Miscellaneous
TO STERILIZE MILK
As soon as received, heat to nearly the boiling-point; then remove from the fire, and cool as quickly as possible, by pouring it into clean pans, previously scalded, and placing these in cold water.
COTTAGE CHEESE
Set a pan containing a quart or more of thick, sour milk in a pan of hot water, or on the back of the stove; as soon as the whey separates from the curd, line a colander with a cloth, pour in the scalded milk, tie the corners of the cloth together, and hang up till well drained; put into a bowl, add one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, and enough sweet cream to make as moist as desired; mix smooth with a spoon, turn lightly into a dish, and serve.
HOMINY OR HULLED CORN
To hull four quarts of corn, use one heaping tablespoonful of soda, and water enough to cover the corn. Boil for four hours, or until the hull is well loosened and can be readily removed. Then wash in cold water thoroughly, stirring, rubbing, and rinsing until the hulls have all been turned off. Soak in clear water overnight to remove all traces of soda, and cook in a kettle or large saucepan all day in clear water, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom, and replenishing with hot water as needed. Season with salt, put into a jar, and keep in a cool place.
DRIED SWEET CORN
Remove the husks and silks, boil and cut from the cob as directed for stewed sweet corn on page 57. Spread thinly on a cloth or on shallow tins, and place in the sun to dry. Turn over occasionally, take in in the evening, and put out to dry every day until thoroughly hard and dry. To keep off flies and insects, cover with mosquito webbing. Corn may also be dried in a warm, open oven, if careful not to allow the oven to get too hot. When dry, soak and cook the same as stewed sweet corn, only longer; or with beans soaked overnight.
DRIED APPLES
Take good, ripe apples, pare, quarter, core, and cut into thin slices; spread on shallow tins, and place in the oven until well heated through, then in the sun or in a moderate, open oven until thoroughly dried. Turn the fruit over occasionally each day while drying. Wire screens or webbings are serviceable in keeping off the flies. Other fruits may be dried in a similar manner.
POP-CORN
Shell, and place a handful in a wire popper or frying-pan, covering tightly; shake constantly over a hot fire, being careful not to burn. When the popping ceases, it is done; add a little salt and butter; mix with it a little thick sugar sirup, or molasses boiled down, and press it into balls with the hands slightly oiled.
TO KEEP APPLES, ORANGES, AND LEMONS
Wrap each separately in tissue paper, and lay so as not to touch each other, in a cool, dry place.
TO KEEP EGGS
To twelve quarts of water add two pints of fresh, slaked lime and one pint of common salt; mix well, immerse newly-laid eggs, and set in a cool place. Or, dip the eggs into a solution of gum arabic—equal parts gum and water—let dry, then dip again. When dry, wrap separately in paper, and pack in sawdust, bran, or salt.
TO PRESERVE LEMON-JUICE
When lemons are cheap, purchase several dozen at once. With the hand press each lemon on the table, rolling it back and forth briskly a few times; cut into halves, and extract the juice with a lemon drill into a bowl or tumbler,—never into a tin; strain the juice through a wire strainer, colander, or coarse cloth to remove the seeds and pulp; add a pint of water and a pound of white sugar to the juice of each dozen lemons, and boil in an enameled saucepan for about ten minutes; then bottle and set in a cool place, and it is ready for use. A tablespoonful or two of the sirup in a glass of water makes a cooling, healthful drink.
COOKED PINEAPPLE
Pare with a sharp knife, cut into thin slices, divide the slices into quarters, put into a saucepan with one-half cup of water, and a very little sugar for each pineapple; cover with a china plate or enameled lid, and cook slowly for about two hours.
TO FROST FRUITS
Secure nice bunches of cherries, currants, grapes, or berries with the stems on; dip them into the stiffly beaten white of an egg, then into powdered sugar, and place on a plate or clean white paper so as not to touch each other, to dry. Then place the fruit on a glass dish, chill, and serve.
UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR SACRAMENTAL USE
Take three cups of white flour, half a cup of thick sweet cream, a pinch of salt, and a little cold water. Sift the flour into a dish, add the salt and cream, and rub together thoroughly; then moisten with cold water till of the consistency of thick pie crust. Knead and roll well with the hand for fifteen minutes; then roll out to about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and cut into cakes four inches square. Mark out each cake into half-inch squares with a knife, so that when baked it may easily be broken, and prick each square with a fork to prevent blistering. Lay on floured baking tins, and bake in a quick oven, being careful not to scorch or burn.
UNFERMENTED WINE FOR SACRAMENTAL USE
Secure good grapes, the small, dark wine grape is preferable, and proceed as with grape juice on page 46.
TO CUT LEMONS FOR GARNISHING
Divide slices of lemons into four parts, and use on salads and other dishes, placing the points toward the center.
HOW TO CUT BREAD
Bread should be cut into smooth, even slices, not too thick, the full length or width of the loaf. If large, the slices may be divided. The Clauss, or scalloped-edged, bread-knife does the work nicely. If bread or cake is to be cut while warm, the knife should first be heated.
NUT RELISH
Take one cup of almond or peanut butter, one cup of dried figs, or seedless raisins, and one cup of gluten. Mix well together, then grind twice through a nut mill. Mold into a square pan, then cut into inch squares one-half inch thick, similar in size to caramels.
NUT DAINTIES
Crack English walnuts so as not to break the meats. Take the two halves from each nut and press on each side of a nut relish square. When sufficient are prepared, place in a dish with an equal number of olives.