Pioneer Preserving Recipes (Continued)

Finally, as promised, our book brings us to the Southwest, then lastly the West.  As I type these recipes, my mind reels and mouth waters at the possibility of such delectable bounty.  I can't imagine stepping out into the neighboring countryside to find ripe figs and plump citrus waiting for me to prepare for my family!  What a beautiful country this is.



Southwestern Cook Book
of Spanish-American Recipes

Breakfast Figsmakes 6 quarts

6 quarts fresh figs
1 cup baking soda
1 gallon boiling water
cold water

Select figs of uniform size and ripeness.
Without removing skins, plunge in a bath made by adding baking soda to boiling water.
Allow to stand in soda water bath 5 - 10 minutes.
When the skins of the figs become transparent remove from hot bath to cold water.
Rinse thoroughly.
Prepare a medium - thick syrup.
Bring to a boil.
When figs can be pierced with a straw and skins are clear, pack sterilized jars.
Adjust lids.
Process 25 minutes.


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Fig Pickles7 pints

1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 gallon water
7 pounds fresh figs
3 pounds sugar
1 pint vinegar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
½ Tablespoon cloves
3 lemons, sliced thin

Dissolve soda in water.
Bring to a boil and pour over figs.
Let stand a few minutes.
Drain.
Rinse thoroughly in cold water.
Dissolve sugar in vinegar.
Add cinnamon, cloves, and lemons.
Bring to a boil.
Add figs and cook until clear.
Lift out figs and pack in jars.
Boil down syrup until thick.
Pour over figs.

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Mexican Relish1 quart

1 pint vinegar
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
4 green tomatoes
2 green peppers
1 onion
½ teaspoon horseradish

Heat vinegar.
Add chili powder.
Boil 10 minutes.
Add mustard and salt.
Chop tomatoes, peppers, and onion fine.
Add horseradish.
Place in a jar.
Add boiling vinegar.
Cover.
Serve with meat.

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Citrus Fruit JelliesMakes 10 glasses

2 ½ cups citrus juice
grated rind
6 cups sugar
1 bottle commercial pectin
Add juice to grated rinds, let stand 10 minutes.
Press juice through jelly bag.
Measure sugar and juice into large saucepan, mix.
Bring to a boil quickly, add pectin at once, stirring constantly.
Bing to a full rolling boil 30 seconds.
Remove from heat.
Skim.
Pour into sterilized jars.
Cover.

Orange Jelly
Lemon Jelly
Grapefruit Jelly
Lime Jelly

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Apricot Marmalademakes 12 - 14 (6-ounce) glasses

2 pounds dried apricots
1 dozen oranges
1 grapefruit
¾ cup lemon juice
1 ¾ crushed pineapple
sugar
Soak apricots overnight.
Peel oranges and grapefruit, removing white rind.
Cut in pieces.
Add lemon juice and soaked apricots, also cut into pieces.
Add pineapple.
Measure fruit and equal volume of sugar.
Cook until thick, stirring.
Fill sterilized jars.
Seal.

Apricot Marmalademakes 16 ounces

Omit oranges, grapefruit, lemon juice, and pineapple.
Use diced fresh apricots and 1 lemon, sliced.
Boil 4 ½ cups sugar and 2 ½ cups water for 8 minutes.
Add fruits.
Cook until tender and syrup is thick.


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Western Cook Book
of Pioneer and Modern recipes

Lemon Catchup
makes 4 pints

12 large lemons, grated rind and juice
4 Tablespoons white mustard seed
1 Tablespoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon mace
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh-grated horseradish
1 shallot, minced fine
2 Tablespoon salt
dash cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients together and allow to stand in cool, dry place 3 hours.
Bring to boil and cook 30 minutes.
Pour into crock, let stand 2 weeks, stirring every day.
Strain.
Fill sterilized jars and seal.

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Orange-Cranberry Relishmakes 1 quart

1 large orange
4 cups cranberries, cleaned
2 cups sugar
Cut orange into eighths, removing seeds.
Force cranberries and orange (rind and pulp) through food chopper.
Mix well.
Add sugar, stir thoroughly.
Pack into sterilized jars.
Seal.
 
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Piccalillimakes 20 quarts

2/3 cup salt
4 pecks green tomatoes, chopped
1 cup horseradish
2 Tablesoons ground cloves
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons allspice
2 Tablespoons mustard
4 Tablespoons pepper
2 cups brown sugar
vinegar

Spinkle salt over chopped tomato.
Let stand overnight.
Drain in colander.
Add horseradish, spices, sugar, and enough vinegar to cover.
Bring to boil.
Cook 20 minutes.
Fill sterilized jars.
Seal.

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Apple Marmalademake 10 pints

6 pounds mealy apples
6 pounds sugar
3 ½ cups water
¾ cup ginger root, chopped

Wash, peel, core apples.
Chop fine.
Combine with remaining ingredients.
Cook slowly until thick.
Pour into sterilized glasses.
Seal.

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Preserved Citronmakes 4 half pints

4 pounds citron
4 pounds sugar
4 cups water
1 small piece ginger root
juice and rind of 4 lemons

Wash citron carefully.
Cut in halves and remove seeds.
Cut into eighths.
Sprinkle generously with salt.
Cover with cold water.
Allow to stand overnight.
Drain off water, cover with fresh, cold water.
Let stand until next day.
Drain and skin citron carefully.
Combine sugar, water, ginger root, lemon juice and rind.
Bring to boil.
Add citron, cook slowly until citron is tender.
Pack into sterilized jars.
Fill jars with syrup.
Seal at once.

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Kumquat Marmalademake 3 pints

1 pound kumquats
½ lemon, sliced
1 quart cold water
2 cups sugar
Wash and dry kumquats.
Slice thin, removing seeds.
Add lemon and water.
Let stand overnight.
Heat to boiling point, cook until peel is clear and tender.
Let stand again 24 hours.
Add sugar, cook very slowly until sufficiently thick, stirring.

Grapefruit Marmalade
Use 2 medium grapefruit instead of kumquats.
Cut grapefruit in half and slice as thin as possible.
Prepare as above.
Half grapefruit and half kumquats may be used.

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Orange Marmalademakes 8 (6 ounce) glasses

6 large oranges
water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
sugar

Wash fruit and cut in half.
Remove seeds and stem end.
Slice very fine.
Add 2 cups water for each cup fruit.
Let stand overnight.
Boil slowly until tender.
Add 1 cup sugar for each cup fruit, add lemon juice.
Cook 20 minutes or until thick.
Remove from heat.
Cool 5 minutes, stirring to prevent pieces from floating.
Pour into sterilized jars.
Seal.

Seville Orange Marmalademakes 48 ounces

Use 1 pound wild oranges
½ pound sweet oranges
½ pound lemons
Follow method above.


Lime Marmalade  - Follow recipe, 1 cup lime juice, 2 ½ cups water, 7 cups sugar, green coloring, 1 bottle pectin. Makes 10 glasses.
Grapefruit Marmalade  - Follow recipe, using 6 ½ cups sugar, 3 cups juice, 1 bottle pectin. Makes 9 glasses.
Lemon Marmalade  - Follow recipe, using ¾ cup lemon juice and 1 ¾ cup water.
Orange Marmalade  - Follow recipe above, using 4 oranges and 2 lemons.