Arizona republican., 1917-06-27
SIMPLE LIFE STILL RULES
 IN BALKANS

An American womap who has spent some years in the Balkan states, tells of the methods by which the natives in that part of the world care for their fruit and vegetable crops She says: The simplest life is still lived in the Balkan states. Grain is cut by hand. trOdden out and WinnoWed on the threshing floor. and carried to the mill which is run by water power Mother and daughters spin and weave. bake and brew for the household There seems to be no haste. yet the work is always done in season, and food and to spare is found in every household. This is speaking of the days before wave after wave of inva- sion devastated the land.
 A few years ago sugar became al most unobtainable and the town and village folk alike gave up the delicate preserves in which they delight, and developed more extensively their meth ods of drying food products. One of the popular fruits for drying is plums. Any plum with firm flesh can be suc- cessfully dried. The softer and more juicy varieties ferment so readily that they cannot be preserved in this way. The plums are slashed in three or four places in order to let sun and air reach
 
 the plum thoroughly with a sharp tined fork in several places. quite to the pit.
 When sour fruit such as plums are cooked for sauce the following winter, sweet fruits may he added to save sugar Prunes are suitable for this. or figs or dates. Some of the sWeeter va Tieties of raisins will also serve this purpose
 The village people know nothing of trays. A piece of coarse straw mating spread on a dry surface in the direct rays of the sun serves admirably. Moreover this can be rolled up. mat, fruit and all in case of sudden storm, and quickly carried to safety. to be unrolled again as soon as the sun comes out The mating allows cer- tain amount of air to circulate under heath and surplus juice is quickly drained away.
 Apricots are cut in halves before being dried. The seeds find a ready market in the Balkan states and sell for almost as much as almonds. They vary in flavor, some being exceedingly palatable. They can be used just as almonds-salted, in salads, cake or candy. Those with a large amount of rrussic acid are used sparingly for
 
 Pears ard apnles are also dried eX- tensively as well as all kinds of ber- res
 When the drying is complete, a great kettle of lye water is prepared by boil ing wood ashes in the water When this has cooled and settled. the fruit is thoroughly washed in the solution. and again put in the sun for few hours 70 dry It is now ready to put away. Large muslin bags arc used for stor- ago and can be seen hanging from the rafters in every home. This method of rreparing fruit for storage is very sue cessful. Some dried nlums which had been overlooked for five years proved to be perfectly good when discovered and cooked for the table.
 The Balkan way of preparing toma- toes for the winter use is both simple and practical The perfectly sound to- matoes with unbroken skin are put down in brine in kegs. a wreath of grane vine stem being placed in the top of the keg to keep the fruit submerged. Any scum which arises must be re- moved. and the fruit watched careful vl If it begins to grow soft it must he washed and put in fresh brine. To- matoes kept in this way after several roonths ore very palatable served raw or cooked.
 The tomatoes not perfect enough for shis method Of preserving. are boiled till of the consistency of catsuD or mar rnalade. the seeds and skin being ~trained out After adairg salt. the boiling is continued until the pulp be- comes as thick as allows for conven-