Perfectly ripe fruit is, as a rule, more desirable used fresh than in any other way. Fruits which are immature, require cooking. Stewing and baking are the simplest methods of cooking fruits, and nearly all kinds admit of one of these modes of preparation.

General Suggestions For Cooking Fruit

The utensils for stewing should be porcelain-lined or granite-ware. Cover with a china plate or granite-ware cover, never with a tin one, as the steam will condense and run down into the kettle, discoloring the contents. Use silver knives for preparing the fruit, and silver or wooden spoons for stirring. Prepare just before cooking, if you would preserve the fruit perfect in flavor, and unimpaired by discoloration.

Cook in a small quantity of boiling water. Fruit should be cooked by stewing or gentle simmering; hard boiling will destroy the fine flavor of all fruits, and especially of berries and other small fruits. Cinnamon, cloves, or other spices should not be added, as their stronger flavors deaden or obliterate the natural flavor of the fruit, which should always be preserved as perfectly as possible. If desirable to add some foreign flavor, let it be the flavor of another fruit, or the perfume of flowers. For instance, flavor apple with lemon, pineapple, quince, or rose-water.

Apples are best cooked by baking. Pears and quinces are also excellent baked. The oven should be only moderately hot; if the heat is too great, they brown on the outside before they are done throughout. By any method of cooking, pains should be taken to cook together fruit of uniform variety, size, and degree of hardness; and if it is to be cut in pieces, care should be taken to have the pieces of uniform size.