Suggestions for Pears

New Zealand Listener, Volume 34, Issue 872, 20 April 1956, Page 22

Suggestions for Pears

licious fruit. Eat plenty of them raw, the luscious, juicy kind, and be careful not to get the juice on your handkerchief or school blouses, or children’s frocks or even table-napkins, for the stain is "T are a delicate and de- | dark and stubborn. Attend to all fruit stains at once. Rinse in warm water and do NOT use soap. If still there, soak in glycerine for some hours, pour boiling water over from a height of 2 or 3 feet. Another good method is to cover with white bread soaked in cold water. You can often do this when the tablecloth has fruit juice spilt on’ it-just put a little plate of soaked white bread underneath the stain and another good slice on top of it, without disturbing the family sitting there, very much, Also, these stains may be covered with a paste of starch and cold water, left on for some hours, then washed as usual. Another good remedy is to soak the stains in pure methylated spirits for some minutes, and then wash in cool soap solution. Preserving Pears Peel and core them and cut in halves, quarters or slices. Cooking pears should be stewed gently till tender before they are bottled; allowed to cool and then packed in nicely. A piece of root ginger, a few cloves, or a strip of lemon peel added whilst they are cooking gives a faint but pleasant flavour. Pears can be preserved either by the stewing method or by packing in jars, covering with the usual syrup (2 cups water to 1 cup sugar boiled till clear), and then sterilising in water-bath, starting from cold, taking 1144 hours to bring to simmering point, and keeping at that point for 30 minutes. The water must completely cover the jars. Pear Ginger (with Lemon Juice) (a) Six pounds of pears, 41 lb. sugar, 14 lb. preserved ginger, 2 minced lemons. Peel and cut pears into eighths, sprinkle with half the sugar, leave 24 hours covered over. Then add remainder of sugar, 2 minced lemons, and finely cut ginger. Boil about 2 hours, test before taking up. (b) To every pound of pears when pared and cored, add 1 lb, sugar, and to every 6 lb. pears add 142 lb. chopped preserved ginger, the juice and grated rind of 3 lemons. Let all ingredients stand overnight. Boil slowly for approximately 2 hours. Pear and Passion Fruit Jam Four pounds of pears, 142 cups passion fruit pulp, 3 lb. sugar and 1 pint water. Boil sugar and water for five minutes. Drop in the peeled and cut-up pears and simmer for about an hour, Then add passion fruit pulp and simmer till a good colour and consistency. If preferred without the passion fruit seeds the pulp should be well whisked with an egg beater, than strained. Pickled Pears Choose the small, round yariety, about 6 ‘to. 8 lb. Peel and cut into halves, leaving: the seeds in. Make a

syrup by boiling 2 Ib. sugar, 3 cups vinegar, 1 stick cinnamon, a few cloves,

and 1 oz. reot ginger. Boil the syrup for 10 minutes, then add the pears and cook gently until tender. Lift them out carefully, and put into jars. Reduce the syrup by rapid boiling and pour it over the fruit in the jars. Seal carefully, and keep in a cool place for a few weeks before using. Pear Marmalade Use 4 Ib. of nearly ripe pears, 3 Ib. of sugar, 2 lemons, a piece of whole ginger, and 1 pint of water. Peel, core and cut the pears in pieces. Put them in a stewpan with the strained juice and grated rind of the lemons, and the water and simmer. until quite soft. Then add the sugar and the ginger, well bruised, and tied in a muslin bag. Boil, stirring well, until it is a thick pulp; remove the ginger. Bottle while hot, and seal. Pear Jelly (A Dessert) Peel, halve and core 112‘Ib. of stewing pears. Put them into a saucepan with 3 oz. of sugar, 34 pint water, and some lemon rind and cloves for flavouring. Cook until quite tender. Mix a pint packet of lemon jelly with half a pint of hot water, stirring till it is dissolved; strain the juice from the stewed pears, add to the half pint of jelly, making it up to 1 pint. Arrange the pears in a glass dish, pour the jelly over, and leave to set. Serve in the dish, with cream. Pear Snow Stew some pears, after coring and quartering, with a little sugar. Then pour over them a mixture made with 1 pint milk, 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 4 oz. fine breadcrumbs, and the grated rind of 1 lemon, all beaten together. Bake like custard. When cooked, put on top a meringue made with the three egg whites, and 1% cupful of sugar beaten stiff, and brown in the oven for a few minutes. Very delicious, especially with cream. » Pear Dessert This is a specially nice way of doing pears for dessert, Peel, halve and core the pears. Arrange them cut side down, in a covered casserole. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4% cup of sugar. Pour 42 cup of water (or more if necessary) round the pears, dot with butter, and cover with 2 tablespoons of finely sliced preserved ginger. Bake covered in a moderate oven about 325 degrees or regulo 3 for 15 minutes, Then take the lid off and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pears are soft. Different Pear Ginger Peel and cut small 3 lb. pears. Cook with juice and grated rind of 2 lemons, and 1 pint of water. When the fruit is cooked, add 3 Ib. of warmed sugar, and 2 oz. whole bruised ginger, in a bag. Bottle while hot, after testing on a plate in the usual- aay. enigee the ginger. as