The Joneses wrote:
Thanks.

> This recipe of yours sounds interesting. Here in the USofA, we'll being
> paying for citrus with our firstborn children - huge percent of California
> crop ruined.

We had snow here too, unusual, once every 5-7 years. It lasted a day
and was gone. We lost most of our crop in the north last August due
to rockets from Lebanon, something I hope you never have to experience.
Citrus fruit were gone from the markets for several months.

> I've made lots of brandied cherries, pears, apples & blueberries. I made
> the pear with apricot brandy and they were fab! I like the apples with
> applejack. I found that grain alcohol has a very harsh taste - I wouldn't
> use it. Use the brandy unless you're making barrels full, it will be worth
> it in the end. Even cheap brandy might be okay. Or at the very least, use a
> good quality vodka.

It was simple economics. I checked the price I paid and in dollars (for 750ml):
(approximate)

95% Grain alcohol $4 19 NIS (new Isaeli sheckels) @ 4.25 = $1
Cheap Brandy/vodka $8 38 NIS
"decent vodka" $11 50+ NIS

If I water the grain alcohol down with filtered water to 40 proof, it
equals $1 a fifth. Watered down, would it make that much of a difference?

> And I would cook the peels gently until tender, in case
> anybody gets the idea that one is supposed to eat them.

I eat them in Chinese food. Many people do and don't know it. If you go into
a chinese grocery, you find dried tangerine peels, but no dried orange peels.
Think about that the next time you eat Orange chicken. :-)

However, no one else in the house will eat it. Hot and sweet is not a
combination that anyone else in my family likes.

>And put that jar in a bowl in case it oozes.

Good idea. I had not thought of it.

> The Ball Blue book recipe for brandied pears is a good one:
> 10 pounds pears
> 4 cups water
> 6 cups sugar
> 3 cups brandy

Sounds good. I don't have a BBB, they are NOT available here. A friend is
scouting second hand sales in Colorado for me, she will probably bring
one for me in the Summer.

I was hoping she would get lucky and find one of each edition, I know,
dream on.....

> Wash, peel, halve & core pears. Combine sugar & water, bring to boil. Cook
> pears one layer at a time just until tender about 5 min. Place cooked pears
> in a bowl, set aside. Continue cooking syrup until thickened, about 15 min.
> Remove from heat, add brandy.
> Note: use white brandy for clear syrup; however, any brandy will flavor the
> fruit.

Simple enough, another recipe I found on line for generic brandied fruit
said one pound of sugar for each pound of fruit. Six cups of sugar is about
2.5 to 3 pounds, a lot less.

> More directions for BWB processing (15 min per qt.)

That might be the difference. If I want to not process it (lack of
suitable containers) then I need more sugar.

> HTH,

It sure does, thanks,

Geoff.



--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
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