The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-07

braces ali members of the gourd fam
and watermelons.
When they are fully ripe there is no
more luscious and acceptable fruit.
They are perhaps the most watery of
| fruits, containing more than 50 per
/ cent. of water; but for this reason they
! are exceedingly agreeable to the pal
| ate in hot weather when served thor
oughly chilled. In Europe the melon
usually follows the soup; but in this
country it has been the custom on ac-
| count of the fragrance and sweetness
| OF the melon to serve It as a dessert
or sweet course, though a great many
have very sensibly substituted it for
| the soup, serving 1t with salt and
| pepper or a little grated nutmeg.
WATERMELONS-
These must be served ice cold; when
| thoroughly ripe and chilled they are
crisp and not indigestible to most peo-
pie, but a melon that is not we'll
| ripened and chilled. especially if kept
| too long in the heat after picking, will
| be stringy and tough and not at all
| digestible. There are many nice ways
| of serving these melons; a very invit-
ing dish may be made by cutting the
melon in half and with a large spoon
take out the pulp in cone-shaped
pieces; arrange these on a dish like
croeuettes, placing bits of ice among
them. Border the dish with green
grape leaves.
WATERMELON SALAD.
Cut the watermelon in half: remove
the red part carefully and cut into
neat blocks; then dig out white part
of the rind until you shall have wall
about half an inch thick. Cut off
piece from the bottom of the melon
shell or bowl so it win stand level;
then trim the upper edge in points
cubes, sprinkling each layer with sugar.
Set away on ice to chill, and when
ready to serve pour over the melon q
little iced claret and serve. Another
way to serve as salad is to cut the
red part into small blocks; dress with
a little oil in which you have dissolved
a small quantity of salt Let stand on
ice to chill and just before serving add
more oil mixed with lemon juice, in
proportion to two-thirds oil, and a lit
tie pepper
WATERMELON ICE.
Scoop out the red part, rem owe the
seeds and chop the pulp rather fine
with a silver knife; add a cup of sugar
and juice of one lemon and freeze I'M
til the consistency of soft snow; serve
in glasses. A pint of good claret added
to the chopped melon and frozen as
above makes delicious ice.
THE MUSKMELON
The ability to select a, good musk
melon is said to indicate unerring
judgment in all things. However this
may be, it certainly seems to be a
gift with some to know at a glance
is nothing more disappointing than the
discovery that spicy richness of flavor
that makes them so delicious is miss
ing.
When selecting a muskmelon or can
taloupe see if it has odor; press gently
on the stem end, and If it is sweet
and ''musky" it is quite ripe and
good melon And observe If the skin
between the sections is yeliowish
green. Aot bright yellow. The skin
the raised sections should be quite
rough and green A N elcn that is too
ripe is insipid and unwholesome.
HOW TO SERVE
Ice should never touch the inside E
these melons, as 1t destroys the fine
flavor. Such serving indicates careless
ness. as a rule If you cannot keep
your melons in a, very cold place or on
ice for a. sufficient length of time to
have tneEl thoroughly chilled and
ready to serve at moments notice.
do not serve q warm melon packed
with chopped ice that perhaps does not
do more than chill the surface, while
it spoils the flavor entirely. Cut the
melon crosswise take out the seeds.
then place the halves together and put
the chopped ice around them, not in
side Let them stand for an hour
Serve these on a folded napkin. A
pretty way to send them to the break
fast table is to cover a. silver tray with
cloth; place the halved melons on this,
and arrange red and purple pls rs
among them to give a pleasing picture
CANTALOUPE FRAPPE.
Select two large melons that indicate
perfect ripeness and fine flavor, cut
open, remove all seeds and scoop out
the pulp; put this through a rather
coarse sieve, season with a little salt
Add four tablespoonfuls Of honey to
half a cup of currant or cherry juice
and pour over the pulp. Let stand half
an hour in the refrigerator, then freeze.
COMPOTE OF MELON.
Take muskmelon or cantaloupe
that is not entirely ripe; slice and pare
and cut each section into blocks; make
a boiled syrup with pound of sugar
and cup of water; cook the melon in
this for five or ten minutes; flavor with
it with boiled rice
PRESERVED MELON.
MuskmeIons, or cantaloupes, that are
underripe and the rind of watermelons
may be preserved in this manner; Make
a syrup of sugar and water, one pound
of sugar to a quart of water; when the
syrup is boiling. drop in the melon and
allow to stand until the next day; then
pour off the syrup; let it heat to boiling
point and pour over the melon slices
and let stand until cold. Repeat this
for three days. After boiling up the
syrup the last time and before pouring
it over the fruit flavor delicately with
vanilla extract
SPICED MELON.
Select melons not quite ripe or take
the rind of watermelons, slice, pare and
cut into strips or blocks. Steep these
for "A hours in cold water and vinegar;
have water enough to cover and add
enough vinegar to make the water tart,
but not very acid Then drain them
and put them into a cold syrup made
of sugar and water boiled together.
Bring slowly to boiling; then let get
cold; then drain off the syrup; add to it
a few sticks of cinnamon, few cloves
and little ginger root; boil up and pour
over the melon slices; repeat for three
days; then seal up in jars
ANOTHER WAY.
Take five pounds of the fruit cut into
blocks; put into a stone jar. Boil three
pounds Of sugar with one quart of
vinegar and pour over the fruit. Con-
tinue to do this for eight days. The
following day pour off the syrup, add to
it half an ounce of whole cloves and one
ounce. of stick cinnamon; boil together
for a few minutes; then add the melon