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What to Do with Left-Over Fruit

Ripe fruit is perishable, and when the supply is within control, the housekeeper should take care to keep it limited so there will not be large quantities on hand. As soon as it shows signs of softening it is no longer fit to be served as fresh fruit, but should be cooked up at once with a little sugar added, and used as a sauce; or, with more sugar added and cooked longer, almost any fruit can be made into a good jam for future use. Only perfectly sound, fresh fruit is safe to can. Canned fruit when opened spoils more quickly than any other cooked fruit; it is therefore wise always to use any remainder as soon as possible. It can be rubbed through a sieve, a little corn-starch added for thickening, made sweeter if necessary, and cooked until it thickens, and used as a sauce for puddings. It can be molded in a corn-starch mixture, added to a muffin batter and baked, or stirred into ice-cream when the dasher is removed, or poured over ice-cream when it is served. Many other ways will suggest themselves.

Fruit Macédoine It often happens that a little fresh fruit is allowed to spoil because there is not enough to go round again. Instead of this two or more kinds may be mixed together very acceptably. The following make good combinations: strawberries and pineapple; raspberries, currants, and a few pitted cherries; huckleberries and a few currants; peaches and pineapple; pears and peaches; orange, grape-fruit, and banana. Keep the left-overs very cold and carefully, to avoid a "mussy" appearance, and serve again promptly.

Stewed-Fruit Macédoine A small portion of several fruits, particularly berries, may be stewed together, into an excellent sauce. The following are good combinations: cranberries and a few raisins; rhubarb and huckleberries; raspberries and currants; huckleberries and currants. Avoid long cooking of any of these, as it dissipates the flavor.