… and seal at once

We are fortunate that we have a milkman who delivers milk three times a week. He can also deliver other groceries and home items if we order them and in our regular order we always include half a dozen eggs – they are the sort of things you can run out of without noticing so we have milkman’s eggs as well as those we buy when we go shopping. It’s very easy to add to the order – or cancel it if we’re going to be away, just visit the on-line site.

As we approached Christmas, I ordered an extra half dozen – or so I thought. In fact I’d doubled ordered so we had an extra dozen. That was fine, I was sure we’d get through them for breakfast and in other ways, and I amended the order back to our weekly half dozen – except I didn’t so we now have rather more eggs than we are likely to consume! Never fear – I have a solution!

Apple Curd

• 2 lbs sharp-flavoured cooking apples, peeled and sliced
• ¼ pint water
• juice of one lemon
• ¾ lb sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• ¼ lb butter

1. cook the apples in the water and lemon juice till pulpy and sieve into a large basin
2. add the sugar and eggs to the apples
3. melt butter and add to the sugar, eggs and apple mix
4. place basin over a saucepan of hot water and heat carefully, stirring all the time until the curd thickens
5. when thickened pour into warm jars and seal at once

Gooseberry curd

• 3 lbs green gooseberries, topped and tailed
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 pint water
• ¼ lb fresh butter
• 1½ lbs sugar
• 1 pint water

1. put berries and water in pan, bring to the boil and simmer gently until pulped
2. sieve fruit and place in top of a double saucepan over boiling water
3. stir in sugar, and when dissolved add the butter
4. add the eggs, stirring continually unto the curd thickens
5. pour in hot jars and seal

These recipes come from ‘Unusual Preserves’ published in December 1969 by The National Federation of Women’s Institutes.

https://www.milkandmore.co.uk/