LITTLE ROCK — Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Linda Whisenhunt shares this method for making muscadine preserves for Billie O’Neal.
Separate the seeds and pulp from the hulls of about 4 pounds of wild muscadines using the point of a paring knife. Simmer the hulls - with just enough water to keep them from sticking - until tender, then chop in a blender or food processor.
Simmer the pulp with seeds until juicy. Put in a colander and mash as much of the pulp through as possible. Discard seeds. Combine the chopped hulls and pulp to make 6 cups and, using 8 cups of sugar, follow directions from powdered pectin box for cooked plum jam. Yield is 9 3/4 cups of delicious jam.
Thomas Blakeney is looking for candied sweet potatoes made with granulated sugar and molasses in an iron skillet that his mother prepared in the 1930s.
We were unable to find a recipe exactly like Blakeney’s mother’s but Carol Hughson and an unidentified reader shared the following sweet potato recipes that sound delicious.
This is Hughson’s version.
Sweet Potatoes
8 average-size sweet potatoes
3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into3/4-inch thick slices, then rinse under cool water.
Place sliced sweet potatoes in a large pot; cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until tender. Drain and arrange potatoes in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the butter over the potatoes.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well; spoon over potatoes.
Bake 15 minutes, stir, then return dish to oven and bake 30 minutes more.
An unidentified reader shares this recipe, which sounds quite similar to Blakeney’s mother’s, without the molasses.
Skillet Candied Sweet Potatoes
6 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter OR margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into slices.
Melt the butter or margarine in a heavy skillet and add the sliced sweet potatoes.
Mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cover the sweet potatoes with sugar mixture and stir. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low and cook for about 1 hour or until potatoes are “candied.” They should be tender but a little hard around the edges. Also the sauce will turn dark. You will need to stir occasionally during the cooking. Stir in the vanilla just before serving. Serve hot.
Makes about 12 servings.
Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail:
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food, Pages 35 on 02/23/2011