Fruit recipes

Cover well with water and cook wild red plums until soft; let stand till cool, then drain and put through a coarse sieve. Use pound for pound of fruit and sugar, cooking down till thick. The water in which the plums were simmered may be added to the fruit and sugar or not, as preferred, as it may be set aside for other uses. SWEET PLUM MARMALADE If plums are very large, soft, sweet, and thoroughly mature, peel and remove seeds and skins. They will require no water. Place in crock and proceed as with peach jelly to extract juice. Strain this off, through sieve, and add two-thirds as much sugar as pulp. Simmer slowly, stirring carefully, and cook twenty minutes or until thick. The fruit juice may be added or not. PLUM AND CRAB APPLE MARMALADE See Crab Apple Marmalade. DAMSON PLUM JAM Wash, halve, and pit the damsons, barely cover with water and cook'till skins break, when add pound for pound of sugar to the fruit and juice and cook down till thick. For marmalade cook with the stones, putting through a sieve or colander to remove pits when fruit is soft, then cooking fifteen minutes with the sugar. APRICOT AND PLUM JAM Use half and half of apricot and plum and make by usual method for jams. The apricots may be used dried and soaked or steamed. PLUM AND LEMON JAM Use with greengages, the grated rind and juice of a lemon for each quart of fruit. PLUM JELLY No. 1 If the plums are very tart or bitter a little soda may be added, about one dessertspoonful for each peck of fruit, letting all come to a boil. Drain and add fresh water, barely enough to cover, cooking down till plums are tender. Strain through a flannel bag (over night if possible; a cheese cloth bag will facilitate matters but it must not be squeezed). Let cook down one-fourth; skim and add sugar in equal proportion to weight of fruit. When sugar has dissolved the juice will jell in twenty minutes or under. PLUM JELLY No. 2 Use wild plums, the fruit or juice—one-third or one-fourth part plums—with juice of crab apples. This combination makes a beautiful colour and delicious flavour. PLUMS SPICED When making marmalade with plums that do not require soda (for bitterness or extreme acidity) save the water poured off-after simmering to tenderness and cook down one-fourth or till rather thick. To a quart of this juice add a pint each of sugar and vinegar, a teaspoon of allspice and one-half teaspoon each of mace, cloves, and cinnamon. Pour, after boiling thirty minutes, over fresh, ripe plums which have (each) been pricked in several places. Place in heated jars; cover and let stand twelve hours; drain; re-cook syrup and pour over plums. Repeat, letting syrup thicken to one-half the last cooking. Seal while hot. <A syrup of the sugar and vinegar may be used without adding fruit juice. PLUM BUTTER In jelly-making the plums left may be put through a sieve, then placed on stove with equal quantity of sugar, cooking an hour or longer, till thick as desired. This may be spiced if liked. (See Peach Butter.) PLUM CATSUP To four quarts plums (preferably damsons) add one quart water, cooking very slowly till fruit is tender, when press through coarse sieve and return to kettle. Add one pound sugar, one-half teaspoon each of cloves, allspice, and pepper,and one of cinnamon. Cook till thick as wished and bottle while hot. WILD PLUM CATSUP To each five pounds of plums take two and one-half pounds sugar cooking, crushing, and putting through sieve. To each quart of juice add a generous half-pint of vinegar and spice to taste. Cook twenty minutes and bottle. PLUM PASTE