Fruit recipes

Prepare quinces as above, using two pints of sugar to one pint of water and simmer till the syrup is clear—four or five minutes—when add the grated quince and boil six or seven minutes more before removing from the fire. BAKED OR STEAMED _QUINCES Quinces make an attractive dessert baked or steamed, using the same method as for apples and pears. Grate them for variation. QUINCE SAUCE Stew quinces and flavour with lemon and serve, pulped or quartered, as for apple sauce. Half apple may be used instead of all quince. QUINCE TARTS Tarts may be filled with quince marmalade, honey, custard, sauce, or preserves, or the baked or steamed fruit. Vary them ‘as are apple, gooseberry, and other tarts, using meringue and candied fruits or whipped cream or lattice pastry strips for the large tarts; nuts may be sprinkled over the small ones or tartlets. QUINCE ICES Make as for pear and apple ices, custard, cream, etc., using the quince cordial sometimes to vary the flavour, IN SALADS The quince cordial or juice, freshly expressed, may be used to flavour the dressing, or the candied quince slices chopped and mixed with other fruits or vegetables. Quince tapioca and other lighter forms of desserts, or fritters, dumplings, etc., may be made with the quince with excellent results. See Introductory and other fruit recipes. CHAPTER IV ' THE MEDLAR AND THE LOQUAT (Mespilus) HE medlar, Mespilus Germanica, like the apple, pear, and quince, belongs to the Malacee, but differs from them all in being not edible until well past the mature stage. In appearance and general characteristics it more nearly resembles the plum than any other fruit, and the loquat, its cousin, the Mespilus Japonica (Photinia or Eryiobotrya Japonica), is commonly, though erroneously, called the “Japan Plum.’’ The latter tree is evergreen and very handsome at all seasons. The fruit pulp is delicate and tender in consistency but until fully ripe is tart in tone. The pits, which are rather large in proportion to the fruit, are of a beautiful golden brown hue and as highly polished as if coated with shellac. The seeds resemble the peach pit in flavour but are more delicate. The yellow clusters of loquats, like enlarged, elongated drops of pale gold (though sometimes rounded and gooseberry like) need to be well rubbed with a soft cloth to remove the downy ‘‘fuzz”’ when the fruit is to be served uncooked. The peeled, seeded fruit, quartered, is an excellent addition to iced drinks. The juice of the uncooked fruit makes delicious loquatade, and a syrup may be made from it for bottling (see Fruit Syrups in Introductory Recipes). Almost any recipe for Northern or Southern fruits may be adapted for the preparation of the loquat, including the’ ices. LOQUATS STEWED Loquats may be stewed when but half ripe, or when fully mature, or half and half. Rub off the fuzz; remove stems and seeds, or merely wipe off the fuzz and stew whole, and put over a moderate fire with just a little water. When partially tender sugar to taste and finish cooking. LOQUAT JELLY Preferably gather the loquats when full sized but still hard and only partially turned in colour. Wash and remove blossom ends. Place on fire in cold water, barely covering with water, cooking slowly as with other fruits for jellies, till the pulp is very soft and the juice entirely free. Drain; cook down till juice is thick and cherry-coloured, when add heated sugar, pint for pint, gradually. When sugar is thoroughly dissolved cook fifteen minutes, or till it jells. The loquat makes a very beautiful, light-coloured, tart jelly, firm but exceedingly tender and delicate, resembling tart apple more than any other jelly. LOQUAT MARMALADE