[Transcriber's Notes: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= while
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SIX CUPS OF COFFEE
[Illustration:
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--FOR--
DYSPEPSIA, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL
EXHAUSTION, NERVOUSNESS,
WEAKENED ENERGY, INDIGESTION,
ETC., ETC.
[Illustration: COUNT RUMFORD.]
Horsford's
ACID PHOSPHATE.
A liquid preparation of the phosphates and phosphoric acid.
Recommended by physicians.
It makes a delicious drink. Invigorating and strengthening. Pamphlet
free. For sale by all dealers.
=RUMFORD CHEMICAL WORKS, Providence, R. I.=
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=EMERSON
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=THESE ARE SOLID FACTS.=
[Illustration: RIDGE'S FOOD FOR INFANTS AND INVALIDS
It is Without Doubt The Best Of The Many Foods Now In The Market.
Sold Everywhere
FOUR SIZES
.35 .65 1.25 1.75
Woolrich & Co.
ON EVERY LABEL.]
=It is undoubtedly true that more children have been successfully
reared by the use of Ridge's Food than by the use of all the other
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=Do not experiment with your child, but take the food that has stood
the test of time.=
[The following is a nurse's experience in one of Boston's best
families; few can boast of bringing up five children in a single
family. It speaks well for both the nurse and the food.]
BOSTON, June 16, 1886.
Messrs. WOOLRICH & CO.
Gentlemen,--I feel it my duty to write and tell you my experience with
RIDGE'S FOOD. When I first began to use it I expected, of course, to
obtain some benefit, but was not prepared for such wonderful results.
Instead of the babe being feeble, cross and sickly, it was well and
hearty all the time. I thought at first it must be because it was that
kind of a baby, but now I have brought up five babies on it, and my
experience is the same with all. They are all well and hearty, there is
never any fear for sickness, you can sleep all night, and _I know it is
the food that does it_. I think every mother ought to know about this,
and there would not be any more fretful, cross and sickly babies.
Very truly,
MARY MONOHAN.
WELLSVILLE, O., Oct. 16, '84.
WOOLRICH & CO.
I had long tried to procure, for a pair of twins in my practice, a food
that would not acidulate; also, one which the babes would not reject
after a few meals. I am happy to say that Ridge's Food has fulfilled
these conditions _perfectly_.
Respy., Dr. J. R. HOOPER.
CAMDEN, N. J., Aug. 31, '83.
Messrs. WOOLRICH & CO.
Sirs,--I am selling more of Ridge's Food, and it gives better
satisfaction, than any other food I have handled for twenty-five years.
Please send some advertising matter for distribution.
Respectfully,
M. GOLDSMITH, Apothecary.
=Send to Woolrich & Co., Palmer, Mass., for pamphlet, entitled
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Mention this Pamphlet.
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=Crosby's Vitalized Phosphites.=
=56 W. 25th, St., N. Y. For sale by Druggists or sent by mail $1.=
SIX CUPS OF COFFEE.
PREPARED FOR THE PUBLIC PALATE
BY THE
BEST AUTHORITIES ON COFFEE MAKING.
* * * * *
MARIA PARLOA, CATHERINE OWEN, MARION HARLAND, JULIET CORSON,
MRS. HELEN CAMPBELL, MRS. D. A. LINCOLN,
WITH THE
STORY OF COFFEE, BY HESTER M. POOLE.
[Illustration]
APPETIZING, AROMATIC, HEALTHFUL.
"This coffee intoxicates without exciting, soothes you
softly out of dull sobriety, and makes you think and talk of
all the pleasant things that ever happened to you."--_W. D.
Howells._
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING PRESS,
CLARK W. BRYAN & CO., SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
TRADE SUPPLIED BY
C. A. MONTGOMERY & CO., NEW YORK.
COPYRIGHT, 1887.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PREFACE.
It is not much to say that nine-tenths of that decoction which passes
under the name of coffee, is unworthy to be so called, and that many
persons live and die without ever tasting a really good cup of that
delicious beverage.
As a nation, the American people want the best of everything, and
intend to have that best. Furthermore, they are very properly and
intelligently eager to turn it to the greatest advantage. But what
avails the best raw material if it be not prepared in such a manner as
to develop and secure its subtle, delicate, volatile and enlivening
qualities? The very same ingredients may be injurious and depressing,
or wholesome and exhilarating, according to the way in which they are
treated.
The six cups of coffee offered to the reader, by six of the foremost
authorities regarding cooking, will bring a new and healthful stimulus
to prepare that refreshing drink in a manner which shall leave nothing
to be desired. They are not made from old grounds re-heated for the
occasion, but are as fresh as the intelligence and the experience which
have produced them.
A country which expends nearly thirty-five millions of dollars each
year for the aromatic berry, can well afford to study the best methods
of extracting its desirable qualities.
In those family circles where Good Housekeeping is the rule, not the
exception, it is to be hoped that this little book will be welcomed as
a useful friend and interesting companion.
INDEX.
PAGE
I.--AS PREPARED BY MARIA PARLOA, 5
Filtered Coffee made with Cold Water, 9
Filtered Coffee made with Boiling Water, 9
Boiled Coffee made with Cold Water, 10
Boiled Coffee made with Boiling Water, 10
II.--AS PREPARED BY MARION HARLAND, 11
III.--AS PREPARED BY MRS. HELEN CAMPBELL, 15
IV.--AS PREPARED BY JULIET CORSON, 20
A French Chef's Method, 21
Cafe au Lait, 23
Cafe Noir, 23
Filtered Coffee, 23
Breakfast Coffee, 23
V.--AS PREPARED BY MRS. D. A. LINCOLN, 25
The Wrong Way, 25
The Right Way, 26
VI.--AS PREPARED BY CATHERINE OWEN, 30
French Coffee, 31
French Coffee in a Pitcher, 32
Boiled Coffee, 32
THE STORY OF COFFEE, BY HESTER M. POOLE, 36
SIX CUPS OF COFFEE
COFFEE--I.
_As Prepared By Maria Parloa._
[Illustration]
IN war times, after a battle or a long march, how the soldiers enjoyed
their coffee! And in many cases it was pretty poor coffee, too, though
to them it seemed fit for the gods. The delicious aroma which arose
made their feelings of weariness or depression vanish for a while, and
the beverage itself cheered them in a marked degree. Nothing could take
its place; nothing can take its place to-day. The consumption of coffee
in this country is enormous. Rich and poor alike must have it. But it
is a common complaint that a cup of good coffee is the exception rather
than the rule. Considering the low price of the raw material, this
should not be the case. People are prone to think that they know all
there is to be known about coffee, and do not take pains to learn what
special qualities different brands possess, and what the most approved
modes of making coffee are.
Time was when a Mexican or South or Central American coffee was
considered an inferior article. To-day some of the best coffees come
from these places. For example, one of the most delicious coffees
which is brought into this country comes from Guatemala. It bears the
name of "Las Nubes" (The Clouds), which it takes from the plantation
where it is grown. There is an odd bit of history connected with this
plantation. A Scotchman named Nelson owned it, and was coining money
from it, when he was banished from the country by President Barrios,
and his property was confiscated. It is now owned by the widow of
Barrios. The annual yield from it is four hundred and fifty thousand
pounds. A large proportion of this goes to England, where it brings a
higher price than here.
There are two kinds of coffee,--the strong and the mild. To the first
class belong the Rio and Santas, and to the second, the Java, Mocha,
Maracaibo, and, indeed, almost all the other kinds. When a rich, smooth
beverage is desired, a combination of Mocha and Java--or some coffee
that has the qualities of Java--should be used; but when a very strong
flavor is liked, Rio or Santas should be taken. The supply of Java
meets only about one-fifth of the demand. For this reason many other
mild coffees are sold under the name of "Java." Good Maracaibo is equal
to Java, and is constantly sold under that name. A combination of one
pound Mocha, one pound Rio, and two pounds Java or Maracaibo will give
a rich, strong-flavored drink, but not so smooth as if the Rio were
omitted.
When buying the berry, pause for a moment to think how you like your
beverage. Do you want it smooth and of delicate flavor? Take one-third
Mocha and the rest Java or Maracaibo. Do you want it strong? Use all
Rio, or temper that brand by combining it with some one of the mild
kinds.
A large proportion of housekeepers buy their coffee roasted, and many
also buy it ground. If coffee, while still hot from the roaster, were
put into vessels almost air tight, and kept in them until ground for
use, the improvement in the drink made from it would amply repay for
the trouble taken. Much of the fine aroma is lost before the roasted
bean reaches the housekeeper, and there is even a greater loss if the
coffee has been ground for a considerable time. These are some of
the disadvantages which must be endured when one buys coffee already
roasted. But, on the other hand, unless the roasting be done very
carefully, the coffee will not be good. A few burnt beans in a quart
will ruin the drink. When careful attention to roasting cannot be given
at home, it will be better to buy a supply already roasted, but never
ground. A French small mill, which can be regulated to grind coarse or
fine, can be bought for about a dollar and a half. With care it will
last for ten or twenty years. Some firms put up coffee in tin cans. It
costs more, but retains so much of the aroma as to be well worth the
extra price.
When green coffee is bought, be careful that it is well seasoned. It
should have a brownish or yellowish tint, which comes only with years
of seasoning. The best way to do, when it is possible, is to buy green
coffee by the sack, and keep it stored in a sweet, dry place--say
the attic--for two or three years. In that time it will have become
sufficiently mellowed.
To roast coffee, put the green beans into a large dripping-pan, being
sure that the pan is perfectly clean. Have the coffee about an inch
deep. Place the pan in a moderate oven. Stir frequently, and at the end
of half an hour increase the heat of the oven. From this time until
the beans are sufficiently browned, there should be a stirring every
three or four minutes. When the coffee is almost a chestnut color,
remove the pan from the oven, and for every quart add one tablespoonful
of butter. Stir well; and, while the coffee is still hot, put it into
cans and cover closely. Coffee absorbs moisture and odors. It should
therefore be kept in a sweet, dry place.
There are so many ways of making coffee, and so many kinds of
coffee-pots, that young housekeepers often are perplexed in choosing
either a mode of preparing the drink or a utensil in which to make it.
If a few principles be carefully observed, a perfect result may be
counted as a certainty--provided, of course, that the ground coffee
be good. The berries should be heated before or after grinding. The
coffee-pot should be entirely clean, without a particle of old coffee
grounds in it. The coffee should not be subjected to long boiling, as
this will dissipate the aroma and produce a rather bitter drink. Coffee
that is not boiled at all is very smooth and free of bitter flavor. All
coffee should be served hot, and as soon as possible after being made.
Always serve cream or hot milk with it. Heat the milk to the boiling
point, but do not let it boil.
Tastes vary as to the proper strength of coffee. The rules given in
this article are for a strong drink; and where only moderate strength
is desired, use but half the quantity of dry coffee for the quantity
of water stated. Coffee made with cold water always is stronger than
that made with boiling water, and in the opinion of many people it is
better; but some folks think that no coffee is equal to that which has
been boiled with an egg. No matter what mode of making the drink is
followed, the result will be pleasing if good material is used, the
work done quickly, and the coffee served fresh and hot.
Here are four rules, any one of which will give perfect coffee, but
each of a different flavor:--
FILTERED COFFEE MADE WITH COLD WATER.
Put one cupful of fine-ground coffee in a small saucepan and on the
fire. Stir constantly until hot. Put the hot coffee in the filter of
a coffee-biggin. Place the coarse strainer on top, and then add half
a cupful of cold water, pouring it in by tablespoonfuls. Cover it and
let it stand for half an hour, though less time will do. Next add three
cupfuls and a half of cold water, a cupful at a time. When all the
water has passed through the filter, pour it from the pot, and again
through the filter. Cover closely; and at serving-time heat it to the
boiling point and serve at once.
One advantage in using cold filtered water is that the coffee may be
made at any time in the day, and heated when required. If to be served
after dinner, it will be better if made with three cupfuls of water
instead of four.
This coffee will be perfectly clear, and of a fine color. The flavor
will be rich, smooth and delightful.
FILTERED COFFEE MADE WITH BOILING WATER.
Heat one cupful of fine-ground coffee in the manner described in the
preceding receipt, and put it in the filter of the coffee-biggin. Put
the biggin in a pan with a little boiling water, and place it on the
stove. Pour a gill of boiling water on the coffee, cover, and let it
stand for five minutes. At the end of that time add half a pint of
boiling water, and continue to add boiling water by the half-pint, at
intervals of three minutes, until a quart of water has been used in
all. Serve the coffee at once. Or, the coffee may be passed through
the filter a second time, giving a stronger cup.
Filtered coffee never should be boiled. Placing the pot in the pan of
boiling water keeps the coffee at the boiling point, and yet protects
it from a boiling.
BOILED COFFEE MADE WITH COLD WATER.
Heat a cupful of coffee, ground rather coarse, and put it in a bowl
with one pint of cold water. Cover closely, and let it soak for an hour
or more.
Break an egg into the bowl with the coffee, and stir well. Put this
mixture into the coffee-pot and place on the fire. Heat slowly to the
boiling point, then add a pint of boiling water, and boil gently for
five minutes. Now add a gill of cold water, and set the pot back where
its contents cannot boil. At the end of three minutes strain into a hot
pot and serve at once.
This coffee will be stronger than that made with boiling water; its
flavor, too, will be somewhat different.
BOILED COFFEE MADE WITH BOILING WATER.
Heat one cupful of coffee, ground rather coarse. Put it into a
coffee-pot, and add an egg. Stir well, and add a quart of boiling
water. Place over the fire, and stir until the coffee boils up. Now
stir the coffee and egg down, and then shut down the cover, and set the
pot where its contents will only simmer during the next five minutes.
At the end of that time add a gill of cold water. Let the coffee stand
at the side of the stove for three or four minutes, then strain into a
hot pot, and serve at once.
The rules for making coffee might be multiplied almost indefinitely,
but what has been given here will insure a good beverage every time.
COFFEE--II.
_As Prepared by Marion Harland._
[Illustration]
THE _very_ best way to make coffee is to buy the raw berries and brown
them yourself, at least once a week. Most printed directions for
preparing the beverage insist upon these preliminaries as a _sine qua
non_. When the mistress cannot superintend the roasting, it is seldom
well done, the coffee being burned or unequally cooked. Therefore, the
average housewife, who has her hands full of "must-be-dones," reading
that tolerable coffee cannot be had unless this rule be obeyed, makes
up her mind to give her family a second-rate article. Should coffee be
regarded as a daily necessity of existence by her and her household,
she would do well to spare time from other occupations (if possible) to
prepare it in the most approved manner.
To this end, purchase Java and Mocha in equal quantities; mix and roast
them in a broad dripping-pan, shaking and stirring often, particularly
when they begin to brown, turning the pan, end for end, several times
during the operation. The berries should be evenly tinted to the shade
we know as "coffee-color." Burnt grains must be thrown away. Lift the
pan to a table, and stir into the hot coffee the beaten whites of
two eggs for each pound, and a dessertspoonful of fresh butter. This
keeps in the aroma until the grinding lets it out. Do it quickly and
faithfully, glazing every berry with the air-proof coating. When cool,
shake the coffee in a sieve, that the berries may not stick together,
and put it into a tight canister. Grind in a good mill--_i.e._, one
that works well without rattling or "wobbling"--every morning as much
as will be needed for the day. This was our mothers' and grandmothers'
way of preparing coffee grains for making the most popular beverage
known to civilized peoples, and no domestic considered herself
aggrieved if required to do it. Now, the good wife who informs her cook
that "we roast and grind our own coffee," will have trouble in the
flesh. Bridget's impregnable belief is that "what is good enough for
people that lives in finer houses nor yerself, is plenty good for yez."
It is not to be undermined by representations that ground coffee bought
by the package has lost much of its original value with time, and is,
furthermore, shamefully adulterated. What your richer neighbors use
ought to satisfy you, especially when discontent with it entails worry
and labor upon herself. I repeat it: If you must have irreproachable
coffee, look to it in person.
Next to this process in excellence is the plan of purchasing, a pound
at a time, freshly-ground coffee from a trustworthy grocer, whose mill
goes every day; or you may buy it freshly roasted in the grain from
him in small quantities, putting a certain portion in the oven until
warmed through, as you need it, and grinding it before it cools. This
insures you against the admixture of foreign substances. The belief in
the extensive adulteration of the ground coffee sold by the package at
a low rate is founded upon a rock of fact. Sacks of beans and tons of
chicory are bought without a scruple, and stored unblushingly in the
warehouses of coffee and spice millers.
Make sure then, to begin with, that your material is pure and lately
ground. On the last point, take notice that the coffee which is to be
made into a drink by the percolation of steam or water should be ground
more finely than when it is to be boiled.
Next see that the water is on what may be called "a fresh boil." It
should not have simmered for hours at the side of the stove until all
the liveliness is spent, but stand in the hottest place, where it will
come quickly and furiously to the boiling point, then be used at once.
The perfection of coffee, to my way of thinking, is made in the "Vienna
coffee-pot." A tea-kettle of copper, brass, or plated silver, full of
boiling water, is set over a spirit lamp. Into it is fitted a tube
attached to a glass receptacle for the finely-ground coffee, which is
kept from entering the tube by a wire sieve. A tight stopper prevents
the escape through the kettle-spout of the steam generated by the
lamp. It is thus forced upward through the tube and sieve into the
dry coffee. The globe has a brass cover that keeps in the heat. The
coffee is speedily saturated with vapor, and begins to heave and boil
like the crater of a volcano. When the tossing mass fills the upper
vessel, the stopper is withdrawn from the spout of the lower, and the
surface slowly sinks to the original level. The stopper is replaced,
and another boil begins. Three boils and as many drainings will leave
in the kettle delicious black coffee, fragrant and clear. It can be
made on the breakfast or dinner-table in five minutes, if the flame
be strong and the water on the boil when set over it. Directions and
measures for quantities of coffee and water accompany the pot.
Hardly second in merit to this method is the use of the French "biggin"
or "grecque." A tin cylinder, furnished with two movable and one
stationary strainers, is set on a coffee-pot. Dry, fine coffee goes
into the upper vessel in the proportion of a half-pint cupful to a
quart of _boiling_ water poured on this, and left to filter through
once, twice, or three times, as a moderately or very strong infusion
is desired. The pot should be made hot by scalding before the cylinder
is fitted on, then stand on the hot range or hearth, while the
liquid drips through the strainers. But this _must not boil_ then or
afterwards.
Persons accustomed to Vienna or French coffee do not relish that cooked
in the old-fashioned style, but as many still cling to the latter, it
is well to know how to obtain the most satisfactory result offered by
it.
Allow to each even cupful of ground coffee a quart of boiling water.
Mix the coffee in a bowl with half a cupful of cold water and the white
and shell of an egg; stir all well together before putting the mixture
into the boiler. Add the boiling water, and let it boil _fast_ ten
minutes after it begins to bubble. Throw in one-third of a cupful of
cold water to check ebullition; draw to one side, and let the decoction
settle for three minutes before pouring it off gently from the grounds
into the urn.
Send hot milk--cream, if you have it--to table with coffee. A
teaspoonful of whipped cream, laid on the surface of each cupful, adds
to the elegance of the beverage.
COFFEE--III.
_Two Ways with Coffee, as Described by Mrs. Helen Campbell._
[Illustration]
PERHAPS the _two_ should read twenty, and it would, were it any part
of my present mission to give every possibility of method with the
berry from bush to pot or filter. But I deal to-day only with two, and
they define themselves at once, sharply and decisively--a good way
and a bad way; and as, according to a famous moralist, we take more
interest in the faults than in the virtues of a friend, it is with the
bad way that we begin. It is a way susceptible of many variations, as
my own eyes have seen, but all reducible to the one formula,--bad.
Moreover, they all emanated from a source supposed to represent the
acme of good housekeeping. It was in New England, far to the east, and
the quiet house where a part of a summer was spent had every charm but
that of good coffee. Paint, walls, and floors were spotlessly clean.
The sheets smelled of green grass and all growing things, and, like
every washable article, dazzled one with the whiteness and purity
of their cleanliness. Bread and butter were perfect, and innumerable
pies equally so. But the coffee! Freakishly, mysteriously, variously
bad; but bad inevitably. Why and how one act could have such manifold
effects became the problem, and gradually, by means of much patient
observation made from my place by the south window in the room, which
was both dining-room and sitting-room, I found out.
My hostess came down late one morning. The coffee of the previous day
had stood in the tin pot all night, and she poured off such liquid
as remained, emptied the grounds, rinsed the pot with cold water,
and put in a cupful of cold coffee. This was set on the stove, and
soon began to boil. The potatoes were frying, and some slices of pork
also, and she busied herself with these for a time; then, as a sort of
afterthought, took some coffee from the canister, ground it, and poured
it into the pot. The kettle had boiled furiously for an hour, and I
knew that the water that filled it had stood all night in the kitchen;
these two facts meaning that it had parted with the last bubble of life
and spirit, and was flat, stale and unprofitable. But she filled the
coffee-pot to the brim, throwing in the bit of fish skin for clearing;
and on it boiled till the bell had rung, and Aaron came in from the
barn and received his cup, made bearable by the cream, which she never
stinted. But not a detective appointed for the purpose could have
told the nature of the compound before him, and would have echoed the
despairing traveler's request: "If this is tea, bring me coffee; and if
it's coffee, bring me tea."
Happily, Aaron was thirsty, and emptied the pot. His mother turned
out the grounds, washed the pot with soap-suds, and set it away, half
dry--an immediate explanation of one of the flavors sometimes to be
perceived. Observation, the next morning, showed that the kettle did
not boil, because the fire refused to burn properly. But the coffee
went in, and the water went on, and in due time came to the table,
distinctly flavored with soap, but drank with calm unconsciousness by
both Aaron and his mother. The supply of cream had gone by mistake into
the churn, and there was no alleviation. I looked at the determined
countenance of my hostess, and wondered if I might speak. Here was
the well by the door; here was a canister of real coffee; here milk
that could boil. What lacked it that I must forego the real union of
all these elements? Only my own craven nature, which shrunk from the
conflict, and continued to shrink, through three weeks of vicissitude.
I had grown indifferent, but the sight of a fresh package of coffee
coming in under Aaron's arm aroused me to mild persuasion. I read at
the tea-table a bit from some paper on Delmonico's theory of boiling
water.
"He must a' been dretful notional. I wouldn't a' had him come pokin'
about _my_ kitchen," remarked my hostess, decisively.
"But he was quite right. Water is spoiled for drinking, as hot water,
or for making tea or coffee, if it passes beyond that first few
minutes of effervescence. It should be fresh water, freshly boiled,
and poured at once on the coffee, which ought to be in a clean, hot
pot. It doesn't make much difference whether it is boiled or filtered.
Delicious coffee can be had by either method, if those conditions are
followed absolutely; the best coffee is ruined if they are not."
"Folks that don't like my vittles can go where there's vittle's they do
like," was my hostess's answer, after a moment of stony silence. And so
I lost that boarding-place, and found one where they never ground their
own coffee, but where they did everything else to it, decently and in
order.
Two years later I found myself one morning in a waste, howling
wilderness in North Carolina--a tar and turpentine station in the pine
woods, where only a cabin or two showed signs of life. One truck of the
car was off the track. Hours must pass before we could go on, and any
breakfast lay forty miles beyond.
"You'll get a snack in yonder," the conductor said presently, pointing
to a distant cabin. "And it's a pretty good one. I've tried it before."
He led the way under the pines to the lonely little cabin, in the
door of which stood a tall "cracker," with a keener face than most of
his order. It was the roughest of interiors, but it was clean. He had
already cut some slices of bacon and placed it in his pan, and a pone
baked in the ashes. A coffee-mill was screwed against the post, and
from a shed I heard the lowing of a cow. We should not be milkless.
"Do your prettiest, Jacob," the conductor said, and Jacob nodded. Then
he went to a spring and filled a little kettle with the fresh, bubbling
water, and hung it over the coals. Coffee was in a sack in the corner,
and he took out a handful and roasted it then and there, turning each
grain in the pan as it browned, and grinding it the instant the
process ended. The water boiled on the same moment. He scalded his
coffee-pot, put in the ground coffee and the boiling water, and put
that and a little can of milk on the coals. Three minutes passed. Then
he lifted the pot, poured off a cupful to free the nozzle, poured it
back, and put it aside to settle.
"Set by," he said, concisely, putting a tin cup at my place, with a
spoonful of sugar in the bottom.
"We hain't any store cups," he said; "an' this ain't what you're
used to, but it won't spoil the coffee." And with that he poured two
streams, one a rich, clear brown, the other snowy white, and both at
boiling-point, till the cup was full. Never had more perfect coffee
passed my lips, and I said so.
"Learned that in Mexico," said the tall "cracker," with a smile of
pride. "Used to drink my coffee straight; but go down thar for a year,
an' now can't bar it no other way but their's. Roast it, an' boil it,
and drink it all to onst. It gits ahead o' whiskey, or even peach an'
honey."
Here are the two ways: Admirable cook-books will give you admirable
rules for making coffee; but, if you believe it worth the trouble,
try my "cracker's," otherwise Mexican, method. Cream and coffee are
often indigestible; boiled milk and coffee, almost never. The union
prevents excess of coffee, and, if both come to the table as near the
boiling-point as possible, you have the perfect drink. Only remember
that the coffee must be one-third Mocha to two-thirds Java, and, if you
will roast more than enough for once, keep closely covered, and heat
before grinding.
COFFEE--IV.
_As prepared by Juliet Corson._
[Illustration]
THAT "the easiest way is the best" is a proverb not always verified in
the kitchen; but it certainly applies to the making of good coffee, if
the ideal beverage is a clear, wine-brown, fragrant fluid of comforting
quality. Testing many ways of preparing this almost indispensable
accompaniment to a good breakfast has proven that the Turks and
Arabians treat it most fairly; the reservation may be made that
Americans generally prefer not to absorb the substance of the berry,
even in the form of an almost impalpable powder, as do the followers
of Mahomet. These comparatively temperate people attach its true value
to coffee as a frequent beverage; its free use is unfavorable to
indulgence in intoxicants of any character, and, properly prepared,
it does not exercise any deleterious action upon the digestive organs
under normal conditions. Some persons are unable to use it freely
without more or less intestinal disturbance, just as others cannot
digest eggs, fish, or milk; once convinced of its injurious effect, one
would be as foolish to drink it as to persist in testing the relative
hardness of one's head and a stone wall.
Much of the physical trouble arising from the drinking of coffee is
to be attributed to the use of uncooked milk with boiled coffee. The
actual boiling of coffee extracts its tannic acid, and this, combining
with some of the component parts of milk, forms an indigestible
substance that appears on the surface of the beverage in the form of a
thin scum. When coffee disagrees with any one who likes it boiled, the
trial is suggested of making it with boiled milk, as the French prepare
_café au lait_; if the ill effect is still apparent, dispense with
milk, using only sugar; or try condensed milk, in which the elements
are somewhat changed chemically; if it still produces disturbance, be
sensible; do not use it. Cocoa is a good breakfast drink.
Coffee is preferable to any kind of tea as a breakfast beverage,
because, under right conditions, it does not, like tea, retard the
digestion and assimilation of food; it is slightly stimulating and
conducive to appetite, and is especially valuable when the bulk of the
meal is made up of cold food, as it sometimes is in summer, and when
it is hurriedly prepared. Several recipes are given for making coffee,
with preference for the last, because it develops all the flavor and
aroma of the berry, and secures its nutrient properties so far as they
can be obtained by infusion.
A FRENCH CHEF'S METHOD
Of making breakfast coffee was to mix a cupful of the ground
berry with one raw egg and its shell, and a quart of cold
water; these ingredients were placed in the coffee-pot over
the fire, occasionally stirred, and allowed to reach the
boiling-point; the coffee-pot was then drawn to the side of
the fire, where it could not boil, one-half cupful of cold
water was poured into the spout and top of the pot, and the
coffee was allowed to stand ten minutes before it was used.
Boiled milk is the best for all kinds of coffee except _café
noir_.
A favorite French mixture of coffees is one-third each of Java, Mocha,
and Maracaibo, with at least an ounce of pure chicory to each pound of
coffee. The addition of chicory to coffee gives it a rich color and
pleasant flavor; it is best to make the mixture at home, buying the
chicory from some reliable dealer.
Green coffee--that is, unroasted coffee in the bean--may be bought at
any time when the market is favorable; it improves by being kept in a
cool, dry place. Roast it in small quantities, and grind it just before
using it; this is quite feasible, even if home facilities are limited.
In some households there are small coffee-furnaces; or the beans can
be browned in the oven by exercising due care. Add a very little good
butter to the coffee, just enough to make it glossy, but not greasy;
after it has been put into an iron pan, place it in the oven, and shake
the pan often enough to make the beans brown evenly; do not burn the
coffee. The same precautions must be taken in using the furnace or
coffee-roaster. If coffee is bought roasted and unground, put into a
frying-pan with enough butter to make it glossy, and shake the pan over
a hot fire until the aroma of the coffee is perceptible; then grind it,
and use it at once. Only enough for one meal should be heated at one
time, the quantity depending upon the desired strength of the beverage;
from one to two ounces of coffee to a quart of water is the usual
allowance in families. When coffee is made in large quantities a pound
is allowed for twenty-five persons.
CAFE AU LAIT.
This favorite breakfast beverage of the French is made of
_café noir_ and boiling milk in equal quantities, poured
together into a cup from two coffee-pots, and sweetened to
taste.
CAFE NOIR.
This beverage, called after-dinner or black coffee, is made
clear and strong, being allowed to reach the boiling-point,
but not to boil. The usual proportions are one cupful (or
four ounces) of coffee to a quart of water. If made in a
percolator, a half additional of this quantity of coffee
should be allowed; that is, six ounces to a quart.
FILTERED COFFEE.
When coffee is made in a percolator, or a coffee-pot with
a strainer at the top, one-third at least should be added
to the usual proportion of coffee; three ounces to a quart
makes a good coffee by this method. The coffee is placed in
the strainer, and actually boiling water is poured through
it; the coffee-pot is placed where the coffee will keep hot
without boiling for about ten minutes, and then used.
BREAKFAST COFFEE.
The best and most economical coffee is made as follows: A
small bag of unbleached cloth is so arranged as to remain
suspended about midway of the coffee-pot. The coffee,
freshly roasted, or heated in a frying-pan, as described
above, and then ground to a fine powder, is put into the
bag, an ounce being allowed for each quart of coffee;
_actually boiling water_ is then poured upon the coffee, and
it is allowed to stand for ten minutes where it will keep
hot _without boiling_, and then used with boiling-hot milk
and sugar. Of course the coffee-pot must be of such a size
that the bag of coffee will be entirely covered with the
boiling water.
Coffee made in this way is clear and fragrant, absolutely harmless
to the digestive organs, and as delicious as coffee should be. The
boiling-hot milk is a necessity for those who like coffee hot. The
coffee-pot should be rinsed with clean boiling water after the coffee
is used, and then thoroughly dried; the bag should be rinsed in boiling
water to free it from grounds, and then dried before it is again put
into the coffee-pot. No soap should be used upon it, nor any soapy
water; simply water that has been boiled before it is used. If this
method is followed, clear coffee will always be the order of the day.
COFFEE--V.
_The Right and Wrong Ways of Making Coffee, as Described by Mrs. D. A.
Lincoln._
THE WRONG WAY.
[Illustration]
BUY the cheapest coffee--that is, the kind which costs the least
money--without regard to its purity or quality. Use more or less
coffee, just as it happens; accurate measurement is not essential. Put
it in an old tin coffee-pot; pour on water from the tea-kettle--never
mind about the quantity or its temperature, or the time it has been
in the kettle, since, as it comes from the tea-kettle, it must be all
right. Let it boil indefinitely, and if, when breakfast is ready, the
water has boiled away, just pour in more. If you can afford it, add one
or two eggs at any time during the process, when you happen to think of
it. If it be roily, strain it, if you can find a strainer, and serve it
with--yes, common brown sugar and skim milk will do, if you choose to
think so. The compound is--what?
If there be any left, keep it warm on the back of the stove until the
next meal. As this long steeping makes it dark, it must be strong,
so, add more water. After dinner set the pot away, and the next
morning pour out the old grounds; rinse it or not--just as your time
will allow--and repeat the process of making. Wash the coffee-pot
occasionally if the outside need it, but rinsing is sufficient for the
inside.
THE RIGHT WAY.
Buy pure coffee--not necessarily that which costs most--but buy it
from some reliable dealer. Mixtures of one-third Mocha and two-thirds
Java, or half Mocha and half male berry Java, have given general
satisfaction. There are some varieties of South American coffee which
are very good. Occasionally one finds a brand, through some friend who
is in the business, or who has had opportunity of procuring it directly
from coffee-growing countries, which is of such remarkable excellence
that it leads one to suspect that much of the best coffee grown is not
in the market.
The raw berries are tough, difficult to grind, and have but little
flavor. Roasting makes the berries brittle and crisp, and when properly
done develops a fine flavor; but when half done or done to excess,
the result is a raw or bitter flavor. Many prefer to roast and grind
the coffee for themselves; but in coffee houses the arrangements for
roasting are so complete, that it is better for small families to buy
roasted coffee and to grind it as needed, or to buy it ground in a
small quantity. It should be kept in air-tight tin cans or glass jars,
that the fine flavor may be preserved.
Opinions vary as to the best kind of coffee-pot. Some prefer porcelain
or granite ware, others prefer tin, but all good housekeepers agree
that absolute cleanliness is of the utmost importance. The pot should
be cleansed every time it is used--all parts of it, the spout not
excepted. A brown deposit is soon formed on the inside of the pot if
the coffee be allowed to stand in it long, or if it be not often and
thoroughly cleansed.
An important point, and one often overlooked even by intelligent
housekeepers, is that the water should be freshly boiled in a clean
kettle. Water, in boiling, loses the air or gases which give it a fresh
taste and sparkling appearance. It should be used as soon as boiled,
or it becomes flat and tasteless. A brown substance is deposited on
the inside of the kettle, and this, if allowed to accumulate, imparts
an unpleasant taste to the water; yet there are many housekeepers,
exquisitely neat in many ways, who seldom wash the inside of a
tea-kettle. It is an excellent plan to keep a small kettle to be used
only in boiling water for tea or coffee. Wash and wipe it carefully
every time it is used.
The proportions of water and coffee are one heaping tablespoonful of
ground coffee to one half-pint cupful of boiling water. Reduce the
amount of coffee slightly when several cupfuls are required. It takes
a larger proportionate amount of both coffee and water to make just
enough for one cupful than for more, as the grounds absorb a certain
portion of the water, and the last coffee poured out is not as clear as
the first. Coffee should be made in such a way that the full strength
and aroma may be obtained without developing the tannic acid.
Whether coffee shall be boiled or not will probably be always a
question. Many think it has a raw taste if not boiled; others contend
that, in boiling, much of the aroma is lost. Boiling makes the mixture
roily, and it must stand long enough to let the grounds settle and
the liquid become clear. Some albuminous material will help to clear
it. Fish skin, isinglass, cold water, and eggs are used for this
purpose. Eggs give it a flavor and body, and, no doubt, improve an
inferior quality of coffee; but they increase the cost of the beverage,
as, aside from their own cost, they clog the grounds, thus making a
larger amount of coffee necessary to obtain the desired strength.
But if coffee must be boiled, let it be boiled in a closely covered
vessel, with a thimble or cork in the spout, as, if left uncovered,
the volatile oil which forms the fragrant aroma is dissipated; and it
should never boil more than five minutes, as longer boiling extracts
the tannic acid. There is a widely prevalent but erroneous notion
that long boiling extracts more of the strength and color, and is,
therefore, more economical; but strength and color thus gained are
obtained at the expense of flavor and wholesomeness.
After thorough trial of several methods of making coffee, I have found
filtering (or percolation) the simplest, most economical, and most
satisfactory. Various modifications of the biggin, or French filter
coffee-pot, are in use. This is a double coffee-pot, with one or more
strainers in the upper pot. Some of these biggins are expensive, and
soon get out of order; but others are very simple, and, with care,
will last a long time. The coffee should be ground very fine, and be
placed in the upper pot. Some varieties have a convex, coarse strainer
in the bottom, to keep the grounds from clogging the fine strainer.
Then a coarse strainer is placed over the grounds, the boiling water
is poured in, and allowed to drip slowly through the coffee into the
lower receptacle. Many of the coffee-pots made on this principle are
placed in another vessel containing boiling water; but, if there be
only two parts to it, the coffee-pot should stand where the coffee, as
it drips through, will keep hot, but will not boil. If the upper part
be not large enough to contain all the water desired, it must be poured
on in small portions. The full strength and aroma are thus obtained; no
clearing is necessary, and, if care be taken to observe all the minor
points in the directions, the beverage will invariably be good.
For good breakfast coffee, cream, scalded milk, and block sugar are
necessary. The milk should be scalding hot, but never boiled, as boiled
milk gives an unpleasant flavor. Ascertain the tastes of those at
the table, as most coffee drinkers prefer to have the coffee poured
on the cream and sugar. One tablespoonful of cream, two of hot milk,
and two blocks of sugar, with an extra block in the saucer, is a fair
proportion for a breakfast cup. Pour in the coffee until the cup is
three-fourths full. Never fill it to overflowing.
After-dinner coffee, or black coffee, is made in the same way, a
double proportion of coffee being used. It should be very strong, and
perfectly clear. Serve it in small cups, with block sugar if desired,
but not with cream or milk, as the milk counteracts the purpose for
which the coffee is taken.
Coffee is stimulating, and, when taken clear and very strong after a
hearty meal, aids digestion; but, when combined with cream or milk, a
leathery compound is formed, which is indigestible and irritates the
internal membranes.
COFFEE--VI.
_A Cup of Good Coffee, as Described and Prepared by Catherine Owen._
[Illustration]
PEOPLE often speak of the delicious coffee they drank at this place or
that, as something quite unattainable in their own homes; yet, as rich,
fragrant, clear coffee is no more expensive than strong coffee--thick
and muddy, bitter, but not fragrant--there is no reason why every one
should not revel in the simple luxury. First of all, as to the pot:
Some people seem to have quite a superstition about a coffee-pot. The
fact is that any absolutely clean pot will make good coffee, and I have
made as good coffee in a warmed pitcher as ever was made in the most
perfect of filtering pots.
Strong French or filtered coffee is not used in many families, because
it is believed to be more expensive; but this mistake comes from the
fact that the experiment is often made with coffee too coarsely ground.
Grocers usually grind coffee like coarse oatmeal; but coffee so used is
very extravagant, for you require double the quantity necessary. Coffee
should be ground as fine as coarse corn meal--not so fine as flour, or
it will clog the strainer--and it should be freshly ground each time
coffee is made. These rules apply both to boiled and filtered coffee.
TO MAKE FRENCH COFFEE.
Allow for strong breakfast coffee, one tablespoonful of
finely-ground coffee for each person, and half a pint of
boiling water to each spoonful. Put the coffee into the
strainer, and set it where it will get heated, but not burn
(the flavor of both coffee and tea are improved by being
warmed before the water is added). Pour the freshly-boiled
water on the coffee ten minutes before breakfast. Coffee is
spoiled if made too long.
If you use the usual French coffee-pot with two strainers, you will
save time by pouring the water on a little at a time. There is,
however, a coffee-pot that is easier for general use, as the water
can all be poured on at once; the process is then exactly the same
as making tea, except that part of the water must be poured out and
returned.
For black, after-dinner coffee, you require four tablespoonfuls of
coffee to a pint of water.
You must remember that, in using little water, you make very strong
coffee, and you need only each cup one-third or half full; then fill
it up with foaming, hot milk. If you live in a city, this is the real
expense; but a cup of such coffee is far more nourishing than the
usual weak coffee just clouded with milk. For instance: If you put a
pint of water on a tablespoonful of coffee, you get two cups of coffee
too weak to allow much milk. If you put one-half pint of water to a
tablespoonful of coffee, you get two half cups, rich and strong, each
of which will allow being filled up with boiling milk. Therefore, you
get the same quantity of the beverage in one way as the other; but one
will be fragrant and nourishing, the other will be neither.
Just here let me digress from the actual making of coffee to another
matter that concerns coffee drinkers. It is often said by those who
drink weak coffee for breakfast, such as would be made by using a pint
of water to a tablespoonful of coffee, that they would be afraid to
drink strong coffee. They will perhaps see from the above that they
consume just as much coffee--and whatever unwholesome ingredient it may
contain--in the one case as the other, but that, in one case, it is
diluted with water, and in the other with milk. The moral they can draw
for themselves.
Any reader who has not tried making French coffee, and has no proper
pot, can experiment in the following way:
FRENCH COFFEE IN A PITCHER.