Edible Products. 



426 



[November, 1909. 



drying process occupies five to six days, 

 and during this period the ginger loses 

 about 70 per cent, of its weight. After 

 drying it is bleached by washing, and 

 again dried for two days, when it is 

 ready for shipping. 



Varieties.— Two varieties are dis- 

 tinguished—" yellow " and " blue, " also 

 known as " turmeric" and "flint." The 

 rhizomes of the " blue " are hard and 

 fibrous, yielding a much less proportion 

 of the powder, not so pungent, and, 

 therefore, less valuable commercially 

 than the "yellow," 



Returns and Value. - The yield per 

 acre varies and depends largely on the 

 nature of the soil and the method of 

 cultivation adopted. The average 

 return per acre is about 1,200 lbs. of 

 cured ginger. A good crop would yield 

 2,000 lbs. The value also varies accord- 

 ing to quality and the demand. At 

 recent sales in London Jamaica ginger 

 was sold at prices varying from 54s. to 

 69s. per cwt. 



About seventy years ago ginger from 

 Jamaica fetched as much as 180s. per 

 cwt. in London. It was then largely 

 grown by English, Irish and German 

 immigrants, many of whose descendants 

 still cultivate this crop. 



THE GRANADILLA. 



(From the Porto Rico Horticultural 

 News, Vol. II., No. 2, February, 1909.) 



This department aims to be of use to 

 house-keepers in Puerto Rico in every 

 way possible, but especially in studying 

 methods of using native fruits and 

 vegetables. Suggestions and recipes 

 along this line or more general lines will 

 be very gladly received from readers. 



We will also endeavor to find answers 

 to questions which may be sent in. 



This month we have been experiment- 

 ing with one of the native fruits little 

 used by Americans, and it is surprising 

 how many dishes can be made from it. 

 While some do not care for the flavour of 

 the granadilia, those who like it would 

 do well to try the recipes given below. 

 Perhaps even those who have not been 

 well impressed with the fruit could be 

 persuaded to change their opinion after 

 giving it a fair trial. 



The granadilia is the Spanish name for 

 the Passion flower, one species of which 

 is familiar in the United States where it 

 is raised for its beautiful and odd flowers. 

 The particular variety of Porto Rico, 

 the Passiflora quadrangidaris, differs 

 from the northern kind, however, espe- 

 cially in bearing edible fruit, This is true 



also of several other varieties of Passion 

 flower, but none have fruit to compare 

 with the granadilia in size. A few 

 varieties are found in Asia, but on the 

 whole the family is native to tropical 

 America. 



An interesting story is connected with 

 the naming of the plant by the early 

 Spanish explorers who discovered it, 

 They saw in the flower and vine the 

 instrument of our Lord's suffering and 

 death, so called it Passion flower. The 

 three stigmas seemed to represent the 

 nails used, two in the hands and one in 

 the feet. The five anthers blood-red are 

 the five wounds and the corona is the 

 crown of thorns, though by some con- 

 sidered halo of glory. The ten parts ot 

 the perianth symbolize the ten apostles 

 around the cross, Peter and Judas being 

 absent. The hands of the persecutors 

 are seen in the digitate leaves and the 

 scourges in the tendrils. The flower 

 was considered a sort of miracle sent 

 to the first missionaries to signify that 

 the Indians would be converted by the 

 Cross, Important mention is made of it 

 by several church writers of the time. 



The Passion flower vine is one of the 

 easiest to grow. In a large part of the 

 Island, especially in the hilly country, it 

 is found growing wild in abundance. It 

 covers f ences, sheds, trees, or any other 

 thing handy, climbing by means of 

 tendrils and making a beautiful sight 

 with its graceful leaves and striking 

 purple flowers. No diseases appeal to 

 have attacked it, and no animal pests 

 except the rats who are very fond of the 

 fruit. They have been known to jump 

 in mid-air two feet to a hanging fruit. 



The root is said to possess powerful 

 narcotic properties, aud in some places is 

 used as medicine. 



The edible parts of the fruit are two, 

 of quite distinct taste. The seed and 

 the attached coverings are excellent 

 eaten with sugar. They have a pleasing 

 tart taste in contrast to the sweetness of 

 the surrounding fiesh. 



A contributed recipe for preparing the 

 seeds is as follows :— 



Cut a slice off one end of the fruit and 

 pour in half a cup of sugar and a cup of 

 cherry. Allow to ripen for an hour and 

 serve ice-cold, scooping out the seeds 

 into dishes. — N. B. B. 



The same person gives the method of 

 making : 



Granadilia Fritters, — Choose a firm 

 fruit and cut the flesh into small slices. 

 Sprinkle each with a little sugar and a 

 few drops of lemon juice. Make batter 

 by stirring a teaspoonful of melted 



