FoodNetArchive

The household cook book

1902

Page 351 · 4 recipe records 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.
Keeping it. — Dried fruit should be kept in a cool, dry place, away from the light, tightly tied in thick paper bags, or in closely covered jars. By turning it occasionally into a tin x>an and setting it in a hot oven for a few minutes, and then tying it in the bags again, there will be no trouble with worms, but to reheat it thus, injures its flavor and makes it dark colored. Security against moths is secured by using paper sacks, tightly tied, or a box or barrel lined with paper. To avoid frequent opening of large packages it is best to keep a small quantity on hand in fruit jars. It is sometimes advised to scatter sassafras bark among dried fruit to keep away the worms; but its flavor will spoil the fruit for many people, so that it is better not to use it. To cook dried fruit let it soak a few hours, or over night, in soft water, and it will then need less boiling; then slip it carefully into an aluminum, earthen, granite or porcelain4ined sauce^pan, azid cook it in the same water until done, thus keeping it in shaj^e; it is best not to add the sugar for sweetening until about 5 minutes before taking it from the stove. Another good way is to drain the water off when soaked, add sugar to make a syrup, let it boil up, turn in the soaked fruit and cook until tender; it equals canned fruit w^lien thus cooked. DRIED APPLES — The apples should be pared, cut into slicesDried Apples, and dried in the sun or the oven as above explained. Pears and Quinces can be dried the same as apples. Apples, to SItin. — By pouring scalding water on apples the skin may be easily slipped off and much labor in paring them saved. DRIED BLACKBERRIES— The cheapest way to preserve them is to carefully dry them in the sunDried Blackberries as you would apples. Thus pre- served they make excellent pies. Keex3 them in a dry, cool place. DRIED CHERRIES — (1) Cherries may be put into a slow oven and thoroughly dried before they begin to change color. They should then be taken out of the oven, tied in bunches, and stored away in a dry place. Particular care must be taken that the oven is not too hot. (2) Another method is to take the stones and stems from ripe cherries; spread them on flat dishes, and dry them in a warm oven or the hot sun; pour whatever juice may have run from DRIED FRUITS 475 diem, a little at a time, over them; stir them about, that they may dry evenly. When they are perfectly dry, line boses or jars with white paper, and pack them close, in layers; strew on a little brown sugarDried Cherries, fold thj paper over, and keep them in a dry place. (3) An- other plan for cherries is to take equal quantities of cherries and sugar; boil the sugar to a caramel; have the cherries stoned, throw them into the caramel, and let them cool. Then take them out and put them in a sieve to dry, in a slow oven, watching them carefully. DRIED CITRON — Pare and quarter it, and boil it in water until it is clear, and so tender that a brooiji=^ straw will readily penetrate it; then have ready a syrup of sugar and water, JKSfM^^^^^j::?^ drain the citron, and boil it in the syrup until the sugar permeates it; then dry it slowly, spread out on dishes, turning it occasionally, and sprinkling on powdered sugar several times. When sufficiently dried, pack it in alternate layers of citron and sugar, in boxes and jars. It can be used for cakes, etc. citeon.