ONE APPLE (OR MORE) A DAY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 467, 4 June 1948, Page 22

ONE APPLE (OR MORE) A DAY

F possible, eat more than one raw apple a day. It is not an extravagance, for it will help out with other food, beside being so healthy--good exercise for the teeth and cleansing for the mouth; and the acid of the fruit helps the digestion of meat. Baked apples are excellent too-just core them and fill the cavity with a little spiced sugar, or a couple of dates, or make savoury with a little pork sausage meat pushed in. Eat the skins of the baked apples. Preserved Apple Pulp This is most economical, as well as easy, for you need not even peel the apples; and you have plenty of apple sauce on hand all the winter, to use in tarts or as a spread, as well as with roast pork, pork sausages, and roast mutton. Simply wipe the apples (cutting off any imperfections) and cut them up into a preserving pan, cores and everything. Barely cover with water and boil to a pulp, stirring and pressing with a spoon. Put through a sieve, pushing all the pulp through, so that only the skins and cores are wasted. Return to pan‘ and boil up again; then fill, boiling, into hot sterilized jars, overflowing them; wipe tops and seal airtight immediately,. A little sugar or honey may be added if desired in the second boiling, but is not necessary. Preserving with Sulphur This is an old favourite; it may be used also for pears and quinces. Procure an empty box, line inside with paper, place half a brick inside centre of box and place a small tin on top of brick. Have ready a rug or clean sack for covering box. Peel and slice apples, . doing approximately 20lb. of apples for one sulphuring. Pour fruit into box around brick, put a few hot coals in tin; pour over hot coals 1 tablespoon of sulphur and immediately cover box and leave for 30 minutes (some people even leave up to 6 hours), Fruit is now ready to bottle, but do not close down jars until next day, as the jars will hold more owing to the shrinkage over night. Now close jars and stow away. The fruit will keep indefinitely and when required rinse fruit before use. This method is economical, only costing about 6d to sulphur sufficient fruit for an average family. When peeling the fruit it will turn brown, but upon being sulphured it will return to its original colour and remain so for an indefinite period. Jars with metal tops must not be used, as the sulphur fumes eat away the metal, The fruit will still shrink after covering in jars, but take no heed of this. Liquid always forms in the jars after you have bottled the fruit, and this must NOT be used when stewing the fruit, because it is sulphury. If the fruit is washed well in cold water and then stewed, it tastes just like fresh fruit. Apple and Quince Butter This is a South African recipe, and makes a good spread, or sauce. Equal quantities of apples and quinces, peeled

and cored. Cook all peels and cores together first-cover with water and boil for about 30 minutes, then strain the juice, getting all the goodness through. In this strained juice. boil the sliced quinces and apples till soft. Then rub through sieve. Add half the weight in sugar, and boil gently until thick. Seal aittight in hot, dry jars. Apple Fritters Two large apples;.1 cup flour; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon custard powder (lemon flavour); 1% teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons sugar; milk to mix. Put flour, sugar, salt and custard

powder into a basin, mix to a batter with the egg and milk, adding the baking powder last. Add the grated apples (not too finely grated), and drop in dessertspoonsful on to a hot greased pan or girdle; cook golden brown, turning once, Pile on hot dish, sprinkle with sugar, and garnish with slices of lemon, which ate squeezed over the fritters as you eat them. This batter is also delicious to use for frying fish, using only half as much apple, and leave out the sugar. Apple Party Dish Have ready 24% pints of hot stewed apple; add 4% cup sugar, a light sprinkle of ground cloves and cinnamon, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Make up one packet each of raspberry and of lemon jelly crystals, using only % pint of hot water to each. Divide apple mixture into 2 parts. Into one half put the raspberry jelly and into the other the lemon jelly. When cool and about to set, put alternate spoonfuls of the apple mixtures into a buttered mould till all is used-as is done in a marble cake. Stir round with knife, Put in cold place to set. Turn out, when wanted, into glass dish, cover with raspberry jam, and over all pour a thick cold custard. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or almonds,