Piemelons and Pumpkins

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 782, 16 July 1954, Page 22

Piemelons and Pumpkins

HESE. are both important. Pumpkins are one of the "yellow vegetables" which, like carrots, are recommended by health specialists for building up resistance to germ infection. Piemelons are very useful for serving with the more flavourful’ and expensive fruits like passion fruit and cape gooseberries, in making jams and marmalades, having a somewhat neutral flavour of their. own. Moreover, we might follow the example of the early settlers who used piemelons for pies-cut into small dice and cooked tender first, with sugar and spice, and then transferred to a piedish and covered with pastry. How about trying one of these pies adding a proportion of cape gooseberries, Or quinces, and a_ little preserved ginger, specially the Chinese kind in syrup? For piemelon jam, be sure that it is a real piemelon and not a citron melon, and be sure that it is ripe and mature. An experienced jam-maker at Papakura writes: "I think many failures are due to the melon not being allowed to ripen. I never make melon jam before August. The melons should be stored till little soft-spots appear on the skin, and then they are ready to make up into jam. The seeds will be quite black, and the flesh an almost transparent honeycolour; and I’ve made melon jam for 45 years." Yet another housewife says that an unripe melon, or a really "old" one, never really boil soft. The standard method is to prepare the melon overnight and sprinkle it with some of the sugar-not quite half. Weigh after preparing and allow %4 lb. sugar to a pound of fruit, although this varies considerably. The melon must be cooked gently till tender, in the syrup formed overnight; then the rest of the sugar added and. stirred continuously till thoroughly dissolved and the jam is boiling again. Some people put the melon through the mincer, in which case it cooks quicker; but this is not really the proper way. Piemelon and Ginger Jam This is most people’s favourite. Five pounds of melon, 3 lemons, 4 Ib. sugar, 4 Jb.- preserved ginger, pinch cayenne pepper. Dice or mince melon; cut lemons finely, also preserved ginger. Cover melon and lemons with 2 lb. of the sugar, and let stand all night. Boil together till all is tender, add the remaining sugar, the preserved ginger and cayenne pepper. Boil steadily till it will set when tested. Different Melon Jam Eight. pounds melon sliced into ¥% inch cubes, 6 lb. sugar, ¥2 lb. preserved ginger, 1 tin crushed pineapple, 3 fairly large juicy oranges, 6 large juicy lemons. Sprinkle 3 Ib. of the sugar over the diced melon and let stand 24 hours, Put into preserving pan with the other 3 Ib. sugar, pineapple, lemons and oranges thinly sliced and cut small. Boil till tender, add preserved ginger, cut very small; boil until a deep amber colour, or until it jellies on a saucer. Piemelon Jam_ Four pounds melon, 3 Ib. sugar, 2 lemons and juice of third, 1 cup water. Cut melon up, put straight into pan with the cup of water and 2 lemons whole. Boil with lid on until melon is cooked and clear. Then take lemons out (they should be well cooked), cut

in half, scrape out all the inside of the lemon (removing pips), then add lemon to the melon, Cut up only the yellow part of the

skin of one lemon very finely, add to melon with juice of third lemon. Add sugar, and boil until it sets. The skin of both lemons can be added if liked. Melon Jam To every pound of melon allow 1% lemon and 3% Ib. sugar. Peel thinly the lemons and cut the yellow rind finely. Peel off all the white pith and throw away. Slice the rest of the lemon thinly. Into a preserving pan cut the melon into dice, put in the lemon peel and slices, and cover with about 1-6th of the sugar. Leave all night. The liquid made thus should nearly cover the fruit by next morning. Boil till tender, about 1144 hours, add remainder of sugar and boil till will set. Add preserved ginger to taste (preferably Chinese ginger in syrup). Piemelon and Dried Apricot Nine pounds piemelon, 1 Ib. dried apricots, 4% Ib. preserved ginger, 9 Ib. sugar, 5 cups water. Soak apricots in the water overnight; then boil 20 minutes, add to pigmelon which has been cut up overnight and left to stand with the sugar. Boil all together for 2% to 3 hours or until set. Piemelon and Passion Fruit Cut up 6 Ib. piemelon, put into basin with 1 lb. sugar, allow to stand all night, then take pulp of 4 dozen passion fruit and tie in a piece of muslin. Put all in preserving pan with another 5 lb, sugar, and boil 24% to 3 hours, Excellent. Melon Jelly Cut up into pieces 10 Ib. melon, using both seeds and skins, put on 11% Ib. sugar and leave all night. Cut up 9 lemons, cover with boiling water and leave overnight. Next day boil all together till soft, strain through a jellybag and bring to boil, allowing cup for cup of sugar and boil fast till set. Piemelon and Quince Jam Ten pounds piemelon, 6 Ib. quinces, 12 lb. sugar. Pare the melon, remove seeds and cut into. dice. Sprinkle with a few pounds of the sugar and allow to stand all night. Next morning put it on to boil for an hour. Pare, core and cut up the quinces, stew them for an hour with a few cups of juice from the boiling melon, then put the two together, add the rest of the sugar and boil about 3 hours, Real Pumpkin Pie Three eggs, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 large cup rich milk, dash of nutmeg, ¥% teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon dark molasses, %4 cup sugar, salt to taste, 1% teaspoon ground ginger, 1 large cup pumpkin, cooked, mashed and sieved. Break eggs into a large bowl, add sugar, salt and molasses. Beat well. Add spices to pumpkin and mix smooth, Then add to the first mixture and stir well, Add milk and when all is well mixed, add vanilla. Taste mixture, and adjust accordingly. Ginger gives the real flavour, salt counteracts the sweetness and the molasses gives the rich dark colour. Bake in one crust in hot oven at first, then slowly till pumpkin filling is nearly firm. With this pie serve a rich cheese.