THE BOON OF AN APPLE BARREL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7678, 11 April 1903, Page 3

THE BOON OF AN APPLE BARREL.

(American Paper.)

The housewife who has been careful to add to her winter, stores a barrel of apples, for winter use-^-almost till strawberries axe cheap — has the wherewithal for most wholesome and appetising desserts. It is better economy, no matter if the family is large, to purchase, only one barrel iii the autumn. At intervals during the winter, when another barrel is required, it may cost more, only one has to take into consideration the fact that, in the ordinary furnace-heated cellar, the lasting quality of apples is impaired. Better pay the cold storage man fifty cents for -having kept them safely than throw away a. dollar's worth of rotten fruit. If you are lucky enough- to possess a cool vegetable cellar, it is economy to store away several barrels of apples late in the fall, when they are^at their cheapest. New clean barrels and a cool kalsomined cellar, with plenty of ventilation are necessities, however.

THE CARE OF APPLES

The froiit should be examined once a week, handling the apples very carefully to prevent bruising them. It is an excellent plan to keep on empty barrel for this purpose. Two or three decaying- apples will speedily taint the flavour of a whole barrel, or make them rot. The fruit which is only slightly spoiled may be culled out, heaped in a basket and cooked- at the earliest convenience. Buy ga-eenings, Baldwins or imssets ; they are tbe best keeping winter apples. Scientists tell us that apples contain gluten, albumen, pectin, fibrin, sugar, starch, malic acid, tannic acid, as well as water and traces of free salts. This all means little to the housewife unskilled in chemistry.; she only realises that, in some subtle fashion of her own, Nature has stored away in the apple such a wealth of heat-hful-ness and spicy flavours as is bestovtfed en few of the fruits of the tropics. It is full of the elements essential to the building up of sound tissues and the making of good blood. "When eaten raw it is at its best. Every day pick tbe choicest apples from the 'barrel, polish with tissue paper and pile in a pretty dish. Accustom the children of your household to -apple eating ; as a rule it is an easy task. Wsien a meal is over, remove the apples to a cool pantry ; thev lose (much flavour audi orispness when left standing in a heated diningroom.

Tbe old adage, which said "Applies are gold in tbe morning, silven at noom and lead at night," has been set aside by latterday authorities on nutrition. They assure us that apples eaten raw are gold at night, because they excite the action of tbe liver, promote sound and healthy sleep and prove excellent brain food. When one turns to the cooking of apples, first of all we think of wholesome apple sauce and delicious baked apples. Of necessity, apple sauce does not always await the entrance of roast pork. It is good all winter long, for breakfast, luncheon or supper, and it proves a most welcome variation to the housewife who sees her canned fruit supply running low. Apples for any cooking purpose should always be ■pared with a silver knife; steel will spoil their colour. For apple sauce, cook them in a tightly-covered granite or white-lined saucepan. Take it from „he. fire as soon as the fruit .is tender, sweeten and serve I warm. If you would have the finest possible flavour, put ( the apples with a, very little water and sugar in a clean bean pot, ! set it in- a hot oven and bake. The sauce will have a rich red colour and a most excellent taste. SOME ADbITIONAI DELICACIES. Sometimes toward the approach of spring apples grow flavourless. Add to them — in any way they are cooked — a dash of lenion or orange juice, half a cupful of grated pineapple or a few spoonfuls of quince preserve. The addition of raisins, halved dates, or a little . finely-chopped orange peel often transforms plain apple sauce into a very attractive dish for the children's table. We must^not forget the spicy, old-fashioned cider apple sauce, which is a good standby* all winter long. Simmer down to a pint one quart of cider and add to it four quarts of sliced apples. Cook till tender, flavour with a bit of lemon peel, if desired; beat to a smooth cream, pour into stone jars, cover when cool and set away in a dry cold place. This sauoe may be made in a large quantity; it will keep perfectly till warm weather. When baking apples do not remove the skins, even if it does not give the dish so sightly an appearance. Next to tbe skinlies the aromatic portion of the fruit. It. is lost in paring. Choose the largest apples for baking. Wipe them clean, arrange in a granite or earthen dish, pouring a little water over and _prii_ding with brown sugar. A small lump of butter placed on each ia^a vast improvement. Bake in a moderate oven till soft v Years ago, when eggs were a luxury — not even obtainable at sixty cents a dozen —the apple desserts of our grandmothers called for no eggs, yet their goodness can scarcely be surpassed to-day by the woman Whose pride is fancy cooking. BAKED, BAILED AND FRIED. Pa_ Dowdy was always made in a deep yellow baking dish. It was liberally buttered, the bottom and sides were lined crust-fashion with slices of buttered bread. It was filled with sliced apples, dusted with nutmeg or cinnamon, moistened with half & cupful of hot wate^ one oupful pf brown sugar and two tablespoonfuls of molasses. Finish with a top crust of liberally buttered bread, cover with a plate, bake slowly for an hour and a half. Serve turned out on a platter with cream or hard sauce.

Beside, making most appetising desserts, apples serve to help out the damty menu in many way*. Cut im cubes mixed with shredded celery and a few walnut meats and smothered with a boiled dressing, sour apples form the base of the excellent Waldorf galad. Sliced, dipped in butter, fried in deep fat and served with a sweet sauce, they are delicious as fritters. Fried apples add a zest to a 'dish of sausage or pork chops, grated, mixed with powdered sugar ana the beaten white of an egg, they

make a most attractive fronting. This is but a glance at the uses of our most useful of fruits.