No. 3709 — Candied Dried Apples (Smokva)
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 3709 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
The heading lists 15 apples, 1 pound sugar and 3 glasses water.
Peel 15 not-too-large sweet apples, quarter and stud with bitter-orange peel. Remove the seeds but leave the cores in place.
Put into boiling syrup made from 1 pound sugar and 1 bottle water; cook until translucent and beginning to brown.
Mix another 2 glasses fine sugar with ground dried orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. Sprinkle over the apples while turning gently and cook until browned and the syrup evaporates.
Lift the pieces individually onto an iron tray lined with straw, sprinkling each with sugar. Put immediately into a gently heated oven, preferably after rolls have baked.
Turn the following day and dry in the oven again. Store in a jar sprinkled with sugar.
Small apples can also be candied whole as for pears in recipe No. 3754.