Recipe Manuscript

Pasta De Camote Y Piña

Name: Pasta De Camote Y Piña
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT45M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 g sweet potatoes (camote); 500 g fresh pineapple (piña), peeled and finely chopped; 400 g granulated white sugar; 1 egg white (for clarifying syrup); 100 g mammee apple (mamón), finely ground (substitute: ripe, firm mango or papaya if unavailable); 30 g pine nuts, blanched; 30 g whole almonds, blanched; 30 g raisins

"Sweet Potato And Pineapple Paste"

1913

From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3

Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1913

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Pasta De Camote Y Piña

"Se quita la cáscara a los camotes y se desbaratan, haciéndolos una masa que se pasará por un ayate delgado, a fin de que se quede sin hebras, se muele una cantidad de piña según sea la del camote y se mezcla con éstos: se hace el almíbar con azúcar bl nca, clarificándola con una clara de huevo, y cuando esté de punto se echa el camote, meneando la pasta con frecuencia a fin de que no se pegue, cuidando de que no se pase do punto, quedando demaciado dura, pues al punto que debe quedar es el de cajeta. Para el ante se le agrega a la pasta, al echarla el almíbar la cantidad proporcionada de mamón duro molido. Se adorna el platón con piñones limpios, almendras y pasas."

English Translation

"Peel the sweet potatoes and mash them into a dough, then pass it through a fine cloth to remove any fibers. Grind an amount of pineapple equal to the sweet potato and mix them together. Make a syrup with white sugar, clarifying it with an egg white. When the syrup reaches the right consistency, add the sweet potato mixture, stirring the paste frequently so it does not stick, and making sure it does not become too hard; the correct point should be similar to Cajeta (a soft caramel). For the topping, add the appropriate amount of ground firm mamón (mamey or sapote) to the paste when adding it to the syrup. Decorate the serving dish with clean pine nuts, almonds, and raisins."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the succinct and practical style of early 20th-century Mexican home cookery, with an assumption that the reader is familiar with basic techniques such as making a sugar syrup or clarifying it with egg white (a classic method to remove impurities, common before highly refined sugar was available). Notably, spelling is of its era: words like 'demaciado' instead of the modern 'demasiado,' and the term 'ayate' refers to a woven cloth typically used for straining. Measurements and timing are given relative to texture and experience rather than precise weights or temperatures, a hallmark of recipes meant for practiced home cooks.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3 (1913)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Antonio Vanegas Arroyo

Era

1913

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful volume from the iconic 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this 1913 cookbook serves up a charming array of recipes, inviting readers to explore classic and creative dishes—ready to fit in your pocket and spice up any kitchen adventure.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This charming recipe hails from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 3,' a 1913 booklet published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, part of an affordable and wildly popular series meant to bring practical cooking advice to Mexican households during the Porfiriato era and the early years of the Mexican Revolution. The recipes blend native ingredients with European techniques, reflecting a rich period of culinary cross-pollination. Unlike grand cookbooks meant for the elite, these handy pocket guides focused on everyday dishes and sweets, making them accessible to cooks of all backgrounds at a time when literacy and printed cookbooks were becoming more widespread. Sweet potatoes and pineapple were both abundant in Mexico, and their combination here with sugar speaks of a local penchant for fragrant, jewel-toned confections served at family gatherings or special occasions.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, this recipe would have been made using simple kitchen tools: a sturdy knife to peel the camotes and pineapple, a wooden mortar and pestle or mano y metate for mashing and blending, and a fine woven cloth or mesh (called an 'ayate') for pressing the sweet potato mass. A large copper or clay cazuela would have been used to cook the syrup and paste over a wood or charcoal-fired stove, and a wooden spoon or paddle for stirring. Decoration was done by hand, arranging the nuts and raisins atop the paste on a ceramic serving plate.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 lb 2 oz sweet potatoes (camote)
1 lb 2 oz fresh pineapple (piña), peeled and finely chopped
14 oz granulated white sugar
1 egg white (for clarifying syrup)
3.5 oz mammee apple (mamón), finely ground (substitute: ripe, firm mango or papaya if unavailable)
1 oz pine nuts, blanched
1 oz whole almonds, blanched
1 oz raisins

Instructions

Begin by peeling about 1 lb 2 oz of sweet potatoes.
Mash them thoroughly until you get a smooth paste.
For an even silkier texture, press the mashed sweet potatoes through a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth, which will remove any tough fibers.
Next, prepare an equal quantity (about 1 lb 2 oz) of fresh pineapple.
Peel and finely chop or crush the pineapple, then mix it well with the sweet potato paste.
To make the syrup, place 14 oz of granulated white sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to moisten.
Clarify the syrup by whisking in one egg white (remove any solids once the syrup is clear).
Cook until it reaches a soft-ball stage (about 240°F).
Add the sweet potato and pineapple mixture to the syrup, stirring constantly to keep it from sticking and burning.
Cook until the mixture thickens to a fudge-like consistency ('cajeta' stage), but be careful not to let it harden too much.
If you’d like to prepare the traditional 'ante' version, add about 3.5 oz of finely ground firm mamón fruit (known as mammee apple, but if not available, substitute with a similar tangy tropical fruit like mango or papaya) to the mixture at this stage.
Pour the finished paste onto a serving platter and decorate with blanched pine nuts, whole almonds, and raisins.
Let it cool before serving.

Estimated Calories

260 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You’ll spend about 30 minutes getting all the fruits peeled, mashed, and chopped. Cooking the syrup and mixing everything takes around 45 minutes. This recipe makes about 10 portions, and each serving has about 260 calories.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.