Mother's Remedies by Thomas Jefferson Ritter (positive books to read txt) 📕

jelly. Raspberry jelly is hard to make and should not be tried if the fruit is not perfectly fresh or if it is at all over-ripe.

JAMS.—The pulp, seeds and skins are all retained in jams; often material that is left from jellies, and so on, can be used in this way by adding spices and nuts to give flavor. Sterilization and the exclusion of air are not quite so important in this class of preserving on account of the large amount of sugar used which takes away food from the bacteria. Equal amounts of sugar and fruits are used in making jams.

Raspberry Jam.—Pick over the raspberries, mash in a preserving kettle with a wooden masher. Heat slowly to the boiling point, and add an equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars.

Strawberry Jam.—Wash and hull the berries. Add the sugar gradually so that the juice of the berries will dissolve it. Boil about 20 minutes, or until it will harden when dropped on a cold plate. Pour into sterilized glasses.

Grape Jam.—

8 Cups of Grapes. 4 Cups of Sugar.

Wash the grapes, remove the stems and squeeze the pulp from the skins into a preserving kettle. Put the skins on a granite plate and save them. Boil the pulp until the seeds separate easily, stirring constantly. Strain through a sieve, add the skins to the strained mixture, measure, return to the kettle, and add an equal amount of sugar. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until the jam is very thick. Pour into sterilized glasses and seal when cold. The mixture needs careful watching and stirring, as it will burn easily, especially after the sugar is added.

[DOMESTIC SCIENCE 825]

Rhubarb Conserve.—

2 lbs. rhubarb. 2 oranges. 3 lbs. sugar. 1 lb. shelled nuts. Juice of 3 Lemons.

Remove the leaves and pieces of root from the rhubarb and wash the stalks in cold water. Cut into one-inch pieces. Do not remove the skin unless it is fibrous. If the skin is removed do this before cutting in pieces. Wash the oranges and either grate the rind or cut the yellow into strips thin enough to be seen through. Wash the lemons and use only the juice. A little rind may be used, if desired, but it will take away from the orange flavor. The nuts need not be blanched, but should be broken into pieces of medium size. Any nut may be used, but walnuts are especially good. Mix all the materials, except the nuts, with the sugar. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick,—about three-quarters of an hour. After the first half hour's cooking, add the nuts. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses and seal when cold.

MARMALADES AND BUTTERS.—Marmalades and butters are really strained jams and the same rules hold true as for jams.

Apple Marmalade.—Pare and core the apples. Cook until tender with just enough water to keep from burning. Force through a fine sieve, return to the fire with a scant pound of sugar and the juice and rind of one lemon for each pound of pulp. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the marmalade is thick when dropped on a cold saucer. Pour into sterilized glasses.

Peach Marmalade.—Follow the recipe for apple marmalade, adding spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Crab Apple Marmalade.—When making crab apple jelly, core the apples and after straining, use the pulp that is left to make marmalade. Various seasonings can he added. Among the best are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, grated rind and juice of oranges and lemons. When seasoned according to taste, add sugar to the pulp, and cook until of the desired consistency. Seal in sterilized jars.

Rhubarb Marmalade.—

2 lbs. rhubarb. 3 lbs. sugar. Rind and pulp of 6 oranges.

Boil the ingredients together until thick. The rind of the orange may be grated and cooked by itself until tender before adding to the rest of the materials. Pour into sterilized glasses and seal.

Pineapple.—Pare and remove the eyes from pineapple, then grate. Weigh the pulp and heat two-thirds of its weight in sugar. Cook the pineapple in an uncovered dish for some time. Then add the juice of one lemon for each pound of fruit. Then add the sugar and boil until thick,—about five minutes. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses.

[826 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

PICKLES.—Under this heading are classified pickles and relishes, such as chili sauce, chow chows and catsups. Pickling is preserving in salt or acid liquor. Pickles do not contain much nutritive value, but add much to a meal in making it attractive. Cucumber pickles should never look as green when pickled as the fruit on the vine; if they do it is almost certain that some preservative has been used.

Sweet Pickled Pears or Peaches.—

1 peck peaches. 4 lbs. brown sugar. 1 quart vinegar. 2 ozs. stick cinnamon. Cloves.

Boil sugar, vinegar and cinnamon for 20 minutes. Dip peaches quickly in hot water and rub off fur with a towel. Stick each peach with three or four cloves, put into syrup and cook until soft. Cook only enough fruit at a time to fill one jar. Seal in sterilized jars. Pears may be prepared in the same way.

Chili Sauce.—

25 ripe tomatoes (medium sized). 1/2 cup brown sugar. 4 large white onions. 6 peppers. (chopped fine) 4 teaspoons of ginger. 4 teaspoons of allspice 1 teaspoons of cloves. 2 tablespoons of salt. 1 qt. vinegar.

Mix these materials and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. The consistency should be quite thick and more than an hour's cooking may be necessary. Strain or not as desired, but if strained put back in the kettle and bring to the boiling point before scaling. Use tall wide necked bottles and fill to overflowing, using the same precautions as you would in canning fruit. The chili sauce is quite "hot," but this can be remedied by altering the number of peppers and onions. In preparing, the tomatoes should be washed; scalded and peeled. The peppers should be washed in cold water, the stems removed and the peppers chopped finely. Chop the onions finely in the same bowl as the peppers.

Olive Oil Pickles.—

8 qts. sliced cucumbers. 1 teaspoon cloves. 1 cup olive oil. 1 teaspoon allspice. 1 cup sugar. 1 teaspoon celery seed. 1 teaspoon mustard seed. 4 teaspoons cinnamon. One dozen onions.

Slice the cucumbers thin and let stand over night in a weak brine. In the morning drain, add the onions sliced thin. Mix the ingredients given. Put the cucumbers and onions in a crock, pour over the mixture and add enough vinegar to cover. Mix well.

[DOMESTIC SCIENCE 827]

Sweet Cucumber Pickles.—Select small cucumbers. Wash well but do not peel. Put into a crock one cup of salt and 4 quarts of cucumbers. Cover with boiling water and let stand over night. In the morning remove from the brine, put in a granite kettle, cover with vinegar to which has been added mustard seeds, whole cloves, stick cinnamon, two cups of sugar and other desired seasonings. Let it come to the boiling point, but not boil. Seal while hot.

Green Tomato Pickles.—Remove a thin slice from each end of the green tomatoes. Slice and sprinkle one peck of tomatoes with one cup of salt and let stand over night. Drain, boil 15 minutes in two quarts of boiling water and one quart of vinegar. Drain again. Cook for 10 minutes the following: one gallon of vinegar, 2 pounds or less of sugar, 1 red pepper, 10 teaspoon mustard seed, 3/4 cup cinnamon bark, and any other seasonings desired. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally. The spices should be removed; this is easily accomplished if they are tied in a muslin bag. Pack in sterilized jars.

SOME HINTS ON CHAFING DISH COOKERY.

The Use of the Chafing Dish and Some Favorite Recipes.

Within recent years the chafing dish has become very familiar to us. It is, however, not a recent invention, for in the time of Louis XIV it was very commonly used. To the housekeeper who wishes to save herself and to serve her guests with food at its best, the chafing dish comes as an acceptable friend for use at the breakfast table in the preparation of eggs and dishes which should be served immediately. Toast can be served fresh and hot by using a toaster over the burner of a chafing dish. At luncheon a hot dish can easily take the place of the cold meat course if the chafing dish is at hand. However, the chief use of the chafing dish is in the preparation of late suppers, and is largely in use by those who have limited facilities for housekeeping, such as college girls. By those who entertain the chafing dish is looked upon as a true friend of hospitality.

Chafing dishes vary in price from the common ones made of tin which can be bought for about a dollar, to the more expensive ones made of silver. Various wares are utilized for the chafing dish. Among those most satisfactory are graniteware, earthenware, nickel, copper and aluminum.

[828 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

To get satisfactory results with the chafing dish you must have certain parts. There should be a pan to use for hot water, and it should be furnished with a handle. The cooking pan or blazer, as it is called, should have a handle also. Until one becomes an expert the hot water pan should be in constant use but later one need only use the hot water pan for keeping food warm. The burner should be carefully looked after and be in readiness. Alcohol, electricity and gas are all used as fuel, but denatured or wood alcohol is probably the most common of all. If care is taken in the use of alcohol there need be no danger. Fill the lamp with sufficient alcohol to cook the dish desired, and if necessary to refill during cooking shut off the flame and let the burner cool somewhat before replenishing with the alcohol. A large tray upon which to set the chafing dish prevents danger of fire and protects the table. Large forks and spoons, made especially for the chafing dish, can be obtained at a small price, but any table spoon and fork can be used. It is well to have a napkin and extra spoon and fork at hand if it is necessary to taste the preparation.

That a chafing dish supper may be a success, care should be taken on the part of the hostess to have everything in readiness. The table should be set with the required dishes, silver, etc., and all ingredients should be at hand for the preparation that is to be made on the chafing dish. Most chafing dishes will not supply portions for more than eight, so that a larger number should not be included at a chafing dish supper. Unless skilled in the use of a chafing dish, it