Chapter II (20)

25. Spiced Grapes.--Select five pounds of nice grapes, pulp them, and boil until tender. After the pulps are thoroughly cooked, strain through a sieve, then add to it three pounds of sugar, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon and allspice, and half teaspoonful of cloves. Add enough vinegar and spices to suit the taste. Boil thoroughly and cool. This is very nice.

[CANNING, PICKLING AND PRESERVING 845]

26. Spiced Peaches.--Take five pounds of peaches, wipe them thoroughly and boil until tender in one quart of vinegar and two pounds of brown sugar. When done remove them from the liquid, and add one ounce each of cinnamon, cloves and mace. Boil the liquid for some time after the spices have been added, then place the fruit in jars and pour this over them.

27. Pear Chips.--Ten pounds of pears sliced thin, seven pounds of sugar, four lemons boiled soft; press out the juice and pulp; chop the peel very fine. Boil the fruit and sugar together until soft, then add the lemon, a half pound green ginger root scraped and cut into small pieces. Let the above mixture boil until quite thick. This can be placed in jelly glasses, and will keep nicely. This is an excellent recipe.

JAMS AND JELLIES.

1. Crab Apple Jelly.--Select nice ripe apples, wash and cut out any imperfections; place on the stove and cover with water, cook slowly until soft enough to strain, then take them off and drain through a jelly bag. To every four pints of juice use three pints of sugar; heat the sugar very warm in the oven. Boil the juice fourteen minutes, stir in warm sugar, and boil altogether three to five minutes, then turn into moulds or jelly glasses.

2. Apple Jelly.--After you have selected nice tart, juicy apples of good flavor, pare them, core and quarter, then put them with the skins and cores, in a jar in a slow oven. When they are quite soft, strain all through a coarse muslin bag, pressing hard to extract all the flavor of the fruit. Put a pound of loaf sugar to every pint of juice and the juice of one lemon, and put the liquor over the fire in a preserving kettle. Boil steadily for twenty minutes or so, skimming occasionally. Boil the jelly glasses in hot water and fill them with the jelly while hot. This jelly will keep for an unlimited time if kept in a cool, dry place.

3. Currant Jelly.--The currants should be washed very thoroughly, but do not stem; put in a kettle, scald them but do not cook. Cool and strain; boil the juice alone for twenty minutes. Weigh the sugar, and to a pint of juice use a pound of sugar. Have the sugar in the oven browning lightly and heating thoroughly. When the juice has boiled twenty minutes stir in the sugar until it dissolves; then put into glasses and keep in a cool place.

4. Blackberry Jelly.--Cook the berries until tender, then strain the juice from them. Add an equal quantity of sugar. Boil hard for twenty minutes, then pour into moulds or jelly glasses.

5. Cranberry Jelly.--Take two pounds of sugar, granulated, one quart of water and three quarts of cranberries. Cook thoroughly, mashing all the berries fine, then put all through a fine sieve. Return the juice to the stove and cook fifteen minutes more; pour into glasses and seal when cool.

[846 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

6. Grape Jelly.--Select grapes that are partially ripe, as they make the prettiest jelly, and to every eight pounds of fruit take a large cupful of water; put them into a porcelain-lined kettle and boil until quite soft; strain through a cloth. Measure the juice, then measure and put away the same quantity of sugar. Let the juice boil half an hour, then add the sugar and let it boil five or ten minutes longer. All jellies to be good, should have nearly all the boiling done before the sugar is added.

7. Rhubarb and Apple Jelly.--Cut up your rhubarb and wash it; put on the fire without any water at all. Take good sour apples, pare and quarter and cook in a very little water. Strain the juice from both and put them on the stove to cook for fifteen minutes. Then add the heated sugar, using three-fourths as much sugar as juice. Boil hard for twenty minutes, turn into glasses and set in the sun, if possible, for half a day. Seal the next day.

8. Spiced Grape Jelly.--Take grapes half ripe, crush all the juice out well and strain. Take equal quantities of juice and sugar; to each quart of juice add one-half teaspoonful of cloves and one tablespoonful cinnamon. Cook very hard for twenty minutes, then remove from the stove and pour into glasses.

9. Rhubarb Jelly.--After the rhubarb has been thoroughly washed and cut up in small pieces, stew until tender in a preserving kettle. Strain through a jelly rag and flavor with extract of lemon. Put in enough to suit the taste. To each pint of juice add a pound of sugar; boil until it jellies on the skimmer, then remove and place in glasses. Keep in a cool place.

10. Orange Marmalade.--Cut the oranges in half; remove the pulp with a spoon, take one lemon to five oranges, preparing the same way. Then cut the shells of the oranges in two, scrape out the white lining and put the skins on to boil; weigh the pulp, take half as much sugar, and simmer together fifteen minutes. When the skins are transparent and tender, take up, putting several pieces together, cut it quickly into the narrowest possible strips. Mix these with pulp and sugar; cook until very thick. Put in glasses and then when cold, seal.

11. Blackberry Jam.--Take two quarts of blackberries, one quart fine cooked apples, two quarts of sugar, boil these all together for twenty minutes. This is very easily made and is very good.

12. Plum and Apple Jam.--After canning plums, there is often some left, not enough to fill a can; a very nice jam can be made of this by putting it through a sieve; and adding the same quantity of good apples, cooked. Sweeten to taste and put in a very little cinnamon and cloves. Cook an hour, then tie up in jars when cold.

13. Tomato Marmalade.--Pare and slice without wetting four pounds of unripe tomatoes, Give them a slow boil for several hours until a large portion of the water has evaporated; add for each pound of tomatoes three-quarters of a pound of sugar and two sliced lemons. Boil for one hour longer.

[CANNING, PICKLING AND PRESERVING 847]

14. Raspberry Jams.--To three or four pounds of ripe red raspberries add an equal quantity of white sugar. Crush the whole well in a preserving kettle; add one pint of currant juice and boil gently until it jellies upon a cold plate; put into a small jar and cover with brandied paper. Tie over them a thick paper and keep in a dark, cool, dry place.

15. Strawberry Jam, with Red Currants.--Take four pounds of strawberries, one pint of red currant juice, and two pounds of sugar. Place in a porcelain kettle and boil the berries and currant juice first, then add the sugar and boil up again, skimming well. Put in jars, cover with paraffin and keep in a cool place.

16. Peach Jelly.--Cook peaches and add a few kernels; when done strain. To one pint of peach liquor add one lemon and one pound of sugar. Dry and heat the sugar in a separate pan and let the peach liquor boil twenty minutes. Then add the sugar and boil a few minutes longer. This is very nice.

17. Gooseberry Jam.--To one pound of pulped fruit, add three-fourths pound of sugar. Stew the berries in a little water, press through a coarse sieve or colander. Then place on the stove again and add sugar. Boil three-quarters of an hour, stirring constantly. Pour in jars or jelly glasses.

[348 MOTHERS' REMEDIES ]

CANDY MAKING

CONFECTIONERS' AND COMMON CANDY.

From the Following Recipes and Formulae, Hundreds and Even Thousands of Candies Can Be Made.

Candy Making at Home.--The proverbial "sweet-tooth" is a characteristic of the American people. Hundreds of tons of candy are annually consumed, and fortunes have been made in the business. The range of price is from ten cents to a dollar a pound, with some specially wrapped and boxed bon-bons exceeding the latter price, not because of intrinsic excellence, but because of the ornamental form in which they are presented. Cheap candies are adulterated and hence more or less detrimental to health. Good candies are not harmful, unless eaten to excess. Delicious candy may be made at home at much less cost, and some famous candies, like the "Mary Elizabeth" and others, had their beginnings in a home kitchen and grew into popular favor because of their known purity and uniform excellence. The cost of ten one-pound boxes of candies is estimated at $1.50 when materials are bought in small quantities; such candies, placed on sale at church fairs, bazars, etc., are sold at forty and fifty cents per box. Even at twenty-five cents a box there is a profit of ten cents on each box. Any girl can prepare bon-bons for a luncheon or a party at home, if she is willing to take the trouble,--which is, after all, a pleasure to many. She may save her own candy boxes and by getting a supply of paraffin paper, fill them again with candies quite as good as those they originally contained; or buy new boxes of the paper box manufacturers at two or three cents apiece. A box of home-made candy makes a nice Christmas or birthday gift.

Boiling the Sugar.--Confectioners recognize seven degrees in boiling sugar for candy, only four of which, however, are practically important. The first of these is the "thread" at about 215 degrees, by the sugar thermometer, when a short thin thread forms when thumb and forefinger are separated with a drop of syrup between them. This passes very quickly into a second stage, known as the large or long thread, when it can be drawn out to a considerably greater length without breaking. In a moment more it can be extended as far as the thumb and forefinger can be separated. The next stage is the "pearl," shown when the surface of the syrup is covered with bubbles, and is the stage at which much candy is made. The "blow" and "feather" come next; then the "ball" or fondant stage at 235 to 245 degrees; this is the third important stage. To discover when the boiling has progressed to this stage, drop a little of the syrup on to ice water, or dip the tips of the thumb and forefinger into ice water and then into the syrup and instantly into the ice water again with the syrup between. One can use a small stick in the same way. If the syrup can be rolled into a soft, but not sticky ball, it is in the soft ball stage; half a minute more of boiling will convert it into the "hard ball," if tested in the same manner. For fondant, the "soft ball" is chosen. The next is the "crack" or brittle stage, at about 300 degrees; when testing as above the syrup remains dry and hard on the fingers. This is the stage for candy that is to be pulled. At the caramel stage the syrup begins to brown, and must be quickly taken from the fire or it becomes "burnt sugar;" dropped in water it crackles and snaps.

[CANDY MAKING 849]

Making the Fondant.--Fondant ("foundation") is the basis of all French bon-bons, so-called. An endless number of varieties may be made from it in combination with other material. There are two ways of preparing it. The easiest and simplest way is to add to the white of an egg an equal bulk of cold water and a teaspoonful of vanilla; beat until it froths, then add, gradually, one pound or more, of confectioners' XXX sugar; if the egg is large, one and one-half pounds may be required. Ordinary sugar will not do. Add sugar until the mixture forms a stiff paste; work this with a spoon until it is very smooth, then put away in a cool place for at least twenty-four hours, letting it stand in an earthen dish, and cover with a doubled napkin wrung out of cold water.

French, or Boiled Fondant.--Put into a porcelain lined kettle a pint of the best granulated cane sugar, half a pint of cold water and a salt spoon of cream of tartar dissolved in warm water. Stir it till the sugar is dissolved and boil rapidly without stirring or moving the kettle. Without a sugar thermometer it is impossible to tell exactly how many minutes it should boil, but usually in about ten minutes a little of the syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft waxy ball between the moistened fingers. It should then be removed from the fire and put in a cool place until the hand can rest with comfort on the bottom of the kettle. If too hot, it will turn back to sugar; if too cold, it will not thicken properly. In either case it is not spoiled, try again; add boiling water, stir until dissolved, and repeat the boiling. A little experience makes one to seize "the psychological moment" when the syrup is in the right condition. When the syrup has cooled to the degree indicated above, begin to stir it, using a long-handled wooden spoon. It will turn milky at first, then thick and white, finally dry on the edge of the dish and get so stiff it is difficult to stir. Then take the mass out on a marble slab and knead as you would bread dough; if you have no marble slab you may work it in the hands.

[350 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Flavor and Color.--At this point add the flavoring. Make little holes in the fondant with the fingers and put in each a little of the flavoring, working it through the mass. The essential oils are better than extracts. Three or four drops of any of the oils will flavor a pound of fondant. Three cents worth would be sufficient for a number of pounds. The flavor should not be strong. About a teaspoonful of any extract will be sufficient. If it is desirable to have two or more flavors, divide the fondant into the required number of portions, and have an assistant take up the kneading of each. Work the fondant until it is creamy. The pure food laws discourage the use of colorings, and it is difficult for the amateur to procure them in economical quantities. Cochineal can always be had and provides any number of shades of pink. Spinach heated over steam, and the juice expressed, gives a pretty green which is perfectly harmless. Work into the fondant as you used the flavoring oil or extract. The above ingredients will make one pound of fondant, all the beginners should undertake at one time. It may be kept for some time by packing it in glass cans and sealing tightly. The fondant should "mellow" for at least twenty-four hours before being used, especially as centers for chocolate creams, etc.; and these in turn should stand as long before being dipped. It is also advisable to let the bon-bons stand a day at least before being wrapped and packed. Choose a dry, clear, quiet day to make fondant, and do not attempt to work with it in wet weather; it is very sensitive to atmospheric conditions.

Making the Bon-bons.--After the fondant has stood the required interval it is ready to make up. Here comes in play the ingenuity of the candy maker in the employment of various accessories. Candied cherries, candied violets and rose petals, angelica, dates, figs, hard jellies, raisins, white grapes, crystallized ginger, cocoanuts, marshmallows, nuts, all are employed, while chocolate is used in so many forms that it gives rise to an entire class of candies. When ready to make up the bon-bons, roll the fondant out evenly and cut in squares of equal size; shape these with the fingers. The hands must be frequently dipped into ice water and wiped dry, but never greased. Roll the fondant into a ball; while still in the hand, press into the top an English walnut meat, or whatever decoration is desired, and lay on paraffin paper to harden. Another class is made by using a nut meat, say a blanched almond or pecan meat, a raisin, etc., as center, and rolling the fondant round it. The ball may be rolled in beaten white of egg and then in coarse white sugar. By using various centers, and ornamenting the tops differently a great variety of bon-bons may be made; in fact, hundreds or even thousands can be worked out by changing the flavor, nuts, coloring, etc.

Chocolate Candies.--If the American girl had to be restricted to one class of candies, there would be little doubt she would profess a preference for those prepared with chocolate.

[CANDY MAKING 851]

Chocolate Creams.--To make chocolate creams, roll the fondant into balls of uniform size; let them stand on paraffin paper twenty-four hours or more. Also coat nut meats, raisins, candied cherries, etc., with fondant. In making a small quantity of chocolate dipped candies, get a small bowl that will fit into the top of the teakettle; into this cut half a pound of unsweetened chocolate and a lump of paraffin as large as a black walnut, and let them melt; when smooth and well mixed let cool a little, and then set on a hot soapstone. Have ready a colander and a long darning needle. Cover the bottom of the colander with paraffin paper, stick the point of the needle into the piece to be dipped, immerse in the melted chocolate, let it drip a moment, then push the eye of the needle through one of the holes in the colander, reach the other hand under and pull out the needle. There then remains no disfiguring hole in the bottom of the cream. When the colander is filled, lift the paper very, very carefully, and put in a cool place to harden. Unless the colander must be used again it is best to let the creams stand in it to harden. Nut meats, white grapes, candied cherries and the like, may be dipped in the melted chocolates and coated like the creams. If the chocolate gets too thick, thin it with a little olive oil or unsalted butter; not with water which will make it grain.

Chocolate Creams. No. 2.--Put two cups of granulated sugar into half a cup of sweet cream. Boil five minutes from the time it begins to boil hard. Set the pan into cold water and stir in the flavoring, a teaspoonful of vanilla, usually. Stir until the candy is so stiff that stirring is difficult; drop from a spoon on waxed paper; as it hardens, mould into balls, and dip in chocolate as above.

Chocolate Candy, Plain.--Melt a square of unsweetened chocolate and stir into plain fondant, flavoring generously with vanilla.

Chocolate Caramels.--Put together over the fire one cup of molasses and two teacupfuls of sugar. Add a quarter of a pound of grated chocolate and a piece of butter the size of an egg. Boil, without stirring, fifteen to twenty minutes; pour into flat buttered dishes to a depth of one-third of an inch, and when nearly cold cut into squares. Wrap each in a square of paraffin paper.

Chocolate Nut Caramels.--Boil together a cup of molasses, a cup of sugar and half a cup of sweet milk until a little hardens in cold water. Cut into it a piece of butter the size of an egg and add a cup of chopped nuts. Proceed as above.

Chocolate Fudge.--Put into a porcelain lined pan two cups of granulated sugar, four sections of unsweetened chocolate, grated, one cup of milk and two rounded tablespoonfuls of butter. Cook, stirring constantly, for twenty minutes. Dip out a little of the mixture, put on a cold plate, and if it is done it will form a soft pliable paste. Flavor generously with vanilla, beat hard for a few minutes, then turn into buttered pans and cut into squares while warm.

[852 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

CHOCOLATE CANDIES. Cocoanut Cream Bars.--Boil three pounds of granulated sugar, one cup of cold water and half a teaspoonful of cream of tartar until thick--or in the "ball" stage. Let cool slightly, then beat until creamy. Have ready a large cocoanut, grated; mix and stir well, then pour into shallow tins covered with buttered paper. When cold, cut into bars. Let stand a day or two before using.

Cocoanut Caramels.--Three pounds of granulated sugar, one cup of milk, a tablespoonful of butter and two teaspoonfuls of lemon extract. Put into a kettle, stir till dissolved; add one grated cocoanut and boil to the "pearl" stage. Pour into buttered pans, after it has cooled a little mark off into squares, and when cold break apart. Use when quite fresh.

Cocoanut Snow Balls.--Knead dessicated cocoanut into fondant; make into balls, and roll in grated cocoanut. Dessicated cocoanut may be used but is not as good as grated cocoanut.

MAPLE CANDIES. Maple Creams.--Beat thoroughly one cup of the best maple syrup and the while of one egg. With XXX confectioners' sugar, make it into a stiff fondant or paste. Use as the centers for bon-bons, or make into balls to be dipped into chocolate.

Maple Creams No. 2.--To two pounds of maple sugar add a cup of water and a quarter teaspoonful cream of tartar. Shave the sugar, and stir till dissolved. Boil without stirring to the soft ball stage; let stand in the kettle until cool, not cold; beat until creamy and pour into a shallow buttered pan.

Maple Balls.--Boil without stirring, two cups of shaved maple sugar and a cup of water. At the hard ball stage add a heaping tablespoonful of good butter. Beat till creamy. As soon as it can be handled form into balls and press the half of an English walnut or pecan on one side.

WAFERS.--To make wafers, boil without stirring two cups of granulated sugar, a half cup of water. When it will "spin a thread" set the kettle in cold water and beat till creamy. Flavor with peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, or any flavor you choose. Squeeze through a pastry tube upon paraffin paper in quantities that will spread to the size of a quarter dollar.

Chocolate Peppermint Wafers.--Take some of the fondant prepared as above, flavor rather strongly with peppermint and dip in sweet chocolate.

MOLASSES CANDIES.--Nothing pleases children more than a "candy pull." Turn them loose in the kitchen and let them make molasses taffy.

Molasses Taffy.--Boil a cup of good Porto Rico molasses, a cup of brown sugar and a piece of butter the size of an egg until a little will harden, in cold water. Cool on buttered plates, and as soon as it can be handled grease the fingers and pull till hard and light colored. To prevent boiling over, grease the edge of the pan or kettle in which it is boiled.

[CANDY MAKING 853]

Molasses Taffy No. 2.--Four cups of sugar, two of molasses, half a cup of vinegar. Boil till it hardens in cold water, then add a tablespoonful of soda dissolved in a little water. Pour into buttered dishes and pull when sufficiently cool to handle.

Butter Scotch.--One cup of each of sugar and molasses, half a cup of vinegar, one tablespoonful of butter and a quarter teaspoonful of soda.

Nougat.--Nuts intended for nougat should be blanched, skinned and dried. Melt in a porcelain lined vessel, one pound of fine white sugar with two tablespoonfuls of water, stirring continually with a wooden spoon. Heat the nuts in the oven, after chopping them, add to the syrup, and stir for five minutes. Remove from the fire and add a little grated lemon rind. Oil a flat pan; place it in a warm place on the range and pour the candy into it. When brown, turn out of the mould, cut in cubes and wrap in oiled paper.

Nut Bars.--Chop any kind of nutmeats you prefer, or a mixture of nuts, moderately fine. Butter a shallow pan and spread the nuts evenly over the bottom. Boil one pound of granulated sugar with half a cup of water and a pinch of cream of tartar till thick, but not too brittle. Pour over the nuts and set aside to cool. When it begins to harden mark into bars with a sharp knife. Let stand several days, when it becomes soft and delicious.

Nut Loaf.--Chop nutmeats into small pieces and work into fondant. Make into a roll, and after standing a day or two, cut into slices. Chopped dates, figs and raisins may be used in the same way.

Peanut Candy.--Carefully remove the shells and brown skins from roasted peanuts. Put them an inch thick in a buttered pan. Boil a pound of crushed loaf sugar with three gills of water and a salt spoon of cream of tartar (to prevent graining) dissolved in water, to the caramel stage. The instant the sugar reaches that point, shown by its beginning to brown, it must be removed from the fire and the pan set in cold water to check the boiling; then pour over the nuts.

Pop Corn Candy.--Boil two cups of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter and a cup of water until it threads. Stir in four quarts of nice popped corn, rejecting all hard kernels, take from the fire and stir till cool. Make into balls.

Popcorn Baskets.--Prepare the corn as above, instead of making into balls, butter the bottoms of tumblers and press the candy around them to form little baskets, in which ice cream may be served or which may be filled with candies.

Sour Drops.--Strain the juice of three or four large lemons into a bowl, and stir in powdered loaf sugar till it is quite thick. Put into a pan and let boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Drop from the end of a spoon upon writing paper, and when dry keep in tin cannisters. Tartaric acid is generally used by commercial candy makers, but is much more injurious to health.

[854 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Crystallized Fruits.--Other Candies.--Boil two cups of granulated sugar with two-thirds of a cup of water until it hardens in cold water, do not stir. When it is brittle without being sticky, it is ready to use. Dip the fruit to be candied, sections of oranges, white grapes, cherries, squares of pineapple, etc., into this, and lay on paraffin paper. Dip a second time after the first has hardened, to ensure a good coat. Use the same rule for the syrup to glace nuts.

Cream Dates.--Remove the stones from nice dates. Replace them with the roll of flavored fondant. Or roll a blanched almond in fondant and stuff the date with it.

Hoarhound Candy.--Boil the hoarhound in a little water till the strength is extracted. Make a sugar syrup, adding the hoarhound to it; let it boil up and stir against the sides of the pan until it thickens. Pour out on paraffin paper dusted with fine sugar, and cut into squares.

Marshmallows.--Dissolve over a slow fire eight ounces of best gum arabic in three gills of water. Boil one ounce of marshmallow roots in a little water for half an hour. Strain, and boil down. Put this and the gum arabic solution with half a pound of loaf sugar, let it cook slowly till it makes a paste that can be rolled between the fingers to the "soft ball" stage. Then add the beaten whites of two eggs; when well mixed pour in a pan which should be lined with white paper, with enough projecting over the sides so that as the mixture cools it can be lifted out and cut in cups with a sharp knife, then rolled in powdered sugar.

Marrons Glaces.--Remove the shells from a quart of large Italian or French chestnuts. Let stand fifteen minutes in boiling water. Drain; rub off the skin; cover again with boiling water and simmer gently half an hour or till tender, but not soft. Drain in a sieve. Boil together one cup of granulated sugar and one cup of water; add the nuts and simmer until they begin to look clear. Make another syrup of one pound of granulated sugar and one cup of water; boil till it will spin a thread, add a teaspoonful of lemon juice and set aside till it cools a little; then beat till it begins to turn white. Set in a basin of hot water, flavor with vanilla, and when melted to a syrup, dip each nut. When coated, lay on paraffin paper to dry. These sugared chestnuts are highly esteemed as a sweetmeat and are expensive to buy.

Stick Candy.--Three pounds of granulated sugar, two cups of water, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar dissolved in a little warm water. Stir over the fire till the sugar is dissolved; cover the kettle while the syrup is boiling and skim carefully a few drops. When it will harden in cold water, take from the fire and add the flavoring and coloring, then pour on well buttered plates. When cool, pull, and make into sticks or mark off into squares.

[CANDY MAKING 855]

School Girl's Delight.--Two cups of white sugar, three-fourths cup of golden color corn syrup and a quarter cup of water. Put into a granite sauce pan and boil till a little will crisp in cold water. Beat the whites of two eggs very stiff in a large bowl; pour the syrup very slowly into the bowl, beating the while, and beat and stir until it begins to harden. Then add one teaspoonful of vanilla, half a cup of chopped nutmeats, and five cents worth of dates, cut up with the scissors. Pour upon oiled paper in a flat pan and cut in squares. Those who eat this candy will ask to have it made again.

A Few Hints.--Many candy makers consider coffee A sugar, better than the granulated, as being purer. Choose a sugar that is dry, uniform in quality and with hard, sparkling crystals. Cane sugar is greatly to be preferred over beet sugar. When you can, let the sugar and water stand together for some time. The syrup may be stirred until it reaches the boiling point, but not afterward. Unless otherwise specified, cook over a hot fire. The syrup passes quickly from one degree to another and must be tested often and carefully. Cream of tartar must be dissolved in a little warm water before being put into the syrup. So also must soda. If you use nuts, be careful to remove every particle of shell and skin before putting them into the syrup. Almonds are blanched by letting them stand in boiling water for a few minutes and then nipping off the skins between the fingers. They should be warmed in the oven before being put into the syrup. Dessicated cocoanut should be steamed a few minutes before being used; put in a dish in a colander over boiling water. Use the fresh cocoanut if you can get it. Bonbons made of fondant are probably the easiest form of candy making for the amateur to attempt, and the most interesting on account of the variety possible through the use of other materials in combination.

[858 MOTHERS' REMEDIES ]

OVER THREE HUNDRED MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES

A GOLD MINE OF INFORMATION FOR PROGRESSIVE HOUSEWIVES

HOUSEKEEPERS' ALPHABET.

Apples.--Keep in a dry place, as cool as possible, without freezing.

Brooms.--Hang in the cellarway to keep soft and pliant.

Cranberries.--Keep under water in cellar; change water monthly.

Dish of hot water set in oven prevents cake from scorching.

Economize health, time, and means and you will never beg.

Flour.--Keep cool, dry and securely covered.

Glass.--Clean with a quart of water mixed with a tablespoonful of ammonia.

Herbs.--Gather when beginning to blossom; keep in paper sacks.

Ink Stains.--Wet with spirits of turpentine; after three hours, rub well.

Jars.--To prevent, coax husband to your will rather than order him.

Keep an account of all supplies with cost and date when purchased.

Love lightens labor.

Money.--Count carefully when you receive change.

Nutmegs.--Prick with a pin and if good oil will run out.

Orange and Lemon Peel.--Dry, pound and keep in corked bottles.

Parsnips.--Keep in ground until spring.

Quicksilver and white of an egg destroys bedbugs.

Rice.--Select the large, with a clear fresh look; old rice may have insects.

Sugar.--For family use, the granulated is the best.

Tea.--Equal parts Japan and green are as good as English breakfast.

Use a cement made of ashes, salt and water for cracks in stove.

Variety is the best culinary spice.

Watch your back yard for dirt and bones.

Xantippe was a scold. Don't imitate her.

Youth is best preserved by a cheerful temper.

Zinc lined sinks are better than wooden ones.

Regulate the clock by your husbands watch, and in all apportionment of time remember the Giver.

[MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES 857]

1. Charcoal to Prevent Rust.--Charcoal absorbs all dampness, for which reason it should be kept in boxes with silverware to prevent rust.

2. A Needle Holder.--A guest of ours kept all her needles in a bottle in which was a pinch or two of emery. She said that it keeps them always bright and free from rust, and she finds it much easier to pick out the needle she wants from the bottle than from a tray.

3. Care of a Scrubbing Brush.--Scrubbing brushes should never be put away with their bristles upward, for thus the water would soak into the wooden part and the bristles would soon become loose.

4. In Case of Sickness.--In our home, when hot cloths are needed wet ones are put in a steamer, and water kept boiling underneath. In this way the cloths are more easily handled and can be applied as hot as needed.

5. To Tighten Cane-Seated Chair Bottoms.--Cane-seated chair bottoms that have sagged may be made as tight as ever by washing them with hot water and leaving them to dry in the open air.

6. For Chilblains.--To relieve the chilblains bathe the feet in warm water at night, then rub them with castor oil. This method will cure very bad cases.

7. Paint, Smoked by Kerosene Lamps.--Paint that has been smoked by kerosene lamps may be cleaned with kerosene, which can afterward be rubbed off with a clean brush.

8. A Use for Sacks.--Save all salt and sugar sacks; wash and boil them and they can be put to various uses. Salt sacks are nice to strain jellies through; are also nice to bake veal or beef loaf in. Sugar sacks make nice dish-towels.

9. Soap With Stove Blacking.--Use a half bar of laundry soap, and one cake of blacking. Put in an old kettle with three quarts of water. Boil down until thick. This will last a year.

10. To Remove White Spots from Tables.--Wring cloths out of very hot water, lay them over spot and remove quickly. Repeat if necessary. When dry, rub the furniture with some of the good polish.

11. To Clean Mirrors.--To clean a French mirror which has grown dull, rub with a cloth soaked in alcohol; follow this by rubbing with a dry cloth. The dullness will vanish, and the mirror will look like new. This method is used for cut glass with excellent result.

12. To Whiten Linen.--If you want your table linen to last do not use bleaching preparations. Use only clean soap and soft water. If the water is not soft, add a little ammonia.

13. Velveteen for Polishing Cloths.--Old pieces of velveteen that have served their original purpose should be saved for polishing cloths. They will answer perfectly the purpose of chamois and save buying anything fresh. When soiled the cloths may be washed in soapy water and dried in the open air.

[858 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

14. For Clearing Vinegar.--Should your home-made vinegar refuse to settle, try this: To each gallon stir in a half pint of fresh milk and let stand undisturbed for twenty-four hours. The milk will form a curd at the bottom and all the dregs will settle with it, leaving the vinegar clear. Pour off very carefully.

15. Uses for Old Velvet.--A bit of velvet is a fine polisher for brass. It quickly removes the dust from woodwork, or shoes soiled from walking which do not need reblacking. For dusting a felt hat there is nothing better than a piece of chiffon velvet. It is also good to keep the bottom of a silk skirt free from the dirt. One housekeeper even uses a big piece of old velvet to rub her stove to a high polish after it has been blackened.

16. Removing Warts.--Warts can be removed permanently and safely by an application of a salve made by mixing common table salt into a yolk of an egg. Change the application daily, and within the week they will all drop out.

17. To Save Time by Sewing.--When sewing on plain garments, cut out several garments at a time, and save time by stitching all the straight seams, then doing all the basting, etc.

18. To Remove Stains from Blankets.--Stains on blankets and other woolen materials may be removed by using a mixture of equal parts of glycerin and a yolk of an egg. Spread it on the stain, let it stay for half an hour or more, then wash out.

19. Burn from Acid or Lye.--In case of a burn with carbolic acid or lye, the speedy application of sweet oil or olive oil will give almost instant relief.

20. To Wash Laces.--To wash delicate or tender laces put the lace in a fruit jar with shavings of some good soap, cover with warm water, let soak for awhile then shake, using if necessary several waters, then rinse in same manner, spread between pieces of muslin and roll up on a bottle or jar, and leave to dry. They will not be torn in this way and will look like new.

21. For Cut or Bruise.--Bind sugar and turpentine on the wound or bruise at once. The healing properties of this simple remedy cannot be surpassed.

22. Lemons; How to Obtain More Juice.--Lemons placed in a moderately hot oven, for a few minutes will yield a greater quantity of juice than if used in the ordinary way.

23. Whipping Cream.--If cream does not whip well, add to it the white of an egg, and the result will be very satisfactory.

24. To Clean Lamp Burners.--To remove the black gummy coating which sometimes comes on the brass parts of lamp burners, moisten the cloth with common household ammonia, rub it on sapolio, and apply it to the coated surface with the aid of a little elbow grease. A bright brassy surface will soon appear.

[MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES 859]

25. To Preserve Hot Water Bottle.--Fill with air, cork tightly, and hang in a cool dry place. This keeps the walls of the bottle from coming in contact with each other and prevents deterioration and decay.

26. Sweep Stairs with Paint Brush.--My mother uses a paint brush with long bristles for sweeping her stairs. With its use the work is more quickly and thoroughly done than by the old way, because the bristles reach every corner and crack as a cloth cannot do.

27. Washing Hair Brushes.--To wash hair brushes take a piece of washing soda, dissolve it in warm water, and stand the brush in it, taking care that the water covers only the bristles. It will almost instantly become clean and white. Place it in the air to dry, bristles downward, and it will be as firm as a new brush.

28. Loops on Towels.--Always have a loop on each end of the kitchen towel, where a roller is not used. Otherwise all the soil and the wear come on the lower end.

29. Changing Pillow Slips.--To change pillow slips without scattering the feathers all over the house, sew up the clean tick, all except a space of about twelve inches. Take the full pillow unopened and baste one side of the empty one to the full one. Then with a knife slit open the seam of the pillow, the twelve-inch space. Quickly baste the other sides together so they will not come apart easily. Then slowly push the feathers into the clean and empty tick, and when finished undo the basting and sew tightly. Soak the soiled ticks in cold water immediately to remove remaining feathers.

30. Use of Old Linen Collars.--Cut them up into narrow strips and use them for gas-lighting instead of using wax tapers. They make a steady flame and do not drip grease.

31. Discarded Toys.--My baby came in the other day hugging to his breast a toy tin goat. It was evidently one of the discarded playthings of a neighbor's child. On inquiry I found that the toy had been given to my boy, and he has taken so much pleasure in this castoff plaything that I have been saving his old toys and passing them on to other children of the neighborhood. I have discovered that in their baby hearts these are as good as new, because they have never played with them. It is nothing to them that they are not just out of the store.

32. To Clean Silver.--Try curdled milk for cleaning your silverware. Let the silver stand for several hours in the milk, and you will be surprised at the result.

33. Removing Stains.--Damp salt will remove egg stains from silver and tea stains from cups.

34. To Keep Free from Mould.--Jelly and jam can be kept entirely free from mould by pouring a thin layer of melted paraffin on top. This paraffin can be saved when the jelly is taken from the glass and used the next season so the cost is very small.

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35. Hanging Out Clothes.--The other day I came across a peculiar clothes bar. It was the same as any other, except that the crossbars had been removed, and for them ropes had been substituted. The owner told me she had had her husband fix it for her the previous winter when she was bothered with salt rheum. "I hang up all the baby's little things, fastening them with clothespins, right here in the house where it is warm," she explained. "Then it is but the work of a moment to take the whole thing out of doors, and there is no fishing around for the tiny things when my hands are so cold they feel as though they would drop off."

36. A Fine Cutting Board.--I measured the top of my kitchen cabinet, and had a piece of zinc cut to fit it, allowing an inch for turning over the edges. My husband tacked it on, and I can cut meat and bread or anything on it, without harming it in the least, besides using it as a moulding board.

37. Convenient Place for Stiletto.--It will be found a great convenience to have the stiletto tied to the embroidery hoop by a ribbon about a foot long, when that little instrument is necessary for the work in hand.

38. Cleaning Paint and Varnish.--Many housekeepers have been annoyed by finding their paint and varnish brushes dry and hard. To soften them, heat to the boiling water point some good cider vinegar, immerse your brushes and allow them to simmer in it for a few minutes, then wash out in strong soapsuds and your brushes will be soft and pliable.

39. How to Keep Cookies from Burning.--To keep cookies from burning on the bottom, turn the baking pan upside down and bake on the bottom of the pan.

40. Non-Sticking Cake Tins.--Cake layers will not stick in cooking if a little meal is scorched on the cake tins and rubbed off with paper.

41. To Clean Sieve.--Hold a sieve which has been used for straining oatmeal, tomatoes, fruit, etc., at once under the faucet, or shake it in enough water to cover it, then slap it, and it is easily cleaned; if it dries first it is almost impossible to get it clean even by more time and effort.

42. Washing Clothes.--After the clothes have been soaked a while to loosen the dirt, spread on washboard, soap, and then rub with a common scrub brush. The dirt comes out easier and with much less wear on the clothes. Even when the washing machine is used, this is a help for the wrist bands that are not quite clean.

43. Discoveries.--When old clothes, like worn-out aprons or waists or linings come to hand, and are absolutely good for nothing else, cut them into small pieces, say eight or twelve inches square, some larger, and put them into a bag or box easily accessible. Then when something is spilled over on stove or floor, or mess of any kind is made, use these bits for cleaning up and drop them into the fire.

[MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES 861]

44. To Stretch Curtains.--Take curtains while wet and put on a curtain rod; also put a heavy rod as a weight on the lower hem. Hang one on curtain at a time at an open window and stretch the desired width.

45. Cleaning Windows in the Winter.--It is a hard task in the winter time to wash windows in the old way, but if it is very cold, windows can be cleaned by using "Bon Ami," The same is useful for cleaning bright pieces on stoves.

46. How to Kill Black Ants.--A request for information as to how to rid plants and trees of black ants, which was received at the Pennsylvania department of agriculture's division of zoology, elicited the following from Prof. H. A. Surface, State Zoologist. You can do this by finding the nesting places of the pests and making holes into the interior of them with a sharpened stick like a broom handle and pouring into each hole a half tea cup of carbon bisulphide. Fill the hole with earth and cover with a wet cloth or blanket to keep down the fumes and the ants will be destroyed at once. This is the best possible method for destroying ants of any kind.

47. Washing Windows.--It is better to wash windows on a cloudy day or when the sun is not shining directly on them. Before washing, dust them thoroughly inside and out, then wash the woodwork without touching the glass. For the glass use warm water, to which add a tablespoonful of kerosene to each pailful of water used. Dry with a cloth or chamois skin, wrung very dry; then polish with a soft cloth or soft old newspapers.

48. Home-made Soap Shaker.--A baking powder can with holes punctured in both cover and bottom, makes a fine soap shaker. Put all the small scraps of soap in this, and when you wash dishes, just put box and all in your dishpan and shake about. You will have a nice suds and no soap rubbing off on the dishes.

49. Cleaning Rugs.--When cleaning rugs first lay them out straight and brush with a stiff dry scrubbing brush. You will be surprised at the amount of dirt that is loosened and comes out in this way.

50. Clean Leather Furniture.--A good way to clean leather furniture is to add a little vinegar to some warm water and wash the leather, using a clean soft cloth. Wipe with a dry cloth. To restore the polish, mix two teaspoonfuls of turpentine with the whites of two eggs; beat a little and apply with a soft flannel cloth. Dry with another cloth and rub well.

51. Ironing Board, Conveniences for.--Try tacking a pocket on the under side of your ironing board to keep your holder, stand and sheet of sand paper in.

52. Clean Gilt Furniture.--Gilt furniture can be cleaned with sifted whiting made into a cream with alcohol. Cover a small space at a time and rub off before it hardens. To clean brass fixtures rub them with cut lemon and then wash off in hot water.

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53. For Tufted Furniture.--For tufted furniture use a bicycle pump to remove dust. Garments to be stored for the summer months should first be aired well on a bright breezy day. Brush thoroughly and shake free of dust. Do not leave clothing out in the air after three o'clock in the afternoon, as from that time until dark all sorts of insects are seeking their beds. A trunk or box that has been thoroughly cleaned and sunned and then lined with fresh newspapers will prove an ideal place in which to store winter clothing. Sprinkle each layer with cloves and tuck newspapers well around them, moths detest printer's ink.

54. Clean Linoleum.--To clean linoleum add one cupful of beeswax, shaved fine, to two cupfuls of turpentine and set on the back of the stove to melt. When cool it will be thick and ready for use. First thoroughly clean the linoleum and then apply the paste with a soft cloth. Rub in well, then polish with a dry cloth, preferably flannel. Linoleum treated in this manner will look like new.

55. For Broken Needles.--A receptacle for broken needles in her work basket would be a boon to any woman, and this one which I am about to describe is very easily made, takes up little space and is really very convenient, when one is busy sewing and dislikes to get up to take care of the dangerous bits of steel. Take a little two dram bottle (homeopathic style), crochet for it a snug covering made of embroidery silk or silkaline, crocheting it tightly and covering the bottle completely, using some bright color if desired. When you break a needle just slip the pieces right through the meshes of silk into the bottle; they will go in easily, but the holes will close up after them, retaining them in safety till the receptacle is full.

56. How to Carry House Key.--The pocketless woman often finds it troublesome to carry a key, especially the house key, when she goes out. If an old-fashioned split metal ring can be found, use it to connect the key to be carried to the circular end of a strong, sure acting safety pin, not necessarily of the largest size. If such a ring cannot be found, fasten pin and key together with a bit of fine wire, string or thread will be sure to break just at the wrong time. Then the pin may be fastened to the inside of the jacket or slipped inside of the shirtwaist band pinned to the undergarment, or attached to the skirtband and allowed to hang down outside.

57. A Sewing Room Hint.--Thread will not become knotted so often if the newly-cut end is put into the needle instead of the other end, which is already broken.

58. Convenient Addition to Kitchen.--One of the most highly-prized helps in our kitchen is a bird cage hook, one which can be hung on a nail, and thus easily changed from place to place. On this when placed over the sink, I hang macaroni, greens, etc., to drain; and when placed over the kitchen table, it is an ideal arrangement for holding the jelly bag.

[MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES 863]

59. To Remove Candle Grease.--A simple way to remove candle grease is to scrape off all that will come off in that way, lay over the spot a piece of heavy brown wrapping paper (butcher's paper) and press with a very hot iron.

60. Using Silk on the Machine.--When sewing on the machine with silk, it often unwinds and twists around the spool spindle in a very trying manner. To avoid this make a hole in a small piece of felt and slip it on the spindle before the silk is put on.

61. A Shoe Cover.--When packing my trunk for a journey, I have found it to be a good scheme to use my stockings for shoe covers, this saves the added bulk of paper, and the shoes will be found less liable to muss up other things if protected by this clean and handy stocking covering. A stocking occupies practically no room when drawn over a shoe, and the two together will be found quite handy to tuck into chinks into which they alone can fall.

62. To Press Skirts.--An easy way to press skirts is to use a sheet of paper in place of a cloth; lay the folds, or plaits and in place of ironing over a wet cloth take a sheet of common magazine paper lay it on the goods and iron. This presses the skirt very well and keeps the shine off and will, I think, give more satisfaction than if pressed with a damp cloth or ironed on the wrong side.

63. How to Attach Holders to Kitchen Apron.--Pin two holders with long tape at each side of the apron when cooking. They are convenient for handling hot kettles or dishes.