Some of Felicita Kalinšek’s recipes for hot summer days

A good housewife must also plan ahead. In Felicita Kalinšek’s book “Slovenska kuharica” (Slovenian Cookbook), a large section is dedicated to food preservation, which is especially useful for the cook in winter, when fresh produce is not available at the market. This way, she will never be caught off guard—neither in front of her family nor her guests.

The blueberry season is in full swing. You can make blueberry liqueur or wine, dumplings, or jam.

“Blueberry Jam”
Mash selected blueberries through a sieve or using a machine designed for this purpose. Weigh the juice and for every kilogram of juice, add 300–500 grams of sugar. Place the pot with the prepared juice over high heat and stir constantly. After the jam has boiled for about 20 minutes, spoon a little onto a plate and let it cool; if it sets, it’s ready. If not, cook a little longer and test again. Pour the hot jam into dry bottles and seal with parchment paper.

In the time before freezers and ice cream makers, Felicita made ice cream using ice and a great deal of patience!
Here’s how to make raspberry ice cream using a 1935 recipe:

Place half a bucket of ice into a bag, crush it finely with a wooden mallet, and mix it with 1.5 to 2 kg of coarse red salt. Pack this mixture tightly into a large , leaving about two finger-widths from the top. In the center of this is a “puščica” (a smaller with a lid and a handle for turning). Open the puščica, dry it well, pour in the previously prepared liquid, and begin turning the handle—slowly at first, then faster. Turn until the mixture thickens—that is, until it freezes—which usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Then, scoop out the ice cream with a spoon and place it on a plate set over ice. You can add a small green leaf as a decoration.

And how do you make the raspberry mixture?
Pour 560 g of sugar with 1/4 liter of water and let it dissolve. Then add 3/4 liter of raspberry juice from fresh or unsweetened cooked raspberries, and the strained juice of 2 lemons. Pour everything into the prepared puščica.

Enjoy the tasting!

Prepared by Irina Mitov.