The Delightful Grape

New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 721, 8 May 1953, Page 22

The Delightful Grape

RAPES seem to get more plentiful each year, and are no longer a purely luxury fruit, to be bought for sick people. They get comparatively cheap as the season advances, and are delightful if peeled and included in_ individual salad plates, along with diced (or sliced) sweet pears and apples, arranged in a crisp lettuce leaf with cream cheese or cottage cheese. Grape Juice This is delicious and is made like all berry juices. Crush the grapes and allow to stand a little. Add a very little water, place over low heat to make juices flow. Stir often, and press. When thoroughly soft, strain through cloth, allowing plenty of time. Then bring the juice to the boil, and add %%4 Ib. of sugar to each pint of juice. Boil fast for 5 minutes, then strain through muslin again. Fill while boiling into hot sterilised bottles. Seal immediately. Or you could try this Home Science recipe: One cup grapes (6 oz.), 1 cup sugar, boiling water. Thoroughly clean a quart jar (preferably a glass top). Wash the grapes, put into the jar, and add the sugar. Fill jat with boiling water and close tightly. No processing. Juice is ready for use in 6 weeks. Grape Juice Cocktail Two cups grape juice to 2 cups dry ginger ale. Chill both thoroughly first. Then combine and serve immediately. Grape Rickey Combine 4'cups grape juice with 6 tablespoons lime juice and 2 small tablespoons castor sugar. Add 34% cups chilled soda water and serve at once, with ice if desired. Grape and Blackberry Jelly 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. A little citric acid (say, % teaspoonful) added for the last few minutes will always help jelly or jam to set, and saves extra long boiling. The juice of 1-2 lemons will also do this. Grape Jam Use equal quantities fruit and sugar. Boil fruit 20 minutes, crushing grapes first and beginning over very low heat. Then add heated sugar. Boil quickly

about an hour, adding 1 teaspoon citric acid for a few minutes before removing from fire. Skim off seeds while jam is cooking. Grape Ketchup Delicious with poultry and white meat. Five pounds grapes, 1 dessertspoon spice, 3 cups white sugar, 11% tablespoons cloves, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ‘%" pint vinegar, pinch cayenne, 11 table-

spoons cinnamon. Stem and wash gtapes and put in pan with just enough water to prevent 3tickinge. Simmer till

tender, stirring often. Then pass through sieve to remove skins and stones, return to pan, and add vinegar, sugar, salt and spices, and boil till thick. When cold, bottle, cork and seal. Spiced Grape Sundae Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon best cornflour and 2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir these into 1 cup grapejuice and boil until thickened, then add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Chill and serve over vanilla ice cream or over sliced bananas. Grape Meringue Pie In a small saucepan combine 4% ¢up sugar, 6 tablespoons best cornflour, 4% teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind and 1% teaspoon cinnamon; then stir in 2% cups grapejuice and cook, stirring, over low heat until just thickened. Add one tablespoon lemon juice ahd cool, Chill until very thick. Have ready a baked meringue pie-shell or Pavlova (9 inches). Put grape mixture by spoonfuls into this and chill. Top it with whipped cream before serving.