active 1855 Mary Hodgson

“ Veal,—The whitest is the most juicy, having been made so by frequent bleeding: the flesh of a bull calf is firmest, but of a darker colour. Old and diseased meat will shrink very much in cooking. Hams and tongues, if they are old and hard, should be put to soak in warm water the night before they are boiled. A large ham will take from four to six hours to boil, and a tongue will take nearly as long. They should be kept constantly boiling, and well skimmed: put them down in plenty of cold water. Fish should 11 always be boiled in hot water with a little salt in it: let them boil slowly. ”

“ As the health of a family depends more upon the quality of their food than upon any other cause whatever, it is a public benefaction to give good advice upon this subject. That this advice may be most widely beneficial, it should have reference to the material and the preparation of food; and in both these respects, regard should be had to economy. ”

“ Take the tender pieces of pork, lean and fat, one third fat and two thirds lean, season with salt and pepper, and those that are for immediate use are improved by putting in some sage finely pulverized, but if kept too long, it will have a musty taste. If 44 sausage meat is put in to skins, laid for ten days in pickle, then hung up and smoked a little, they will keep all summer. Those that are not put into skins, should be put into stone crocks, and have lard run over the top to exclude the air. ”

“ The pot should be filled with cold water, and boil slowly till done, according to the size of the meat, or allow a quarter of an hour for every pound of the meat; quick boiling will make the meat hard and insipid. Be careful that it does not stop boiling, or the meat will be injured; remove the scum frequently. People are not generally aware of the injurious effects 10 from eating the flesh of diseased animals. It has been my practice to choose beef from the whiteness of the fat, and always object to it if a dark shade of yellow; let the fat be clear and thick, and the beef smooth and close ”

“ Some persons make two syrups; but one will be sufficient, by 123 making a syrup of a pound and a quarter of sugar to one of melon; drop in some ginger; boil twenty-five minutes.
PINE APPLE PRESERVES.
Pack the pine apple, after it is peeled and cut into slices, in a jar with a layer of sugar on every layer of the fruit; set the jar for fifteen minutes in a kettle of boiling water; cover it tight, and keep it in a dry place.
TO PRESERVE CRAB APPLES.
Make a syrup of a pound of sugar for a pound of fruit; put in the apples after skimming the syrup; let them boil till they are clear. ”

“ BEEF A LA MODE.
Chop fine some parsley, thyme and onions; add some grated bread, nutmeg, cloves, pepper and salt, with the yolks of three eggs beaten; take out the bone and fill the space with these ingredients well mixed; make holes in the lean part and stuff it; bind it firmly with tape; put it into an iron pot, sufficiently large to hold it, cover it with water and let it stew slowly for three hours. Make a gravy of the liquor it was stewed in with a half pint of red wine and mushroom catsup; rub a little butter in flour, and let it simmer five minutes ”

“ The flesh of a young ox should be a good red, and have a smooth and open grain, and feel tender. Pork may be judged by the thinness of the skin, and by pinching the lean; if young, it will break. When clammy, it is not fit for use. Fresh pork will be always cool and smooth. The fat of mutton should be white and firm, and the lean a good colour. If the vein in the neck of lamb has a greenish cast, it is stale: it should be of a bluish hue.
Bacon.—The lean should be of a good colour, and tender, and firm on the bone, the fat should be firm and of a red tinge, and the rind thin. ”

“ Boil some rice with milk, sugar, a little butter, and a nutmeg; when perfectly done, mash it with a spoon, and put into a round mould to cool; then turn it out, and arrange the apples neatly upon it; eat it with wine sauce.
SPONGE CAKE IN THE FORM OF A HAM.
Make a sponge cake, and bake in an oval tin pan; when cold, shape it with a sharp knife in the form of a ham; hollow it out on the under part; and fill with whipped cream. Pin a paper ruffle on the hock; and cover all over with broken calf’s foot jelly. ”

“ A porcelain kettle is the best for preserves. Have a ladle with a long handle, and pierced with holes. The sugar should be the best loaf sugar. All soft fruit should be done gently, and not allowed to remain longer than half an hour after it begins to cook, till it is laid on dishes. ”

“ Hen turkeys are the best for boiling. The time will depend on the size: if a large one, it will take two hours and a half, and should be boiled in a cloth. All meats when roasting should be put some distance from the fire, and brought gradually nearer; the more they are turned and basted, the more juicy they will be. Vegetables should be freshly gathered; they are much sweeter and more healthy, if cooked as soon as taken out of the ground. ”