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THE YOUNG HOUSEKEEPER'S FRIEND.
by
MRS. CORNELIUS.
Revised and Enlarged.
Boston:
Brown, Taggard and Chase.
1859.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1859, by
M. H. Cornelius,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
Cambridge:
Allen and Farnham, Electrotypers and Printers.
PREFACE.
In preparing this little volume, my aim has been to furnish to young
housekeepers the best aid that a book can give in the departments of
which it treats. No printed guide can perfectly supply the place of
that experience which is gained by early and habitual attention to
domestic concerns. But the directions here given are designed to be so
minute, and of so practical a character, that the observance of them
shall prevent very many of the perplexities which most young people
suffer during their first years of married life.
The receipts, with the exception of about twenty which are copied from
books, are furnished from my own experience, or that of my immediate
friends. An ample variety is given for furnishing the table of any
American family; but especial reference has been had to those who have
neither poverty nor riches; and such directions have been given as will
enable a housekeeper to provide a good and healthful table, or, if
desired, a handsome one, at a moderate expense.
To save repetition, very minute directions are given at the head of
every chapter, by attending to which, the least experienced cook will
learn how to proceed in making each article for which a receipt is
given.
I do not attempt to give directions in regard to the best methods of
taking care of all sorts of furniture, and performing all the various
kinds of household labor, because there are works already published
which furnish copious and judicious instructions on these subjects.
It may be asked, "Why then publish a book of counsels and receipts,
for there surely are many receipt-books?" This is true; but while some
of them are not ample guides on the subjects of which they treat,
others are based upon a plan both expensive and unhealthy, and all of
them that I have seen, leave an inexperienced housekeeper at a loss in
regard to many of the things most necessary to economy and comfort.
I have seen many a young lady, just entered upon the duties of married
life, perplexed and prematurely care-worn, for want of experience, or a
little good instruction, in regard to the simplest domestic processes;
and often have felt, with the sincerest sympathy, an earnest wish to
render her some effectual aid. If I succeed in affording it through
this little book, I shall esteem myself happy; and I have only to ask,
in conclusion, that my numerous young friends, and all the youthful
housekeepers into whose hands it may fall, will receive it as a token
of my friendly interest and best wishes.
M. H. C.
ANDOVER.
[Illustration: Decorative flourish]
PREFACE
TO THE REVISED EDITION.
My aim in the revision of this little book has been to make the
arrangement of the receipts and of the index more convenient, the
directions more simple and clear, and the entire collection more
select and reliable. In place of some of the old receipts many choice
new ones are substituted, which, so far as I know, have not been in
print before. All of them have been attested by experience, either my
own, or of friends in whose judgment in such matters I have entire
confidence. The last chapter, written long since in compliance with
frequent requests from young friends, is appended in the hope that it
will increase the usefulness of the book to those for whose benefit it
was originally designed.
I trust it is not improper for me to add, that among the motives which
have led to the present revision, is the favor with which many ladies
have regarded this book in its original form, notwithstanding its
confessed imperfections. It has been my earnest wish for years to make
it more worthy of such estimation; and hoping that it will prove a
better Friend to Young Housekeepers than it has hitherto been, I ask
for the continued patronage of those who have so long and so kindly
overlooked its faults.
M. H. C.
MARCH, 1859.
CONTENTS
Page
COUNSELS AND SUGGESTIONS 8
Chapter without heading 12
OVENS, BREAD, &c. 21
BISCUITS, TEA CAKES, GRIDDLE CAKES, &c. 33
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING CAKE. 41
FRUIT CAKES. 45
RAISED CAKES. 47
CUP CAKES. 48
SPONGE CAKES. 50
VARIOUS KINDS OF CAKE. 52
CREAM CAKES, COOKIES, WAFERS, KISSES, JUMBLES,
GINGERBREAD, ETC. 55
FRIED CAKES. 59
ON MAKING PASTRY. 61
PIES. 65
DIRECTIONS ABOUT PUDDINGS. 72
PUDDINGS WITHOUT EGGS. 84
DUMPLINGS, FLUMMERIES, AND OTHER INEXPENSIVE
ARTICLES FOR DESSERT. 87
SWEET DISHES. 91
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING ICES. 96
FRUIT ICES. 97
TO PRESERVE FRUIT AND MAKE JELLIES. 100
BAKED AND STEWED FRUITS. 113
HOW TO SELECT AND TAKE CARE OF BEEF, MUTTON, LAMB,
VEAL, AND PORK. 117
STOCK FOR GRAVIES AND SOUPS. 120
ON ROASTING MEAT. 121
ON BOILING MEAT. 122
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING GRAVIES. 123
STUFFING OR DRESSING OF VARIOUS KINDS. 125
VEGETABLES AND SAUCES APPROPRIATE TO
DIFFERENT MEATS. 126
DIRECTIONS FOR COOKING MEATS. 126
TO LAY MEAT AND POULTRY ON THE DISH FOR THE TABLE. 139
TO SELECT POULTRY AND PREPARE IT FOR BEING COOKED. 140
SOUPS. 147
EGGS. 151
DIRECTIONS RESPECTING FISH. 153
DIRECTIONS FOR SALTING MEAT, FISH, &c. 162
TOMATOES. 167
ON COOKING VEGETABLES. 171
PICKLES. 180
TEA, COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, COCOA, ETC. 184
CONVENIENT COMMON DISHES, AND WAYS OF
USING REMNANTS. 187
THE CARE OF MILK, AND MAKING BUTTER. 198
ON MAKING CHEESE. 203
FOOD AND DRINKS FOR THE SICK, AND FOR INFANTS. 205
MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS AND DIRECTIONS. 212
DIRECTIONS ABOUT WASHING, &c. 228
GENERAL INDEX. 249
THE YOUNG HOUSEKEEPER'S FRIEND.
COUNSELS AND SUGGESTIONS
_Good housekeeping compatible with intellectual culture.--Persevering
attention rewarded.--Effects of unhealthy diet.--Responsibleness of
women.--Application of the principles of religion to the duties of
domestic life._
A symmetrical education is extremely rare in this country. Nothing is
more common than to see young ladies, whose intellectual attainments
are of a high order, profoundly ignorant of the duties which all
acknowledge to belong peculiarly to women. Consequently many have to
learn, after marriage, how to take care of a family; and thus their
housekeeping is, frequently, little else than a series of experiments;
often unsuccessful, resulting in mortification and discomfort in the
parlor, and waste and ill temper in the kitchen.
So numerous are these instances, that excellence in housekeeping
has come to be considered as incompatible with superior intellectual
culture. But it is not so. The most elevated minds fulfil best the
every-day duties of life. If young women would resolve, let the effort
cost what it will, to perfect themselves in their appropriate duties,
a defective domestic education would soon be remedied. Observation and
persevering attention would give the requisite knowledge, and their
efforts would bring a speedy and ample reward. It were far better, when
they enter upon the station of a mistress of a family, to be already
possessed of such experience as would enable them easily to regulate
the expenditures, and so to systematize the work of every day, as to
secure economy, comfort, neatness, and order. But if this knowledge has
not been previously acquired, let not the learner be discouraged, or
for a moment yield to the idea of "letting things take their course."
No woman can innocently or safely settle down upon this conclusion. The
good to be lost, and the evils incurred, are too great to admit of such
a decision. The result will certainly be uncomfortable; and it would
not be strange if the dearest domestic affections were thus chilled,
and the most valuable family interests sacrificed.
How often do we see the happiness of a husband abridged by the absence
of skill, neatness, and economy in the wife! Perhaps he is not able
to fix upon the cause, for he does not understand minutely enough the
processes upon which domestic order depends, to analyze the difficulty;
but he is conscious of discomfort. However improbable it may seem, the
health of many a professional man is undermined, and his usefulness
curtailed, if not sacrificed, because he habitually eats _bad bread_.
How frequently, in case of students in the various professions, is
the brightest promise of future attainment and honor overshadowed by
a total loss of health; and the young scholar, in whom the choicest
hopes were garnered up, is compelled to relinquish his studies, and
turn his unwilling thoughts to other pursuits; or, worse than this, he
becomes a helpless invalid for life. Yet even this is an enviable lot,
compared with his, whose noble intellectual powers have become like the
broken chords of an instrument that shall never again utter its melody.
But are such evils as these to be traced to the use of unwholesome
food? Every intelligent physician, every superintendent of our insane
hospitals, testifies that in very many instances, this is the prominent
cause.
We often see the most pious Christians heavy-hearted, and doubting
their share in the great salvation; mistaking the salutary discipline
of their Heavenly Father for the rod of an offended judge; forgetting
the freeness of the mercy offered, looking only at their own
unworthiness, and refusing to be comforted. Instances of this sort,
resulting in incurable melancholy, may frequently be traced to the same
cause. The human body and mind are so intimately associated, that the
functions of the one cannot be disturbed without deranging the action
of the other; and it is doubtless true, that many a hopeless heart and
feeble body would be more benefited by a wholesome diet, than by the
instructions of the minister, or the prescriptions of the physician.
To say the least, the good offices of these will avail little while
counteracted by the want of the other.
If this subject has a direct bearing upon the health of families, so
also does it exert an immediate influence upon their virtue. There are
numerous instances of worthy merchants and mechanics, whose efforts are
paralyzed, and their hopes chilled by the total failure of the wife in
her sphere of duty; and who seek solace under their disappointment in
the wine-party, or the late convivial supper. Many a day-laborer, on
his return at evening from his hard toil, is repelled by the sight of a
disorderly house and a comfortless supper; and perhaps is met by a cold
eye instead of "the thriftie wifie's smile;" and he makes his escape to
the grog-shop or the underground gambling-room. Can any human agency
hinder the series of calamities entailed by these things? No! the most
active philanthropy, the best schemes of organized benevolence, cannot
furnish a remedy, unless the springs of society are rectified. The
domestic influence of woman is certainly one of these. Every woman is
invested with a great degree of power over the happiness and virtue of
others. She cannot escape using it, and she cannot innocently pervert
it. There is no avenue or channel of society through which it may not
send a salutary influence; and when rightly directed, it is unsurpassed
by any human instrumentality in its purifying and restoring efficacy.
The Bible sanctions this view of female obligation and influence, in
the description it gives of the virtuous woman. "Her price is far above
rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he
shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good, and not evil, all
the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh diligently
with her hands. She is like the merchant's ships, she bringeth her food
from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to
her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field
and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She
perceiveth that her merchandise is good, and her candle goeth not out
by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the
distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth
forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her
household; for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She maketh
herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her
husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the
land. She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delivereth girdles
unto the merchant. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall
rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her
tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her
household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise
up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many
daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favor is
deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord she
shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own
works praise her in the gates."
Like the paintings of the old artists, the beauty of this exquisite
picture is enhanced by the "softened hue of years," and like them it
must be studied long ere its finest touches will be revealed. Female
virtue is the same now that it was in the days of the wise man, and
this portraiture is, in its outlines, still true to the life. Energy,
industry, economy, order, skill, vigilance, cheerfulness, kindness,
charity, discretion, and the fear of God, are as essential to the
character of a good wife now, as they were then; and the effects of
these are still the same in the embellishments of her house, the
abundance of her stores, the happiness of her household, her husband's
confidence in her, his honorable rank among the elders of the land, the
virtues of her children, and her own felicity. To estimate the truth
of the picture, we need only observe in society around us, that the
happiest families are those in which the wife and mother most resembles
it.
In connection with this subject, the inquiry suggests itself whether,
in the "excessive externalism of the times," due prominence is given to
the practice of home-duties as a part of religion? Whether the spirit
of the New Testament is carried, as it should be, into the every-day
concerns of life? Is not the giving largely to public objects of
benevolence sometimes suffered to supersede the duty of "considering
the poor," and "bringing him that is cast out to our house?" Are not
the claims of a popular charity readily allowed, while the inevitable
ills of life, of which every family must have its share, are sometimes
permitted to remain unsoothed by the voice of sympathy, and the gentle
ministry of skilful hands and a loving heart? We may even go to
church, when we should offer purer incense to Him who sees the heart,
by performing the humblest domestic labors at home. Let me not be
misunderstood. The public institutions of religion have claims upon us
which we cannot innocently set aside; but alas, erring mortals that we
are! our piety is seldom symmetrical and consistent. We are prone to
love publicity. We find it easier to give money, to enlist our energies
in behalf of benevolent societies, to go with the multitude to the
house of God, than to practise, in the retirement of home, the "charity
which suffereth long and is kind, which envieth not, vaunteth not
itself, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, and never faileth." Can
we not learn, while we do the one, not to leave the other undone?
_Style of living.--Consistency.--Economy.--Neatness.--Habits of regular
attention to family concerns.--Perplexing days.--Company.--Arrangement
of family work for a week.--First instructions to
domestics.--Patience.--Good temper.--Observance of the Golden
Rule.--Self-government when accidents happen.--Sunday privileges._
Consider in the outset what mode of living best befits your station,
resources, and obligations to others; and so adjust your plan that
consistency[1] and appropriateness shall appear throughout. It is much
better to adopt a style of expenditure below your means than above
them. Of the unhappy effects of this last we have many examples in
our country. A very little advance in the style of living, creates an
additional expense greater than would at first be believed. That little
sentence, "_I can do without it_," has saved thousands of dollars for
future exigencies. Prodigality is as fruitful of mischief as Pandora's
box, and no amount of wealth can justify it. Habits of wasteful
expenditure are almost always accompanied with selfishness and a cold
heart towards the claims of the poor. Be conscientious, therefore, in
the practice of economy. Family comfort can hardly be found without it.
Neatness is essential to it; for though there may be neatness without
economy, there cannot be economy without neatness.
[1] The writer has heard of more than one lady who furnished but two
dish-towels, fearing that a more ample supply would lead to waste in
the use of them. But in one instance, when a superb dinner was given to
a large party, the cook was reduced to the necessity of tearing up a
sheet to wipe the dishes.
Accustom yourself to take good care of every thing you possess.
The best managers probably have, at first, a few disagreeable lessons
to learn, in the loss of things forgotten or neglected for want of
experience in having the entire care of a family. But it is to be hoped
there are not many who lose five or six hams eaten by the rats, or
forty yards of Russia linen laid upon the snow to whiten, and forgotten
till reduced to a pulp fit only for the paper-mill.
Be economical without parsimony, liberal without waste, and practise
the best methods of using your possessions without having your mind
wholly absorbed by them.
In your arrangements for the table, have reference to the work which
is in hand, so that dishes which are easily cooked shall be provided
for those days when most work is to be done. A want of consideration
in this particular often provokes ill temper, and may even occasion
the loss of a good domestic. This is one of the errors which those are
liable to commit who are unaccustomed to household labor. Provide a
variety of food; a frugal table, with frequent change, is much more
agreeable and healthy than a more expensive one, where nearly the same
things are served up every day.
If you are subject to uninvited company, and your means do not allow
you to set before your guests as good a table as they keep at home,
do not distress yourself or them with apologies. If they are real
friends, they will cheerfully sit down with you to such a table as is
appropriate to your circumstances, and would be made uncomfortable by
an effort on your part to provide a better one than you can afford. If
your resources are ample, live in such a way that an unexpected visitor
shall occasion no difference. The less alteration made in family
arrangements on account of visitors, the happier for them as well as
for you.
Never treat the subject of having company as if it were a great
affair. Your doing this will excite your domestics, and lead them to
imagine the addition to their usual work much greater than it is;
your own cares, too, will be greatly magnified. A calm and quiet way
of meeting all sorts of domestic vicissitudes, and of doing the work
of each day, be it more or less, equalizes the pressure of care, and
prevents its becoming oppressive.
Be composed when accidents happen to your furniture. The most careful
hand is sometimes unsteady. Angry words will not mend broken glass or
china, but they will teach your domestics to conceal such occurrences
from you, and the only explanation ever given you will be, that they
_came apart_. Encourage every one whom you employ to come immediately
and tell you, when they have been so unfortunate as to break or injure
any thing belonging to you. The cases are very rare, in which it is
best to deduct the value from their wages.
In the best regulated families there will be some laborious, perplexing
days. Adverse and inconvenient circumstances will cluster together.
At those times, guard against two things,--discouragement and
irritability. If others look on the dark side, find something cheering
to say; if they fret, sympathize in their share of the trial, while you
set them the example of bearing your part in it well.
Miss Hamilton's three maxims, so often quoted, are worthy of an
indelible inscription in every house:--
"Do every thing in its proper time.
"Keep every thing to its proper use.
"Put every thing in its proper place."
She should have added, Do every thing in the best manner; for the habit
of aiming at a perfect standard, is not only of the highest importance
in our moral interests, but also proportionately so in reference to the
common affairs of life.
Accustom yourself, each evening, to arrange in your own mind the meals
for the next day, and also the extra work to be done by others, and
what you will do yourself. This habit promotes order and system, and
gives quietness and ease to the movement of the whole family machinery.
When you see defects, such as irregularity, confusion, waste, or want
of cleanliness in any part of your household concerns, consider what is
the best remedy, and be willing to attend to the subject till the evil
is cured.
Visit all the rooms and closets that are in constant use, every day.
You will thus acquire that habit of attention to minutiæ, upon which
neatness and order so much depend, and it will cost a less expenditure
of time and effort to secure these ends, than if a great many little
things requiring attention are suffered to accumulate. This habit will
also have the best effect upon those who serve you. They will not
be tempted to negligence or waste, by the idea that you will never
discover it. They will anticipate your daily inspection, and soon
find themselves so much benefited by your habits of system and order,
that their own convenience will dictate obedience to your directions
and suggestions. Endeavor so to perfect your plan, that when you have
given the necessary time, be it longer or shorter, to domestic concerns
each morning, you can dismiss them from your mind and attend to other
things, giving to those no further thought, except that which results
from a habit of observing whatever passes in the family.
When a new domestic enters your service, observe whether she seems
to understand her business; if not, teach her your methods. Nothing
can be more unreasonable than to expect a stranger to remember, and at
once practise, a series of directions given all at once, and perhaps in
a hurried manner. And yet, this is an injustice of which many a girl
has to complain. What wonder if mutual dissatisfaction and a speedy
separation is the result?[2] She is in a new situation, unacquainted
with the various parts of your house, and the arrangements of your
family. Therefore, duty and self-interest dictate, that you cheerfully
instruct her, so far as is necessary; and a few days' attention to her
manner of doing her work, will probably be rewarded by a much more
skilful and willing service, than if no such care were bestowed. She
will discover that you are kindly disposed, ready to appreciate her
efforts, and capable of judging when her work is well done. Confidence
is thus inspired, and she will be far more likely to become a faithful
and permanent member of your household, than if left in the beginning
to pursue her own course, and to be frowned upon if she does not happen
to please.
[2] Probably a lady, known to the writer, who had twenty-three girls
in the course of six weeks, pursued this inconsiderate course.
Refrain from severity and too much frequency in finding fault, and be
careful not to speak to domestics of their errors at a time when they
are perplexed or very busy. To choose a good time, is as necessary to
success as to avoid needless severity. If the dinner is not properly
done, it is usually best to say nothing at the time; your cook will
doubtless be conscious of her failure, and your silence will have
a much better effect upon her than any thing you can _then_ say;
but the next time the same articles are to be cooked, remind her
of the previous failure, point out the defect, and give her minute
instructions how to avoid its repetition.
Good temper, decision, and reasonable requisitions will secure the
confidence and respect of your domestics; while fretfulness, lack of
good judgment, and unreasonable demands will alienate them from you,
and involve you in endless perplexities. Nothing gives the mistress of
a family such power as blended decision and gentleness; they are truly
irresistible. You need not, _you must not_, if you regard the best
welfare of your household, utter one impatient word from the beginning
to the end of the year.
Study the dispositions of those whom you employ. If you keep several
domestics, arrange their work so that there shall be as little
collision with one another, as possible. Be as considerate of their
comfort, as you could reasonably wish others to be of yours in like
circumstances. An universal obedience to the Golden Rule would make
this world a paradise, and perhaps it is more liable to be forgotten in
this relation than in most others. The best management on your part,
cannot always save those who serve you from weariness and vexation; but
a well-timed word of kindness and sympathy does good like a medicine.
Learn so to systematize your concerns, that each day of the week shall
have its appropriate work, and every domestic know, without being
prompted, what she is to do on that day. Observe whether all do their
appropriate work; but do not prompt them, unless you see that they are
likely to forget. They should learn to feel the responsibility to be on
their own memory--not yours.
In the morning, soon after breakfast, give all your directions about
the dinner, and tea, and specify all the work you wish to have done
in addition to the regular routine of the day. If you think of any
thing more afterwards, defer it, if you can, till another day; nothing
disturbs the temper of domestics more than to have additional work
assigned them after the business of the day has been laid out.
The two following modes of arranging the work of a week, are designed
for families whose pecuniary means allow an entirely comfortable, but
not a costly mode of living; yet they may contain useful hints for
those whose wealth admits of the employment of a number of domestics.
On _Monday_ have the house swept and dusted, the clothes for the wash
collected, and such articles mended as should be before being washed.
On _Tuesday_, wash; and here it should be observed, that those persons
who have never practised washing, are often unreasonable in their
requirements on this day. If there is but one domestic, she is of
course to do the washing; but, unless the family is small, she could be
excused from doing the cooking or other ordinary work of the family.
Every one acquainted with this part of family labor, knows that it
is very discouraging to be obliged to leave it and do other things;
and the cleaning which must be done after the clothes are upon the
line, is a sufficient occupation for the remaining time and strength,
without one's being obliged to do any portion of the daily housework.
In families where the washings are large, it is better to delay the
ironing until the next day but one; this gives time for doing some
things necessarily omitted on washing-day; for baking, if the size of
the family makes it necessary to bake twice a week, and for folding the
clothes; and the girl is better able to do the whole ironing in a day,
than if she were to perform this labor immediately after washing. To
most persons, both washing and ironing are severe labors, and therefore
should not be assigned to successive days, unless the domestic herself
prefers it, which is sometimes the case.
Therefore, on _Wednesday_, bake, and fold the clothes. On _Thursday_,
iron. On _Friday_, have all parts of the house that are in constant
use, swept and dusted again, the brasses rubbed, and if there are
windows to be washed, closets or sleeping rooms to be scoured, let it
be done on this day.
On _Saturday_, bake, and provide such a supply for the table as shall
supersede the necessity of cooking on Sunday.
The chief advantage of this method is, that the mistress of the family
has not the Monday's sweeping to do, in addition to getting the
washing-day dinner; and if she is subject to incidental company, and
has not daughters or a friend to help her, or has slender health, this
is an important relief.
The other arrangement is to wash on _Monday_; bake, and do other things
necessarily omitted, on _Tuesday_; iron on _Wednesday_; _Thursday_, do
no extra work. _Friday_, sweep and clean; _Saturday_, bake; distribute
clean bed linen, and see that every thing is in readiness for the
Sabbath.
The practice of rubbing all the silver in common use every week is not
necessary, provided it is always washed in clean suds, and rinsed in
scalding soft water without soap. If it is washed in the kitchen with
other dishes, it will be necessary to rub it once in two or three weeks.
There are several advantages in washing on Monday. It is then easy
on Saturday to provide food enough to last until after the washing
is done, which cannot easily be accomplished if it is delayed until
_Tuesday_. Another is, that if Monday is a pleasant day, the clothes
may be dried, and the ironing and mending completed during the first
half of the week; but if Tuesday be the washing-day, and it is rainy,
the work of the whole week is delayed. Still another reason is, that
after the entire rest of Sunday the frame is invigorated for labor;
and lastly, it gives one day in the week of comparative leisure to
the domestic. This is a consideration worthy of regard. Some ladies
are always uneasy, and appear to think themselves wronged, when they
see their domestics quietly seated at their sewing; as if they could
not render faithful service without being employed the _whole_ time
in household labor. But those persons who so arrange their affairs as
to secure to their domestics several hours every week for their own
employments, and who take an interest in promoting, in every reasonable
way, their comfort and happiness, will be amply rewarded in their
faithfulness and attachment.
The situation of a waiting-maid is, in some families, one of hard
bondage. It seems as if her employers had forgotten that she is made
of flesh and blood, and is therefore capable of having an aching
head and weary limbs. She must run at the call of the various bells
throughout the house, and no matter how tired she becomes, there is no
rest for the sole of her foot. If the unfortunate being is a homeless,
motherless little girl, or a friendless foreigner, so much the worse.
By a little consideration on the part of the lady, or ladies, of a
family, such hard requisitions might be avoided without any real
sacrifice of comfort. Our happiness is promoted by the cultivation of
such habits that we shall not need the constant attendance of another
to save us from exertion.
If your domestics cannot read, offer to teach them, and devote several
half hours to their instruction during the week, and an additional
hour on Sunday. It is a religious duty, a part of every Christian's
_mission_. Encourage in them a taste for reading, by keeping useful and
entertaining books in the kitchen. A love of rational pleasure will
thus be promoted, and the effect be every way beneficial.
Let the least possible amount of labor be required from those who
serve you, on Sunday. This ought to be a needless injunction in this
country; but many a professor of religion, living on the soil trodden
by the puritan pilgrims, provides a better dinner for the Sabbath
than for any other day. Religion forbids such a practice; but, aside
from this consideration, family comfort is essentially promoted by
quietness and freedom from care on the Lord's day. Domestics, whatever
be their religious predilections, uniformly regard it a great privilege
to be exempt from cooking on that day. It is easy, by a little good
management, to provide a dinner, nice enough for any table in the
land, without even kindling a fire. In the summer this is done in many
families; and in the winter, when a fire is of course always burning, a
cup of tea, or a dish of vegetables, can be added to the cold articles
already provided, without keeping any one from church for the purpose.
In concluding these suggestions, the writer cannot refrain from adding
a few words of sympathy and encouragement for those who, having passed
their youth in affluent ease, or in the delights of study, are obliged,
by the vicissitudes of life, to spend their time and strength in
laborious household occupations. There are many such instances in this
country, particularly in the great Western Valley. Adversity succeeds
prosperity like a sudden inundation, and sweeps away the possessions
and the hopes of multitudes. The poor and uneducated are often rapidly
elevated to wealthy independence, while the refined and highly educated
are compelled to taste the bitterness of poverty; and minds capable of
any attainment, and that would grace any station, are doomed to expend
their energies in devising methods for the hands to earn a scanty
livelihood.
Let not such persons feel themselves degraded by the performance of the
humblest domestic labor.
"Some kinds of baseness
Are nobly undergone, and most poor matters
Point to rich ends."
However lowly the common duties of life may be, a faithful and
cheerful discharge of them is always honorable, and God smiles on those
who patiently fulfil them.
OVENS, BREAD, &c.
=Ovens--and how to heat them.=
Stoves and cooking-ranges have so generally taken the place of brick
ovens, that the following directions, which were appropriate when this
book was first published, will seldom be of use now. Yet, as they may
sometimes be needed, they are suffered to remain. It is impossible to
give minute directions as to the management of the various kinds of
baking apparatus now in use. A few experiments will enable a person of
good judgment to succeed with any of them.
A few suggestions in regard to the construction of an oven may be
useful. For a family of medium size, an oven holding ten or twelve
plates is large enough. There should be two or three bushels of ashes,
with dead coals in them, poured over the top, after the first tier of
bricks which forms the arch is laid. Then the usual brickwork should be
laid over them. The advantage is this,--when the oven is heated, these
ashes and coals are heated also, and, being so thick, retain the heat a
long time. Five successive bakings have been done in such an oven with
one heating; the bread first--then the puddings--afterward pastry--then
cake and gingerbread--and lastly custards, which, if made with boiled
milk and put into the oven hot, and allowed to stand a considerable
time, will bake sufficiently with a very slight heat.
The first time an oven is heated, a large fire should be kept burning
in it six or eight hours. Unless this is done it will never bake well.
The size and structure of ovens is so different, that no precise rules
for heating them can be given. A lady should attend to this herself,
until she perfectly understands what is necessary, and can give minute
directions to those she employs. It is easy to find out how many sticks
of a given size are necessary for baking articles that require a strong
heat; and so for those which are baked with less. To bake brown bread,
beans, apples, and other things, all at one time, the oven should be
heated with hard wood, and if rather large, so as to be two hours
in burning out, it is better. To bake thin cake, and some kinds of
puddings, pine wood, split small, answers very well.
After the wood is half burnt, stir the fire equally to all parts of
the oven. This is necessary to an equal diffusion of the heat. Do it
several times before the oven is cleared. If the oven is to be very
full, put in a brick, so that you can have it hot, to set upon it any
pan or plate for which there may not be room on the bottom.[3] Be
careful that no doors or windows are open near the oven. Let the coals
remain until they are no longer red. They should not look dead, but
like hot embers. When you take them out, leave in the back part a few
to be put near the pans that require most heat, such as beans, Indian
pudding, or jars of fruit. Before putting in the things to be baked,
throw in a little flour. If it browns instantly, the oven is too hot,
and should stand open three or four minutes. If it browns without
burning in the course of half a minute, it will be safe to set in the
articles immediately. It is often best not to put in those things which
require a moderate heat, till those which need a strong heat have been
baking ten or fifteen minutes.
[3] The pan which is set on this brick may need a paper over it to
keep the top from burning, and after a while should be set on the oven
bottom, and another put on the brick.
A coal scuttle of peat, with less wood, is economical, and gives an
equal and very prolonged heat. Many persons use it with pine wood, for
their ordinary baking. It takes a longer time to burn out than wood.
It is well to kindle the fire as far back as possible, because all
parts of the wood are much sooner on fire than if it is kindled near
the mouth of the oven; and if peat is used, it should not be thrown in
until the wood is well kindled.
=Directions respecting Bread.=
There is no one thing upon which health and comfort in a family so
much depend as _bread_. With good bread the coarsest fare is tolerable;
without it, the most luxurious table is not comfortable.
It is best economy to purchase _the best_ flour, even at an extra cost.
Good flour adheres slightly to the hand, and if pressed in it, shows
the impress of the lines of the skin. Dough made of it is a _yellowish
white_, and does not stick to the hands after sufficient kneading.
There is much bad flour in market, which can in no way be made into
nutritious food.
When you find good flour, notice _the brand_, and afterwards purchase
the same kind. The writer knows a family that for eleven years
purchased flour in this way, without once having a poor barrel; then
the mills passed to another owner, and though the brand was the same,
the flour was good no more.
If you raise wheat, or buy it in the grain, always wash it before
sending it to the mill. Take two or three bushels at a time, pour in
water and stir it, and then pour off the water. Repeat this till the
water is clear. Do not let the grain stand in the water, as it will
swell and be injured; spread it on a large cloth in the sun, or where
it will have warmth and fresh air, and stir it often, and in a day or
two it will be dry. The flour is much improved by this process.
Newly ground flour which has never been packed, is very superior to
barrel flour, so that the people in Western New York, that land of
finest wheat, say that New England people do not know what good flour
is.
Indian meal, also, is much the best when freshly ground. The meal made
of Southern corn is often injured by salt water, or _dampness_ acquired
in the hold of a ship.
_Rye flour_ is very apt to be _musty_ or _grown_. There is no way to
detect this but by trial. It is well to engage a farmer to supply you
with the same he provides for his own family.
=On Yeast.=
_Good yeast_ is indispensable to good bread. Many of the compounds
sold for yeast are unfit for use.
The best kinds are _dry yeast_, _soft hop yeast_, and _potato yeast_.
The hard yeast should be made in the month of May, or _early_ in June,
for summer use, and in September or October, for the winter. This kind
sometimes loses its vitality during the damp weather of August, but it
is not invariably the case. Soft hop, or potato yeast, should be made
once a week in the summer, and once in two weeks in the winter. No soft
yeast can be fit for use, if kept week after week; it may be rectified
with saleratus, but the bread will not be very good.
Every housekeeper should make sure, by her own personal attention, that
the yeast is properly made, and the jar well scalded. A jar having a
close cover is best. Bottles will burst, and you cannot be perfectly
sure that a jug is cleansed from every particle of old yeast. To scald
the jar, put it into a kettle of boiling water. This must be done every
time you make yeast. Stone ware is liable to be cracked by the pouring
of boiling water into it.
=Soft Hop Yeast.=
To three pints of water put a small handful of hops, or if they are in
compact pound papers, as put up by the Shakers, half a handful; boil
them about half an hour. If the water wastes, add more. Put into the
jar six or seven table-spoonfuls of flour, and a teaspoonful of salt.
Set it near the kettle, and dip the hop tea, as it boils, into the
jar through a small colander or sieve. When you have strained enough
of the tea to wet all the flour, stir it, and let none remain dry at
the bottom or sides of the jar; then strain upon it the remainder of
the hop-water, and stir it well. This mixture should be about the
consistency of batter for griddle-cakes. The reason for straining the
hop-water while boiling is, that if the flour is not scalded, the yeast
will soon become sour.
After it becomes cool (but not cold), stir in a gill of good yeast;
set it in a slightly warm place, and not closely covered. Do not leave
an iron spoon in it, as it will turn it a dark color, and make it unfit
for use. When the yeast is fermented, put it in a cool place, covered
close.
Yeast which is made in part of Graham flour rises light sooner than
that which is made of white flour alone, and does not affect the color
of the bread.
When yeast has a strong tart smell, and a watery appearance on the
surface, it is too old for use.
=Dry Yeast.=
Put four ounces of hops to six quarts of water; boil it away to three
quarts. Strain, boiling hot (as directed for the Soft yeast) upon
three pints of flour, a large spoonful of ginger, and another of salt.
When it is cool, add a pint of sweet yeast. When it is foaming light,
knead in sifted Indian meal enough to make it very stiff. Mould it
into loaves, and cut in thin slices, and lay it upon clean boards. Set
it where there is a free circulation of air, in the sun. After one
side has dried so as to be a little crisped, turn the slices over;
and when both sides are dry, break them up into small pieces. It thus
dries sooner than if not broken. Set it in the sun two or three days
in succession. Stir it often with your hand, so that all parts will be
equally exposed to the air. When perfectly dry, put it into a coarse
bag, and hang it in a dry and cool place. The greatest inconvenience
in making this yeast is the danger of cloudy or wet weather. If the
day after it is made should not be fair, it will do to set the jar in
a cool place, and wait a day or two before putting in the Indian meal.
But the best yeast is made when the weather continues clear and dry;
and if a little windy, so much the better.
To use it, take, for five loaves of bread, one handful; soak it in a
very little water till soft, which will be in a few minutes; stir it
into the sponge prepared for the bread. This yeast makes less delicate
bread than the soft kind, but it is very convenient.
=Potato Yeast.=
Boil one handful of hops in two quarts of water half an hour. Strain
it, and return the tea to the kettle. Have ready grated eight large
potatoes, or nine small ones; which stir into the tea. Let it boil a
minute or two, and it will thicken to a batter. When nearly cold, add
half a pint of good yeast. Let it ferment well, then put it into a jar
and cover close. Always shake or stir before using it.
Use a porcelain kettle for making this yeast, or an iron one tinned
inside. A common iron one will turn it dark.
=Good Family Bread.=
For five common-sized loaves, make a pint and a half of thin water
gruel. Use half a teacupful of fine Indian meal. Salt it a little more
than if it were to be eaten as gruel, and boil ten or fifteen minutes.
This is of importance, as, if the meal is only scalded, the bread will
be coarse. Add enough milk to make two quarts of the whole. If the milk
is new, the gruel may be poured into it in the pan; if not, it should
be scalded in the kettle with the gruel. This is particularly important
in the summer, as at that season milk which is but a few hours old,
and is sweet when put into the bread, will sour in the dough in a
short time. When the mixture is cool, so that you are _sure_ it will
not scald, add a teacupful of yeast, and then stir in sifted flour[4]
enough to make a thick batter. This is called a sponge. This being done
in the evening, let it stand, if in summer, in a cool place, if in
winter, in a moderately warm place, till morning. Then add flour enough
to make it easy to mould, and knead it very thoroughly.
[4] All kinds of flour and meal should be sifted for use, except
buckwheat and Graham flour.
This process of kneading is very important in making bread, and there
are but few domestics whom it is not necessary to instruct how to do
it. They generally work over the dough without expending any strength
upon it. The hands should be closely shut, and the fists pressed hard
and quickly upon the dough, dipping them into flour whenever the
dough sticks to them. A half an hour is the least time to be given to
kneading a baking of bread, unless you prefer, after having done this
till it ceases to stick to your hands, to chop it with a chopping-knife
four or five hundred strokes. An hour's kneading is not too much.
All this looks on paper like a long and troublesome process; but I
venture to say that no lady, after having learned the benefit of it,
will be willing to diminish any portion of the labor and attention
necessary to secure such bread as these directions, observed, will
make. Practice will make it easy, and no woman of sense will hesitate
in choosing between sour, tough, ill-baked bread, with heaps of wasted
pieces, a dyspeptic husband, and sickly children on the one hand, and
comfort, economy, and health on the other.
But to return to the bread. After it is thoroughly kneaded, divide it
into four or five equal pieces, and mould according to the form of the
pans in which you bake it. These being greased with clean drippings,
put in the dough and set it in the sun or near the fire (according
to the season) to rise. Loaves of this size will bake in an hour; if
the oven be rather hot, in a few minutes short of an hour. Practice
and good judgment must direct these things. If the bread rises rather
slowly, take a dish of warm water and wet the top with your hand.
When the loaves are baked, do not lay them flat upon the table; good
housewives think it makes them heavy. Set them on the side, one against
another, and put a coarse cloth closely over them; this makes the crust
tender by keeping in the steam. If bread is baked too hard, wring a
towel in cold water and wrap around it while it is yet hot. Care is
necessary that bread does not rise too much, and thus become sour,
especially in warm weather; and even if it does not, the freshness is
lost, and an insipid taste is produced, and it becomes dry sooner by
long rising. No exact rule can be given; experience and observation
must teach. When dough becomes so light as to run over after being
moulded and put into pans, it is best to mould it again, kneading it
hard two or three minutes, but using as little flour as possible; then
lay it back into the pans, and put it immediately into the oven; this
prevents its being tasteless and dry; it will be perfectly light, but
of a different sort, and much preferred by some persons.