Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-15
Table
I and
Kitchen.

e-or-~
cago).
ATaste Of Sweetness.
Candied fruits and flowers are
among the daintiest of the tasty little
accessories used to add to the appear
arice of as well as increase the pleas
ure Of eating many sweet dishes.
.They appeal to the housewife who
delights in setting forth little feasts
that charm and surprise the friend and
guest by their delicate and perfect
touches that indicate the taste and re-
fnement of the hostess.
In many instances the expense must
be considered first and the housewife
finds these nop-essentials more costly
than her purse can buy if she must
depend on the store articles. She can,
however, be quite Independent Of the
purchased article and indulge in these
delightful confections to her hearts
content If she learns the art of making
them successfully.
The process is not at all difficult and
while it varies somewhat according to
Individual ideas the chief design Is the
same-to extract the juice Of the fruit
and replace it with a sugar syrup
which coats the fruit, preserves it
from fermentation while it retains its
natural shape and color.
Fruits of all kinds are preserved in
this way; those most common are cher
ries, pears, peaches, apricots, plums,
pineapple, figs, citrons, oranges, lemons
and melons, Rose leaves, VioletS ana
mint leaves are also preserved in TINS
way and the bright green rhubarn
makes a very good substitute for the
much priced angelica.
When the work is done at home use
hut one-quality of fruit. The state or
degree of ripeness IS of great import
ance. 1t must be picked in dry wealth
or be perfectly sound and at the
stage when it is best for canning. NOT
n day overripe, but better just COM
r,encinp to ripen or a little before.
Pears. ounces, peaches, apricots and
nineapples are pared. The latter cut
in slices. The large stone fruits cut
in halves. the pits carefully removed
so that the fruit will not be bruised or
shane destroyed Pineapples are pared
and sliced, citron pared ana cut mo
quarters. Candied fruit will spoil by
fermentation if not sufficiently cooked
and by moisture If kept in damp
place or by heat in too warm Il place
When the fruit is carefully prepared
# is out in a wire basket and I'M
mersed in boiling water, this pehe-
trates through the pulp, dilutes ana
extracts the juices and after the run
is taken from the water and drained
the solid part of the pulp is left IN
tact. There must be considerable more
than enough water to cover the 1rult
i'm order to tell readily when they are
dona enouph to come to the surface,
for the length of time they are cooked
10 very important. This part of the
nrocess. called "blanching,' must pc
done to a nicely. If overecooked tn"y
become soft-Or the pulp is left TOO dry
and woody. If not done enough the
iuiccs are not sufficiently extracted
and the syrup will not be completely
absorbed and eventually fermentation
will take place destroying the 1rult.
one test Is to boil the fruit until IL
floats to the surface, then remove 1t
by lifting out the basket or removing
it with SKINNER. Then throw
into cold water, drain perfectly
dry. At this stage note the conal'ioh
Of the fruit-if there are dliterehl ue-
prees of softncss it Is best to sort out
the hard and soft as they Will take UP
tho supar differently and therefore re-
o,irc different grades of syrup, the Solt
fr,;t needing q much heavier syrup
,h,n the hard. This rule must be oD-
so,ved in regard to the different kinds
of fruit "a we'll as the different va
rieties. .,
ITruits that remain hard, such as
ne,rs. citrons and pincapplcs preserve
i.,, In svr,lp of from eighteen to
twenty five degrees, while the softer
kinds like .pluns apricots, figs, etc.
take h, st in syrups from thirty to forty
degrees. guagcd by the aerometer. Inc
soft ball' degree answers tor most
crystalzing except for the very hard
fruits. The fruit is put into the
boiling syrup, allowed to boil up
once then left standing in GlaZea
earthen wrae pans for ABOUT "
week. The sugar will penetrate
to the innermost part OF the pup
gradually withdraws and replaces th'
fruit juices. remaining after the scala-
ing process. Watch the fruit care1uily
for as the juices eXude and mingle with
the Transparent liquid, filmy on
clouded appearance is produced rms
is the beginning oil lcfnlcHta'i'il
Allow this to reach 4 certain stag"
then place over the fire and heat to II
degrees Fthr This will bring the I'M
nurities to the surface; skim carefully
I'm this way the fermentation is cor
rcctcl and the fruit thoroughly satu-
rated with the sugar. Repeat ms
process, as often as necessary for about
six weeks. The last time the syruI
must be at the first deSrce-when dip
ping two pieces Of wood in the boiling
syrup, then touching and Immediately
and slowly pulling apart, thread Is
formed which soon breaks. Then
drain the fruit from the syrup. wash in
clear water and either glaze or crystal
lie it, as you prefer. If you wish tc
glaze it make a thick sugar syrup
nave the fruit we'll dried and dip into
the syrup and lay each piece serar-
ately on oiled paper or a hair sieve and
place in the open air where it will dry
quickly. For crystallizing and pack
ing in boXes-dip into the same grade
of syrup but place where it will coo
and harden slowly. In this way the
syrup covering the surface of the fruit