The encyclopædia of practical cookery

American Crab-apple Jam. — Remove all stalks and unsound parts from the fruit, well wipe it, and spread it out before a fire to make quite sure that the skins are thoroughly dried. Weigh the fruit, and put into a preserving-pan an equal quantity of preserving sugar, with sufficient white wine (of any kind) to moisten. Let this boil well, skim thoroughly, and whilst it is boiling, put in the fruit, and with it a few chopped slices of lemon-peel, or a small quantity of cloves. Continue to boil until the fruit begins to break, then put it into large glass jars. Tie down when cold. American Crab-apple Jelly. —Prepare the apples by removing the stalks and unsound parts, and wipe dry; 'cut them into halves, and put them into a preserving-pan with sufficient water to cover the bottom. When the fruit is quite soft, pour off the water, and to every pint allow lib. of preserving sugar. Put this into a preserving-pan with some slices of lemon-peel, and let it boil ' slowly for half-an-hour or so, removing the scum as it rises. Have ready dissolved in a little water loz. of gelatine to every quart of the liquor, and just before removing it from the fire, stir the gelatine in rapidly. Fill moulds or glasses with the jelly, and place them on ice to set. It will keep for some time. When required, dip the mould to the rim for an instant in hot water, wipe dry, and turn out the jelly on to a glass dish. If put into jelly-glasses they can be served' in them. The | fruit left can be used for a variety of purposes. Crab-apples — continued. Crystallised Siberian Crab-apples. — Prepare the Apples precisely as for Preserved American Crab-apples, but leave the stalks long-. Partly boil, and pour hot syrup over them again and again, and then have ready a strong crystallising syrup. Lay the apples on the trays of the crystallising tin, plunge under the syrup, and leave until a hard crust forms over the top ; then pour off the loose syrup, take the apples out, and lay them on a sieve to stand in a dryingcloset until they are dry and crisp. For decorative purposes ‘these crystallised Siberian Crab-apples are invaluable. Preserved American or Siberian Crab - apples. — Some enterprising American firms have been introducing the American Crab-apples in jars of thin syrup. The mode of preserving either these or the Siberian Crabs is as follows : Gather the apples just before ripe, carefully select, cut the stalks short, and then plunge the fruit into boiling water for a few minutes until the skin of any one of them begins to crack. Remove from the fire, strain through an earthenware colander, and they may then be easily peeled. Great care must be taken when peeling the apples to keep them scrupulously clean, and perfect in shape. Before starting to peel make a thin syrup of lib. of loaf sugar to 1 pint of water, and keep it boiling hot until all the apples are peeled and dropped into a large glass jar. When sufficient are peeled, pour the hot syrup over them, and put by in a cool pantry. The next day, strain off again, put the syrup into a stewpan with lib. more sugar to each pint ; boil and skim. Return the apples to the jar and pour the hot syrup over a second time. If on the day following the syrup looks clear, and the fruit is soft, they may be considered ready for tying down.