Apple Crystals, A New Confection

Apple Crystals, A New Confection

By Dora Lawrence Cameron Tested and Approved by the Department of Cookery

FOR many years preceding the war, I have been sending to friends a long distance away boxes of my apple confection at Christmas time. But it was during the war, when our boys went to France, that I really learned the superiority of this confection over the more ordinary candy. The boys who received boxes of apple crystals "over there" declared that even after their long journey they were as good as, or better than any candied fruit they had ever had at home. A captain wrote me that one of his men, on Christmas Day, had expressed a longing for a piece of candied fruit, because at home they always served it at dinner on Christmas. His wish was gratified from the box of Apple Crystals, or "Apple Allies," as we called them during the war, which he had just received. And here is a real testimony with regard to the keeping qualities of this fruity confection. A lieutenant did not receive a box of "eats" intended for Christmas time, until the following May. He wrote, "The candy had all run together, but the 'Apple Allies' were in perfect condition."

And they are so simple to make. Select good, sound apples, preferably of the Jonathan, Spitzenberg, Rome Beauty, or Winesap varieties. Make a sirup of two cupfuls of granulated sugar and one cupful of water. Stir over a very slow fire until the sugar is dissolved, and then bring to a boil. Have ready one medium sized apple, pared, cored, quartered, and each quarter cut into three slices. Drop the twelve pieces into the now boiling sirup and allow them to cook gently until they are all transparent and tender and easily pierced with a straw. Remove them from the kettle, drain, and place on waxed paper or a platter. Allow them to remain twenty-four hours, then roll in granulated sugar; roll twice again at intervals of twenty-four hours. If moisture accumulates on the waxed paper, renew it. Allow the fruit after the third rolling to remain on the platter until so dry that no moisture exudes from the apple crystals and they have a dry, crystalline appearance. Then pack them carefully into flat boxes and keep in a dry, cool place until you wish to send them out or use them.

The amount of sirup stated will make about five dozen apple crystals cut as directed above. Do not try to make more than the one dozen at a time, however, because they must be carefully watched and removed at the exact moment when they are ready. After removing each batch of the crystals, add about one-fourth cupful of hot water to the sirup in order to maintain a uniformity in the density of the sirup. The sirup must not get too thick, or the crystals will take on a leathery appearance instead of being clear and transparent as they should be.

It is not necessary to make all the Apple Crystals the same shape and color. Rings may be made by paring and coring the apples and then cutting them crosswise into slices about one-fourth inch thick. To make these more decorative, cut the apple crosswise into slices before coring and then remove the core, using a vegetable cutter of some fanciful shape. Tiny crystals can then be cut, using the same fanciful shapes and cooking them in a colored sirup. To make the colored apple crystals, add just a little vegetable coloring to the sirup. Green and red are the best choice for use in the Christmas boxes. When using the crystals merely as a confection, I suggest that you always make the colored crystals in small fancy shapes. These can then be used to give a varied and festive appearance to the packed boxes of Apple Crystals which are to be sent for Christmas gifts. The tiny red or green crystals cut in the shapes used to remove the cores in the rings may be thrust into this space, thus filling the hollow in an attractive manner.

But these colored apple crystals have a more practical use than as a mere confection, for they make an excellent substitute for the more expensive fruits which are often used for decorative and garnishing purposes. For the Christmas fruit salad, garnish with strips of red apple crystals. Fanciful shapes may also be used to top the ice cream or whipped cream garnish of the Christmas dessert in place of the more (Continued on page 124)

(Continued from page 59) often used candied cherry. The red and green crystals, cut in any shapes desired either before or after crystallizing, make the prettiest of decorations for the Christmas cakes, either large or small. The colored crystals cut into thin strips may be used to form letters on the cake decorations, whereas other crystals may be cut to represent poinsettias, holly branches, and even the Christmas tree itself.

Apple Crystals are also an all-the-year-round confection. Put up in fancy boxes they form an ideal basis for a bazaar or candy sale booth. For Valentine's day, red crystals and heart-shaped cutters will make attractive candies or decorations for cakes, ices, and desserts. At St. Patrick's Day parties green crystals and the shamrock cutters should predominate. There is no easier way than this to add just the needed touch to the table decorations and the "Erin-go-bragh" menu. At Easter time the crystals for decorating may be colored yellow to blend with the predominating color of the spring tulips and daffodils so aptly used for Easter time festivities.

Especially do I recommend this delicious apple confection as the absolutely perfect sweet for the children. They keep so well, if properly wrapped in wax paper, that mothers can easily keep some on hand ready for the special treat of sweets, instead of resorting, as is too often done, to the easily obtained penny variety of candy. But the grown folks like them too, and the old folks are especially fond of them. So try them this Christmas, and I feel sure they will find the same popularity with you that they did with the boys in France, and with my neighbors here in the Northwestern apple district where we never tire of apples.