[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 18]
An overripe pineapple is just as unsatisfactory as one that is not ripe enough. When a pineapple becomes too ripe, rotten spots begin to develop around the base. Such spots can be easily detected by the discoloration of the skin and such a pineapple should not be selected.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 19]
101. PREPARATION OF PINEAPPLE.--Some persons consider pineapple a difficult fruit to prepare, but no trouble will be experienced if the method ill.u.s.trated in Figs. 17 to 19 is followed. Place the pineapple on a hard surface, such as a wooden cutting board, and with a large sharp knife cut off the tuft of leaves at the top. Then, as shown in Fig. 17, cut the pineapple into 1/2-inch slices crosswise of the head. When the entire pineapple has been sliced, peel each slice with a sharp paring knife, as in Fig. 18. With the peeling removed, it will be observed that each slice contains a number of eyes. Remove these with the point of a knife, as Fig. 19 shows. After cutting out the core from the center of each slice, the slices may be allowed to remain whole or may be cut into pieces of any desirable size or shape. Pineapple prepared in this way is ready either for canning or for desserts in which it is used fresh.
102. PINEAPPLE PUDDING.--One of the most satisfactory desserts made from pineapple is the pudding given here. It is in reality a corn-starch pudding in which grated pineapple is used for the flavoring.
PINEAPPLE PUDDING (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2-1/2 c. scalded milk 1/3 c. corn starch 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 c. cold milk 1-1/2 c. grated pineapple, canned or fresh 2 egg whites
Scald the milk by heating it over the fire in a double boiler. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and salt, and dissolve in the cold milk. Add to the scalded milk in the double boiler and cook for about 15 or 20 minutes.
Remove from the fire and add the grated pineapple from which all juice has been drained. Then fold in the whites of the eggs beaten stiff. Pour into molds previously dipped in cold water, allow to cool, and serve with cream.
MISCELLANEOUS TROPICAL FRUITS
103. AVOCADOS.--The avocado, which is also known as the _alligator pear_, is a large pear-shaped, pulpy fruit raised princ.i.p.ally in the West Indies. It has a purplish-brown skin and contains just one very large seed in the center. The flesh contains considerable fat, and so the food value of this fruit is rather high, being fully twice as great as a like quant.i.ty of apples or oranges.
This fruit, which is gaining in popularity in the Northern States, is very perishable and does not stand shipment well. As a rule, it reaches the northern market green and is ripened after its arrival. It is an expensive fruit and is used almost entirely for salads. As its flavor is somewhat peculiar, a taste for it must usually be cultivated.
104. GUAVAS.--The guava is a tropical fruit that is extensively grown in the southern part of the United States. Guavas come in two varieties: _red guava_, which resembles the apple, and _white guava_, which resembles the pear. The fruit, which has a pleasant acid pulp, is characterized by a more or less peculiar flavor for which a liking must be cultivated. It can be canned and preserved in much the same way as peaches are.
Because guavas are very perishable, they cannot be shipped to northern markets, but various products are made from them and sent to every market. Preserved and pickled guavas and confections made from what is known as guava paste are common, but guava jelly made from the pulp is probably the best known product.
105. NECTARINES.--The tropical fruit called the nectarine is really a variety of peach, but it differs from the common peach in that it has a smooth, waxy skin. Also, the flesh of the nectarine is firmer and has a stronger flavor than that of the peach. Nectarines are not shipped to the northern markets to any extent, but they are canned in exactly the same way as peaches are and can be secured in this form.
106. PERSIMMONS.--The persimmon is a semitropical plum-like fruit, globular in shape and an orange-red or yellow in color. It comes in many varieties, but few of them find their way into the northern markets. The j.a.panese persimmon, which resembles a tomato in color, is the variety most frequently purchased. Persimmons are characterized by a great deal of very pungent acid, which has a puckery effect until the fruit is made sweet and edible by exposure to the frost. In localities where they are plentiful, persimmons are extensively used and are preserved for use during the winter season.
107. POMEGRANATES.--The pomegranate is about as large as a full-sized apple and has a hard reddish-yellow rind. Most varieties contain many seeds and a comparatively small amount of red edible pulp. Pomegranates of various kinds are grown in the southern part of the United States and in other warm climates. They are used extensively in the localities where they are grown and are much enjoyed by persons who learn to care for their flavor. A cooling drink made from their pulp finds much favor.
108. TAMARINDS AND MANGOES.--Although tamarinds and mangoes are practically unknown outside of tropical countries, they are considered to be very delicious fruits and are used extensively in their native localities.
The tamarind consists of a brown-sh.e.l.led pod that contains a brown acid pulp and from three to ten seeds. This fruit has various uses in medicine and cookery and is found very satisfactory for a cooling beverage.
Mangoes vary greatly in size, shape, flavor, and color. Some varieties are large, fleshy, and luscious, while others are small and stringy and have a peculiar flavor.
MELONS
109. CANTALOUPES AND MUSKMELONS.--The variety of melons known as muskmelons consists of a juicy, edible fruit that is characterized by a globular shape and a ribbed surface. Cantaloupes are a variety of muskmelons, but the distinction between them is sometimes difficult to understand. For the most part, these names are used interchangeably with reference to melons.
Considerable variation occurs in this fruit. Some cantaloupes and muskmelons are large and others are small; some have pink or yellow flesh and others have white or light-green flesh. All the variations of color and size are found between these two extremes. The flesh of these fruits contains considerable water; therefore, their food value is not high, being only a little over half as much as that of apples.
110. If melons suitable for the table are desired, they should be selected with care. To be just at the right stage, the blossom end of the melon should be a trifle soft when pressed with the fingers. If it is very soft, the melon is perhaps too ripe; but if it does not give with pressure, the melon is too green.
111. Various ways of serving muskmelons and cantaloupes are in practice.
When they are to be served plain as a breakfast food or a luncheon dessert, cut them crosswise into halves, or, if they are large, divide them into sections lengthwise. With the melons cut in the desired way, remove all the seeds and keep the melons on ice until they are to be served. The pulp of the melon may also be cut from the rind and then diced and used in the making of fruit salads. Again, the pulp may be partly sc.r.a.ped out of the melon and the rinds then filled with fruit mixtures and served with a salad dressing for a salad or with fruit juices for a c.o.c.ktail. The pulp that is sc.r.a.ped out may be diced and used in the fruit mixture, and what is left in the rind may be eaten after the contents have been eaten.
112. CASABA MELONS.--The variety of melons known as casaba, or honeydew, melons are a cross between a cuc.u.mber and a cantaloupe. They have white flesh and a rind that is smoother than the rind of cantaloupes. Melons of this kind are raised in the western part of the United States, but as they stand shipment very well, they can usually be obtained in the market in other regions. They are much enjoyed by those who are fond of this cla.s.s of fruit. Their particular advantage is that they come later in the season than cantaloupes and muskmelons, and thus can be obtained for the table long after these other fruits are out of season. Casaba melons may be served in the same ways as cantaloupes.
113. WATERMELONS.--A very well-known type of melon is the watermelon. It is grown princ.i.p.ally in warm climates of the Southern States, as the season in the North is not sufficiently long to allow it to develop.
This is a large fruit, having a smooth green skin that is often mottled or striped, and a pinkish pulp containing many seeds and having a sweet, watery juice. The large amount of water contained in this fruit makes its food value very low, it being lower in this respect than muskmelons and cantaloupes. The volatile oil it contains, which is responsible for its flavor, proves irritating to some persons who eat it.
114. Watermelon is delicious when it is served ice cold. Therefore, before it is served, it should be kept on ice for a sufficient time to allow it to become thoroughly cold. Then it may be cut in any desirable way. If it is cut in slices, the slices should be trimmed so that only the pink pulp that is edible is served, the green rind being discarded.
As an appetizer, watermelon is delicious when cut into pieces and served in a c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s with fresh mint chopped fine and sprinkled over the top. Small pieces of watermelon cut with a French vegetable cutter make a very attractive garnish for fruit salads and other fruit mixtures.
FRUIT c.o.c.kTAILS
115. c.o.c.ktails made of a combination of fruits are often served as the first course of a meal, usually a luncheon or a dinner, to precede the soup course. In warm weather, they are an excellent subst.i.tute for heavy c.o.c.ktails made of lobster or crab, and they may even be used to replace the soup course. The fruits used for this purpose should be the more acid ones, for the acids and flavors are intended to serve as an appetizer, or the same purpose for which the hot and highly seasoned soups are taken. Therefore, they are seldom made sweet and are not taken for their food value. Besides being refreshing appetizers, they afford a hostess an opportunity to carry out a certain color scheme in a meal.
Many kinds of fruit may be combined into c.o.c.ktails, but directions for the c.o.c.ktails that are usually made are here given. Fruit c.o.c.ktails should always be served ice cold.
116. GRAPEFRUIT c.o.c.kTAIL.--The c.o.c.ktail here explained may be served in stemmed gla.s.ses or in the sh.e.l.ls of the grapefruit. If the fruit sh.e.l.ls are to be used, the grapefruit should be cut into two parts, half way between the blossom and the stem ends, the fruit removed, and the edges of the sh.e.l.l then notched. This plan of serving a c.o.c.ktail should be adopted only when small grapefruits are used, for if the sh.e.l.ls are large more fruit will have to be used than is agreeable for a c.o.c.ktail.
GRAPEFRUIT c.o.c.kTAIL (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 grapefruits 2 oranges 1 c. diced pineapple, fresh or canned Powdered sugar
Remove the pulp from the grapefruits and oranges in the manner previously explained. However, if the grapefruit sh.e.l.ls are to be used for serving the c.o.c.ktail, the grapefruit should be cut in half and the pulp then taken out of the skin with a sharp knife. With the sections of pulp removed, cut each one into several pieces. Add the diced pineapple to the other fruits, mix together well and set on ice until thoroughly chilled. Put in c.o.c.ktail gla.s.ses or grapefruit sh.e.l.ls, pour a spoonful or two of orange juice over each serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, garnish with a cherry, and serve ice cold.
117. SUMMER c.o.c.kTAIL.--As strawberries and pineapples can be obtained fresh at the same time during the summer, they are often used together in a c.o.c.ktail. When sweetened slightly with powdered sugar and allowed to become ice cold, these fruits make a delicious combination.
SUMMER c.o.c.kTAIL (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. diced fresh pineapple 2 c. sliced strawberries Powdered sugar
Prepare a fresh pineapple in the manner previously explained, and cut each slice into small pieces or dice. Wash and hull the strawberries and slice them into small slices. Mix the two fruits and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Place in c.o.c.ktail gla.s.ses and allow to stand on ice a short time before serving.
118. FRUIT c.o.c.kTAIL.--A fruit c.o.c.ktail proper is made by combining a number of different kinds of fruit, such as bananas, pineapple, oranges, and maraschino cherries. As shown in Fig. 20, such a c.o.c.ktail is served in a stemmed gla.s.s set on a small plate. Nothing more delicious than this can be prepared for the first course of a dinner or a luncheon that is to be served daintily. Its advantage is that it can be made at almost any season of the year with these particular fruits.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20]
FRUIT c.o.c.kTAIL (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 bananas 1 c. canned pineapple 2 oranges 1 doz. maraschino cherries Lemon juice Powdered sugar
Peel the bananas and dice them. Dice the pineapple. Remove the pulp from the oranges in the manner previously explained, and cut each section into several pieces. Mix these three fruits. Cut the cherries in half and add to the mixture. Set on ice until thoroughly chilled. To serve, put into c.o.c.ktail gla.s.ses as shown in the ill.u.s.tration, and add to each gla.s.s 1 tablespoonful of maraschino juice from the cherries and 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
DRIED FRUITS
VARIETIES OF DRIED FRUITS
119. The fruits that have been discussed up to this point are fresh fruits; that is, they are placed on the markets, and consequently can be obtained, in their fresh state. However, there are a number of fruits that are dried before they are put on the market, and as they can be obtained during all seasons they may be used when fresh fruits are out of season or as a subst.i.tute for canned fruits when the household supply is low. The chief varieties of dried fruits are dates, figs, prunes, which are dried plums, and raisins, which are dried grapes. Apples, apricots, and peaches are also dried in large quant.i.ties and are much used in place of these fruits when they cannot be obtained in their fresh form. Discussions of the different varieties of dried fruits are here given, together with recipes showing how some of them may be used.