Pineapple Christmas Cake

1 cup butter, 1 cup pineapple juice, 1&1/2 cups each of currants, sultanas, chopped tinned pineapple, and brown sugar, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup mixed peel, 1 small teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 4 eggs, 3 cups S.R. flour.

Mix butter, sugar, and egg-yolks till creamy. Sift 2 cups of the flour, spices, and salt, and add alternately with the pineapple juice. Then add fruit and nuts previously mixed with the remaining cup of flour. Fold in stiffly-beaten egg-whites. Put into prepared tins and bake in a slow oven for about 3 hours.

Source: contributed by Mrs. A. Bradley (Cungena) in The South Australian Country Women's Association Calendar of Cakes: A Cake a Day for 365 Days (Kent Town: S.A.C.WA.; 11th edition, 1973), n.p. "NOV. 29".

Cranberry and Apple Chutney

500 gm Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped

2 cm piece root ginger, peeled, grated finely

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup water

150 gms craisins/dried cranberries

Method: Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and ginger. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally until onion is clear. Add apple, spice, cranberry juice and half the craisins/dried cranberries. Cook at medium heat, covered, 10-15 minutes until apple is soft. Add remaining craisins/dried cranberries. Cook covered for a further 5-10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Spoon into a clean jar and seal. Serve with roast pork, chicken or turkey, or in a ham, chicken or turkey sandwich.

Source: contributed by Rosalie Smith (Maitland) in An Apple a Day. Members Recipes. (Adelaide: The South Australian Country Women's Association Inc., 2018). p.79.

Bottled Christmas Pudding

1 lb. butter, 1 lb. dark sugar, 1&1/2 lbs. sultanas, 1&1/2 lbs. seeded raisins, 1/2 lb. mixed peel, 4 oz. almonds, 14 oz. breadcrumbs, 10 oz. plain flour, 2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. all spice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. soda, 2 tbsp. brandy, 8 eggs, 1/2 cup milk.

Method: Beat butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beat well, add dry ingredients, then brandy and milk. Fill (No. 31) preserve jars two thirds full, put rings, lids and clips on. Stand jars in sterilizer. Fill with cold water three parts up jars and bring gently to the boil, keep boiling for 8 hrs. This mixture fills 8 jars. When wanting to use stand jar in saucepan of hot water for one hour. Serve with custard, cream or icecream.

Source: contributed by Mrs G. Sandercock in Urania Methodist Guild Cookery Book. Book II. (1965), p.37.

Preserve Christmas Pudding

1 lb butter, 1 lb brown sugar, 1&1/2 [lb] seeded raisins and sultanas, 1/2 lb mixed fruit peel, 14 oz breadcrumbs, 10 oz plain flour, 4 oz finely chopped almonds, 2 tspn nutmeg, 1 tspn ginger, all spice and cinnamon, 2 small tspn salt, 2 tspn carbonate soda, 8 eggs, 2 tbspn brandy, 1/2 cup milk.

Method: Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add eggs one at a time, add dry ingredients, then brandy and milk. Fill jars 3/4 full. Put on rings, lids and clips and preserve keeping water gently boiling for 4 to 5 hours. Add more boiling water if necessary. Water should be up 3 parts of each bottle throughout. Start off with cold water. Recipe fills 7 to 8 Fowler jars and keeps well.

Source: contributed by Betty Wiech in Blyth Recipe Book: Favourite Tested Recipes of the Blyth Trinity Lutheran Ladies Guild (Blyth Womens Guild, 1972), p.27.

Spicy Mutton Satays

1 shoulder mutton

1&1/2 cups apricot nectar

1/2 cup white wine

1 onion, grated

2 tbspns. honey

1/2 tspn. ground ginger

1/2 tspn. ground allspice

salt and pepper to taste

Method: Trim mutton and cut into small cubes. Thread onto satay sticks. Mix remaining ingredients in dish or plastic bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes turning occasionally. Drain and cook under pre-heated grill or on the barbecue. Pour remaining marinade into saucepan. Bring to the boil and thicken with a little cornflour and water paste. Simmer gently. Canned apricot halves may be heated under grill. Serve immediately with sauce.

Source: Mantle of Safety Cookbook 2 (The Port Augusta Women's Air Branch Auxillary of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, c1987), p.102.

Pickled Orange Wedges

Wipe 8 oranges, cut into sections. Put in a saucepan covered with water and 1/4 teaspoon carb soda, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. In another saucepan put:-

2&1/2 cups vinegar

8cm (3") stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

2 cups sugar

12 whole cloves

2cm (1") piece fresh ginger

Method: Bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Drain orange wedges and put in pan with vinegar syrup. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove orange wedges with slotted spoon and pack in hot dry jars. Boil the syrup and top up jars, cover and seal ready to eat in one week.

Source: contributed by M. Frith in Gulnare Gourmets (Adelaide: Gulnare Primary School Welfare Club, 1984 [2nd edition]), p.132.

Pickled Vegetables: Figs

Soak as many figs as you can cover with 4.8 litres vinegar for three days, then pour off the vinegar and add to it 1 kg sugar or treacle, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 125 grams salt, 60 grams each of allspice, ground cloves and ground ginger and boil for 1/4 hour. Pour over the figs while boiling and cover jars.

Source: The South Australian Country Women's Association Incorporated Presents Ways with Fruit and Vegetables (1st edn, 1977), p.15.