Category: Preserves

One of the joys of getting a Cuisinart in 1975 was making mayonnaise. Hellman’s is fine and often preferred, but the magic of the swirling blade was irresistible.

This is a good standard recipe. The quality and taste of the oil makes all the difference.

Ingredients:

1 whole egg
1 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups oil

Blend the egg, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper in the food processor for a few seconds. With the blade still whirring, gradually add the oil through the feed tube, slowly at first. The mixture will thicken to a normal mayonnaise consistency. Taste and add more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary.

 While reading Elizabeth David’s An omelet and a Glass of Wine, I found a second recipe for Tomato (or tomata as the recipe is called) Honey which she says she found “excellent”. This recipe comes from Miss Leslie’s Complete Cookery, Philadelphia, 1837 and is American rather than English.

The recipe is as follows:

“To each pound of tomatoes, allow the grated peel of a lemon and six fresh peach leaves. Boil them slowly till they are all to pieces; then squeeze and strain them through a bag. To each pint of liquid allow a pound of loaf-sugar, and the juice of one lemon. boil them together half an hour, or till they become a thick jelly. Then put it into glasses, and lay double tissue paper closely over the top. It will be scarcely distinguishable from real honey.”

David recommends using very juicy tomatoes to get enough yield of the juice. She substituted a few drops of almond extract for the peach leaves.

One of the books I found in the Cutchogue Library was Janet McKenzie Hill’s 1927 edition of Canning, Preserving and Jelly Making. It has great recipes for all sorts of fruits and vegetables including varieties that we think of as designer or heirloom today. This one sounds interesting:

Tomato Honey

To each pound of ripe tomatoes, allow the grated rind of a lemon. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, add the rind, and let cook rapidly till the water is evaporated, then strain through a fine sieve. Measure the pulp and for each pint take a pound of sugar (two cups) and the juice of a lemon. Let all cook together very quickly until quite thick, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Apples or pears may be prepared by this recipe.

Anyone like to try it?

Actually, this is the recipe I used for nectarine chutney. It can also be used for peaches, however, the nectarines do not need to be peeled so they are easier. The first time I made this, the temperature was about 100 degrees but it was worth it.

From Better Than Store-Bought by Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie, 1979.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds very firm peaches or nectarines (to make 7 cups when cut in 1/2 inch dice)
2 cups golden raisins
1 1/2 cups medium-finely chopped onion
1 cup cider vinegar, or more
1 cup water, or as needed
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar, more as desired
2 teaspoons very finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 sticks cinnamon (each about 2 inches long) broken in half
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in kettle and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently until the fruit is translucent and the chutney is thick enough to mound up slightly on a spoon. May need to add more water.

Taste and add more sugar or vinegar if you wish. Remove cinnamon sticks. Can normally re Ball Blue Book instructions. Makes about 7 half-pint jars.

Finally found my chutney recipe in “Putting Food By” – 1979. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can use apples, peaches or pears depending what is in season. I think I actually used nectarines once. For directions re canning, use the latest Ball Blue Book method so as to not poison your family and friends.

Ingredients:
juice, pulp and peel of 1 lemon finely chopped
2 cups cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (1 lb.)
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups coarsely chopped firm apples, or peaches or pears
3/4 cup crystallized ginger, cut small
1 1/2 cups raisins, preferably seeded (1/2 lb.)

Boil all the ingredients except the fruit and ginger for about 30 minutes. Then add fruit, ginger and raisins and boil slowly until syrup is thick – about 30 to 45 minutes. Can in the normal way. A good thermometer helps. Makes 3 pints or 6 1/2 pints.