How to Make Sugar Plums, Sweet Crabapples, and Pineapple Jewels

By U.S. Confection Co., N.Y. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Recipes from long ago are often sparsely written and the measurements are either missing or vague. This is because people learned from each other while cooking and baking together, jotting down recipes and methods only as needed.

One of the things girls learned early was how to store food properly. Keeping food for longer periods was a priority at that time, especially fruit, as it was in short supply during the long winter.

Fruit cellars kept apples and pears fresh until after Christmas. In my grandmother's cellar, apples were stored in shallow wooden crates on open shelves and ranked by variety and size. Late ripening kinds like Red Delicious, Keepsake, Jonathan, and Lady do best. Pears, she wrapped individually in newspaper and set on shelves so they did not touch. I don't think I would care for newspaper today as the ink would make it rather messy but one could use packing paper or tissue paper.

Other fruits were kept by adding sugar. This was an excellent way of keeping bacteria at bay and allowing the preservation of foods for much longer periods but the results are very sweet!
One of these recipes even calls for pricking plums with a silver fork. Piercing was thought to help cook the plum while keeping its shape but why silver? To keep them from ‘turning’ on a full moon?

Pineapples

Pineapples are the traditional fruit of welcome and they are even found carved into old furniture and doors.

Original Pineapple

Slice pineapple thin.

Add 1 pound of sugar to 1 pound of fruit

Add 3 tablespoons water to each pound.

Select a jar or other clean container with a tight-fitting lid that is big enough to hold the fruit.

Peel and core fresh pineapple and slice into thin rounds and carefully remove any of the prickly eyes. Layer the pineapple rings in the container alternately with the sugar, beginning and ending with sugar. Make sure the sugar layers are fairly thick so you can use it all. Add 3 tablespoons of pure water per pound of fruit. Cover the container tightly and store in the refrigerator or a good cold cellar where it will keep for about a year.

Original Sugar Plums

Wipe plums with a soft towel and have syrup ready.

Prick each with a silver fork.

Put in syrup and boil 10 minutes.

Put 1/2 pound sugar to 1 pound fruit.

Sugar Plums

The first sugarplums were not plums at all, but cardamom seeds dipped in sugar over and over until it built up to a hard candy. There must have been many burnt fingers!

The recipe to the right is the original from Grandma's notebook. It was included with the very old Scottish recipes.

Original Sugar Plums How-to:

Damson plums keep their shape and because they are slightly tart, work better in such a sweet recipe. If you wish, you can half the plums and remove the pit but be sure and choose a freestone variety.

Melt the sugar in an enamel or glass pan. Add the plums and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cool and let sit for three days, keeping the fruit submerged by placing a saucer on top and weighting it down on the fruit.

Drain the syrup into a pot and reheat to a simmer. Add the plums and reheat for one minute. Cool and let sit for three more days. Repeat the process one more time.

The fourth time, add another cup of sugar to the syrup and let the fruit simmer for five minutes. Remove the plums and drain, rinsing them in cold water. Spread on a rack and dry in a dehydrator or in a warm oven. Roll in sugar. Store in a cool place. These take about 10 days to complete.

Sugar Plums II

These are not actually plums at all, but candy made from chopped fruit and rolled in sugar. They became quite popular in the mid-1800s.

• 2 cups chopped toasted almonds
• ¼ cup honey
• 1-1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 cup finely chopped dried cherries
• 1 cup finely chopped pitted dates
• ½ tsp. ground cardamom
• ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup very fine sugar

Mix spices with honey. Add almonds, zest, and dried fruit and mix well. Roll into balls with wet hands. Roll in sugar and place in little paper cups, the same as you would use for chocolates. Cover and refrigerate.

Feel free to play with the spices and use what you like best. Try different dried fruits like apricots, currants, cranberries, pears and apples.

Fast and Delicious Version

There are plums called Sugar Plums and they are naturally very sweet. Here's a simple and delicious way to enjoy them.

Take 8 plums and half them. Sprinkle lightly with Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Add a light dusting (about 2 teaspoons) of organic sugar and roast them at 375 C for about 30 minutes or until tender and bubbly. Cool. While they are still gently warm, add some good vanilla ice cream on the side and you have an easy masterpiece.

Original Crabapples

Take off stems, core with a sharp knife without cutting open.

1 pound white sugar to each pound of apples

1 cup of water to the pound

Cook on slow fire until tender.

Crabapples

Often overlooked today, these are a very tasty treat and they make delicious jelly, too!

Explanation:

This one is pretty straightforward. Clean the blossom end, too, while coring. Once tender, place carefully in sterile jars, top with boiling syrup and seal. Store in a cold place. They are so pretty!

Tools that make it easy

	Vacu Vin 4882350 Stainless Steel Pineapple Easy Slicer I just love this little item. It's quick, easy and fun to use and I highly recommend it. Amazon Price: $18.95 List Price: $19.99
	OXO Good Grips Corer Perfect for coring fruit that you don't want to slice. This one has the easy grip. Amazon Price: $6.50 List Price: $7.99

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