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Preserved Pippins

Preserved Pippins is a traditional American recipe, based on Miss Leslie's recipe of 1832, for a classic method of preserving pippin apples by peeling, coring and boiling in sugar syrup and bottling before using as preserved fruit or sweetmeats. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Preserved Pippins.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

70 minutes

Total Time:

90 minutes

Makes:

2 large jars

Rating:

Tags : USA Recipes

This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Preserved Pippins that's derived from, Miss Leslie of Philadelphia's 1832 volume, Seventy-five receipts for pastry, cakes and sweetmeats. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.

Original Recipe

PRESERVED PIPPINS.

Pare and core some of the largest and finest pippins. Put them in your preserving kettle, [Footnote: The use of brass or bell-metal kettles is now most entirely superseded by the enamelled kettles of irn lineä with china, called preserving kettles; brass and bell-metal having always been objectionable on account of the verdigris which collects in them.] with some lemon-peel, and all the apple-parings. Add a very little water, and cover them closely. Boil them till they are tender, taking care they do not burn. Take out the apples, and spread them on a large dish to cool. Poor the liquor into a bag, and strain it well. Put it into your kettle with a pound of loaf-sugar to each pint of juice, and add lemon juice to your taste. Boil it five minutes, skimming it well. Then put in the whole apples, and boil them slowly half an hour, or till they are quite soft and clear. Put them with the juice, into your jars, and when quite cold, tie them up with brandy paper.

Preserved apples are only intended for present use, as they will not keep long.

Pears may be done in the same way, either whole or cut in half. They may be flavoured either with lemon or cinnamon, or both. The pears for preserving should be green.

Modern Redaction

Today we would term these 'Preserved Apples' and use them as a store-cupboard staple for making pies or as a base for another dish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, however, these would have been classed amongst the range of foods known as sweetmeats (including jellies [clear jams, mixes of nuts and fruit bound with sugar, sugarplums and candied fruit).

Typically these would have been cut into balls or smaller portions, placed in special glass-shaped jars with lids, drizzled with a little of the preserving syrup and served as a sweet dish at the end of a meal. It should be noted that the 'meat' in 'sweetmeat' represents the flesh or 'meat' of the fruit itself.

Ingredients:

1kg (or more) pippin apples
thinly-pared zest of 2 lemons
juice of 2 lemons
200ml water
650g sugar per 500ml apple juice

Method:

Pare and core the apples, then place in a pan with the apple peelings, the lemon zest and the water and lemon juice. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the apples are just tender.

Carefully remove the apples from the pan with a slotted spoon then strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin or cheesecloth. Measure 650g of sugar per 500ml of the apple juice and combine these in a saucepan (if there is less than 250ml of apple juice, make it up with water). Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove any scum from the surface then return the apples to the pan. Cover the pan, reduce to a low boil and cook for 30 minutes, or until the apples are completely soft and clear.

Carefully transfer the apples to jars that have been washed, sterilized, and warmed in the oven. Pour over the syrup from the pan, secure with tight-fitting lids and set aside to cool. Label and store in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to a month.

Find more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.