The New England Cook Book Part 6

109. _To Pickle Artichokes._

Soak the artichokes in salt and water, a week, then drain and rub them, till you get all the skin off, turn boiling vinegar on them, spiced with pepper corns and mace, add salt and alum. Let them remain a week, then turn off the vinegar, scald it, and turn it back, while hot on to the artichokes. Continue to scald the vinegar, at intervals of a week or ten days, until the vinegar appears to have entered the artichokes.

110. _To Pickle Cuc.u.mbers._

Pour boiling water on them, when first picked; and let them lay in it eight or ten hours, then put them in cold vinegar, with alum and salt, in the proportion of quarter of a pound of the first, and a pint of the last, to every half barrel of pickles. When you have done picking your cuc.u.mbers for pickling, turn the vinegar from them, boil and skim it till clear, throw in the cuc.u.mbers, and let them boil a few moments, then put them in fresh cold vinegar, with salt and alum; a few peppers improve them. Whenever any sc.u.m rises on any kind of pickles turn off the vinegar, scald and skim it, turn it back when cold on the pickles.

Pickles of all kinds should be stirred up occasionally, and if there are any soft ones among them, they should be thrown away, and the vinegar scalded; if very weak, it should be thrown away and fresh added. The vinegar when scalded, should not be allowed to cool in bra.s.s. Another method of pickling cuc.u.mbers, which is very good, is to put them in salt and water, as you pick them, change the water once in three days; when you have done picking your cuc.u.mbers, take them out of the salt and water, and put them in cold vinegar, with alum, salt, and pepper corns in it.

111. _To Pickle Gherkins._

Put them in strong brine, keep them in a warm place, when they turn yellow, drain off the brine, and turn hot vinegar on them, let them remain in it near the fire till they turn green, turn off the vinegar, and pour on fresh hot vinegar, spiced with pepper corns, mace, cloves, and cinnamon; add salt and alum in the same proportions as for cuc.u.mbers. These, as well as all other pickles, should not be kept in glazed earthen jars.

112. _Oysters._

Take the oysters from the liquor, strain and boil it, then put in the oysters, let them boil one minute, take them out, and to the liquor, put a few pepper corns, cloves, a little mace, and the same quant.i.ty of vinegar as oyster juice, boil it fifteen minutes; when cold turn it on to the oysters. Bottle and cork them tight.

113. _Mushrooms._

Peel and stew them, with just water enough, to prevent their sticking to the bottom of the stew pan, shake them occasionally, to prevent their burning. When tender take them up, and put them in scalding vinegar, spiced with mace, cloves, and pepper corns, add a little salt, bottle and cork them up.

114. _Wheat Bread._

For six common sized loaves of bread, take three pints of boiling water, and mix with five quarts of flour; when thoroughly mixed, add three pints of cold water, stir it till the whole of the dough is equally cold; when lukewarm stir in half a pint of yeast, a table spoonful of salt, knead in flour till stiff enough to mould up, cover it over and if the weather is cold set it near the fire to rise. To ascertain when it is risen, cut it through the middle with a knife, and if full of small holes like a sponge, it is sufficiently light. If the dough gets sour before you are ready to bake it, dissolve two or more tea spoonsful of saleratus (according to the acidity of it,) in a cup of water, and strain it on the dough, work it in well, mould it up, slash it on the sides, to prevent its cracking when baked, put it in b.u.t.tered pans, and let it stand ten or twelve minutes before you bake it; if you like it quite brown let it stand in the oven an hour and a half. If the wheat is grown, use all boiling water, and let it stand till cool before putting in the yeast. Some people, have an idea that it kills the life of the flour, to scald it, but it is a mistake, it makes it much sweeter, and prevents its moulding soon in warm weather; bread made in this manner is very nearly as good as that which is wet with milk. Care must be taken, not to put in the yeast when the dough is hot, as it will scald it and prevent its rising. Bread is much better in the winter, for being made several days before it is baked, it should be kept in a cool place, and a little flour knead in every day. Most ovens require heating an hour and a half for bread, some will heat sufficiently in an hour, a brisk fire should be kept up, the doors in the room should be kept shut in cold weather. Pine, and ash, or birch mixed, are the best wood for heating an oven. To ascertain if your oven is of the right temperature, when cleared throw in a little flour, if it browns in the course of a minute, it is hot enough, if it turns black wait several minutes before you put in your things, if not hot enough, set in a furnace of live coals, after you have put your things in.

115. _Sponge Bread._

For four loaves of bread, take three quarts of boiling water and turn it into three quarts of flour. When lukewarm put in a cup of yeast, a table spoonful of salt, set it in a warm place to rise, when light knead in flour till stiff enough to mould up, then let it stand till risen again, before moulding it up.

116. _Rye Bread._

Wet up the rye flour with lukewarm milk, if you have it; if not water will do, and the same proportion of yeast as for wheat flour; put in a small piece of b.u.t.ter and a little salt. It should not be kneaded as stiff as wheat flour, as it will be hard when baked; let it stand in the pans, after it is moulded up, half an hour.

Brown Bread is made by mixing, Indian meal and Rye flour. The Indian meal should be scalded; when cool, put in the rest of the ingredients, in the same proportion as for plain rye bread. Bake it between two and three hours.

117. _Rice Bread._

Boil a pint of rice till soft, then mix it with two quarts of rice flour, a tea cup of yeast, two tea spoonsful of salt, and milk enough to render it of the consistency of rye bread. When light bake it in small loaves.

118. _French Rolls, or Twists._

Turn a pint of lukewarm milk, into a pint of flour, mix them well together, then turn in a small tea cup of yeast, two tea spoonsful of salt, and flour enough to make a thick batter. Set it in a warm place to rise. When light, put in a piece of b.u.t.ter of the size of a hen's egg, and half a tea cup of lukewarm water, the b.u.t.ter should be melted before it is put in; knead in flour until stiff enough to roll out. Let it stand till risen again, then roll it out, about half an inch thick, cut it into narrow strips, braid and twist them a little, as you braid them.

Lay them on flat b.u.t.tered tins, let them remain from twenty to thirty minutes, then bake them slowly.

119. _Yeast._

Boil a small handful of hops, in two quarts of water, when all the strength is obtained from them, strain the liquor, and put it back on the fire, take a little of it, and mix smoothly with a couple of table spoonsful of flour, mix it with the boiling liquor, when it has boiled five or six minutes, take it from the fire, and when lukewarm, add a tea cup of yeast, keep it in a warm place till risen, then stir in a table spoonful of salt, turn it into a jar, and cover it up tight. Some people keep yeast in bottles but they are very apt to burst. Yeast made in this manner, will keep a fortnight in the warmest weather. If your yeast appears to be sour, put a little saleratus in just before you put it into your bread; if it does not foam well, it is too stale to use.

Another method of raising bread, which is very good, is to leave about half a pound of dough, from one week's baking to another. It should be rolled out thin and dried in the sun, about two hours before you wish to bake your bread, turn a quart of warm water to it, and set it near the fire till light, which will be in the course of an hour, then scald your dough, and when lukewarm, stir in the yeast; it will raise the bread in the course of an hour. This can only be used two or three times, without having fresh yeast put to it.

120. _Yeast Cakes._

Stir into a pint of yeast, a table spoonful of salt, and Indian meal sufficient to enable you to roll it out. When rolled thin, cut it into cakes with a tumbler, and dry them in the wind; in hot weather, care must be taken to keep them from the sun, or they will ferment; when perfectly dry, tie them up in a bag, and keep them in a cool dry place.

To raise four or five loaves of bread, take one of these cakes, and put it in half a pint of warm water, set it near the fire to rise, when light use it to raise your dough.

121. _Biscuit._

Melt a cup of b.u.t.ter, and mix it with half a pint of lukewarm milk; if you have not milk, water will do, add a tea cup of yeast, two tea spoonsful of salt, and flour to render it sufficiently stiff to roll out. Set it in a warm place, when light, roll it out about an inch thick, cut it with a tumbler into cakes and let them stand half an hour before baking them.

122. _b.u.t.ter Milk Biscuit._

Dissolve a couple of tea spoonsful of saleratus, in a tea cup of milk, sour is the best. Mix it with a pint of b.u.t.termilk, three tea spoonsful of salt; a little cream improves it; knead in flour till stiff enough to roll out. Mould it into small cakes, and bake them directly.

123. _Hard Biscuit._

Weigh out four pounds of sifted flour; take out about a quarter of a pound of it, rub the remainder with four ounces of b.u.t.ter, two tea spoonsful of salt, and four eggs. Wet up the whole with milk, pound it out flat with a rolling pin, sprinkle a little of the reserved flour over it lightly, roll it up and pound it out thin again, sprinkle on more of the flour, roll it up, this operation continue to repeat, until you get in all the reserved flour. Then mould it up into small cakes, lay them on flat b.u.t.tered tins, flatten and cover them, with a damp cloth as you lay them on the tins, to prevent their drying too fast.

Bake them in a quick oven.

124. _York Biscuit._

Rub together six ounces of b.u.t.ter, two pounds and three quarters of flour, dissolve a couple of tea spoonsful of saleratus in a little milk, and mix it with the flour, add a tea spoonful of salt, and milk sufficient to enable you to roll it out. Pound it out thin and cut it into cakes, bake them till a light brown.

125. _Rice Cakes._

Mix a pint of soft boiled rice, with a pint of milk, or water, a tea spoonful of salt and a couple of beaten eggs. Stir in rice or wheat flour, till of the right consistency to roll out. Cut them into cakes and bake them.

126. _Rice Ruffs._

To a pint of rice flour, put a pint of boiling water, a tea spoonful of salt, and four eggs, beaten to a froth. Drop this mixture into boiling fat, by large spoonsful.

127. _Buck Wheat Cakes._