Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 45

LEMON WATER-ICE.--Take two lemons, and rasp them on sugar, the juice of six lemons, the juice of one orange, one pint of clarified sugar, and half a pint of water. Mix; strain through a hair sieve; freeze.

One quart.

MELON WATER-ICE.--Half a lb. of ripe melon pounded in a mortar, two ounces of orange-flower water, the juice of two lemons, half a pint of water and one pint of clarified sugar; strain; freeze. One quart.

STRAWBERRY OR RASPBERRY WATER-ICE.--One pound of scarlet strawberries or raspberries, half a pound currants, half a pint of water, one pint of clarified sugar, and a little color; strain and freeze. One quart.

APPLE JELLY.--Cut the apples and boil in water to cover, boil down, then strain, and take a pound of sugar to a pint of juice, then boil fifteen minutes hard.

APPLE JELLY.--Cut off all spots and decayed places on the apples; quarter them, but do not pare or core them; put in the peel of as many lemons as you like, about two to six or eight dozen of the apples; fill the preserving-pan, and cover the fruit with spring water; boil them till they are in pulp, then pour them into a jelly-bag; let them strain all night, do not squeeze them. To every pint of juice put one pound of white sugar; put in the juice of the lemons you had before pared, but strain it through muslin. You may also put in about a teaspoonful of essense of lemon; let it boil for at least twenty minutes; it will look redder than at first; skim it well at the time.

Put it either in shapes or pots, and cover it the next day. It ought to be quite stiff and very clear.

APPLE JELLY.--Prepare twenty golden pippins; boil them in a pint and a half of water from the spring till quite tender; then strain the liquor through a colander. To every pint put a pound of fine sugar; add cinnamon, grated orange or lemon; then boil to a jelly.

ANOTHER.--Prepare apples as before, by boiling and straining; have ready half an ounce of isingla.s.s boiled in half a pint of water to a jelly; put this to the apple-water and apple, as strained through a coa.r.s.e sieve; add sugar, a little lemon-juice and peel; boil all together, and put into a dish. Take out the peel.

CALF'S FOOT LEMON JELLY--Boil four quarts of water with three calf's feet, or two cow heels, till half wasted; take the jelly from the fat and sediment, mix with it the juice of a Seville orange and twelve lemons, the peels of three ditto, the whites and sh.e.l.ls of twelve eggs, sugar to taste, a pint of raisin wine, 1 oz. of coriander seeds, 1/4 oz. of allspice, a bit of cinnamon, and six cloves, all bruised, after having mixed them cold. The jelly should boil fifteen minutes without stirring; then clear it through a flannel bag.

CHERRY JELLY.--Cherries, 5 lbs.; stone them; red currants, 2 lbs.; strain them, that the liquor may be clear; add 2 lbs. of sifted loaf sugar, and 2 ozs. of isingla.s.s.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL--One pint milk, half pound b.u.t.ter, half pound Cadbury's chocolate, three pounds sugar, two spoons vanilla. Boil slowly until brittle.

CURRANT JELLY, RED OR BLACK--Strip the fruit, and in a stone jar stew them in a saucepan of water or on the fire; strain off the liquor, and to every pint weigh 1 lb. of loaf sugar; put the latter in large lumps into it, in a stone or China vessel, till nearly dissolved; then put it into a pre-serving-pan; simmer and skim. When it will jelly on a plate put it in small jars or gla.s.ses.

GREEN GOOSEBERRY JELLY--Place the berries in hot water on a slow fire till they rise to the surface; take off; cool with a little water, add also a little vinegar and salt to green them. In two hours drain, and put them in cold water a minute; drain, and mix with an equal weight of sugar; boil slowly 20 minutes; sieve, and put into gla.s.ses.

ICELAND MOSS JELLY--Moss, 1/2 to 1 oz.; water, 1 quart. Simmer down to 1/2 pint. Add fine sugar and a little lemon juice. It may be improved with 1/4 ounce of isingla.s.s. The moss should first be steeped in cold water an hour or two. ISINGLa.s.s JELLY--Boil one ounce of isingla.s.s in a quart of water, with 1/4 ounce of Jamaica pepper-corns or cloves, and a crust of bread, till reduced to a pint. Add sugar. It keeps well, and may be taken in wine and water, milk, tea, soup, etc.

LEMON JELLY CAKE--Take four eggs, one cup sugar, b.u.t.ter the size of an egg, one and a half cups flour, half cup sweet milk, two teaspoons of baking powder. Jelly.--One grated lemon, one grated apple, one egg, one cup sugar, beat all together, put in a tin and stir till boils.

LEMON JELLY--Take one and a half packages of gelatine, one pint cold water, soak two hours, then add two teacups sugar, one pint boiling water; stir all together, add the juice of two lemons or one winegla.s.s wine, strain through a cloth, and put in a mold.

ORANGE JELLY--It may be made the same as lemon jelly, which see. Grate the rind of two Seville and of two China oranges, and two lemons; squeeze the juice of three of each, and strain, and add to the juice a quarter of a pound of lump sugar, a quarter of a pint of water, and boil till it almost candies. Have ready a quart of isingla.s.s jelly made with two ounces; put to it the syrup, boil it once up; strain off the jelly, and let it stand to settle as above, before it is put into the mold.

QUINCE JELLY--Cut in pieces a sufficient quant.i.ty of quinces; draw off the juice by boiling them in water, in which they ought only to swim, no more. When fully done drain, and have ready clarified sugar, of which put one spoonful to two of the juice; bring the sugar to the _souffle_; add the juice, and finish. When it drops from the skimmer it is enough; take it off, and pot it.

JELLY OF SIBERIAN CRABS--Take off the stalks, weigh and wash the crabs. To each one and a half pounds, add one pint of water. Boil them gently until broken, but do not allow them to fall to a pulp. Pour the whole through a jelly-bag, and when the juice is quite transparent weigh it; put it into a clean preserving-pan, boil it quickly for ten minutes, then add ten ounces of fine sugar to each pound of juice; boil it from twelve to fifteen minutes, skim it very clean, and pour into molds.

SIBERIAN CRAB-APPLE JELLY--Mash the crab apples, take off steins and heads, put in pot, cover with water, let them boil to a pulp, then turn them in a flannel bag, and leave all night to strain, then add one pound of sugar to a pint of juice, boil ten to fifteen minutes, skim and put in jelly gla.s.ses.

SIBERIAN CRAB JELLY--Fill a large flannel bag with crabs. Put the bag in a preserving-pan of spring water, and boil for about seven hours; then take out the bag, and fill it so that all the syrup can run through, and the water that remains in the pan; and to each pint of syrup add one pound of loaf sugar, and boil for about an hour, and it will be a clear, bright red jelly.

Telegraph wires have to be renewed every five or seven years. The Western Union Telegraph Company exchange about one thousand tons of old wire for new every year. The new wire costs from seven to eight cents per pound, and for the old about one-eighth of a cent a pound is allowed.

HOW TO SELECT AND COOK MEATS

HOW TO DRESS BACON AND BEANS--When you dress beans and bacon, boil the bacon by itself, and the beans by themselves, for the bacon will spoil the color of the beans. Always throw some salt into the water and some parsley nicely picked. When the beans are done enough, which you will know by their being tender, throw them into a colander to drain. Take up the bacon and skin it; throw some raspings of the bread over the top, and if you have a salamander, make it red hot, and hold it over it to brown the top of the bacon; if you have not one, set it before the fire to brown. Lay the beans in the dish, and the bacon in the middle on the top, and send them to table, with b.u.t.ter in a tureen.

CORNED BEEF--Make the following pickle: Water, 2 gallons; salt, 2-1/2 lbs.; mola.s.ses, 1/2 lb.; sugar, 1 lb.; saltpetre, 1-1/2 ozs.; pearlash, 1/4 oz. Boil all together; skim, and pour the pickle on about 25 lbs. of beef. Let it stay in a few days. Boil in plenty of water when cooked to remove the salt, and eat with it plenty of vegetables. It is nice to eat cold, and makes excellent sandwiches.

ROLLED BEEF--Hang three ribs three or four days; take out the bones from the whole length, sprinkle it with salt, roll the meat tight and roast it. Nothing can look nicer. The above done with spices, etc., and baked as hunters' beef is excellent.

BEEF, ROLLED TO EQUAL HARE--Take the inside of a large sirloin, soak it in a gla.s.s of port wine and a gla.s.s of vinegar mixed, for forty-eight hours; have ready a very fine stuffing, and bind it up tight. Roast it on a hanging spit; and baste it with a gla.s.s of port wine, the same quant.i.ty of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of pounded allspice. Larding it improves the look and flavor; serve with a rich gravy in the dish; currant-jelly and melted b.u.t.ter in tureens.

ROUND OF BEEF--Should be carefully salted and wet with the pickle for eight or ten days. The bone should be cut out first, and the beef skewered and tied up to make it quite round. It may be stuffed with parsley, if approved, in which case the holes to admit the parsley must be made with a sharp pointed knife, and the parsley coa.r.s.ely cut and stuffed in tight. As soon as it boils, it should be skimmed: and afterwards kept boiling very gently.

BEEF STEAK, STEWED--Peel and chop two spanish onions, cut into small parts four pickled walnuts, and put them at the bottom of a stewpan; add a teacupful of mushroom ketchup, two teaspoonfuls of walnut ditto, one of shalot, one of chile vinegar, and a lump of b.u.t.ter. Let the rump-steak be cut about three-quarters of an inch thick, and beat it flat with a rolling-pin, place the meat on the top of the onions, etc., let it stew for one hour and a half, turning it every twenty minutes. Ten minutes before serving up, throw a dozen oysters with the liquor strained.

BEEF STEAK AND OYSTER SAUCE--Select a good, tender rump-steak, about an inch thick, and broil it carefully. Nothing but experience and attention will serve in broiling a steaks; one thing, however, is always to be remembered, never malt or season broiled meat until cooked. Have the gridiron clean and hot, grease it with either b.u.t.ter, or good lard, before laying on the meat, to prevent its sticking or marking the meat; have clear, bright coals, and turn it frequently.

when cooked, cover tightly, and have ready nicely stewed oysters; then lay the steak in a hot dish and pour over some of the oysters. Serve the rest in a tureen. Twenty-five oysters will make a nice sauce for a steak.

FRICa.s.sEE OF COLD ROAST BEEF--Cut the beef into very thin slices; shred a handful of parsley very small, cut an onion into quarters, and put all together into a stewpan, with a piece of b.u.t.ter, and some strong broth; season with salt and pepper, and simmer very gently a quarter of an hour; then mix into it the yolks of two eggs, a gla.s.s of port wine, and a spoonful of vinegar; stir it quickly, rub the dish with shalot, and turn the frica.s.see into it.

BRAWN--Clean a pig's head, and rub it over with salt and a little saltpetre, and let it lie two or three days; then boil it until the bones will leave the meat; season with salt and pepper, and lay the meat hot in a mold, and press and weigh it down for a few hours. Boil another hour, covering. Be sure and cut the tongue, and lay the slices in the middle, as it much improves the flavor.

CALF'S LIVER AND BACON--Cut the liver into slices, and fry it first, then the bacon; lay the liver in the dish, and the bacon upon it; serve it up with gravy, made in the pan with boiling water, thickened with flour and b.u.t.ter, and lemon juice; and, if agreeable, a little parsley and onion may be chopped into it, or a little boiled parsley strewed over the liver. Garnish with slices of lemon.

NICE FORM OF COLD MEATS--Remains of boiled ham, mutton, roast beef, etc., are good chopped fine with hard boiled eggs, two heads of lettuce, a bit of onion, and seasoned with mustard, oil, vinegar, and, if needed, more salt. Fix it smoothly in a salad dish, and adorn the edges with sprigs of parsley or leaves of curled lettuce. Keep by the ice or in a cool place until wanted.

FRIED HAM AND EGGS--Cut thin slices, place in the pan, and fry carefully. Do not burn. When done break the eggs into the fat; pepper slightly; keep them whole; do not turn them.

Ham rushers may be served with spinach and poached eggs.

TO COOK HAM--Sc.r.a.pe it clean. Do not put into cold nor boiling water.

let the water become warm; then put the ham in. Simmer or boil lightly for five or six hours; take out, and shave the rind off. Rub granulated sugar into the whole surface of the ham, so long as it can be made to receive it. Place the ham in a baking-dish with a bottle of champagne or prime cider. Baste occasionally with the juice, and let it bake an hour in a gentle heat.

A slice from a nicely cured ham thus cooked is enough to animate the ribs of death.

Or, having taken off the rind, strew bread crumbs or raspings over it, so as to cover it; set it before the fire, or in the oven till the bread is crisp and brown. Garnish with carrots, parsley, etc. The water should simmer all the time, and never boil fast.

HAM AND CHICKEN, IN JELLY--This is a nice dish for supper or luncheon.

make with a small knuckle of veal some good white stock. When cold, skim and strain it; melt it, and put a quart of it into a saucepan with the well beaten whites of three eggs; a dessert-spoonful of chili, or a tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar, and a little salt. Beat the mixture well with a fork till it boils; let it simmer till it is reduced to a little more than a pint; strain it; put half of it into a mold; let it nearly set. Cut the meat of a roast chicken into small thin pieces; arrange it in the jelly with some neat little slices of cold boiled ham, and sprinkle chopped parsley between the slices. When it has got quite cold, pour in the remainder of the jelly, and stand the mold in cold water, or in a cool place, so that it sets speedily. Dip the mold in boiling water to turn it out. Do not let it remain in the water more than a minute, or it will spoil the appearance of the dish. Garnish with a wreath of parsley.

LEG OF LAMB--Should be boiled in a cloth to look as white as possible; the loin fried in steaks and served round, garnished with dried or fried parsley; spinach to eat with it; or dressed separately or roasted.

LOIN OF MUTTON--Take off the skin, separate the joints with the chopper; if a large size, cut the chine-bone with a saw, so as to allow it to be carved in smaller pieces; run a small spit from one extremity to the other, and affix it to a larger spit, and roast it like the haunch. A loin weighing six pounds will take one hour to roast.

OBSERVATIONS ON MEAT--In all kinds of provisions, the best of the kind goes the farthest; it cuts out with most advantage, and affords most nourishment. Round of beef, fillet of veal, and leg of mutton, are joints of higher price; but as they have more solid meat, they deserve the preference. But those joints which are inferior may be dressed as palatably.

In loins of meat, the long pipe that runs by the bone should be taken out, as it is apt to taint; as also the kernels of beef. Do not purchase joints bruised by the blows of drovers.

Save shank bones of mutton to enrich gravies or soups.