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These three products
offer convenient ways of using many soft fruits unsuitable for canning,
e. g., overripe berries, apricots, plums, peaches, and surplus apples.
Butters are often made with the use of sirups instead of sugar; fruit
sirups made as directed in Chapter XXIII can be used for this purpose,
and in this way the sugar bill may be cut materially.
(62) Fruit Jams.
1. Weigh the fruit after
peeling, pitting, etc. Add a little water and cook till soft. Mash with
a potato masher or spoon or pass through a colander. If the fruit is
very soft, boiling is unnecessary before adding sugar.
2. Add 1 lb. of sugar for
each pound of fruit. Boil about 5 min.
3. Pack boiling hot into
scalded jars or cans and seal.
4. Fruits for Jams.
Apricots, peaches, figs, tomatoes, blackberries, loganberries,
raspberries, strawberries, and loquats are especially good for jams.
(63) Fruit Butters
with the Addition of Sugar.
Fruit butters are made
both with and without sugar addition They are usually heavily spiced.
1. Boil the peeled fruit
in its own juice (or add a little apple juice or grape juice), until it
is soft and of a mushy consistency.
2. Pass through a screen
to give a fine grained pulp. To each pound of pulp add 3/4 of sugar. To
each 10 lbs. of pulp add 3 teaspoonfuls ground cinnamon and 2
teaspoonfuls ground cloves.
3. Boil slowly to a thick
"butter" that can be used for spreading on bread. Pack boiling hot into
jars and seal. Apples and peaches are the fruits most commonly used for
fruit butters. Apricots are also good for this purpose.
(64) Fruit Butters
without the Use of Sugar.
1. Peel and pit the
fruit. Add enough juice to prevent scorching. Cook till soft. Pass
through a fine screen.
2. To the pulp add 3 qts.
of apple or grape juice per quart of pulp and to each 4 qts. of the
mixture 2 teaspoonfuls of ground cinnamon and 1 of ground cloves. If
apple or grape sirup prepared as directed in the recipe for sirup for
cooking purposes is used, add 1 qt. of sirup to 1 qt. of pulp instead of
using the juice as noted above.
3. Boil down to a thick
butter. Seal boiling hot in jars or cans. This butter will be very tart
and will be suitable for a relish.
(65) Fruit Pastes or
Fruit Bars.
1. Cook the fruit until
tender. Pass through a fine screen or sieve. Berries, apricots, figs,
peaches, apples, and quinces may be used.
2. To the fine pulp thus
obtained, add 1 cup of sugar per cup of pulp or add 1/2 cup of sugar and
1/2 cup of fruit sirup per cup of pulp.
3. Cook down over a slow
fire to a thick butter or jam. By carrying on the last part of the
concentration in a double boiler scorching will be avoided. Cook down as
far as possible without scorching.
4. Pour or spread in a
broad shallow baking pan or on a glass or marble slab to the depth of
about 1/2 inch. The pan or slab must be greased with salad oil or butter
to prevent the paste sticking to it.
5. Allow the material to
stand in the breeze for 3 or .4 days to further dry out. Then cut in
cubes and roll in powdered sugar. Allow to stand in a draught or breeze
a few days longer. Then pack in candy boxes.
6. Grated nuts or citron
peel may be added while the pulp is cooking and just before it is
finally taken from the fire.
Confections of this kind
may be used as candies or as garnishings for various dishes. Various
flavors such as vanilla or lemon may be added to the pastes. |
