The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-09-05
WATERMELON LORE.
Proper Way to Serve to Have the
Melon Mt Its Best-Preserv-
ing Rind, Etc.


the north spoil watermelons by too
much chilling; that, like strawber-
ries, they need the warmth of the sun
in them; but the weight of opinion
seems to be on the side of the ice
box, says the Washington Star.
A novel way to chm melon is to
cut ripe one into halves and scoop
out the pink flesh, rejecting all seeds.
Lay on platter, and, with a silver
fork, break into small pieces. Add
one-half pound of powdered sugar
and the juice of lemon. Turn into
freezer, pack with ice and salt and
turn slowly for Is or 20 minutes until
the mixture is mushy. Serve in
glasses, with the addition of tea
spoonful of sherry to each glass if de-
sired
1t is now considered a violation of
the canons of good taste in table
service to offer watermelons with the
rind on. Split the melon in two,
lengthwise, and with a large spoon
and a rotary twist of the wrist scoop
out the luscious pink flesh in cone
shaped pieces. Arrange on a bed of
green leaves or cracked ice and you
will have a picture for the eye as well
as a delight to the palate. Cut in this
way, which gives no waste. a good
sized melon will serve Is or 20 people
Watermelon rind preserved, and
then dried out in the oven, is quite as
good as citron for cake, mince pie,
plum pudding ard tutti-frutti ice
cream.
In preserving watermelon rind, peel
off the green part and cut in thin
strips. For five pounds of rind put
one quart of water and pint of
vinegar over the fire. When it comes
to scald add the rind, boil ten or
twelve minutes, remove with a skim
mer and drain. Have ready a sirup,
allowing three and half pounds of
sugar to pint of water. Let it come
to a good boil, skim and add the
strips of melon with two ounces of
green ginger cleaned and sliced
Cook about three-quarters of an hour,
or until tender enough to pierce with
a straw. Remove the melon strips
with a skinner and lay on a platter
Continue boiling the sirup until re-
duced to one-half. Put the melon in
a glass jar, excepting what you wish
to dry to use in place of citron, and
fill the jars to overlooking with the
boiling strip.
Watermelon rind is excellent made
into a sweet pickle. Cook the strips
of melon in clear water until nearly
tender, then remove with a skinner
and drain. Make a spiced pickle, al
lowing to every eight pounds of mel
on pint of vinegar and three pounds
of sugar. Mix together half tea
spoonful each of ground cloves and
mace and a teaspoonful each of
cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
Tie in cheesecloth bag and
add to the sirup. Cook the melon
in the sirup until perfectly tender;
remove the melon and cook the sirup
until reduced down to one-half. Put
into jars and seal while still scalding
hot
While it seems quite as wasteful
and ridiculous an excess as painting
the lily or throwing perfume on the
violet to attempt any improvement
upon the watermelon au naturel, a
change from the stereotyped way of
doing things is sometimes desirable.
AT recent luncheon the first course
was chilled melon, which had been
prepared in this wise: All the center
of the melon was scooped out, re-
jecting the seeds. This was broken
with silver fork into small pieces,
then put into freezer with the addi-
ton of half pound of powdered
sugar and the juice of a lemon. The
freezer was packed in salt and ice
and turned slowly for Is minutes I'M
til a mush-like consistency was OBJ
tanned. This melon frappe was served
in glasses with a teaspoonful of
sherry added to each glass.