PASSIONFRUIT AND PIEMELON

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 462, 30 April 1948, Page 22

PASSIONFRUIT AND PIEMELON

for jam, and having a neutral flavour they afe useful to combine with a small quantity of more expensive fruit, such as passionfruit, fresh pineapples, oranges, and cape gooseberries..Preserved ginger is really a delicious adjunct; it is expensive now, but you may use a little less of it and add some good ginger flavouring essence to make up the flavour. Always add an essence after the jam has finished cooking and is lifted off the fire; if you boil the jam with the essence in you will need at least twice as much, The Standard Method Melon jam is a little tricky to make. It goes "sugary" if over-boiled, and an "old" melon simply won’t boil soft. Do not use an unripe melon, either-but one that is just mature. For a small quantity of jam it is better to buy part of a large ripe melon than a smaller unripe whole one, Many people put the melon through the mincer, which is quicker than dicing it small, and it also cooks quicker, thus saying fuel. Melon takes longer to cook than most jams, The standard method is to prepare the melon overnight, and sprinkle it with half the sugar. Weigh it after preparing, and allow %4lb. of sugar to each pound of fruit; also qa cup of water to each pound, unless your recipe specifies more. For flavouring add the juice of one lemon or orange to each pound, or a small cut-up pineapple. Always simmer the piemelon first, not too vio-lently-until quite tender and soft. Be very particular about stirring when the sugar is added; for if it is not thoroughly and completely dissolved before the last "rolling boil" you will find your jam will turn "sugary" or crystallised. If no lemon is available, add 4% to % teaspoon of tartaric acid about 10 minutes before taking it up, to help it to set. are mostly used Melon and Passionfruit In this recipe the sugar and water are boiled first. Peel the melon, remove the seeds and cut into dice. To 3lb. of the prepared melon, allow 3lb. of sugar, and 1 pint of water; the rind of a lemon; about % cup. of lemon juice, and "at least half a dozen passionfruit. Put the sugar and water in a pan over heat; when dissolved, add the melon, lemon juice, and grated rind. Boil about 3 hours or until the melon is soft. Add the passionfruit pulp, including the pink pulp from inside the skins which have been boiled soft. Boil to setting consistency, which will not take very ‘long. Melon and Cape Gooseberry : Four pounds of melon; 2lb. of cape gooseberries; 4121b. of sugar; and 1% pints of water. Mince the melon, sprinkle with half the sugar, and leave. overnight. Next day add the water, and simmer till the melon is soft and transparent, possibly about 2 hours. Add the remainder of the sugar, stir till dissolved, and bring to the boil again, Add

the cape gooseberries and boil rapidly for 30 minutes, or till the jam is a good consistency and will set when tried on a cold plate. Remove from the fire, and cool a little before bottling. Bottle warm, but not hot. This is like a real conserve, with the cape gooseberries whole in a lovely jelly. Melon Jam with Raspberry Take 6lb. melon (weighed after peeling and seeding), cut it into big dice, and put it into an enamel bowl. Sprinkle 5lb. of sugar all over and through it, so that it is thoroughly mixed. Leave at least 12 hours. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until tender. Then add 2lb. of raspberry jam, stir in till smooth and thoroughly mixed, and boil till the jam will set when tested. Preserved Uncooked It is always best to bottle passionfruit in small jars, so that it is quickly used up when once opened. If preserved by cooking, it is too much like jam, and loses the taste of fresh passionfruit, so essential for cake fillings and icings. Allow % cup of sugar to each cup of pulp. Stir till the sugar appears to be dissolved, and leave in cupboard or pantry for 24 hours, stirring very thoroughly at frequent intervals. Finally give another good mixing to see that all sugar is dissolved and to get out air-bubbles; and put in small jars, making completely airtight. It is safer, however, to stir in a very little salicylic acid (from chemist), about 34 teaspoon to 5 cups of pulp and 2% cups of sugar. This need not be left 24 hours before potting, but is simply stirred very thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved. Some people object to the use of salicylic acid, and have used the first method successfully for years. But the acid is q good preservative, and such a small quantity is not harmful. Seal properly. Three-Fruit Jam : One and a-half pounds cape gooseberries; 6lb. melon, 16 passionfruit; 6lb. sugar. Cut melon into blocks, and shell gooseberries. Cover with sugar, and stand 24 hours. Boil 2 or 3 hours or till it will set when tested. Put the passionfruit in when the jam boils, * Piemelon and Apricot Nine pounds piemelon; I1lb. dried apricots; 5 cups water; 9lb. sugar; lb. presérved ginger. Soak apricots 24 hours in the water. Cut up the melon. small, cover with the sugar, and leave all night. Boil the apricots and water 20 minutes, then add it to the melon and sugar, Add ginger cut up. Bring slowly to boil, stirring, then boii fast! until it will set when tested, approximately 214 hours. Stir often. Use half quantities if sugar is scarce. Tomato and Passionfruit Four pounds ripe tomatoes; 142 cups passionfruit pulp; 5lb, sugar. Skin tomatoes; boil half of the passionfruit skins until inside is soft. Scoop them out with a spoon, Add this pulp to tornatoes and passionfruit. Add sugar, and boil together till it will set when tested.