Part 20 (1/2)

Rinse four ounces of sago thoroughly, then soak it in cold water half an hour--turn off the water, and put to it a pint and a half of fresh cold water. Let it soak in it half an hour, then set it where it will boil slowly, stirring it constantly--boil with it a stick of cinnamon. When of a thick consistency, add a gla.s.s of wine, and white sugar to the taste. Let it boil five minutes, then turn it into cups.

378. _Tapioca Jelly._

Take four table-spoonsful of tapioca--rinse it thoroughly, then soak it five hours, in cold water enough to cover it. Set a pint of cold water on the fire--when it boils, mash and stir up the tapioca that is in water, and mix it with the boiling water. Let the whole simmer gently, with a stick of cinnamon or mace. When thick and clear, mix a couple of table-spoonsful of white sugar, with half a table-spoonful of lemon-juice, and half a gla.s.s of white wine--stir it into the jelly--if not sweet enough, add more sugar, and turn the jelly into cups.

MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS RELATIVE TO HOUSEWIFERY.

379. _To renew Old Bread and Cake._

Fill a bread steamer about half full of water, and lay the dry bread on it, and set it on the fire, where it will steam the bread from half to three-quarters of an hour; then wrap the bread in a towel, and let it remain till dry. In this way, bread that is old and dry may be made moist and good. Where a steamer cannot be procured, soak the bread in cold water till it has absorbed sufficient water to be moist inside--then put it in a bake pan, without any cover, and heat it very hot. If broken pieces of bread are put in the oven, five or six hours after baking, and rusked, they will keep good a long time. Sour heavy bread, treated in this manner, will make very decent cakes and puddings, provided there is enough saleratus used in making them to correct the acidity of the bread. Rich cake, that has wine or brandy in it, will remain good in cold weather several months, if it is kept in a cool, dry place. The day in which it is to be eaten, put it in a cake pan, and set it in a bake pan that has half a pint of water in it--set on the bake-pan cover, and let the cake bake till it is heated very hot. Let it get cold before cutting it.

380. _To preserve Cheese from Insects._

Cover the cheese, while whole, with a paste made of wheat flour; then wrap a cloth round it, and cover it with the paste. Keep the cheese in a cool, dry place. Cheese that has skippers in it, if kept till cold weather, will be freed from them.

381. _To pot Cheese._

Cheese that has begun to mould, can be kept from becoming any more so, by being treated in the following manner: Cut off the mouldy part, and if the cheese is dry, grate it--if not, pound it fine in a mortar, together with the crust. To each pound of it, when fine, put a table-spoonful of brandy--mix it in well with the cheese, then press it down tight, in a clean stone pot, and lay a paper wet in brandy on the top of it. Cover the pot up tight, and keep it in a cool, dry place.

This is also a good way to treat dry pieces of cheese. Potted cheese is best when a year old. It will keep several years, without any danger of its breeding insects.

382. _To pot b.u.t.ter for winter use._

Mix a large spoonful of salt, a table-spoonful of powdered white-sugar, and one of saltpetre. Work this quant.i.ty into six pounds of fresh-made b.u.t.ter. Put the b.u.t.ter into a stone pot, that is thoroughly cleansed.

When you have finished putting down your b.u.t.ter, cover it with a layer of salt, and let it remain covered until cold weather.

383. _To make Salt b.u.t.ter Fresh._

When b.u.t.ter has too much salt in it, put to each pound of it a quart of fresh milk, and churn it an hour; then treat it like fresh b.u.t.ter, working in the usual quant.i.ty of salt. A little white sugar worked in, improves it. This is said to be equal to fresh b.u.t.ter. Salt may be taken out of a small quant.i.ty of fresh b.u.t.ter, by working it over, in clear fresh water, changing the water a number of times.

384. _To extract Rancidity from b.u.t.ter._

Take a small quant.i.ty, that is wanted for immediate use. For a pound of the b.u.t.ter, dissolve a couple of tea-spoonsful of saleratus in a quart of boiling water, put in the b.u.t.ter, mix it well with the saleratus water, and let it remain till cold, then take it off carefully, and work a tea-spoonful of salt into it. b.u.t.ter treated in this manner answers very well to use in cooking.

385. _To preserve Cream for Sea Voyages._

Take rich, fresh cream, and mix it with half of its weight of white powdered sugar. When well mixed in, put it in bottles, and cork them tight. When used for tea or coffee, it will make them sufficiently sweet without any additional sugar.

386. _Subst.i.tute for Cream in Coffee._

Beat the white of an egg to a froth--put to it a small lump of b.u.t.ter, and turn the coffee to it gradually, so that it may not curdle. It is difficult to distinguish the taste from fresh cream.