Pineapple

“ Ananassa sativa.—The well-known pineapple, the fruit of which was described three hundred years ago, by Jean de Léry, a Huguenot priest, as being of such excellence that the gods might luxuriate upon it, and that it should only be gathered by the hand of a Venus. ”

“ Pineapple Beignets.— Pare a small, ripe pineapple, cut into very thin slices and remove the hard part in center with a cutter or apple corer, so they have the shape of rings; dip the rings first into sugar, then in batter and fry in boiling lard; lay them on paper or soft cloth, to absorb the fat, dust with sugar and serve with orange snow sauce made as follows:—Put the juice of 3 oranges with 1⁄2 cup sugar over the fire to boil for 5 minutes and add a little grated rind; have the whites of 3 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, add the hot orange syrup slowly, beating constantly, and serve ”

“ The peculiar taste of the dessert olive is obtained by soaking it in lime or potash, and then in vinegar or salt.
The Pineapple is one of the most delicious fruits, and is interesting in every way. The little sharp spines on the edges of the leaves keep animals off, and also make it a little difficult to harvest. The workmen must wear leather trousers to prevent their being cut and torn by the leaves. 252 In Queensland the pineapple is grown in big fields, and about ten thousand fruits (worth about one penny each) can be got from a single acre. ”

“ No one can fully appreciate the delicious flavor of the pineapple until he has plucked it ripe from the plant and eaten it on the spot. The fruit that goes to market is cut when only half ripe, and thus loses the best part of its flavor, and is spongy and tough in comparison with that which is allowed to mature before being gathered. ”

“ This name has been nearly or quite superseded by 'pineapple' manifestly suggested by the likeness of the new fruit to the cone of the pine. It is not a very happy formation; for it is not likeness, but identity, which 'pineapple' suggests, and it gives some excuse to an error, which up to a very late day ran through all German-English and French-English dictionaries; I know not whether even now it has disappeared. In all of these 'pineapple' is rendered as though it signified not the anana, but this cone of the pine ”

“ Ingredients.—1 pineapple, either fresh or preserved, 1 lb. of loaf sugar, 3 pints of water, the juice of 2 lemons.
Method.—Slice the pineapple, cut it into small dice, or chop it coarsely. Boil the sugar and 1 pint of water to a syrup, pour it over the prepared pineapple, strain into it the lemon-juice, and cover closely. When quite cold, add the remaining 2 pints of water, and serve. ”

“ Crushed Pineapples.—Secure a good brand of canned grated pineapple and drain off about one-half of the liquor by placing on a strainer. Add to each pound of pineapple 1 pound of granulated sugar. Place on the fire and bring to boiling point, stirring constantly. Just before removing from the fire, add to each gallon of pulp 1 ounce saturated alcoholic solution salicylic acid. ”

“ Cut the oranges in halves and take out the pulp with a spoon and mix with the pineapple; cut up the bananas and add these too. Then sweeten with powdered sugar. Set this away in a cold place. In serving it, fill the pineapple and put the brush on again and stand the fruit on a round dish with some heavy, stiff green leaves around it. The one who is served first is passed the plate; she takes off the brush and lays it by the side of the pineapple, and with a ladle dips out some of the inside on her dessert plate. ”

“ Ye gods! how rapidly we live and grow! In nine months, Mr. Paxton grows you a pineapple as large as a portmanteau, whereas a little one, no bigger than a Dutch cheese, took three years to attain his majority in old times; and as the race of pineapples so is the race of man. Hoiaper—what’s the Greek for a pineapple, Warrington? ”

“ The latter appear as a solid, round ball at the ends of the branches, looking a good deal like the fruit of a pineapple, (see Plate V) . It is a standard joke to point these out to tourists as proof that pineapples grow on trees. ”

“ Visitors came from a distance to view the flower-beds and eat my green peas, and I really think that I grew as fine pineapples and bananas as were produced anywhere. The pineapple of good stock and ripened on the plant is, I think, the most exquisite of all fruits. A really ripe pine contains no fibre. You cut the top off and sup the delicious mushy contents with a spoon.
In such a hot, steamy climate as we had in these tea districts, the rapidity of growth of vegetation is, of course, remarkable. ”

“ Now, the pineapple as a fruit is formed by the axis, together with the surrounding and constituent flowers, bracts, etc., swelling and blending together in ripening into a fleshy, juicy mass, but the flowers are sterile and seedless. The plantain and banana likewise both ripen their fruits without the fertilization of their seeds. Although I am not in possession of conclusive evidence on this point, I am disposed to think, from some facts already stated, that the fig (through long continued propagation by layers or cuttings?) is approaching the condition of a seedless plant. ”

“ Drain and mince sufficient pineapple fine to measure two cups. Put through a fine sieve and then place in a bowl; place whites of two eggs in a second bowl and add one glass of apple jelly. Beat until very stiff. Whip one cup of cream stiff and add one-half cup of sugar. Gently combine the fruit whip, whipped cream and puree of pineapple by cutting and folding until well mixed. Pour into two-quart mould and cover with wax paper; then place on the lid, and use one pint of salt to two and one-half pints of finely crushed ice, to set the mousse to freeze. ”

“ Pineapple culture is already a flourishing industry in the Sisal hemp region. A pineapple plant matures but one apple in a season, and after the harvest of fruit the old leaves are of no further use to the plant, and may be removed. ”

“ The pineapple likes a warm, free, well-drained soil, that is free from frost in winter, and that will not become soured by heavy rain during summer. Sandy loams are, therefore, our best pineapple soils, though it does well on free loams of basaltic or alluvial origin. Unlike the banana, the pineapple does not do too well in newly burnt off scrub land, owing to the difficulty in working the ground and keeping it clean. It requires a thorough preparation of the soil prior to planting in order to be grown to perfection. ”

“ Cocoanuts, soft and ripe, the outer shell like the skin of an alligator pear and easily cut with an ordinary knife, were first in order, after which the companion of the man in the middle of the hut, like a magician on the stage, drew out of mysterious regions an enormous pineapple which may have been thirty inches in circumference. It might have had elephantiasis, for all I knew, but it was the cause of the only bit of disharmony I had noticed during the entire time I rested with them. ”

“ PINEAPPLE PUDDING Grate a pineapple fine. Mix well together a cupful of sugar and four eggs, then mix them with the pineapple pulp. Turn the mixture into a mold, set the mold into a pan of water and bake it slowly until stiffened like a baked custard. 147When cold unmold it and decorate it with whipped cream.
NO. 131. SAVARINS.
SAVARINS Take some brioche dough (page 209) and add enough milk to make it almost soft enough to drop from the spoon. Add sugar, raisins, chopped citron, and a little lemon juice. Work all well together. ”

“ Crush well or grind 1 medium, fully ripe pineapple or use 1 No. 2 can crushed pineapple. Measure sugar and prepared fruit into large kettle. Mix well and bring to a full rolling boil over hottest fire. Stir constantly before and while boiling. Boil hard 1 minute. Then remove kettle from fire and stir in Certo. Stir and skim for 5 minutes. Pour quickly. Paraffin at once. Makes about 11 glasses (6 fluid ounces each) .
STRAWBERRY AND PINEAPPLE JAM
4 cups (2 lbs.) prepared fruit
7 cups (3 lbs.) sugar
1⁄2 bottle Certo
To prepare fruit, crush completely or grind about 1 quart fully ripe berries. ”

“ Two years later his ideal bean was produced!
The growers of pineapples used to have a great deal of difficulty on account of the pineapple cuttings becoming unhealthy. Sometimes 63 per cent. were more or less diseased. ”

“ Pare and slice as many oranges as you choose, in a glass bowl. Sprinkle sugar and grated cocoanut over each layer.—Mrs. W C. R.
Ambrosia.
Cut pineapple and orange in slices, sprinkle with sugar, and put in a deep dish alternately to form a pyramid. Put grated cocoanut between each layer. If you like, pour good Madeira or sherry wine over the dish.—Mrs. T.
Pineapple.
Peel and slice thin, just before eating. Sprinkle pulverized sugar over it, but nothing else, as the flavor of this delicious fruit is impaired by adding other ingredients. Keep on ice till wanted.—Mrs. ”

“ The pineapple is peeled, cut up into neat pieces and cooked well done in sugar and water mixed with lemon juice. If there is too much syrup, take out the fruit, boil down the syrup and pour over the fruit. ”

“ A short drive or walk inland over smooth roads, formed of smooth, levelled coral rocks, brings us to the extensive pineapple fields, where this handsome fruit may be seen in the several stages of growth, varying according to the season of the year and the purposes of its use. ”

“ They were not only far superior to any ever seen in the States, but surpassed, in almost the same degree, those we had eaten at Rio and Havana, the intensest heat of the tropics being required to bring this fruit to perfection. Of the pineapples I can only say, they seemed more fit to be the food of angels than of men; and if, as some suppose, our character be really affected by the nature of our food, then those who live on the pineapples of the equator must be of all men the most subtilized and ethereal. ”

“ Ingredients.—6 sour cooking apples, 1 oz. of flour, 1 oz. of castor sugar, 1 egg, cake crumbs, ground cinnamon, preserved pineapple or pineapple jam, fruit, syrup, frying-fat.
Method.—Pare, core and steam the apples until half-cooked, and let them become cold. Then mix the flour and sugar together, roll each apple in the mixture, brush them carefully with egg and coat with cake crumbs, then fry in hot fat until nicely browned. Fill the centre with finely-chopped pineapple or pineapple jam, pour hot pineapple syrup round the dish, and serve. ”

“ On many occasions I have taken men thoroughly conversant with pineapple-growing, and who knew what a good fruit really is, through some of our plantations, where I have given them fruit to test, and, without exception, they have had no hesitation in saying that they have never tasted better fruit. Our fruit has a firmness, freedom from fibre, and a flavour that is hard to beat. It is an excellent canning fruit, superior in this respect to the Singapore article, which it surpasses in flavour. ”

“ This jam requires especial care to prevent burning. If it burn in the very least, the flavour is spoilt and the colour too. After filling the jars, let them remain until the next day before tying them down to keep.
Pineapple Jelly.—Take a tin of preserved pineapple, pound the contents in a mortar, add 6 oz. sugar and 1⁄2 pint water; boil the whole for 1⁄4 hour, then strain through a napkin, add the juice of a lemon and 1 pint clarified calves’-foot jelly. Pour into a mould, and when set turn it out by dipping the mould in warm water. Pieces of pineapple may be put in the jelly. ”

“ Pineapples are propagated by means of suckers coming from the base of fruit-bearing plants, or from smaller suckers, or, as they are termed, robbers or gill sprouts that start from the fruiting stem just at the base of the fruit. ”

“ As the pineapple has become naturalized in parts of Asia and Africa, its American origin has been disputed, but there is little doubt that it is a native of Brazil, and perhaps some of the Antilles, now a part of the domain of the United States. This fruit is a biennial, with the habit of the Aloe, but with much thinner leaves. In cultivation it early produces seeds but, in ripening, the whole flower cluster undergoes a remarkable change; all parts become enormously enlarged, and when quite ripe, fleshy and very succulent, being pervaded by a saccharine and highly flavored juice. ”

“ Out of 1 can Hawaiian pineapple prepare 1⁄2 cup finely-chopped fruit, leaving remaining slices to line a 2-qt. mold. Beat the egg yolks until very light, add sugar, and mix with 3⁄4 cup pineapple syrup. Stir over fire until as thick as cream, then remove from heat and add chopped pineapple. When cold, whip the cream solid, fold two mixtures together, pour into mold, and freeze.
Lemon Parfait
11⁄2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
1 tsp. lemon extract
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄2 cup lemon juice
2 cups cream
Boil sugar and water to a thick syrup. ”

“ Gradually add milk to vanilla pudding in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Cool slightly. Drain pineapple; reserve juice. Place one slice pineapple in each of 4 individual serving dishes. Gradually add pineapple juice to pudding and stir until smooth. Pour over pineapple slices. This may be eaten warm or cold. Just before serving, sprinkle with Crunch Topping.
CRUNCH TOPPING:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1⁄2 cup cornflakes
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
Melt butter in a small saucepan ”

“ Durnford, "but we have improved upon them, although our climate is not sufficiently warm to bring them to that perfection, which is the boast of the Southern nations. The pineapple, which you know is a most delicious fruit, comes from the West Indies, but we have excellent pineries in England, as well as fine melons. They also are natives of both the Indies. Our finest pears are from France, oranges, nuts, almonds, [Pg 149] olives, grapes, chestnuts, pomegranates, lemons, and prunes, all come from the South of Europe. Oranges originally came from China. ”

“ Bananas picked green ripen gradually and become sweet. Not so pineapples. What happens when they are picked unripe is told in a Bulletin of the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment station (1910) kindly forwarded to me by one of the officials after I wrote an article on the subject for the New York "Nation":
A study of the ripening of pineapples has disclosed the fact that the sugar content of the fruit is derived exclusively from the leaves of the plant and does not increase after the fruit has been removed from the plant. ”