The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-13
The Luscious Melon.

)
All rights reserved by Banning Co.,
Chicago.
The Luscious Melon.
1.-THE poet may sing of the Orient spices,
Or Barbary's dates In their palmy ar
ray
But the huge, rosy melon in cold, juicy
slices
Is the Helicon font of a hot summer
day."
Melons are more of drink than food.
as the solids in them do not amount TO
more than per cent. This is especially
true of the watermelon The juices OF
this fruit are very agreeable and make
cooling drink, very grateful to fever
patients, greatly assisting in allaying the
fever as well as quenching thirst. In
every instance the melon pulp is eaten
raw and must be served ice cold. either
frozen in water ice, ETC.. or thoroughly
chilled on ice. Melons are very frequent
ly served for dessert after hearty meal;
this is very liable to give rise to an
noying discomfort for many, if it causes
no more serious trouble The stomach
is deluged with an excessive amount of
exceedingly cold liquid which seriously
discommodes the process of digesting the
foods previously taken, and temporary, II
rot lasting gastric trouble is the result.
Melons should be regarded in the light OF
summer soups, to be taken in moderate
quantity before a hearty meal, thus pre-
pairing the way for the more solid and
heating food. They should be eaten
slowly, and by the time they reach the
stomach they will lower the temperature
| appreciably below the normal in any
| case while in some cases they reduce
| too high a temperature to the proper de-
! gree, SO that easily fermentable food may
| be eaten with greater surety of its I'M
mediate and perfect digestion.
| During the melon season the wise
| housewife will substitute the waterm elon
| and fruit soups almost entirely for all
| other kind of soup, and she cannot Of
fer family or friends a more delicious
| liquor to quaff on warm summer or au-
| tumn day than the cool, fragrant juices
held ever so slightly in just enough solid
| but tender matter to retain them until
they touch the grateful tongue. A slice
| of cool melon invites the appetite far
4 more readily than even the glass OF
4 sparkling ice, and the small amount OF
saccharine matter along with its delicate
but distinctive flavor makes it decidedly
more pa1atable
! At one other time is the melon most ap-
l propriate and suitable, and that is when
| served between meals simply to quench
! thirst, with nothing added to it in way
of fiavoring solid matter.
| When melons are eaten as nature in
| tended they should be almost everyone
can indulge in them and when ignor-
antly and persistently prevent nature we
certainly do not deserve to enjoy the
| blessings showered upon US.
/ SELECTING MELONS.
A very little experience will enable one
to unerringly select a good cantaloupe,
but the watermelon proves more of a
| lottery. The following sign is said to
| denote infallibly good ripe melon: When
the flesh of the melon changes color and
its seeds begin to turn black or are fully
| matured (as some varieties have brown
seeds, a small scale or blister will make
it's appearance on the rind- 1t requires
| close inspection to always find this sign
but it is sure to be there if proper con-
ditions for it exist. These blisters in
crease in size and number as the melon
ripens until they are thickly Strewn over
the surface. A small crop of blisters
| would therefore indicate unripe fruit
| Cantaloupes may be judged more easily
The smooth skin between the sections
should be yellowish green, the sections
quite rough and green. and when th'
thumb nail is pressed into the melon al
the stem end it should give out a swee
| spicy odor or "musky'' smell.
There are several ways of serving thu
| cantaloupe and musk melon, but tn
| first essential is its GOODNESS. Then 1
may be cut across the seeds removed
| and then seasoned with sugar and a lit
tie cinnamon or nutmeg or salt and pa
| prika or a little honey strained over 1
from the comb. The latter makes deli
| cous eating. A pretty way to serve thu
watermelon for breakfast is to cut on
the pulp in cone shapes with a table
spoon and arrange in pyramid on
bed of grape leaves, with some OF tn
| dark green leaves and grape tenurll
showing in between.
Never commit the mistake of putting
ice upon the flesh of the melon, or yo'
will destroy the delicate flavor of tn
fruit and greatly lessen the enjoymen
of the eating The melon may be pre-
pared for the table some time previous t
| the serving, if desired. Wash and wip
| them dry; cut open and remove seed
and all stringy, tough part; then put tn
l~41xr ffr6f
| them in ice until needed When the melo
| is to be served for breakfast put ther
n a box with large lump of ice, sprea
newspapers over them and cover closely
WATERMELON ICE.
Cut a chilled melon in halves, 5000
| out all the red meat; remove the seeds
| chop the meat in wooden tray or bow
| adding a cup of sugar. Pack in
| freezer, turn a few minutes until it
| like soft snow and serve at once
WATERMELON WITH SPICED
CLARET
Select a perfectly ripe melon, and on
| not too largeCut it in half or else plu
| it and fill with the following Add sugs
, enough to good ciaret to make 1t pleas
antly sweet, then add a few pieces {
stick cinnamon; a few whole cloves an
grating of nutmeg and boil all down I
rather thick syrup. Pour this over tn
cut melon, or into the plugged one an
lay it on ice for few hours to chi
thoroughly.
WATERMELON SNOW.
Have a melon thoroughly chilled; r.
move the heart and cut it into thic
slices; pound a piece of ice in clea
piece of burlaD until it is like coars
snow Gf you have an ice shave use that
cut the slices of melon into large squar'
and heap up on chilled plates ar
sprinkle the ice thickly over the melo
and serve at once, before the moistul
has time to destroy the flavor of tt
melon This is delicious for breakfa.
on a hot morning.
WATERMELON PICKLES
The rind is used for this purpose. Whe
desired for picking, serve the flesh /
scoop.ng out with a spoon as directe
or in any manner except plain slice
. Cut off all the soft part next to the re
flesh, and pare off the outside CT
, into finger lengths about inch wiz
and cover with salt and water and i
stand over night. In the morning dra
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