[Sca-cooks] Apple and Pear recipes...

[Olwen the Odd]

>Mercy Neumark wrote:>
> > I am trying to make different types of preserved items for presentation
> > gifts.  I bought a bunch of pears and apples (and oranges, oh my!)
>recently,
> > and I have been wondering if anyone had some period recipes to use these
> > items that will last long (at least until Estrella)? especially
>interested
>  in orange recipes
> > What do you all think?-Arte
>---------------------------------------------------
>I'll leave someone else to answer the herbs part of this.
>For pears, apples, and oranged you might check out the 16th-
>17th century recipes for what are called clear cakes and
>also fruit pastes. There is an assortment of original
>recipes in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery in the
>sweetmeats section. Also check out Rebecca Price's
>manuscript that was published as The Compleat Cook, Or
>the Secrets of a Seventeenth Century Housewife edited
>by Marsha Masson. There are recipes scattered throughout
>the literature. I have encountered several of late while
>looking for icing references.
>
>Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway

These are good suggetions.  May I also suggest making candied fruit peels
from the orange peels.  Also, from To The Queens Taste, candied roots,
fruits, or flowers.  The recipe calls for 1 1/ 2 cup rose water, 1 1/ 2 cup
sugar and any of the following, 2 large carrots or parsnips, scraped and cut
into 1/8 inch disks; or 2 small apples or pears, peeled, cored and cut into
1/8 inch slices; or 1 cup fresh unblemished flower petals (trim off white
tips which attach petals to stem).  Combine rosewater and sugar in heavy
saucepan, bring to a boil.  Add fruits, veggies or petals, stir, return to a
boil.  Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook for 15 minutes.  As soon as
sugar begins to caramelize (it will turn light brown), remove pan from heat.
  Remove veggies or fruit or petals and set them on waxed paper.
Refrigerate 10 minutes.  Peel candy off wax paper and store in airtight
containers.
Olwen

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