SALTED NUTS
ONE day Betsey said, "Mother, I should like to know how to prepare
salted peanuts and salted almonds," and, as usual, mother was glad to
comply with her request and teach her.
Salted Peanuts
Peanuts (shelled), 1 cup
Butter, or
Olive oil.
Salt.
Betsey bought the peanuts that were not cooked. These she shelled, then
covered with boiling water for a minute or two. Draining off the water,
she removed the little brown skins easily.
Using a shallow cake tin, Betsey poured in a little olive oil (for
those who do not like olive oil, a small piece of butter may be used),
added the peanuts, put in a hot oven and cooked to a light golden
brown.
When done she emptied the peanuts on to a piece of brown paper (this
soaked up the extra oil or butter) and sprinkled lightly with salt.
Salted Almonds
Almonds (shelled), 1 cup
Butter, or
Olive oil.
Salt.
These Betsey blanched as she did the peanuts by pouring boiling water
over the almonds for at least a minute.
Draining off the water, she was able to remove the brown skins very
easily.
The almonds were then placed in a shallow pan in which a little olive
oil or butter had been melted, then baked in a hot oven to a light
golden brown.
Betsey needed to watch these constantly and shake the tin occasionally
that the almonds might be evenly browned.
The next step was to pour them on brown paper and sprinkle lightly with
salt.
The brown paper soaked up all the extra oil or butter and made them
much nicer.
* * * * *
Next Betsey tried
Glacé Nuts and Fruits
Sugar (granulated), 1 cup
Corn syrup, 1 cup
Water, 1/3 cup
Walnut meats.
Pecan meats.
Butternut meats.
Brazil nuts.
Filberts.
Almonds.
Peanuts.
White grapes.
Raisins.
Pieces of orange.
Pieces of grapefruit.
Prunes.
The sugar, corn syrup and water Betsey boiled until the syrup became
brittle the minute she dropped a little in cold water. Lifting the
saucepan from the fire, she placed it in a larger pan of cold water to
stop the boiling immediately, then she placed it in another pan of hot
water and dipped the nuts and fruits one at a time.
Betsey used a long hat pin to pick them out with, then placed on
buttered plates or waxed paper.
These were always made in cold weather and eaten while crisp. If they
were kept any length of time they became sticky. This, however, never
happened in Betsey's home, for they went too quickly.
* * * * *
It took Betsey a long time, months in fact, to learn all these
different ways of making candy, but she was so earnest in her work that
the results were better than many "grown ups" obtained.
Mother felt fully repaid for the time and care it had required to teach
Betsey and father was a much "puffed up" man.
He never failed to tell any guests that might be present when a dish of
the home made confections were being passed that "Betsey made these"
and his pride and pleasure were doubly increased when they invariably
exclaimed, "Impossible! Surely a little girl so young as Betsey could
never have made them."
Naturally, Betsey felt glad to have these nice things said about her
candies, and mother felt still more glad that in spite of all praise
Betsey was not spoiled.