■HBBMI 



Fruit Juices for Hot-Weather 



Drinks 



By M. Roberts Conover, New Jersey. 



TN THE middle of summer, when hot 

 *■ and thirsty, how refreshing is a 

 drink made from fruit syrup! And if 

 the syrup was made from fruit which had 

 been grown in one's own garden, one 

 quickly forgets, in the pleasure of the 

 moment, the trouble it was to make the 

 syrup. Unlike the orange, lemon, and 

 lime, the juices of the apple, pear, peach, 

 etc., require heat to make them taste just 

 right and to ensure against fermentation, 

 and are therefore more or less of a trouble 

 to prepare. 



The necessary utensils are an acid-proof 

 preserving kettle, an earthen bowl, a 

 jelly or fruit press (or an enamelled col- 

 ander and flannel bag) , asbestos mat to be 

 used beneath the kettle, and silver spoons 

 and porcelain cups for handling the fruit. 

 Aluminum kettles are the best. If, how- 

 ever, an enamelled one is used it must 

 be well coated and the inside surface free 

 from cracks of any sort. Fruit juice must 

 never come in contact with tin or iron. 



Select only fruit that is perfectly sound 

 and thoroughly ripe. If it has not the 

 melting sweetness of maturity it will 

 yield sour juice. Gather it the day be- 

 fore it is to be used and keep it in a cool 

 place. Soiled or dusty fruit which cannot 

 be pared, must be washed by floating in 

 water and draining in a colander. 



The juice may either be squeezed from 

 the raw fruit with a press or the fruit may 

 be heated to the boiling point and the 

 juice drained from it. 



The juice that has been pressed from the 

 raw fruit should be strained through cheese- 

 cloth and put at once over the fire. It 



For present use. put the syrup in a covered stone 

 crock. For future use. seal in jars 



should boil for about fifteen minutes, 

 sugar being added. Sweeten to taste, the 

 sugar being added about five minutes be- 

 fore the liquid is bottled. The juice of 

 the Concord and kindred varieties of 

 grape require very little, if any, sugar. 



Juice expressed by boiling the fruit is 

 deeper in color than that which is pressed 

 out. Put the fruit over the fire in a kettle 

 with water enough to float it. Boil until 

 tender in the case of peaches, apples and 

 pears, and until the skin bursts in the case 

 of cherries, currants and grapes. Re- 

 move at once from the fire and pour or 

 dip it into an enamelled colander, using 

 the porcelain cup or dipper. Let it run 

 through into a stone or crockery vessel. 

 Stir it slightly, but do not mash the fruit. 

 Strain the juice through the flannel bag 

 previously scalded and return it to the 

 fire to boil fifteen minutes. With pears, 

 peaches, cherries, and the smaller fruits, 

 half a teacupful of sugar will be required 

 for each quart of juice. 



In bottling or canning dip the bottles or 

 jars in boiling water immediately before 

 filling and fill to the very brim with the 

 juice so as to leave no air space at the top. 

 Delay in covering will often result in fer- 

 mentation. Be sure to thoroughly seal. 



Syrup intended for immediate use may 

 be placed in a covered stone crock in the 

 refrigerator or on the cellar floor. 



Pears, peaches, apples, etc., must be 

 pared before boiling. The skin may be 

 cooked separately and the juice there- 

 from added to the other liquid. The 

 pulp remaining may be used for jam or 

 preserves. 



An essential quality in serving these 

 fruit syrups is to have them very cold. 

 These are some recipes which I use 

 every year: 



Apple nectar. — To one quart of apple 

 juice add a bit of orange peel, letting it 

 boil about fifteen minutes. Remove the 

 orange peel and stir into the liquid three- 

 quarters of a cupful of strained honey. 

 Remove it from the fire, flavor with 

 grated nutmeg, and chill. 



Rhubard syrup. — To one quart of the 

 liquor from stewed rhubarb add half a 

 teacupful of scraped maple sugar. Stir 

 it well, and set it in a cold place for four 

 hours before serving. 



Strawberry cream. — To render it per- 

 fectly clear this syrup may require twice 



361 



straining. To one pint of strawberry 

 syrup, add one quart of sweet cream. 

 Chill, and whip until frothed. 



Pear and lemon sherbet. — To one quart 

 of pear syrup add the juice and a little 

 of the grated rind of a lemon and a small 

 piece of green ginger root. Boil fifteen 

 minutes. Serve very cold in sherbet cups. 



Pear and pineapple sherbet is made by 

 adding one cupful of shredded pineapple 

 to the sweetened syrup and letting it 

 stand several hours to allow the flavors 



Ice-cold apple nectar for a real hot day 



to blend. Serve with cracked ice. An- 

 other agreeable blend is made by cooking 

 a few quinces with the pears before the 

 juice is drained. 



Raspberry sherbet. — One quart of rasp- 

 berry syrup and one-half a cupful of 

 currant syrup or dissolved currant jelly. 

 Sweeten, chill and pour into glass cups. 

 Just before serving, top each cup with 

 a tablespoonful of whipped cream. Black- 

 berry and currant juice may also be served 

 in this way. 



Peach cream. — To one quart of peach 

 syrup add one teaspoonful of almond 

 extract, sugar to taste, and one quart of 

 thick, sweet cream. Chill, whip until 

 frothy, and serve. 



Grape juice is really at its best when 

 taken without additional flavors. If it 

 is too rich water may be added in the 

 proportion of one-third water to two- 

 thirds of the juice, letting it stand a little 

 while before serving. Grape juice and 

 lemonade is also an agreeably refreshing 

 combination. 



Fruit sherbet is made from equal parts 

 of raspberry, strawberry, currant, and 

 cherry syrup. This is served very cold 

 with cracked ice. 



