NEWS FOR WOMEN 'Now Is The Time For Preserving Fruits

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28187, 28 January 1957, Page 2

NEWS FOR WOMEN 'Now Is The Time For Preserving Fruits

! From now on for the next few I weeks fruit is ready for bottling, and the more we can do, the more we can store the summer away so that we can still get the taste oi it all year long, says “Elizabeth.” Apricots are at their peak, so we should start right in with those for a store of the most delicious of bottled fruits, which will ease the pudding question all through the year and bring golden summer sunshine to the table even on the dreariest winter day. February and March bring the best of the bottling peaches and plums, and the lists given below show the type and best varieties for bottling, and the date about which they may be expected. These dates, of course, vary a litte with the locality from which the fruit comes, but will give an indication when any particular variety may be expected. Without Sugar

One stumbling block in the way of many housewives achieving the large store of bottled fruit they would like lies in the increased cost of her housekeeping during the bottling weeks. Taken as an over-all picture of course, what we spend out now we save in the fruitless months; but that does not help ths mother working on a fixed weekly budget. In 'his case, I suggest that the fruit is bottled the water way, saving all the additional cost of the sugar which does mount up the bottling. The fruit will keep every bit as well, and when it is required for use it is just stewed in the usual way with a little sugar, thus spreading the cost more generally. One easy way to bottle this way is to pack dry, sound fruit into preserving jars, cover the tops loosely with some kind of patty tins or loose lids, but do not put on either seals or screw tops. Set the cold bottles into the oven, not touching each other, and turn the heat to very low—2oo to 250, electric, or regulo i to 1 in ga;s. Leave in the oven until the juice is just beginning to run-about one hour. Some fruit will have shrunk considerably and it is necessary to use one jar to fill up the others. Remove from the oven one at a time and immediately pour absolutely boiling water over the fruit to overflow the neck of the jar. Place on the seal and screw down. When cold, test for sealing. If using syrup the same method may be used. A heavy syrup may be made using one cup of sugar to two cups of water, but less sugar may be used if desired. Boil the sugar and water together for five to 10 minutes, then pour over the sterilised fruit as it comes from the oven and screw down. Sterilising under water is another method, but one which requires a table of temperatures and times for different fruits.

Poaching in Syrup Poaching in syrup is the next most simple method. Here the syrup is prepared as above, and clean, perfect fruit, or halves of peeled fruit are dropped into the boiling syrup and cooked just long enough to be / tender when tested. They continue cooking a little longer in the jar so if over cooked the fruit is not perfect to look at though still nice for pies or puddings. The fruit is lifted out with a straining spoon and placed into hot sterilised jars, sufficient ooiling syrup poured over to overflow the jar, and the seal and screw top put on and screwed down. Pulped fruit is also useful in the winter months, and is very quick and easy to do. The great advantage of this is that a great deal more fruit may be put into each bottle, so far a large family it is often handy to have the fruit put down pulped for such things as making pies and fruit sponges. Sugar may be added at the time of pulping or not as desired. The fruit is merely stewed down with a minimum of water added and turned boiling into hot sterilised jars and immediately sealed and screwed down. A few bottles of apple pulp put down in this way will solve any problem of the apple shortage just before Christmas when apple is wanted for mincemeat and apple sauce.

Apricots.— Moorpark apricots are among the best for bottling. Trevatt and Dundonald are two other very popular ones. Varieties available are: Bolton, grown in Central Otago; one of the best for market. Harris, an early variety, golden yellow, large size and very fine quality. Moorpark, large, mid-season, deep orange colour shaded red. Roxburgh Red, raised in Otago, very large; one of the best; mid-January. Royal Late, grown largely in Central Otago; good flavour. Dundonald, medium size, rich golden yellow, midseason; a fine apricot. Homskirke, large, very tender ana juicy, mid-season. Mush-Nush, early, medium size, rich golden yellow. Trevatt, large, heavy bearer, good quality; excellent for botlting.

Nectarines.— Early Rivers, large, skin rich crimson on side next sun, light yellow. Gold Mine, very large, perfect freestone of delicious flavour, skin bright bronzy red; early February. Newboy, large; brilliant crimson, white flesh, juicy and sweet; one of the best. Victoria, large greenish-yellow; crimson on sunny side; late.

Peaches. —The list of varieties available is a considerable one. Perhaps the best known for bottling are Golden Queen, which is a clingstone available in March Wiggins a pale and delicate freestone available at the end oi January, and Black Boy, almost port wine coloured when bottled, and quite delicious American Pound, Hawkes Bay variety, small to medium; mid-season, dessert. Anderson’s Seedling, large, wonderful appearance and quality; late January. Akarana, freestone, large, highly coloured, most delicious: February. Black Boy. almost black, best bottling and jam peach grown, freestone. Gold I Dust, yellow clingstone of medium size, firm flesh, late Goodman's Choice, large, late, yellow clingstone; splendid bottling. Golden King, large, yellow fleshed clingstone; late bottling. Golden Queen, medium, even size, flesh beautiful golden yellow to the f stone, best canning peach grown; clingstone; March. Hales early, best second early.

large, dark red freestone. Hobb’s Late, highly coloured, white flesh, red at stone, late, clingstone. Ideal, second early yellow clingstone, splendid flavour. J. H. Hales, a new peach of sterling quality, sometimes known as “Million Dollar Peach,” very large, freestone, excellent flavour, February. Kahuranaki. yellow clingstone, March to April. Kalamazoo, large, round, delicious, freestone, early February. Large Crawford, yellow. large freestone, late, very good for bottling. Late Queen, similar to Golden Queen, lut ripens later. Lady Palmerston, South Island only, a late freestone, large, yellow. Le Vainqueur, early freestone, second week December. Mary’s Choice, yellow, highest quality, freestone, best for bottling, late January. Peregrine, large, brilliant crimson, flesh rich and white, best dessert peach grown, February. Solway, deep yellow freestone, late, bottling. Waipou, large freestone, white flesh, pink skin, good quality. Wiggins, white flesh, slightly coloured, freestone, prolific bearer, midJanuary to end of January.

Plums.— Here, too, variety is tremendous. Perhaps the best for bottling are Victoria, a bright red with yellow flesh and attractive to look at when bottled, and George Wilson or Omega, which is a wonderful dark red of delicious flavour.

Black Doris, blood red, freestone, best bottling, February. Cambridge Greengage, an improved greengage. Coe’s golden drop, oval, pale yellow flesh tinged orange, delicious. Diamond, oval, purplish, flesh orange, juicy, late January. Grand Duke, oval, dark purple, yellow flesh, rich flavour. Greengage, round, yellow, juicy and rich, January. Cherry Plum, medium sized, flesh yellow, juicy, excellent for jam. President, large, oblong, purple, firm and sweet, best late plum. Prune Giant, large fruit, red-yel-low flesh, heavy bearer. Prune D’Agen, mid-summer, violet purple, sweet freestone. Pond’s Seedling, oval, dark red, flesh yellow. firm and juicy. Reine Claude de Bavey, late greengage, large and sweet. River’s Monarch, very large, dark purple, late freestone. Shropshire Damson. prolific, medium size, excellent for jam. Victoria, roundish oval, bright red, flesh yellow, sweet and juicy, good bottling. Yellnw Magnuma Bonum, oval, bright yellow, juicy. Alpha, large fruit of distinct flavour. Billington’s Early, dark skin, blood-; red flesh, fruit firm. Burbank, cherry red, yellow flesh, very, sweet, late January. Doris, large, bright red, juicy and firm, good quality. Early Sultan, ripe beginning December, wonderful new early blood-red plum. George Wilson, or Omega, a new bloodred, medium-size, excellent appearance, flesh firm, rich and juicy, ripens second week March, good bottler. Late Sultan, a large late plum of good quality. Late Burbank, large, highly coloured, good quality. October Purple, very large yellow flesh and purple skin. January. Ogan, rich golden-yellow firm yellow flesh, medium to late Purple King, fruit large, good flavour, rich in colour, juicy, late January. Satsuma, blood-red flesh, juicy, highly flavoured. Satsuma Hybrid, hybrid between Satsuma and Cherry Plum, large, firm and sweet. Santa Rosa, large, purplish crimson, good dessert, late January. Sultan, large, mottled crimson skin, blood-red flesh, mid-season, the finest plum in cultivation. Victory, the newest in plums, ripens first week in April, fruit has dark red skin with orange flesh, freestone, tastes like hot-house grapes when ripe.