Fruit recipes

Three pounds sugar; five pounds currants; one pint vinegar; tablespoon each cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, with one teaspoon salt. Simmer carefully three hours, then bottle. CURRANT CATSUP To four pounds washed, stemmed currants add two pounds brown sugar and one pint vinegar. Simmer till sufficiently thick when add spice (one teaspoon each cloves, pepper, and cinnamon). Boil five minutes longer; strain and bottle. CURRANT SHORTCAKE Make a sweet shortcake, placing between layers and on top washed, mashed currants well sweetened, with a meringue, lightly browned. RED CURRANT PUDDING Stew two-thirds currants and one-third raspberries with a little sugar till soft; pour off juice and place fruit in a pudding-dish lined with stale sponge cake, Let stand till cold with cake on top and on this a weight. Boil down the juice poured off and when ready to serve pour it over the pudding. CURRANT ICE AND SHERBET To each quart of juice allow a pound of sugar. Let gently heat till sugar is melted when cool and freeze. Serve with stemmed currants sprinkled over the ice in sherbet glasses. Sweet raspberry syrup will lessen the tartness and give variation of flavour. For sherbet add the usual whipped whites of eggs (see Introductory Recipes). CURRANT ICE CREAM Partly freeze the cream or custard before adding currant juice. Where fresh or canned currants are not to be had two teaspoons of currant jelly and juice of one lemon may be used for each pint of the frozen mixture (cream, custard, or ice). CURRANT CUP Cook into syrup a pint each of sugar and water. When cool pour it over stemmed currants and set on ice four hours, Serve in sherbet glasses. CURRANT SHRUB Strain currant juice and allow a pound of sugar for each pint of juice. Boil five minutes, then stir till cool. Bottle when cold. Old-fashioned proportion is one tablespoon to each glass of water. Another shrub calls for a wineglass of brandy to each pint of syrup. [illustration: PERFECTION CURRANT (Ribes nigra) - BLOSSOM OF THE COMMON ELDER (Sambucus)] RED CURRANT WINE To a quart each of currant juice and sugar allow two quarts of water. Place in a cask unstopped, for three weeks, when place bung in loosely for a week longer—until all danger of fermentation is past. Then seal tight and let stand a year before using. CURRANT AND RASPBERRY WINE To four gallons of red currants add one quart red raspberries; scald, crush, and strain. On the pulp pour five and a half gallons cold water and one pound sliced red beet, letting stand over night. When strained add this to the juice. Dissolve in the whole ten pounds white sugar and three ounces red tartar. Place in cask and when fermentation has ceased bung tight and let stand eight months. BLACK CURRANT AND STRAWBERRY WINE To three gallons black currants add six quarts strawberries, two ounces red tartar, and twelve and a half pounds of sugar. Heat the fruit and press out juice then add sugar. When dissolved stir in five and a half gallons soft water and let ferment. * GREEN CURRANT WINE . Take full grown currants still green in colour. Stem and weigh and allow for each three pounds one gallon water. Mash and proceed as with Gooseberry Champagne, using brown instead of white sugar. BLACK CURRANT BRANDY (For Intestinal Disorders) In one gallon cold water place two gallons black currants. Let heat gradually and boil one-half hour. Remove and cool; add two gallons deodorised pure spirits; stir and