The Fig-tree and the Vine

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 663, 21 March 1952, Page 22

The Fig-tree and the Vine

IGS and grapes are more or less luxury-fruits, but they are _easily available and are much more freely in use nowadays. Grapes get quite cheap, and are delightful in individual salad plates, along with diced or sliced apples and pears, with cream cheese or cot-tage-cheese, and arranged in a lettuceleaf cup. Fresh figs may be an acquired taste, but once acquired, they have a strong appeal. They bruise easily, so handle them carefully. To serve, just wipe them, pare off outer skin, and cut them in halves, or slices, and eat with cream. For a salad, split the pared figs, arrange on crisp lettuce leaves, top with cottage chéese mixed with chopped nuts, and serve with French dressing, or any mayonnaise preferred. Preserved Ripe Figs Peel figs thinly, then leave overnight in a salt water solution, using 1 tablespoon to about 3 pints water. Next day rinse well in clear water, and prick with a darning needle; then drop into a thick boiling syrup made of. sugar and water, allowing 4 lb. sugar to every 5 Ib. fruit, and 1 cup water to every cup of sugar. Cook until figs look clear and transparent. Or peel off the skins, then put in the sun, where there is no dust flying about, and leave.until slightly dry. Then drop into a thick boiling syrup, using the same proportions as above. Pickled Figs Six pounds figs, 3 Ib. sugar, 1 quart vinegar, 1 tablespoon mixed spices (allspice, mace, cinnamon, etc.). Stick 2-3 cloves into each fig, but do not peel figs. Boil vinegar, sugar and spices. When boiling, skim, then put in figs. Boil slowly till figs can be pierced with a straw. Put fruit into’ hot jars. Boil syrup 5 minutes, pour over figs, and seal while hot. Nice with cold meat or poultry. Crystallised Fresh Figs

Six pounds figs, 6 cups sugar, 3 cups water, 3 tablespoons vinegar. Bring water, sugar and vinegar to the boil, drop im figs, which have been pricked with a fork. Boil gently 3 hours. Remove figs from syrup, ‘and spread on tray for 24 hours. Roll in. castor sugar, and. put on tray 3-4 days, turning every day. They should be dry. Roll again in castor sugar, and pack in boxes lined with waxed paper. Dried Figs The fruit to be dried must be ripe, not over-ripe, not bruised, and absolutely clean. Sun drying: The fruit must not get damaged by rain while drying. If it is wet, it becomes useless. Be careful that no flies or insects alight on it to lay eggs. The essentials are heat and free circulation of air. The fruit must be halved, then laid in the sun, on a frame is best, so that the air can circulate. Fruit can be dried by using an electric fan. Leave it 3-4 days. Or when the oven has been used, instead of wasting the heat, take out the oven shelf, put in the drying tray with the fruit, and leave it all night with the oven door ajar. If fruit not thoroughly dry, repeat until it is. It is essential that the heat should not be sufficient to scorch the fruit. The drying process must not be too rapid as-this often means that the

fruit is cooked on the outside and not touched inside, Fig Jam Six pounds. fresh ripe figs, 5 Ib. sugar,

14 breakfast cup vinegar, %4 1b. preserved ginger, 4% breakfast cup water, 1 oz. whole or root ginger (bruised). Wipe and slice figs, sprinkle with 4% the sugar, and stand over night. Next day add rest of sugar, the sliced preserved ginger, and the root ginger tied in a muslin bag; bring to the boil in the vinegar and water. Boil until it will set when tested-perhaps 2 hours. It catches easily, so stir well, or‘use an asbestos~ mat. Green Grape Jam Two pounds grapes, 1 teacup water, 1% lb. sugar. Put grapes and water in pan, press and cook till soft. Then add sugar and boil till it will set. Strain

through strainer to get out skins and seeds, and add 1% teaspoon citric acid or the juice of a lemon. Flavouring essence may be added if liked. Apple and Grape Jam This makes about 4 Ib. of a delicate grape jam. To 3 Ib. grapes allow 1% ib. apples, and % cup sugar to each cup of pulp. A few mint leaves boiled with the grapes gives a piquant flavour. They are strained out with the seeds. Wash grapes, then boil gently to a pulp, adding hardly any water, but crushing the grapes \to start juice flowing. When thoroughly pulped, rub through a wire sieve. Peel thinly and core and slice the apples and cook till soft. Then add the grape pulp and measure. Bring to the boil, stirring well, add the warmed sugar, and after stirring till this is dissolved, boil fast till it will set when tested (perhaps 10-15 minutes). Bottle and seal hot. : Grape Juice One cup grapes, 1 cup sugar, boiling water. Thoroughly clean a quart jar (preferably a glass top). Wash grapes, put into jar with boiling water and close tightly. No processing. The juice is ready for use in 6 weeks. This is from the Home Science Extension of Otago University. | |