Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/87

Tomato Jam.

Ingredients: Tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice.

Mode: Peel your tomatoes first, and cover with an equal weight of sugar. Let them stand thus all night. Strain off the syrup, and put the fruit on to boil over a slow fire for one hour, or till you think it is cooked enough. Then fill your jars and put on the syrup to boil till it is quite thick. When nearly done add the lemon juice. Pour this over the fruit in the jars, and when cold tie down.

Very Good Tomato Jam.

Ingredients: Tomatoes, sugar, one teaspoonful cinnamon, half a cup of sultana raisins.

Mode: Peel a quantity of red tomatoes. If small they can be left whole, but if large must be sliced or broken. Allow three quarters of a pound of sugar to one pound of fruit. Make the syrup, and put in the tomatoes, raisins, and cinnamon, and boil. Then take out the tomatoes and boil the syrup half-an-hour longer, or till it is thick. Put the fruit in jars and pour the syrup over.

Time: One and a half hours.

Green Tomato Jam.

Ingredients: 6 lbs. green tomatoes, 7 lbs. sugar, four lemons, ginger.

Mode: To the tomatoes add the juice and rind (finely cut) of the lemons, add the sugar, and some ginger if liked. Boil till the syrup will jelly on a plate. Time: One hour.

Vegetable Marrow Jam.

Ingredients: Marrows, sugar, one lemon, a little ginger, one glass of brandy.

Mode: Peel the marrows (which should be only just ripe) and cut them into dice, and throw into clearwater, for two days. Make a strong syrup, two pounds of sugar to a pint of fruit the juice and rind of the lemon, and the ginger, if it is liked. Lay the marrow in this, place over a clear fire, and boil very slowly till clear. Before storing away stir in a glass of brandy.

Rhubarb Jam.

Ingredients: Rhubarb, sugar, lemon.

Mode: Wipe the stalks, peel and cut them in lengths, and put them into a preserving pan, or an enamel stewpan if you have only a small quantity. Allow one pound of sugar to each pound of fruit, and one lemon cut into very thin slices to every three pounds. Do not put on to the hot fire till the sugar is melted. Then boil till the jam will set on a plate. Keep stirring to prevent it burning. This is best made, in small quantities, as it does not keep well. I have preserved as little as four bunches at a time; that quantity will make a medium sized basin full.

To Preserve Oranges Whole.

Ingredients: Oranges, sugar.

Mode: Grate or peel off the outer portion of the rind. Make a small opening at the stalk end, squeeze out as much of the juice as possible into a basin, with the pulp that accompanies it. Now put the oranges into cold water for three days, changing the water two or three times; then boil them in fresh water till they are so tender you can run a straw through them, and set them to drain. Make a syrup, allowing one pound of sugar to one pint of water, enough to just cover the oranges, and let them stand in this for two or three days, then drain them again. Weigh juice and pulp, and allow double quantity of sugar to it, and boil till all scum ceases to rise. Put in the oranges carefully, boil ten minutes, and then place them in jars and pour the syrup over them. When cold, tie down. They will be fit to use in a fortnight. Though a good deal of trouble, oranges done this way are well worth it. Mandarins are delicious, and lemons are also very good.

To Preserve Green Apricots.

Ingredients: Green apricots, sugar, ginger.

Mode: Lay apricot leaves at the bottom of the pan, or a large tin milk dish is a good thing to do them in, then a layer of fruit, and so on