. Put 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan, add gooseberries and crush, Add apples, and if not enough juice to start with, add 2 tablespoons water. When soft, add pound for pound of sugar, and cook till it will set. Cape Gooseberry Chutney Two and a-quarter pounds berries, pricked; %4lb. onions; 4% pint vinegar; 100z. brown sugar; 6o0z. seedless raisins; 1 level teaspoon ground ginger; 2 level teaspoons salt; 42 teaspoon cayenne, Put all prepared ingredients into a pan with sugar, ginger, vinegar, salt and cayenne. Cook gently, keeping well stirred until sugat is dissolved. Then boil gently » for % hour.