Chapter IV: Part 4

Beat separately, and lightly, six eggs; add to them a tablespoonful of chopped green onion, and the same of parsley, chopped fine; beat them into the eggs with two tablespoonfuls of water, and at the last moment a little salt. Have a thick-bottomed skillet or pan on the fire, put in a teaspoonful of nice sweet butter, and when this is hot put in the eggs. Take a broad-bladed knife and keep rolling the omelet as it sets; do not let it get too brown, but roll it in an oblong shape; never turn an omelet over, but push and roll it, as described, then slide it on a hot dish, pour a spoonful of melted butter over it, and send it to table hot. A wood fire is the best, over which to cook an omelet, as you want only a blaze; a great heat in the stove makes it impossible to have the eggs of the light delicate brown required.

SPANISH OMELET

Beat up six eggs until quite light, add to them a cup of chopped ham and two small onions minced very fine. The onions should be cooked a little before being put into the eggs, or they will not be cooked enough. When mixed together put it into a thick-bottomed pan and commence rolling. When it is a light brown, give it the last roll, let it lie a moment in the pan, then dish it. Put fresh butter as it goes to table, for the butter the omelet is fried in is never good to send to table.

OMELET WITH OYSTERS

Break eight or ten eggs in a basin, whip them up well, add a gill of cream, a tablespoonful of sweet butter, a spoonful of chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste; beat it again very light, then stir in a pint of chopped oysters, and when the butter is hot put in the omelet. When the eggs have partly set, roll the omelet in form of a cushion, which you can do by using the tin slice. Brown delicately, and serve with a little melted butter or some sauce you prefer.

Grated Parmesan cheese is very fine in place of the chopped oysters; also, ham, in the above omelet, is an acceptable addition.

SALADS AND RELISHES

GARNISHES

Parsley is most universally used to garnish all kinds of cold meats, boiled poultry, broiled steak and fish of many kinds. Horse-radish is much liked on roast beef; slices of lemon are liked by many on broiled fish or boiled calf’s head, etc. Mint is liked by many on roast lamb, and currant jelly is generally liked on game, ducks, etc.

MUSHROOM CATSUP

Lay fresh mushrooms in a deep dish, strew a little salt over them, then a fresh layer of mushrooms and salt, till you get in all the mushrooms. Let them stay in this brine three days; then mash them fine, add to each quart a spoonful of vinegar, half a spoonful of pepper and a teaspoonful of cloves; pour all this in a stone jar, and place the jar in a pot of boiling water; let it boil two hours, then strain it without squeezing the mushrooms. Boil the juice fifteen minutes, and skim it well; let it stand a few hours to settle; bottle and cork it well. Keep it cool, or it will ferment.

A DELICIOUS FLAVOR FROM THYME, ETC.

A delicious flavor from thyme, mint, sweet marjoram and rosemary may be obtained when gathered in full perfection. They should be picked from the stalks and put into a large jar, then pour strong vinegar or brandy over them; let them stay in this twenty-four hours, then take the herbs out, and throw in fresh bunches; do this three times, then strain the liquor or vinegar. Cork and seal the bottles tight. Do not let the herbs stay more than twenty or twenty-four hours in the liquid before straining, for fear of imparting an unsavory taste. This is very useful in soups.

CELERY AND SWEET HERBS VINEGAR

Take two gills of celery seed, pound them and put them in a bottle; fill the bottle with sharp vinegar, shake it every day for two weeks, then strain and bottle it for use.

GREEN TOMATO SOY, OR SAUCE

Slice a peck of green tomatoes thin, salt them thoroughly, using a pint of salt. Let them stay in this all night, and in the morning drain them from the salt, wash them in cold water, and put them in a kettle with a dozen cut-up raw onions, two tablespoonfuls of black pepper, same of allspice, a quarter of a spoonful of ground mustard, half a pound of white mustard seed, and a tablespoonful of red pepper. Cover all with strong vinegar, and boil it until it becomes like jam. Stir it frequently while it is boiling or it will scorch.

SUPERIOR TOMATO CATSUP

Get a bushel of ripe tomatoes, scald them until they are soft enough to squeeze through a sieve. When strained, add to the pulp a pint and a half of salt, four tablespoonfuls of ground cloves, same of cayenne pepper, a quarter of a pound of allspice and a tablespoonful of black pepper, a head of garlic skinned and separated, and a half gallon of vinegar. Boil until it is reduced one-half, then bottle.

TOMATO CATSUP

Take enough ripe tomatoes to fill a jar, put them in a moderate oven, and bake them until they are thoroughly soft; then strain them through a coarse cloth or sieve, and to every pint of juice put a pint of vinegar, half an ounce of garlic sliced, a quarter of an ounce of salt, and the same of white pepper finely ground. Boil it for one hour, then rub it through a sieve, boil it again to the consistency of cream; when cold, bottle it, put a teaspoonful of sweet oil in each bottle; cork them tight, and keep in a dry place.

TOMATO CATSUP. RECIPE FOR MAKING A SMALL QUANTITY

Take a gallon of ripe tomatoes, skin them by pouring boiling water over them; let them get cold and put them in a stew pan with four tablespoonfuls of salt, and the same of ground black pepper, half a spoonful of ground allspice, and three spoonfuls of ground mustard. Throw in eight pods of red pepper, and let all stew slowly until the tomatoes are soft and tender. Thin the mixture with enough vinegar to allow the catsup to be strained through a sieve; cook it fifteen minutes, and bottle up when cold. This will last in any climate, if well boiled and made according to these directions. Keep always in a cool, dark closet or cellar. Light ruins all catsups, pickles or preserves, when they are exposed to it. This is a fine recipe.

FRENCH CHICKEN SALAD

Roast one or two nice chickens, season them well, and when cooked, put them by to cool. Just before serving the dish, carve the fowls in small pieces, taking out all the large bones. Make a dressing of the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to each fowl, mash the yolks very smooth with a wooden spoon and pour gently on them in a little stream a cup of olive oil; beat the eggs all one way till they are creamed. Add now a cup of vinegar to two fowls, a half cup to one, pepper, salt, and drop a little vinegar on the fowl, then pour on the dressing. Arrange on the dish, cool, fresh lettuce heads quartered, and slice six more hard-boiled eggs over all as a garnish. A few red beets are a handsome addition, mixed with the green lettuce and yellow eggs.

CHICKEN SALAD FOR A SMALL COMPANY

Boil four eggs hard, throw them in cold water; when cool, take the yolks of two in a bowl, pour over them a spoonful of mixed mustard, an ounce of sweet oil, a saltspoonful of salt, and a little black pepper; mix this carefully, pouring in the oil a little at a time; when it is smooth, pour in four tablespoonfuls of good vinegar, and one-half a teaspoonful of sugar. This is the dressing for your salad.

The chicken is supposed to be already boiled or baked. When cold, pick all the flesh from the bones and pile it in the centre of a glass bowl, or dish; mix with it three heads of celery, cut up fine, and season it with pepper and salt. About the time you wish it served, take six or seven heads of white-heart lettuce, split them, and place them closely around the cut-up chicken, and pour over it all the dressing. This is a plain and economical way, but if wanted richer, it is easy to add more eggs, and trim the salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs, over the top.

A NICE CHICKEN SALAD

Cut up the white parts of four or five heads of celery, reserving the green leaves. Pick all the meat from a fine baked chicken, chop this up, and mix it with the cut-up celery; lay it in a glass or china dish, where it will be cool.

To make the dressing, rub the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to a paste, with two spoonfuls of mixed mustard, a teaspoonful of white sugar, and enough oil to make it perfectly smooth; put this in slowly, a little at a time, and finish the dressing by pouring in half a cup of vinegar. Pour this over the celery and chicken, and garnish with white heads of split lettuce, also the reserved celery leaves, and four sliced hard-boiled eggs.

POTATO SALAD

Slice a pint of cold potatoes, put them in a dish, chop over them six eschalots, pepper and salt them, and pour over them a dressing of two tablespoonfuls of oil, one of made mustard, and half a cup of vinegar; it is better without eggs.

POTATO SALAD

Slice cold potatoes, add to them chopped eschalots, and season with pepper, salt, mustard, oil, tomato catsup and vinegar. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.

TOMATO SALAD, WITH OR WITHOUT SHRIMP

Slice a dozen large tomatoes, slice with them three or four sweet peppers, then pepper and salt the tomatoes; lay slices of tomato and a little sweet pepper until the dish is full. Pour over all a dressing of oil, mustard and vinegar. A pint of shelled shrimp is a great improvement to this salad, but it is good without.

JAMBALAYA OF FOWLS AND RICE

Cut up and stew a fowl; when half done, add a cup of raw rice, a slice of ham minced, and pepper and salt; let all cook together until the rice swells and absorbs all the gravy of the stewed chicken, but it must not be allowed to get hard or dry. Serve in a deep dish. Southern children are very fond of this; it is said to be an Indian dish, and very wholesome as well as palatable; it can be made of many things.

COLD SLAW WITH HOT SAUCE

Chop fine a firm white head of cabbage, or better than that, slice it with a patent slicer; lay it in very cold water for an hour, then take it out, drain it, and when drained thoroughly, place it in the dish it is to be served in and pour over it the following sauce: Take two cups of strong vinegar to a quart of cut cabbage, stir in it one teaspoonful of mustard and salt, a tablespoonful of butter, and three teaspoons of white sugar. Make this all hot, and at the last moment stir in the yolks of two or three eggs; stir rapidly and pour on to the chopped cabbage in the dish. It should be served instantly or the sauce will harden.

PLAIN COLD SLAW, WITH VINEGAR

This is made by chopping or slicing the cabbage as in the above recipe. When it is soaked, and is cool and firm, dust pepper on it, throw in a little salt and pour over it a cup of cold, sharp vinegar. Sliced hard-boiled eggs are a great improvement if put over the cabbage when sent to table. Sliced onions also make a good salad when seasoned with salt, pepper and vinegar. Mix a little sweet, sliced vegetable pepper with the onions.

PICKLES

HINTS ON THEIR MANAGEMENT

Pickles should always have vinegar enough to cover them; those intended for immediate use should be kept in wide-top stone-ware jars. Keep a cloth folded upon the pickles, and the jar covered with a plate or wooden vessel; they should occasionally be looked over, and the softest and least likely to keep, used first. Pickles intended for use the following summer should be assorted from the remainder when first made; choose those most firm, and of equal size; put them into stone, or glass-ware, with fresh vinegar to cover them; cover the vessel close, with several thicknesses of paper, or a tin cover, or if wide-mouthed bottles are used, cork them tightly.

Cucumbers may be put down in a strong salt and water brine, to be greened and pickled as they are wanted. Keep them under the brine. When wanted, freshen them in two or three changes of water, for two or three days, until by cutting one open, you find it but little salt; then pour scalding vinegar over them three times, and keep them covered; add spices and seasoning to the vinegar, to suit the taste.

The vessels in which pickles have been, whether of glass, wood, or stone, will never be fit for preserved fruit; they will surely spoil if put in them. After pickles are used, throw out the vinegar, wash the vessels first in cold water, then pour hot water into them, cover and let it remain until cold, then wash, wipe, and dry them near the fire or in the sun, and set them away for future use. Wooden ware will require to be wet occasionally, or to be kept in a damp place, that it may not become leaky. Should catsups seem frothy or foamy, put them in a bright brass, or porcelain kettle, over the fire; boil slowly, and skim until no more scum rises, then turn into an earthen vessel to cool, after which put in bottles and stop them tight.

TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS PLAIN WITHOUT SPICES

Take one hundred small cucumbers, or more, if you wish, salt them freely, and let them remain eight or ten hours; then drain them, put them into boiling vinegar enough to cover them, and place vine leaves among and over them to green them; let them scald a few minutes in the vinegar, and take them from the fire, but place them near it to keep warm and become green; if the leaves turn yellow, put fresh ones among them. When green you can pack them away in jars; season them at any time you may desire, as they will keep well if scalded thoroughly with the boiling vinegar.

CUCUMBER PICKLES IN WHISKEY

Prepare your cucumbers as usual by letting them stay a few days in brine, or if time is an object scald them in brine, and then proceed to pickle them. The same brine may be used many times, pouring it boiling hot on each mess of cucumbers. If you have no vinegar convenient drop your scalded cucumbers into a mixture of one part whiskey and three parts water. Secure them carefully from the air, and by Christmas they will be fine, firm, green pickles, and the whiskey and water will be excellent vinegar. Add spices after they are pickled. If you do not wish all your pickles spiced, keep a stone-pot of well-spiced vinegar by itself, and put in a few at a time as you want them.

CUCUMBER AND ONION PICKLE

Take a dozen fine crisp cucumbers and four large onions. Cut both in thick slices, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, and let them stand. Next day drain them well and scald them in boiling vinegar; cover close after scalding. Next day scald again with a bag of mace, nutmeg and ginger, in the vinegar; then place them in jars and cork close. If the vinegar seems to have lost its strength, replace with fresh, and put the bag of spices in again to keep the flavor.

OLD-TIME SWEET PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Put your cucumbers in brine for eight days; slice them without soaking; let the slices be an inch thick. When cut, soak them until the salt is nearly out, changing the water very often. Then put them in a kettle, with vine leaves laid between the layers; cover them well with leaves, and sprinkle pulverized alum all through them, to harden and green them, then cover with vinegar, and set them on the back of the stove until they become green. Take the cucumbers out and boil them a little in ginger tea (half an hour will be enough). Make a syrup of one quart of strong vinegar, and one pint of water, three pounds of sugar to four pounds of cucumbers, with one ounce of cinnamon, cloves, mace and white ginger to every ten pounds of fruit. Make this syrup hot, and put in the cucumbers and boil them until clear. When they are clear take them out and boil the syrup until it is thick enough to keep. Pour it over the cucumbers, which should have been placed in jars ready for the syrup. They are now ready to use, or seal up, as may be desired. If not convenient to pickle after eight days salt brining, it does not hurt to let them remain a few days longer.

PICKLED EGGS

When eggs are abundant and cheap, it is well to pickle some for a time of scarcity. Boil three or four dozen eggs for half an hour, let them cool, and then take off the shells, and place them in wide-mouthed jars, and pour over them scalding vinegar. Season the vinegar with whole pepper, cloves, or allspice, ginger, and a few cloves of garlic. When cold, they must be bunged down very close. Let them be well covered with the vinegar, and in a month they will be fit for use. The above pickle is by no means expensive, and as an accompaniment to cold meat is not to be surpassed for piquancy and gout.

SWEET PICKLE OF FIGS

Put the figs in brine at night; in the morning, or after being in brine about twelve hours, take them out, wash off the salt, and put them in alum water for three hours. Then take them out and scald them in hot water until heated through. Make a syrup of a quart of vinegar, a pint of sugar with a tablespoonful of cinnamon, mace, and cloves each; boil half an hour, and pour on the figs boiling hot. Repeat the boiling next day, and bottle up and seal for future use.

SWEET PLUM PICKLE

Take eight pounds of fruit, four pounds of sugar, two quarts of vinegar, one ounce of cinnamon and one of cloves. Boil the vinegar, sugar and spices together; skim it carefully and pour it boiling on the fruit; pour it off, and skim and scald each day for three days; it will then be fit for use. If for putting away, scald it the fourth time and cork up tightly. Plums prepared in this way are superior to the old way, with sugar alone.

GREEN TOMATO SWEET PICKLE

Slice tomatoes until you have seven pounds, sprinkle them with salt, and let them stand twenty-four hours. Then soak them for the same length of time in fresh water to get the brine from them. When drained off and ready, allow four and a half pounds of sugar, one ounce of cinnamon, one ounce of cloves, and enough vinegar to cover them. Boil the compound together and pour it over the tomatoes; let them stand twenty-four hours, then bring all to a boil, and tie away in jars, and keep in a cool place away from the light.

CANTALOUPE SWEET PICKLE

Take a ripe cantaloupe, quarter it, remove the seeds and cut it into pieces an inch square. Put the cut pieces in a stone crock, and pour on scalding vinegar; when it cools heat it again, and return it to the cantaloupe. Repeat this next day. On the fourth day take out the fruit and add fresh vinegar to cover it. To every quart of this vinegar add three pounds of loaf sugar, and five pounds of cantaloupe. Put to them nutmeg, cinnamon and mace, to taste. Put all in a porcelain-lined kettle and simmer until the fruit can be pierced with a straw. Pack it in small jars and keep in a cool place.

CHOPPED CABBAGE PICKLE

Put together one pint of chopped onions, three gills (or three wineglassfuls) of white mustard seed, three tablespoonfuls of ground mustard and the same of celery seed; add a pound of brown sugar and three quarts of good vinegar. Cook this compound slowly until it begins to thicken, then pour it hot upon two gallons of chopped cabbage, which should be shaved or chopped very thin. This pickle is ready to bottle for use when it has boiled fifteen minutes.

TO PICKLE CABBAGE. A VERY NICE YELLOW PICKLE

Cut four cabbage heads into eighths, if large, or quarters, if small; they must be white and tender. Soak it in strong brine for three days and scald it in clear water until you can pierce it with a straw. Take it out and dry it on large dishes for twenty-four hours. Then put it into strong vinegar, with powdered turmeric, sufficient to color the cabbage yellow. Let it remain in this vinegar ten days; then take it out and drain on a sieve for several hours. Have the following spices prepared, then pack in a jar alternately one layer of cabbage and one of spices. For each gallon of vinegar allow five pounds of sugar, three ounces of turmeric, two of ginger, four of horseradish, two of white mustard seed, one-half ounce of celery seed, quarter of an ounce of mace, two ounces of whole pepper, white if you can get it, and four ounces of garlic. Scald the vinegar and sugar together, and pour hot on the cabbage and the spices. Cover tight, and you will have an admirable pickle.

TO PICKLE RED CABBAGE

Slice the cabbage and sprinkle with salt. Let it remain three days; drain, and pour over it boiling vinegar in which you have put mace, bruised ginger, whole pepper and cloves; let it remain in this until next day. Then give one more scald, and it is ready to put up for use. The purple red cabbage is the best.

CHOW-CHOW PICKLE

Take a quarter of a peck each, of green tomatoes, pickling-beans, and white onions (scald the onions separately), add one dozen cucumbers, green peppers, and a head of cabbage chopped. Season with ground mustard, celery seed, and salt to taste. Pour over these the best cider vinegar to cover them, and let all boil two hours, and while hot add two tablespoonfuls of sweet oil and the same of white sugar. Bottle and seal up carefully in wide-mouthed glass jars.

PICKLED CAULIFLOWER

Take large, ripe, full-blown cauliflowers; divide the pieces equally and throw them into a kettle of boiling water; boil them until a little soft, but not as much as if for the table. Take the pieces out and let them cool, then scald an ounce of mace, to each quart of good cider vinegar, and pour it hot on the cauliflower. Spices such as are usually used in pickling, improve this recipe, and should be tied in a bag and thrown in with the pickle at the last, remembering not to use dark spices, as they discolor the cauliflower. White pepper, white mustard seed and ginger are the spices suitable for this pickle.

PICKLED LEMONS

They should be small and have a thick rind. Rub them hard with a piece of flannel, then slit them through the rind in four quarters, but not through the pulp; fill the slits with salt hard pressed in, set them upright in a crock four or five days, until the salt melts. Turn them each day in their own liquid until they get tender. Make the pickle to cover them of vinegar, some of the brine of the lemons, pepper and ginger; boil this pickle and skim it well, and when cold put it over the lemons with two ounces of mustard seed and two cloves of garlic, to six lemons. This is fine for fish when the lemons are all used.

TO PICKLE ONIONS

Peel the onions, boil some strong salt and water and put it over them, cover, and let them stand twenty-four hours, then take them up with a skimmer; make some vinegar boiling hot, put to it whole pepper and mustard seed, and pour it over the onions to cover them; when cold cover close.

PREMIUM MUSTARD PICKLE

Soak three quarts of small cucumbers, gherkins, or green tomatoes, in strong salt water for three days; then put them into fresh cold water for a day or two, then scald them in plain vinegar and set them by in a place to cool. Take a gallon of vinegar, add to it one ounce of white mustard seed, two ounces of turmeric, three of sliced ginger, two of shredded horseradish, one-half pound of mustard, three pounds of brown sugar, one-half pint of sweet oil, one ounce each of celery seed, black pepper, cloves, mace, and one teaspoonful of cayenne pepper. Boil all these ingredients for fifteen minutes and pour it on the cucumbers, gherkins, or other scalded vegetable you may wish to pickle.

WALNUT PICKLE

Pick the walnuts about the Fourth of July. They should be so soft that a pin can be run through them. Lay them in salt and water ten days, change the water two or three times during the ten days. Rub off the outside with a coarse cloth and proceed to finish the pickle. For one hundred nuts, make a pickle of two quarts of vinegar, one ounce of ground pepper, same of ginger, half an ounce of mace, cloves, nutmegs and mustard seed. Put these spices in a bag, lay it in the vinegar and boil all together a few minutes; then set the pickle away for use. If the vinegar is not very strong, add fresh vinegar to the last scalding of the pickles.

PICKLED OYSTERS

Take fine large oysters, put them over a gentle fire in their own liquor, and a small lump of butter to each hundred oysters. Let them boil ten minutes, when they are plump and white; take them from their liquor with a skimmer and spread them on a thickly folded cloth. When they are firm and cold take half as much of their own liquor and half of good vinegar, make this hot, and take a stone crock, put in a layer of oysters, a spoonful of ground mace, a dozen cloves, allspice, and whole pepper alternately. If to be kept, put them in glass jars with a little sweet oil on top. Stop them and seal tight, and they will, if kept in a cool place, be good for months.

COUNTRY GREEN PICKLE

One peck of tomatoes, eight green peppers to be chopped fine. They must be the vegetable or sweet pepper. Soak the tomatoes and pepper twenty-four hours in weak brine; drain off the brine, and add to the green tomatoes a head of finely chopped cabbage; scald all in boiling vinegar twenty minutes. Skim it out from the vinegar, and place in a large jar, and add three pints of grated horseradish and such other spices as you please. Fill the jars with strong cold vinegar and tie up for use.

TOMATO SAUCE PICKLE

One gallon of tomatoes and one gallon of vinegar. Slice the tomatoes (green ones are firmest), and sprinkle salt between each layer. Let them remain thus for twelve hours, then rinse them, and put them to drain on a sieve. Put your vinegar to boil with a dozen onions cut up in it, season high with cloves, pepper and ginger, and when this boils throw in your tomatoes and let them boil five minutes. Finish by stirring in one-quarter of a pound of mustard and a pound of sugar; then add a quart of vinegar and bottle it.

PLAIN PEACH PICKLE

Take eight or ten fine, nearly ripe peaches; free-stone are preferred by some, but experience teaches that clings make the firmest pickle. Wipe off the down with a flannel rag, and put them into brine strong enough to bear up an egg. In two days drain them from this brine, and scald them in boiling vinegar, and let them stay in all night. Next day boil in a quart of vinegar, one ounce of whole pepper, one of broken-up ginger, eight blades of mace, and two ounces of mustard-seed; pour this boiling on the peaches, and when cool, put them in jars, and pack away carefully in a cool place.

PEACH PICKLES

Take ripe, sound, cling-stone peaches; remove the down with a brush like a clothes brush; make a gallon of good vinegar hot; add to it four pounds of brown sugar; boil and skim it clear. Stick five or six cloves into each of the peaches, then pour the hot vinegar over them, cover the vessel and set it in a cold place for eight or ten days, then drain off the vinegar, make it hot, skim it, and again turn it over the peaches; let them become cold, then put them into glass jars and secure as directed for preserves. Free-stone peaches may be used.

PEACHES AND APRICOT PICKLE

Take peaches fully grown, but not mellow; cover them in strong salt and water for one week. Take them from the brine and wipe them carefully, rubbing each peach to see if it is firm. Put to a gallon of vinegar half an ounce each of cloves, pepper corns, sliced ginger root, white mustard seed, and a little salt. Scald the peaches with this boiling vinegar, repeat this three times; add half as much fresh vinegar, and cork them up in jars. Keep them dark and cool. Light will spoil pickles or preserves as much as heat does. Apricots may be pickled in the same way.

GREEN PEACHES PICKLED

Brush the down from green peaches (cling-stones); put them in salt and water, with grape leaves and a bit of saleratus; set them over a moderate fire to simmer slowly until they are a fine green, then take them out, wipe them dry, and smooth the skins; take enough vinegar to cover them, put to it whole pepper, allspice, and mustard seed, making it boiling hot, and turn it over the peaches. Repeat the scalding three successive days.

PEACH MANGOES

Steep some large free-stone peaches in brine for two days, then wipe each peach carefully, and cut a hole in it just sufficient to allow the seed to come out; then throw them into cold vinegar until you make the stuffing, which is to fill up the cavity occupied by the seed. Take fresh white mustard seed which has been wet with vinegar, and allowed to swell a few hours, scraped horseradish, powdered ginger, a few pods of red pepper, a few small onions, or, better still, a clove of garlic. Mix all with vinegar, and add half as much chopped peach. Stuff the peaches hard with this mixture, replace the piece cut out, and tie it up tight with pack-thread. Boil a quart of vinegar for each dozen peaches; season it with the same spices as the stuffing. Boil the spices in a small bag, and then put in the peaches and let them scald ten or fifteen minutes, just long enough to be thoroughly hot all through. Place the peaches in jars, and pour scalding vinegar well spiced over them--the vinegar must cover them; add at the top a tablespoonful of salad oil. Cover the jar tight by tying leather over it.

MELON MANGOES

Get the late, small, smooth, green melons, they should not be larger than a teacup; cut out a piece from the stem end large enough to allow you to take the seeds from the inside; scrape out all the soft part, and when done, cover with the piece cut out and lay them in rows in a stone or wooden vessel as you do them. Make a strong brine of salt and water, pour it over the melons and let them remain in it twenty-four hours. Prepare the following stuffing: sliced horseradish, very small cucumbers, nasturtiums, small white onions, mustard seed, whole pepper, cloves and allspice; scald the pickles and cull them. Rinse the melons in cold water, then wipe each one dry and fill it. Put a cucumber, one or two small onions, with sliced horseradish and mustard seed, into each melon; put on the piece belonging to it and sew it with a coarse needle and thread; lay them in a stone pot or wooden vessel, the cut side up; when all are in, strew over them cloves and pepper, make the vinegar (enough to cover them) boiling hot, and put it over them, then cover with a folded towel; let them stand one night, then drain off the vinegar, make it hot again and pour it on, covering as before. Repeat this scalding four or five times, until the mangoes are a fine green; three times is generally enough. Be sure the melons are green and freshly gathered. The proper sort are the last on the vines, green and firm. If you wish to keep them till the next summer, choose the most firm, put in a jar and cover with cold fresh vinegar; tie thick paper over them.

BREAD AND YEAST

REMARKS ON YEAST

Without good yeast to start with it is impossible to make good bread, therefore I devote a few moments to this important consideration. There are several kinds of yeast used for raising bread and rolls. Brewers’ yeast is given to start with, though too strong for a family bread. Bakers’ is better, but not always to be had. A housekeeper should get a little of any good yeast to commence with, and when she finds it is good, and is well risen and sweet, instead of pouring it into flour, and baking it, it is better to thicken it with cornmeal, cut the cakes out, dry in a cool place, and keep the cakes always on hand for any purpose to which they are suited, _i. e._, in the making of bread, rolls, pocketbooks, loaf, cake, sally lunn, or any kind of light biscuit.

TO MAKE RISING WITH YEAST CAKE

Take a heaping spoonful of good yeast cake pounded, one-half a cup of warm water, a lump of sugar, and enough sifted flour to make a thick batter. Set this to rise in a cool place in summer, and a warm place in winter. It will be light and ready to use in about three hours, unless it is kept very cool. A heaping spoonful is the proper quantity for one quart of flour; half a cup of lard will make the bread better and richer. It is well to grease the bread on top before baking.

TURNPIKE CAKES, COMMONLY CALLED HARD YEAST

Put a cup of hops into a pint of water; when boiling hot, strain it over a pint of corn-meal; add a teacup of bakers’ yeast, and when cool roll the dough in flour, and cut it out into cakes, and dry them for use.

LIQUID YEAST OF PARCHED CORN AND HOPS, WHICH DOES NOT TURN SOUR

Take two teacupfuls of corn, parch it thoroughly, being careful not to burn it; add a good handful of hops; boil in water enough to cover well, for an hour and a half. Pare six good-sized potatoes, and boil them for half an hour with the corn and hops. Sift the potatoes (when done) through a colander, and strain the liquor through a cloth onto the potatoes; add a tablespoonful of vinegar, one cup of sugar, and a half cup of salt; put in cold water enough to make up a gallon. Put the whole in a jug, having added a teacupful of good yeast to raise it. Set the jug, without corking, in a warm place till it begins to “work,” then cork it and put it in the cellar, and the longer it stands the better it becomes. When wanted for bread, you should (at noon) take five or six boiled potatoes, mash them very fine, stir in a teacupful of flour, and pour on a quart of boiling water; then put in a cup nearly full of yeast, and set the ferment in a warm place till night; then set a soft sponge, with warm water and flour, adding the ferment; it will be ready to mould up hard the first thing in the morning. Let it rise till quite light, then mould it out in loaves, rise again, and bake in the usual way. The sponge should not be set near the stove. The superior qualities of this yeast are shown by the fact that you never use saleratus in the bread, and it never sours. If the directions are followed, with good flour, you may be sure of sweet light bread every time.

MISS BEECHER’S POTATO YEAST

Mash six boiled potatoes, mix in half a coffeecup of flour, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and add hot water until it is a batter; beat all well together. When it is blood-warm add to it one-half cup of brewers’ yeast, or a whole cup of home-brewed yeast. When this is light, put it in a bottle, and cork it tight for use. Keep it as cool as possible.

ANOTHER POTATO YEAST WITHOUT HOPS

Boil and mash sufficient potatoes to fill a pint cup; add to them a pint of water, boil them together, stir in flour enough to form a thick batter, and when cool, add a yeast cake, or a cup of good yeast. Bottle and put away in a cool place.

YEAST WITH HOPS

Peel and boil eight large Irish potatoes. Boil a handful of hops in a little water, or in the water the potatoes were boiled in; mash the potatoes fine, and strain the water from the hops over them. Put in a cup of flour to the potatoes before the water is poured on, as it mixes better when dry; mix all together and beat it, then put in half a cup of good yeast, or a yeast cake. This will keep good for a week if kept cool.

HOME-MADE YEAST

Boil one pound of good flour, one-quarter of a pound of good sugar, and a tablespoonful of salt in two gallons of water. Boil for two hours, and bottle it for use. This will do if you are where you cannot get bakers’ yeast, or turnpike cakes to start your yeast, but is not always reliable.

SALT RISING YEAST

Take a pint of new milk, warm from the cow if possible. Put in a teaspoonful of salt, and thicken it with flour to the consistency of batter cakes. Set this in a warm place to rise, and make your biscuit or bread up with it, and some new milk, or milk and water warmed together.

SALT, OR MILK, RISING FOR BREAD, AND HOW TO BAKE IT

Take a pint of new milk, stir in nearly a pint of boiling water, then salt it with a teaspoonful of fine salt; thicken this with flour enough to make a thick batter. Set it in a warm place to rise, and it is ready to mix into bread. Mix the yeast in a soft dough with fine flour, a little lard, and a cup of water; mould it, and set it to rise. When well risen, bake it a nice brown. Wrap it in a damp cloth for a few minutes, and let it cool slowly before it is cut. This is a good bread for a delicate stomach, which is sometimes painfully affected by hop-yeast bread.

HARD FIG-LEAF YEAST MADE WITHOUT HOPS

During the war we could get no hops, and found that fig-leaves were a good substitute. _To Make Fig-Leaf Yeast._--Take a pint cup of the leaves, put them to a quart of cold water, and boil them until a strong tea or decoction is made--this is to be put away to cool; then pour off the tea carefully, leaving the dregs and leaves. Now boil and wash Irish potatoes enough to fill a pint-cup, put them to the tea of fig-leaves, beat them up with a tablespoonful of brown sugar and flour, to make a stiff batter, and put it in a covered vessel to rise. When this yeast is light and frothing, thicken it immediately (as keeping too long injures it) with corn-meal, until it is thick enough to be rolled out like biscuit. Roll it out, cut and dry the cake, turning them very often until dry. This will be a supply of yeast for several months. When you wish to make bread, take one of the cakes in the morning, put it in a covered mug or pitcher; put on it a cup of cold water, and when it is dissolved, put to it a spoonful of brown sugar, and make a batter of the water and yeast cake. Make this batter as stiff as pound-cake batter, and when it rises well, mix with two quarts of flour, and the bread will be most excellent, if carefully made according to these directions. Use lard as usual in making the bread up for baking.

TO MAKE A LOAF OF GOOD BREAD

One large spoonful of hop yeast, or a yeast cake; put this to a pint of water, mash to this two Irish potatoes, and stir all together. Sift in flour until you have a stiff batter, and set it to rise. When it is very light, stir in a spoonful of lard, and enough flour to enable you to mould it into a loaf. When moulded, grease the top, and set it to rise again. If really light, you can now bake it; but if _not_, work it down again, and mould it over and let it rise again. This is made plain and definite, for nothing is more discouraging for a young housekeeper than to feel that she really _tried_, and yet could _not_ make good bread. This is in such small quantities that a young person could try it, without feeling that she was wasting much, if she does not succeed the first time. Any one who tries this simple recipe will have the pleasure of presenting a nice loaf of bread to her family.

TO MAKE GOOD BREAD

Make a pint of meal into mush, then pour it onto two quarts of flour; when cool, add a little salt and warm water, or milk, and a cup of yeast; work it with a spoon, and set it by to rise until morning. Knead it well; yes, _very_ well, and make it into loaves; place in the pan, and when light, bake it. Add a little lard, if liked.

A VERY NICE POTATO BREAD

To two pounds or pints of flour, add one pound or pint of warm, mashed mealy Irish potatoes. Add to this milk and water, a cup of yeast and a little salt. Make it after kneading it very well, into loaves, and place them in a pan to rise. If you desire a rich, short bread you may add a little lard or butter, but it is nice without.

RAISED WHEAT BREAD WITH POTATOES

Take one half a cup of hop yeast, or yeast made from turnpike cake will do, also two boiled hot Irish potatoes, mash them, and add to the yeast and potatoes one pint of water. Make a sponge of this by beating in sifted flour until it is a soft dough. Set it to rise by the stove; when it is light, pour the sponge in the bread tray and mould it rather stiff with sifted flour, knead it well and set it to rise _again_. When it is light, work in a little more flour, shape it in loaves in the baking-pans; and when light the second time bake it; this allows the yeast to lighten or rise _once_, and the dough or bread to rise twice, making three fermentations the dough undergoes before it is baked into bread.

LIGHT BREAD, INVARIABLY GOOD

Take _nine_ pint cups of flour, one pint cup of good yeast made from hops, two pint cups of warm water and a pint cupful of warm milk. Make into a sponge, let this rise; when risen, knead it with all your strength, work more flour into it, and let it rise again. When it is light, you must bake it in loaves.

EXCELLENT FAMILY BREAD

Take a peck of sifted flour, half a pint of family yeast, or a gill of brewers’ yeast; wet all up soft with new milk, or milk and water warm. Add a cup of shortening, and a teaspoonful of salt. Knead it faithfully, and set it in a warm place to rise. It is better to take the dough when risen, and work it down again; but some dislike the trouble, and bake it as soon as it rises. You must keep your dough for wheat bread very soft; but for rye, you may have it stiff.

SPONGE BREAD

Take three quarts of wheat flour, and three quarts of boiling water, mix them thoroughly; let them remain until lukewarm, then add twelve spoonfuls of family yeast, or six of brewers’. Place it where it will be warm; keep the air from it, and leave it to rise. When it is light, work in flour to mould it, and a little salt. Let it stand for a second rising, then shape into loaves and bake.

RYE AND INDIAN BREAD FOR DYSPEPTICS

Take a pint of rye flour and a pint of Indian meal, scald the meal with a cup of boiling water, and when lukewarm, mix in the flour and a cup of yeast; add a little salt, and knead it as for other bread. Bake for two hours.

GRAHAM BREAD

Get good, fresh, ground unbolted flour, and sift it through a common hair sieve. Take three quarts of this wheat meal, one half a cup of good yeast, and three spoonfuls of molasses. Mix to a sponge with water, work in flour enough to mould it, and proceed as you do with common wheat bread. You must put a little soda in the batter before moulding, as it is more disposed to ferment than fine or bolted flour.

MISS SHATTUCK’S BROWN BREAD

One quart of rye meal, two quarts of Indian meal, two tablespoonfuls of molasses; mix thoroughly with sweet milk. Let it stand two hours, and bake in a slow oven.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

One and a half pints of Indian meal, half a pint of wheat flour, one cup of sweet milk, one cup of sour milk, with a teaspoonful of soda in it; three tablespoonfuls of molasses, one tablespoonful of yeast, and a pinch of salt. Put it in a warm place to rise, then let it bake steadily for four hours; warm by steaming it when wanted to use.

CORN BATTER BREAD

Take six spoonfuls of flour, and six of corn meal; add a little salt, sift them together; make a batter with four eggs, and a cup of milk; stir in the flour and meal, make it a soft batter, and bake in small tins for breakfast. Some use yeast powder or soda with this batter, but that is a matter of taste. If yeast powder is used, sift it in the flour; if soda is used put it in the milk.

MISSISSIPPI CORN BREAD

One quart of buttermilk, two eggs, three spoonfuls of butter, and a teaspoonful of saleratus; stir in meal, to the milk, until it is as thick as buckwheat batter. Bake in squares about one inch thick. It will require half an hour in a hot oven. If it is not nice, it will be because you have put in too much meal, and made the batter too thick. But try again, and you will succeed.

SODA OR MILK BISCUIT

To a pound of sifted flour, put the yolk of an egg; dissolve a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in a little milk; put it and a teaspoonful of salt to the flour, with as much milk as will make a stiff paste; work it well together, beat it for some minutes with a rolling-pin, then roll it very thin. Cut it in round or square biscuits, and bake in a moderate oven until they are crisp.

RICH SODA BISCUITS WITH CREAM OF TARTAR

To each quart of flour add two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar sifted through it. Put in a tablespoonful of lard or butter; dissolve a tablespoonful of soda in a cup of water, pour it on the flour; mix with milk, or milk and water, to a soft dough, roll out on the floured biscuit board, cut with the biscuit cutter, and bake quickly. Add a little salt.

A NICE WAY TO MAKE YEAST POWDER BISCUIT

Take a quart of flour--which is about the quantity required by an ordinary family of six persons; sift one pint of the flour in a tin basin, and sift into it two heaping spoonfuls of yeast or baking powder. Add to the flour a tablespoonful of lard; put this also in the basin and make, with a little salt, a nice batter; beat the flour, lard and water very briskly until it is light. Take down your biscuit board and sift on it the other pint of flour, make a hole in the flour, and pour in your batter, gently stirring it until it is a soft dough; keep it as soft as possible, roll it out, cut it with the biscuit cutter, and bake quickly. These biscuits never have that screwed or drawn-up look that most biscuits made with yeast powder have.

SPONGE BISCUIT WITH YEAST

Stir half a teacup of melted butter, a teaspoonful of salt and a cup of good yeast, into a pint of lukewarm water; then add flour to make a stiff batter. Set this to rise; when light drop this mixture onto flat buttered tins; drop them several inches apart so as to leave room for them to rise. Let them stay in a warm place fifteen minutes, before being put in the oven to bake. Bake them quickly to a light brown color; they will take about six or eight hours to lighten, though the time depends always on the yeast, and the coldness or warmth of the weather.

SPONGE BISCUIT WITHOUT YEAST, MADE WITH CREAM

Mix half a pint of thick cream, four eggs, a little salt, soda, and flour enough to make a stiff batter; if too stiff to drop nicely, thin it with a cup of sweet milk. Drop on tins like the above recipe. Bake in a quick oven.

CREAM OF TARTAR BISCUIT FOR BREAKFAST

One quart of sifted flour, three teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and one of soda mixed in the flour, and a little salt, two large spoonfuls of shortening; mix soft with warm water or milk, and bake.

MILK BISCUIT OR ROLLS

Warm a pint of milk and half a pound of butter; pour this into nearly two quarts of flour (you must take out a handful for finishing the biscuit); add two eggs and a cup of yeast, knead it very well and make into round balls, flatten each one on the palm of your hand and prick it with a fork; bake.

NICE ROLLS OR LIGHT BISCUIT

Beat together one egg, one spoonful of sugar, a small lump of butter and a gill of yeast, or a yeast cake; add to this a quart of flour, and enough warm milk, or milk and water, to form a dough; work it and set it to rise. When it has risen, take down your bread-board, flour it _well_, roll your dough out on the board, and spread over it a tablespoonful of lard or butter. Sprinkle a dust of flour over the butter, roll it up into rolls and bake quickly. Rolls are often made dark by allowing them to get too light.

VIRGINIA ROLLS

One tablespoonful of good yeast, one egg, one large spoonful of butter, one pound or pint of flour, a little salt and enough milk to form into a stiff batter. Set it to rise in a warmed pan until it is light; sift a cup of flour into the bread-tray, and pour the light batter in; work it well and keep the dough very soft, which is the most certain way to have light rolls or bread. Now, that it is well worked, moist and soft, set the dough to rise; when light, make into rolls, and lay them on a warmed and buttered pan; set them by the fire to rise again, baste the top over with butter, and bake in a quick oven as soon as they are light. Do not keep them too long rising or they might become sharp or sour.

LIGHT FLOUR PUFFS FOR BREAKFAST