Fruit recipes

CHERRY SHRUB Cherry shrub is a modified form of the syrup. To each quart of cherries add one cup of water and stew till soft. Press and strain the fruit; allow a cup of sugar for each pint of juice; boil to a syrup; strain, and bottle while hot. CHERRY BOUNCE OR WILD CHERRY RUM On four pounds of wild cherries, mashed with the pits broken and bruised, pour five quarts of rum. Let stand in stone jar or crock two weeks, stirring daily. Then press the fruit well, add five and one-fourth quarts of water in which have been dissolved two and one-half pounds of sugar. Filter and bottle. CHERRY VINEGAR (For Flavouring Salads, Etc.) Stem and crush Morella cherries, allowing for each quart of cherries two quarts of vinegar. Let stand four weeks, when strain and bottle. CHERRY VINEGAR Cover several bushels of mashed cherries with water and let stand forty-eight hours ina tub. Drain and press through a bag. To the resulting liquor add half as much water and to each half-gallon of the mixture two ounces of sugar. Let ferment. DRIED CHERRIES No. 1 Stone and spread in thin layers on earthenware; sprinkle sugar over and dry in slow oven, the hot sun, or fruit-dryer. DRIED CHERRIES No. 2 Stew cherries with a little sugar (no water) then spread on earthenwareand dry inslow oven. Cook down the syrup and when the fruit is dry pour it over the cherries, a little each day till all is used, drying again in the oven and repeating till all the syrup is used. CANDIED CHERRIES ‘There are several methods of candying cherries or any fruit. One method is to use. pound for pound of sugar and fruit, placing sugar in a kettle, allowing for each pound a scant half-cup of water and simmering till dissolved. Skim, and when the syrup is boiling add the cherries. Let the fruit cook very slowly until translucent, when pour off the syrup, spread fruit in dishes, and dry in a slow oven or the sun for ten hours or until dry. Sprinkle with sugar and put away in layers. The second method, which is better for heavier fruits, but may also be applied to cherries, is to make a lighter syrup, using a half-pint of water to each pint of sugar and letting come to a boil, cooking then for two minutes. Pour then over the fruitandlet all stand a dayand night. Drainadd to the syrup half the quantity of sugar used the day previous and boil until this is dissolved. Pour over the fruit and let all stand for forty-eight hours. Repeat the process, letting fruit stand in the syrup four different times, when drain and wash in cold water. If to be glazed the fruit should be dipped in syrup (as for crystallising), then dried as quickly as possible in the open air or by electrical fans. If to be crystallised dip in a syrup which will string (like candy) from the spoon and dry in oven or sun very slowly. In some places the fruit for candying is first (after washing, wiping, and cutting as required) soaked in brine, then placed in boiling water, the time depending upon the kind of fruit and its stage of maturity. MARASCHINO RECIPES In Zara, Dalmatia, there are various special dishes made with the Marasquin or Maraschino, as “‘ Maraschino Jelly”’ and ‘‘Creme de Maraschino.” For the former beat well the yellows of ten eggs with a little sugar and about one-fourth as much cream. Heat slowly and carefully till it thickens well, then let cool, add Maraschino to taste, and place ina mould to harden. For the Creme de Maraschino whip cream till stiff, add a little sugar, a few drops of vanilla, one tablespoon Maraschino, and one-half as much of powdered macaroons as of whipped cream. Mix well and serve in tall glasses. Delightful drinks may be made by using iced orange- or pineapple- or other fruitade (mixed with carbonated water, as a basis, adding sugar and Maraschino to taste). Or iced tea may be the foundation. CHAPTER VII