"Plum Crazy: A Book About Beach Plums" 1973 MIREL, Elizabeth Post
$175
MIREL, Elizabeth Post
[144] pp.
Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
1973
First Edition
7 3/4" x 5 3/4"
Drawings by Betty Fraser
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Wild beach plums, which are free for the picking from late August through September along coastal dunes, offer Long Islanders a tasty fruit that defies the rise in food prices.
For the novice, beachplum‐hunting is an adventure; for the experienced it is a prelude to jelly‐making.
Both, however, would be wise to consult the slender, attractive volume called “Plum Crazy” by Elizabeth Post Mirel (Crown, 1973, $5.95). It is subtitled “A Book About Beach Plums.”
The text, accompanied by Betty Fraser's illustrations, offers all that one needs to know about beach plums.
The book, which has an impressive bibliography, credits Verrazano with the first sighting of the beach plum on the New York coast in 1524. Since that time, the fruit, which can range in size from pea to crabapple and in color from red to black and even yellow, has been enjoyed by the people with ready access to it
Colonial Treat
“Colonial housewives made a variety of beach plum preserves for home consumption,” the book notes. “Records indicate that by the 19th century, beach plum jam, jelly and juice were being produced for sale in local markets.
“These products are still made today by thousands of vacationers, summer residents and year‐round shore dwellers who find both the picking and the taste of the fruit irresistible.”
Attempts at cultivating the wild fruit have been unsuccessful thus far.
Mrs. Mirel describes in detail how to gather the beach plums, giving clues as to their whereabouts and suggesting proper picking outfits. Then comes the cooking. The 70 recipes ranging from hors d'oeuvres to liqueurs, are based on a variety of beach‐plum preparations, some the by‐products of jelly‐making, others the result of pitting or pureeing the fruit. Nothing is wasted, not even the pits.
Mrs. Mirel knows a great deal about cooking and clear recipe writing. The beach plum ingredient is usually a genuine requirement from the preparation, not merely a final garnish. This is remarkable, considering the limitations of the subject. Among the main dish recipes, however, there tends to be a preponderance of sweet and sour mixtures. These are often catsup and beach plum or soy sauce and beach plum combinations.
Recipes Offered
Following are recipes from Plum Crazy, requiring either the whole beach plum or beach plum jelly. Prepared beach plum jelly is often sold at fairs, farm stands and craft shops in the Hamptons and other beach areas. While the supply lasts, beach plum jelly may be ordered by mail from the Farmer's Market, Main Street, Amagansett, L. I. 11930, at $4 for two eight‐ounce jars.
The book details three methods of making beach plum jelly. This is the one Mrs. Mirel prefers.
BEACH PLUM JELLY
2 cups pitted beach plums
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
¼ cup pulpy pits (optional)
1. Place beach plums, sugar and water in a saucepan. If using pits, tie them in a cheesecloth.
2. Bring mixture to a full boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until beach plums are saturated with sugar and liquid is consistency of thin syrup. Stir occasionally.
3. Remove bundle of pits. Pour hot liquid through a coffee filter paper supported in a cone or funnel over a jar. Filter for one hour or until most of the liquid has dripped out. You may have to change the filter paper or briefly reheat the beach plums if the filter becomes clogged.
4. Cover the jar or transfer to sterile jars and seal. Let the jelly stand at room temperature for four hours or until it has set. Refrigerate for future use, unless sterile‐packed.
Yield 12 to 14 ounces.
SAILOR'S CHICKEN
2 frying chickens, cut into serving pieces.
juice of four limes [about one‐half cup]
2 teaspoons tarragon
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup beach plum jelly (red currant jelly)
Grated rind of one lime about one teaspoon).
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Arrange chicken in a single layer, skin side up in a roasting pan, Pour lime juice over the chicken, sprinkle with tarragon, salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 1½ hours, pasting frequently with pan juices.
4. Combine beach plum jelly and lime rind. Spoon mixture over the chicken.
5. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake chicken an additional five minutes or until it is glazed. May be served hot or cold.
Yield six servings.