THE FRUIT SEASON BEGINS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 544, 25 November 1949, Page 22

THE FRUIT SEASON BEGINS

OOSEBERRIES make delicious. pies, especially if combined with apple. This is much more bland and flavoursome than gooseberry and rhubarb, which used to be the usual combination. Also, remember to have them ‘"casseroled" as a breakfast fruit, or for any meal, cooked very slowly in the oven in a covered casserole, with plenty ‘of sugar, a spoonful of honey and water to cover. Almost all fresh fruits are excellent cooked in this way. Whenever you have the oven in use, you can have a casserole of fruit at the bottom. If not sufficiently cooked the first-time, put it in again, when next the oven is in use. The fruit remains whole, the flavour is good, and-the juice’ delicious. Gooseberries and chunky bits of apple cooked. this way, and then put into a piedish, covered with short pastry and baked a pretty brown make a really delicious. pie. If the gooseberries are very sour, bring them to the boil with a very little water, then add a pinch of baking soda and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Then add as much water as you want, and the sugar, and cook gently till soft but not mushy. Gooseberry Fool Boil the berries in a very little water with plenty of sugar till soft, and rub them through a wire sieve. When the puree is cold, add an equal quantity of whipped cream or tinned evaporated milk, or a rich custard, or top milk with sweetened condensed milk added. Raspberries and blackcurrants mgke good "fools" also. Gooseberry-Apple Pudding Peel, coré and slice 3 apples, put in pan with 1 cup topped and' tailed gooseberries, and juice of 1 lemon. Add pinch salt, 1 cup water, and 144 cup sugar. When just boiling add pinch of baking soda. Spdnge Crust: Beat 1 egg well, add 1% cup sugar. Beat well. Add 1 cup flour sifted with pinch salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add enough milk to make a thin batter. Pour on boiling fruit in piedish and bake in hot oven about 20 minutes. Gooseberry Bread Custard Cook till soft 4 cups gooseberries with 1144 cups sugar and 14 cup water. Then add 1% cups soft breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons butter, 4% teaspoon salt, and 3 well beaten eggs, saving out 2 whites. Pour into dish and bake in oes oven about 20 minutes. Make : meringue with the 2 egg whites and 2 tablespoons icing sugar, pile it on top of the pudding, and return to oven to set and brown. Serve with cream or custard. Gooseberry-Jelly Jam Boil 5 ib. sugar in 214 pints water about 10 minutes, then add 3 Ib. gooseberries and boil till they are soft an cooked, and the jam will set when Sag ae Gooseberry-Tree Tomato ‘Jam Three pounds gooseberries (not ripe), 5% Ib. sugar, 3 pints water, 1 Ib. tree tomatoes (must be skinned and cut up).

Bring berries and water to boil and simmer till fruit is soft (takes only a few minutes), then add sugar and tomatoes and boil 1 hour, or ‘till it will set when tested. Green Gooseberry Marmalade Three pounds green gooseberries, 2 lemons, 5 small, breakfast cups water, 6 lb. sugar. Shred lemons as for marmalade. Cover with 2 cups boiling water, leave all night. Next day boil with gooseberries and other 3 cups cold water for an hour. Add warmed sugar, stir till dissolved. Bring to boil, and boil hard for not more than 10 minutés. The sugar must be warmed before adding in this recipe. Gooseberry Tart Half-cook a short pastry shell in pie plate. Have ready 1 cup. stewed whole gooseberriés. Drain berries. Take 4% cup of the liquid, add 14 cup milk and bring to boil. Stir in 1 teaspoon custard powder dissolved in a little milk or liquid. Cook and stir till smooth, adding sugar to taste. Cool slightly, beat in 1 egg. Place berries inthe half-cooked shell, sprinkle with sugar, pour custard over them. Bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes, Serve hot or cold. Gooseberry and Plum Jam Boil equal quantities gooseberries and plums till soft, with water to cover. Strain through coarse sieve to remove the tart skins. Then add an equal quantity of ‘sugar, stir till it boils and sugar is dissolved. Then boil fast till jam will set when tested, stirring very often. Gooseberry and Pineapple Jam Allow 2 Ib. gooseberries to 1 Ib. fresh pineapple. Mince pineapple, put in pan with gooseberries, and tiny amount of water. Boil till soft. Add %%4 lb. sugar to 1 lb. mixed fruit, and boil. till it will set when tested, Gooseberry and Apricot Jam Top and tail 3 quarts gooseberries. Wash 1 Ib, dried apricots, and soak 24 hours in 1 quart boiling water. Strain liquor from apricots into preserving pan, add gooseberries. Bring to boil, gradually add 5 Ib. sugar and apricots. Stir well. Simmer gently until jam thickens and will set. ‘The apricots may be cut into pieces. Green Gooseberry Chutney . Two pounds green gooseberries. Top and tail, put in pan and add 1 Ib. chopped prunes, 1 Ib. raisins or sultanas, 1 Ib. sliced onions, 2 oz. ground ginger, good pinch price gp ‘small teaspoon salt, 1 quart vinegar, 1 Ib. brown sugar. Boil till fruit is pulpy. Add brown sugar. Stir till sugar is dissolved, and boil about 1 minute. Bottle. Gooseberry Jam Three pounds green goosebetries, 3 pints water, 6 Ib. sugar. Boil sugar and water about 10 minutes, then add gooseberries and boil till thoroughly cooked and will set when tested on cold plate. ‘Strain ‘through coarse sieve to remove ‘skins, then add one dessertspoon or more ‘strawberry, or raspberry essence accords ing to. taste.