There is much for Americans to learn from the
French regarding their compotes or fruits preserved
with little sugar, and made as needed. Too little care
is given to the stewed fruits, and they are conse-
quently despised. Indefinite quantities of fruit, sugar,
and water are put together in a pan (perhaps a tin one),
which is placed on the stove and left until it is con-
venient to remove it. There may be so little water
that the mixture scorches, or so much that it would
better pass for one of the German fruit soups ; while
sugar is used carelessly, and the compound is either
unpalatably sour or sickishly sweet.
When cooked with acid fruits, sugar loses much of
its sweetening power ; therefore, it is more economical
to add it after the cooked fruit has cooled. But most
fruits keep their shape better if cooked in a thick sirup.
Fruit. ' 5
Watery fruits are improved by the addition of a
little gelatin to thicken the juice after cooking. This
is much to be preferred to an excess of sugar.
A tiny speck of salt may be used with good effect
in most stewed fruits.
Only the larger and most perfect fruits should be
baked whole.
Berries and small fruits are usually stewed rather
than baked, but an "afternoon oven " may be turned
to good account in cooking them. The fruit is put in
a sirup, or with alternate layers of sugar, and is cov-
ered closely and left in the oven for several hours.
In general, moderate heat, more like the natural
ripening process, is best for cooking fruits ; shape and
color are better preserved, and the natural flavor is not
lost. Fruit juices, however, require little more than
thorough scalding, provided they are afterward kept
air-tight.
When it is not convenient to cook fruit as soon as
might seem desirable, the preserving qualities of sugar
may be utilized and the fruit left covered with it for
several hours or over night. Then a part of the juice
may be drained off and cooked by itself if desired for
jelly. The remainder of the fruit will make an excel-
lent jam.
It seems a pity to mash fine berries to get the juice
for ice-cream, when so many are inferior in appear-
ance, but are of good flavor, and would answer for
juice alone. Often it is wiser to prepare two or more
boxes at one time and select the best to serve whole,
and use the smaller or imperfect ones for dishes in
which the juice only is required.
Such juice has other possibilities besides ice-cream
6 Home Science Cook Book.
and sherbets. It may be used to dilute the heavy
cream before whipping for a filling for layer cakes or
cream puffs, or for many gelatin desserts, or to cook
with tapioca or rice, or as the basis of fruit soups.
While fine fruit is best for cooking as well as to
serve raw, imperfect or half ripe fruit will be palatable
and digestible when carefully cooked; if insipid, a slice
or two of lemon, a bit of cinnamon bark, or a few
cloves may be cooked in the sirup and removed after-
ward. Over-ripe or decayed fruit should never be
used. ✪ Compote of Apples
Page 3 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
There is much for Americans to learn from the French regarding their compotes or fruits preserved with little sugar, and made as needed. Too little care is given to the stewed fruits, and they are consequently despised. Indefinite quantities of fruit, sugar, and water are put together in a pan (perhaps a tin one), which is placed on the stove and left until it is convenient to remove it. There may be so little water that the mixture scorches, or so much that it would better pass for one of the German fruit soups ; while sugar is used carelessly, and the compound is either unpalatably sour or sickishly sweet.
When cooked with acid fruits, sugar loses much of its sweetening power ; therefore, it is more economical to add it after the cooked fruit has cooled. But most fruits keep their shape better if cooked in a thick sirup.
Fruit.
Watery fruits are improved by the addition of a little gelatin to thicken the juice after cooking. This is much to be preferred to an excess of sugar.
A tiny speck of salt may be used with good effect in most stewed fruits.
Only the larger and most perfect fruits should be baked whole.
Berries and small fruits are usually stewed rather than baked, but an "afternoon oven " may be turned to good account in cooking them. The fruit is put in a sirup, or with alternate layers of sugar, and is covered closely and left in the oven for several hours.
In general, moderate heat, more like the natural ripening process, is best for cooking fruits ; shape and color are better preserved, and the natural flavor is not lost. Fruit juices, however, require little more than thorough scalding, provided they are afterward kept air-tight.
When it is not convenient to cook fruit as soon as might seem desirable, the preserving qualities of sugar may be utilized and the fruit left covered with it for several hours or over night. Then a part of the juice may be drained off and cooked by itself if desired for jelly. The remainder of the fruit will make an excellent jam.
It seems a pity to mash fine berries to get the juice for ice-cream, when so many are inferior in appearance, but are of good flavor, and would answer for juice alone. Often it is wiser to prepare two or more boxes at one time and select the best to serve whole, and use the smaller or imperfect ones for dishes in which the juice only is required.
Such juice has other possibilities besides ice-cream
6 Home Science Cook Book.
and sherbets. It may be used to dilute the heavy cream before whipping for a filling for layer cakes or cream puffs, or for many gelatin desserts, or to cook with tapioca or rice, or as the basis of fruit soups.
While fine fruit is best for cooking as well as to serve raw, imperfect or half ripe fruit will be palatable and digestible when carefully cooked; if insipid, a slice or two of lemon, a bit of cinnamon bark, or a few cloves may be cooked in the sirup and removed afterward. Over-ripe or decayed fruit should never be used.
Records on this page
Compote of Apples