Fruit recipes

From its flowers most of the Oil of Neroli (one of the bases of eau de cologne and liqueurs) is made, although the sweet orange flowers are also used to a limited extent, and the oil of bitter oranges is distilled from it. The smallest green oranges, sour or sweet, are usually saved in Europe as they drop, and are dried to be sold as “orange berries’ for various uses,or to be made into Curacoa. The peel is dried for medicinal purposes, the resultants being employed in stomachics and general tonics. The flowers, also, are dried and preserved in Europe, being considered a gentle nerve stimulant when infused in boiling water (two drachms to a pint) and a cupful of it taken once in a while throughout the day. One of the chief uses of both flowers and peel is to disguise or flavour other less-pleasing medicinal preparations. It is never recommended that the peel of orange be eaten in its natural form; too much of rind (the Seville’s particularly) would be apt to affect one unpleasantly from the strength of its oil. The sour oranges themselves are shipped in great quantity for making up into the famous bitter Scotch Marmalade so much in evidence at British breakfasts, where its tonic qualities are considered to entirely offset any possibility of too much ‘“‘sweet.’’ Orangeleaf tea (from sweet, sour, or bitter-sweet trees) is much used all over the southern countries as a preventive or cure of fevers, even during scourges of ‘‘ Yellow Jack.” Asa foundation or component of cooling summer drinks nothing is more delicious than the aromatic, acid juice of the Seville and it is vastly superior to lemons for ‘‘ Russian tea.’’ Even the lime cannot outclass it for flavour and it has almost equal power with the lemon in killing typhoid germs. For the table it may be halved as is the grape-fruit, cutting out the centre and dropping therein sugar, letting stand a few hours, but this should be only at its very ripest stage. It is an excellent substitute for vinegar or lemon juice with salads and a general rule may be laid ‘down that the Seville may be used in any way that the lemon, lime, and sweet orange are employed, allowing for varying degrees of acidity. Several individual and distinctive methods of usage are the following: SCOTCH ORANGE MARMALADE No. 1 The juice and grated rind of one lemon must be used to every four pounds of oranges and the juice of two sweet oranges to every pound of bitter or Seville oranges. Pare the fruit as thin as possible and cut the peel into very small strips. Then quarter the oranges, removing seeds, and place in the preserving kettle with only sufficient water to cover them. Squeeze with the hand until the heat is too great, then press with a wooden spoon through a fine sieve. Add the chipped rind and a pound of sugar to each pint of SCOTCH ORANGE MARMALADE No. 2 To two pints of chopped Seville oranges (pulp, rind, and juice), add two pounds of yellow honey and cook down to proper consistency. WILD ORANGE MARMALADE (Florida Recipe No. 1) Peel and cut up the oranges and place in fresh water for twenty-four hours, then in salt water for the same time and again in fresh water, changing the water several times during the last twenty-four hours to remove all trace of the bitter tone. (If the bitterness is liked soak only as long as desired.) Use equal weight of sugar and fruit with only sufficient water to keep from burning when placed on the fire. Cook until rind is soft before adding sugar, then cook down as desired and place in heated jars. Seal. WILD ORANGE MARMALADE (Florida Recipe No. 2) Wash and quarter the oranges, then pull off the peel and soak the latter in brine over night. In the morning place in