Part 32 (1/2)

2 pounds orange peel 2 pounds sugar 4 cups water Juice of lemon Boil the peel in water for about hour, until soft. Drain. If using the peel of ordinary oranges, soak in fresh cold water for a day, changing the water once or twice if possible. If using bitter orange peel, it should be left to soak for 4 days, and the water should be changed twice a day.

If the peel is very pithy, sc.r.a.pe some of the white pith away with a spoon, to make it less pasty. Roll the strips of peel up one by one, and thread them onto a thick thread, like beads on a necklace, to prevent them from unrolling.

Make a syrup in a large pan. Boil the sugar and water with the lemon juice, and simmer until the sugar has melted. Drop the necklace in and simmer for about 1 hour, until the peel has absorbed the syrup thoroughly. Lift out, remove the thread, and drop the peel rolls into a clean gla.s.s jar.

If the syrup is not thick enough, boil vigorously to reduce it until it coats the back of a spoon. Cool slightly, and pour over the orange peel to cover it completely. Close the jar tightly. It should last for months.

Serve the rolls of peel either with some of their syrup, or drained and rolled in granulated sugar like crystallized fruits.

Tangerine Jam This magnificent jam makes a delicious ready dessert that can be served with thick cream.

2 pounds tangerines 2 pounds sugar Cut the tangerines in half. Squeeze out the juice and keep, covered, in the refrigerator.

Remove the thin membranes which separate the segments and fibers inside the peel. Then simmer the peels in water for about 7-10 minutes until soft. Drain, cover with a fresh portion of cold water, and soak for 12 hours or overnight, changing the water once or twice if possible, to get rid of all the bitterness.

Drain the peel and chop it roughly.

Pour the reserved tangerine juice into a large pan. Add the sugar and chopped peel and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-30 minutes, until the syrup thickens and forms a firm jelly when a drop is left on a cold plate. Let the jam cool slightly, then pour into clean jars and seal tightly.

Strawberry Preserve 2 pounds barely ripe strawberries, preferably wild ones 2 pounds sugar Juice of lemon Hull the strawberries and wash them very briefly if necessary. Spread layers in a bowl with sugar in between, and leave them to macerate for 12 hours or overnight. The sugar will draw out their juices.

Transfer the strawberries and their juices to a large pan. Add the lemon juice and bring to the boil very slowly, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or shaking the pan lightly, and skimming off the white froth as it rises to the surface. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Wild strawberries will require only 5 minutes, sometimes even less.

When the strawberries are soft, lift them out gently with a slotted spoon and pack them into clean gla.s.s jars. Let the syrup simmer for a little while longer, until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, or until it sets when tested on a cold plate. Pour over the strawberries and, when cool, close the jars tightly.

Date Preserve in Syrup This exquisite delicacy makes a ready dessert. Accompany if you like with vanilla ice cream or mascarpone. It is made with fresh dates- the yellow or red varieties, which are hard and sour and totally different from the dried dates with which people in America are familiar. (They are called zaghlouli zaghlouli in Egypt.) It is usual to peel them, but that is an arduous task and, in my view, not all that much worth the effort. They are stuffed with blanched almonds, with which they make a lovely combination. in Egypt.) It is usual to peel them, but that is an arduous task and, in my view, not all that much worth the effort. They are stuffed with blanched almonds, with which they make a lovely combination.

2 pounds fresh yellow or red dates Juice of lemon - cup blanched almonds (optional) 4 cups sugar 8 cloves Wash the dates well, peel them if you wish, and put them in a pan with water to cover (about 4 cups) and the lemon juice. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until they are soft, adding a little water, if necessary, to keep them covered.

Lift them out of their water with a slotted spoon, and when they are cool enough to handle, push the pits out with a skewer or knitting needle. You will get the knack of doing it without breaking the dates. It helps to press them tightly in your hand. If you like, replace each pit with a blanched almond through the same hole.

Add sugar and cloves to the date liquor and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, then drop in the dates and cook for a further 20-30 minutes. Lift the dates out carefully with a slotted spoon and put them in a clean gla.s.s jar, burying the cloves among them.

Thicken the syrup by boiling until it coats the back of a spoon or sets when tested on a cold plate. Pour over the dates, let cool, and close the jar tightly.

Variation These dates are also delicious stuffed with pieces of candied orange peel; use about 1 cup.

Clementine Preserve This must be done with the very tiny clemen-tines. Wash them well and cover with cold water overnight to get rid of some of the bitterness of the skin.

Make a syrup by boiling 4 cups of water and 2 pounds of sugar.

Drain the fruit and p.r.i.c.k each one all over with a needle. Drop them into the syrup and simmer for about an hour. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a clean gla.s.s jar.

Reduce the syrup very much, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon, and pour it over the fruit. Let it cool before closing the jar tightly.

Apricot Preserve 2 pounds fresh apricots 3 cups sugar Wash and pit the apricots. Layer them, with sugar in between the layers, in a large bowl, and leave them overnight to macerate and release their juices.

The following day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large pan. Bring to the boil very slowly, and simmer gently over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the apricots are soft and the juices reduced and thickened enough to set when tested on a cold plate. Stir occasionally, to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

Let the jam cool in the pan, then pour into clean gla.s.s jars and close tightly.

Apricots in Syrup Use the same proportions of apricots to sugar as in the preceding recipe for apricot preserve. Wash and pit the apricots. Bring the sugar to the boil with 2 cups water and the juice of 1 1 lemon, and simmer for a few minutes. Drop in the apricots and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon and put them in clean gla.s.s jars. lemon, and simmer for a few minutes. Drop in the apricots and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon and put them in clean gla.s.s jars.

Reduce and thicken the syrup by boiling it down until it falls in heavy drops from a spoon. Cool slightly, and pour over the fruit, covering it entirely. Let cool before closing the jar tightly.

Green Walnut Preserve A delicacy which should be attempted whenever green walnuts are available.

1pound fresh sh.e.l.led green walnuts 2 cups sugar 2cups water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 4 or 5 cloves Sh.e.l.l the walnuts carefully, trying not to break them. Soak them in cold water for 5 or 6 days, changing the water twice a day to remove any bitterness.

Make a syrup by boiling the sugar and water with lemon juice until thickened enough to fall in heavy drops from a spoon. Let the syrup cool, then add the well-drained walnuts. Bring to the boil gently and simmer for hour. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the walnuts submerged in the syrup overnight at room temperature.

The following day, add the cloves, bring to the boil again, and simmer for hour. Pour the walnuts and syrup into a clean gla.s.s jar, allow to cool, and close tightly.

Pumpkin Slices in Syrup This Kurdish preserve makes a ready sweet to serve with chopped walnuts or clotted cream.

2 pounds orange pumpkin (weight free of skin, fibers, and seeds) 4 cups sugar 2 cups water A squeeze of lemon juice Cut the peel off the pumpkin and remove seeds and fibers, then cut the flesh into slices about inch thick and 2 inches long.

Bring the sugar and water with the lemon juice to a boil in a large pan. Drop the pumpkin pieces in and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

Lift out the pieces with a slotted spoon and drop them into gla.s.s jars. Reduce the syrup until it is thick enough to coat a spoon, and pour over the pumpkin pieces. Let it cool before closing the jars tightly.

Pumpkin Conserve 2 pounds orange pumpkin (weight free of skin, fibers, and seeds) 3-4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice teaspoon mastic (see page 44) - cup slivered almonds Grate the pumpkin flesh into thick shreds and arrange alternate layers of pumpkin and sugar (the jam lasts longer with the larger amount of sugar) in a large bowl. Leave overnight at room temperature, covered, for the pumpkin juices to be drawn out.

Put all the contents of the bowl and the lemon juice into a large pan. Bring to the boi slowly, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to make sure that it does not stick at the bottom. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and translucent and the syrup has thickened. Drop a little on a cold plate to see if it sets.

Pound or grind the mastic to a powder with a pinch of sugar and mix thoroughly into the jam. Cook 1 minute more, and stir in the slivered almonds.

Pour into clean, warm, dry gla.s.s jars. Let cool before closing.

Store in a cool place.

Variation As an alternative flavoring instead of mastic, stir in 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds or ground cardamom at the start of the cooking.

Green Fig Preserve You can serve this with thick cream or mascar-pone, or with vanilla ice cream. For the preserve to last a long time, it needs the same weight of sugar as of figs. If you will be eating it within 2 weeks you can make it much less sweet, but keep it in the refrigerator.

2 pounds young green figs 4 cups sugar 2 cups water Juice of lemon 1 tablespoon orange-blossom water or a few drops of vanilla extract (optional) Choose small, unblemished, slightly underripe figs. Do not peel them, but trim their stems, leaving only a little part, and wash them care-fully.

In a large pan, boil the sugar and water with the lemon juice for a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Soak the figs in this syrup overnight. The following day, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the figs are soft. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and put them in clean gla.s.s jars.

Reduce the syrup by simmering for a few minutes longer, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add orange-blossom water or vanilla extract, mix well, and cook for a minute or so.

Let the syrup cool, and pour over the figs, then close the jars tightly.

Dried Fig Jam with Mastic, Aniseed, and Walnuts The flavors here are rich and exciting.

2 pounds dried figs 2 cups sugar 2cups water Juice of lemon 1 teaspoon ground aniseed 3tablespoons pine nuts 1 cup walnuts, coa.r.s.ely chopped teaspoon pulverized mastic (optional) Chop the figs roughly.

Boil the sugar and water with the lemon juice for a few minutes, then add the figs, and simmer gently until they are soft and impregnated with the syrup, which should have thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir constantly to avoid burning.