wide-mouthed bottles to within an inch of the top, then pour in
molasses enough to settle down into _all_ the spaces; this cannot be
done in a moment, as molasses does not _run_ very freely. Only lazy
people will feel obliged to stand by and watch its progress. As it
settles, pour in more until the berries are covered. Then tie over the
top a piece of cotton cloth to keep the flies and other insects out
and set away in the preserve closet. Cheap molasses is good enough,
and your pickles will soon be "sharp." Wild grapes may be pickled in
the same manner.
PICKLED BUTTERNUTS AND WALNUTS.
These nuts are in the best state for pickling when the outside shell
can be penetrated by the head of a pin. Scald them and rub off the
outside skin, put them in a strong brine for six days, changing the
water every other day, keeping them closely covered from the air. Then
drain and wipe them (piercing each nut through in several places with
a large needle) and prepare the pickle as follows: For a hundred large
nuts, take of black pepper and ginger root each an ounce; and of
cloves, mace and nutmeg, each a half ounce. Pound all the spices to
powder and mix them well together, adding two large spoonfuls of
mustard seed. Put the nuts into jars (having first stuck each of them
through in several places with a large needle), strewing the powdered
seasoning between every layer of nuts. Boil for five minutes a gallon
of the very best cider vinegar and pour it boiling hot upon the nuts.
Secure the jars closely with corks. You may begin to eat the nuts in a
fortnight.
WATERMELON PICKLE.
Ten pounds of watermelon rind boiled in pure water until tender; drain
the water off, and make a syrup of two pounds of white sugar, one
quart of vinegar, half an ounce of cloves, one ounce of cinnamon. The
syrup to be poured over the rind boiling hot three days in succession.
SWEET PICKLE FOR FRUIT.
Most of the recipes for making a sweet pickle for fruit, such as
cling-stone peaches, damsons, plums, cherries, apricots, etc., are so
similar, that we give that which is most successfully used.
To every quart of fruit, allow a cup of white sugar and a large pint
of good cider vinegar, adding half an ounce of _stick_ cinnamon, one
tablespoonful of _whole_ cloves, the same of whole allspice. Let it
come to a boil, and pour it hot over the fruit; repeat this two or
three days in succession; then seal hot in glass jars if you wish to
keep it for a long time.
The _fruit_, not the liquor, is to be eaten, and used the same as any
pickle. Some confound this with "Spiced Fruit," which is not treated
the same, one being a pickle, the other a spiced preserve boiled down
thick.
Damsons and plums should be pricked with a needle, and peaches washed
with a weak lye, and then rubbed with a coarse cloth to remove the
fur.
PEAR PICKLE.
Select small, sound ones, remove the blossom end, stick them with a
fork, allow to each quart of pears one pint of cider vinegar and one
cup of sugar, put in a teaspoonful allspice, cinnamon and cloves to
boil with the vinegar; then add the pears and boil, and seal in jars.
SPICED CURRANTS.
Seven pounds of fruit, four pounds of sugar, one pint of good cider
vinegar, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one teaspoonful of
cloves. Put into a kettle and boil until the fruit is soft; then skim
out the fruit, putting it on dishes until the syrup is boiled down
thick. Turn the fruit back into the syrup again, so as to heat it all
through; then seal it hot in glass jars, and set it in a cool, dark
place.
Any tart fruit may be put up in this way, and is considered a very
good embellishment for cold meats.
SPICED PLUMS.
Seven pounds of plums, one pint of _cider_ vinegar, four pounds of
sugar, two tablespoonfuls of broken cinnamon bark, half as much of
whole cloves and the same of broken nutmeg; place these in a muslin
bag and simmer them in a little vinegar and water for half an hour;
then add it all to the vinegar and sugar, and bring to a boil; add the
plums and boil carefully until they are cooked tender. Before cooking
the plums they should be pierced with a darning needle several times;
this will prevent the skins bursting while cooking.
SPICED GRAPES.
Take the pulp from the grapes, preserving the skins. Boil the pulp and
rub through a colander to get out the seeds; then add the skins to the
strained pulp and boil with the sugar, vinegar and spices. To every
seven pounds of grapes use four and one-half pounds of sugar, one pint
of good vinegar. Spice quite highly with ground cloves and allspice,
with a little cinnamon.
PICKLED CHERRIES.
Select sound, large cherries, as large as you can get them; to every
quart of cherries allow a large cupful of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls
of sugar, a dozen whole cloves, and half a dozen blades of mace; put
the vinegar and sugar on to heat with the spices; boil five minutes,
turn out into a covered stoneware vessel; cover and let it get
perfectly cold; pack the cherries into jars, and pour the vinegar over
them when cold; cork tightly and set away; they are fit for use almost
immediately.
VEGETABLES.
Vegetables of all kinds should be thoroughly picked over, throwing out
all decayed or unripe parts, then well washed in several waters. Most
vegetables, when peeled, are better when laid in cold water a short
time before cooking. When partly cooked a little salt should be thrown
into the water in which they are boiled, and they should cook steadily
after they are put on, not allowed to stop boiling or simmering until
they are thoroughly done. Every sort of culinary vegetable is much
better when freshly gathered and cooked as soon as possible, and, when
done, thoroughly drained, and served immediately while hot.
Onions, cabbage, carrots and turnips should be cooked in a great deal
of water, boiled only long enough to sufficiently cook them, and
immediately drained. Longer boiling makes them insipid in taste, and
with _too little_ water they turn a dark color.
Potatoes rank first in importance in the vegetable line, and
consequently should be properly served. It requires some little
intelligence to cook even so simple and common a dish as boiled
potatoes. In the first place, all defective or green ones should be
cast out; a bad one will flavor a whole dish. If they are not uniform
in size, they should be made so by cutting after they are peeled. The
best part of a potato, or the most nutritious, is next to the skin,
therefore they should be pared very thinly, if at all; then, if old,
the cores should be cut out, thrown into _cold_ water salted a little,
and boiled until soft enough for a fork to pierce through easily;
drain immediately, and replace the kettle on the fire with the cover
partly removed, until they are completely dried. New potatoes should
be put into boiling water, and when partly done salted a little. They
should be prepared just in time for cooking by scraping off the thin
outside skin. They require about twenty minutes to boil.
TO BOIL NEW POTATOES.
Do not have the potatoes dug long before they are dressed, as they are
never good when they have been out of the ground for some time. Well
wash them, rub off the skins with a coarse cloth, and put them in
_boiling_ water salted. Let them boil until tender; try them with a
fork, and when done pour the water away from them; let them stand by
the side of the fire with the lid of the saucepan partly removed, and
when the potatoes are thoroughly dry, put them in a hot vegetable
dish, with a piece of butter the size of a walnut; pile the potatoes
over this and serve. If the potatoes are too old to have the skins
rubbed off; boil them in their jackets; drain, peel and serve them as
above, with a piece of butter placed in the midst of them. They
require twenty to thirty minutes to cook. Serve them hot and plain, or
with melted butter over them.
MASHED POTATOES.
Take the quantity needed, pare off the skins and lay them in cold
water half an hour; then put them into a saucepan with a little salt;
cover with water and boil them until done. Drain off the water and
mash them fine with a potato masher. Have ready a piece of butter the
size of an egg, melted in half a cup of boiling hot milk and a good
pinch of salt; mix it well with the mashed potatoes until they are a
smooth paste, taking care that they are not too wet. Put them into a
vegetable dish, heaping them up and smooth over the top, put a small
piece of butter on the top in the centre, and have dots of pepper here
and there on the surface as large as a half dime.
Some prefer using a heavy fork or wire beater, instead of a potato
masher, beating the potatoes quite light and heaping them up in the
dish without smoothing over the top.
BROWNED POTATOES.
Mash them the same as the above, put them into a dish that they are to
be served in, smooth over the top and brush over with the yolk of an
egg, or spread on a bountiful supply of butter and dust well with
flour. Set in the oven to brown; it will brown in fifteen minutes with
a quick fire.
MASHED POTATOES. (Warmed Over.)
To two cupfuls of cold mashed potatoes add a half cupful of milk, a
pinch of salt, a tablespoonful of butter, two tablespoonfuls of flour
and two eggs beaten to a froth. Mix the whole until thoroughly light;
then put into a pudding or vegetable dish, spread a little butter over
the top and bake a golden brown. The quality depends upon very
thoroughly beating the eggs before adding them, so that the potato
will remain light and porous after baking, similar to sponge cake.
POTATO PUFFS.
Prepare the potatoes as directed for mashed potato. While _hot_, shape
in balls about the size of an egg. Have a tin sheet well buttered, and
place the balls on it. As soon as all are done, brush over with beaten
egg. Brown in the oven. When done, slip a knife under them and slide
them upon a hot platter. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
POTATOES Á LA CRÊME.
Heat a cupful of milk; stir in a heaping tablespoonful of butter cut
up in as much flour. Stir until smooth and thick; pepper and salt, and
add two cupfuls of cold boiled potatoes, sliced, and a little very
finely chopped parsley. Shake over the fire until the potatoes are hot
all through, and pour into a deep dish.
NEW POTATOES AND CREAM.
Wash and rub new potatoes with a coarse cloth or scrubbing-brush; drop
into boiling water and boil briskly until done, and no more; press a
potato against the side of the kettle with a fork; if done, it will
yield to a gentle pressure; in a saucepan have ready some butter and
cream, hot, but not boiling, a little green parsley, pepper and salt;
drain the potatoes, add the mixture, put over hot water for a minute
or two, and serve.
SARATOGA CHIPS.
Peel good-sized potatoes, and slice them as evenly as possible. Drop
them into ice-water; have a kettle of very hot lard, as for cakes; put
a few at a time into a towel and shake, to dry the moisture out of
them, and then drop them into the boiling lard. Stir them
occasionally, and when of a light brown take them out with a skimmer,
and they will be crisp and not greasy. Sprinkle salt over them while
hot.
FRIED RAW POTATOES.
Peel half a dozen medium-sized potatoes very evenly, cut them in
slices as thin as an egg-shell, and be sure to cut them from the
_breadth_, not the length, of the potato. Put a tablespoonful each of
butter and sweet lard into the frying pan, and as soon as it boils add
the sliced potatoes, sprinkling over them salt and pepper to season
them. Cover them with a tight-fitting lid, and let the steam partly
cook them; then remove it, and let them fry a bright gold color,
shaking and turning them carefully, so as to brown equally. Serve very
hot.
Fried, cold cooked potatoes may be fried by the same recipe, only
slice them a little thicker.
_Remark_.--Boiled or steamed potatoes chopped up or sliced while they
are yet warm never fry so successfully as when cold.
SCALLOPED POTATOES. (Kentucky Style.)
Peel and slice raw potatoes thin, the same as for frying. Butter an
earthen dish, put in a layer of potatoes, and season with salt,
pepper, butter, a bit of onion chopped fine, if liked; sprinkle a
little flour. Now put another layer of potatoes and the seasoning.
Continue in this way till the dish is filled. Just before putting into
the oven, pour a quart of hot milk over. Bake three-quarters of an
hour.
Cold boiled potatoes may be cooked the same. It requires less time to
bake them; they are delicious either way. If the onion is disliked it
can be omitted.
STEAMED POTATOES.
This mode of cooking potatoes is now much in vogue, particularly where
they are wanted on a large scale, it being so very convenient. Pare
the potatoes, throw them into cold water as they are peeled, then put
them in a steamer. Place the steamer over a saucepan of boiling water,
and steam the potatoes from twenty to forty minutes, according to the
size and sort. When the fork goes easily through them, they are done;
then take them up, dish and serve very quickly.
POTATO SNOW.
Choose some mealy potatoes that will boil exceedingly white; pare them
and cook them well, but not so as to be watery; drain them, and mash
and season them well. Put in the saucepan in which they were dressed,
so as to keep them as hot as possible; then press them through a wire
sieve into the dish in which they are to be served; strew a little
fine salt upon them previous to sending them to table. French cooks
also add a small quantity of pounded loaf sugar while they are being
mashed.
HASTY COOKED POTATOES.
Wash and peel some potatoes; cut them into slices of about a quarter
of an inch in thickness; throw them into _boiling_ salted water, and,
if of good quality, they will be done in about ten minutes.
Strain off the water, put the potatoes into a hot dish, chop them
slightly, add pepper, salt, and a few small pieces of fresh butter,
and serve without loss of time.
FAVORITE WARMED POTATOES.
The potatoes should be boiled _whole with the skins on_ in plenty of
water, well _salted_, and are much better for being boiled the day
before needed. Care should be taken that they are not over cooked.
Strip off the skins (not pare them with a knife) and slice them nearly
a quarter of an inch thick. Place them in a chopping-bowl and sprinkle
over them sufficient salt and pepper to season them well; chop them
all one way, then turn the chopping-bowl half way around and chop
across them, cutting them into little square pieces the shape of dice.
About twenty-five minutes before serving time, place on the stove a
saucepan (or any suitable dish) containing a piece of butter the size
of an egg; when it begins to melt and run over the bottom of the dish,
put in a cup of rich sweet milk. When this boils up put in the chopped
potatoes; there should be about a quart of them; stir them a little so
that they become moistened through with the milk; then cover and place
them on the back of the stove, or in a moderate oven, where they will
heat through gradually. When heated through, stir carefully from the
bottom with a spoon and cover tightly again. Keep hot until ready to
serve. Baked potatoes are very good warmed in this manner.
CRISP POTATOES.
Cut cold raw potatoes into shavings, cubes, or any small shape; throw
them, a few at a time, into boiling fat and toss them about with a
knife until they are a uniform light brown; drain and season with salt
and pepper. Fat is never hot enough while bubbling--when it is ready
it is still and smoking, but should never burn.
LYONNAISE POTATOES.
Take eight or ten good-sized cold boiled potatoes, slice them
end-wise, then crosswise, making them like dice in small squares. When
you are ready to cook them, heat some butter or good drippings in a
frying pan; fry in it one small onion (chopped fine) until it begins
to change color and look yellow. Now put in your potatoes, sprinkle
well with salt and pepper, stir well and cook about five minutes,
taking care that you do not break them. _They must not brown._ Just
before taking up stir in a tablespoonful of minced parsley. Drain dry
by shaking in a heated colander. Serve _very hot_.
_Delmonico_
POTATO FILLETS.
Pare and slice the potatoes thin; cut them if you like in small
fillets about a quarter of an inch square, and as long as the potato
will admit; keep them in cold water until wanted, then drop them into
boiling lard; when nearly done, take them out with a skimmer and drain
them, boil up the lard again, drop the potatoes back and fry till
done; this operation causes the fillets to swell up and puff.
POTATO CROQUETTES. No. 1.
Wash, peel and put four large potatoes in cold water, with a pinch of
salt, and set them over a brisk fire; when they are done pour off all
the water and mash them. Take another saucepan, and put in it ten
tablespoonfuls of milk and a lump of butter half the size of an egg;
put it over a brisk fire; as soon as the milk comes to a boil, pour
the potatoes into it, and stir them very fast with a wooden spoon;
when thoroughly mixed, take them from the fire and put them on a dish.
Take a tablespoonful and roll it in a clean towel, making it oval in
shape; dip it in a well-beaten egg, and then in bread crumbs, and drop
it in hot drippings or lard. Proceed in this manner till all the
potato is used, four potatoes making six croquettes. Fry them a light
brown all over, turning them gently as may be necessary. When they are
done, lay them on brown paper or a hair sieve, to drain off all fat;
then serve on a napkin.
POTATO CROQUETTES. No. 2.
Take two cups of cold mashed potatoes, season with a pinch of salt,
pepper and a tablespoonful of butter. Beat up the whites of two eggs,
and work all together thoroughly; make it into small balls slightly
flattened, dip them in the beaten yolks of the eggs, then roll either
in flour or cracker crumbs; fry the same as fish-balls.
_Delmonico's._
POTATOES Á LA DELMONICO.
Cut the potatoes with a vegetable cutter into small balls about the
size of a marble; put them into a stewpan with plenty of butter and a
good sprinkling of salt; keep the saucepan covered, and shake
occasionally until they are quite done, which will be in about an
hour.
FRIED POTATOES WITH EGGS.
Slice cold boiled potatoes and fry in good butter until brown; beat up
one or two eggs, and stir into them just as you dish them for the
table; do not leave them a moment on the fire after the eggs are in,
for if they harden they are not half so nice; one egg is enough for
three or four persons, unless they are very fond of potatoes; if they
are, have plenty and put in two.
BAKED POTATOES.
Potatoes are either baked in their jackets or peeled; in either case
they should not be exposed to a fierce heat, which is wasteful,
inasmuch as thereby a great deal of vegetable is scorched and rendered
uneatable. They should be frequently turned while being baked and kept
from touching each other in the oven or dish. When done in their
skins, be particular to wash and brush them before baking them. If
convenient, they may be baked in wood-ashes, or in a Dutch oven in
front of the fire. When pared they should be baked in a dish and fat
of some kind added to prevent their outsides from becoming burnt; they
are ordinarily baked thus as an accessory to baked meat.
Never serve potatoes, boiled or baked whole, in a closely covered
dish. They become sodden and clammy. Cover with a folded napkin that
allows the steam to escape, or absorbs the moisture. They should be
served promptly when done and require about three-quarters of an hour
to one hour to bake them, if of a good size.
BROWNED POTATOES WITH A ROAST. No. 1.
About three-quarters of an hour before taking up your roasts, peel
middling-sized potatoes, boil them until partly done, then arrange
them in the roasting-pan around the roast, basting them with the
drippings at the same time you do the meat, browning them evenly.
Serve hot with the meat. Many cooks partly boil the potatoes before
putting around the roast. New potatoes are very good cooked around a
roast.
BROWNED POTATOES WITH A ROAST. No. 2.
Peel, cook and mash the required quantity, adding while hot a little
chopped onion, pepper and salt; form it into small oval balls and
dredge them with flour; then place around the meat about twenty
minutes before it is taken from the oven. When nicely browned, drain
dry and serve hot with the meat.
SWEET POTATOES.
Boiled, steamed and baked the same as Irish potatoes; generally cooked
with their jackets on. Cold sweet potatoes may be cut in slices across
or lengthwise, and fried as common potatoes; or may be cut in half and
served cold.
Boiled sweet potatoes are very nice. Boil until partly done, peel them
and bake brown, basting them with butter or beef drippings several
times. Served hot. They should be a nice brown.
BAKED SWEET POTATOES.
Wash and scrape them, split them lengthwise. Steam or boil them until
nearly done. Drain, and put them in a baking dish, placing over them
lumps of butter, pepper and salt; sprinkle thickly with sugar, and
bake in the oven to a nice brown.
Hubbard squash is nice cooked in the same manner.
ONIONS BOILED.
The white silver-skins are the best species. To boil them peel off the
outside, cut off the ends, put them into cold water, and into a
stewpan and let them scald two minutes; then turn off that water, pour
on cold water salted a little, and boil slowly till tender, which will
be in thirty or forty minutes, according to their size; when done
drain them quite dry, pour a little melted butter over them, sprinkle
them with pepper and salt and serve hot.
An excellent way to peel onions so as not to affect the eyes is to
take a pan _full_ of water and hold and peel them under the water.
ONIONS STEWED.
Cook the same as boiled onions, and, when quite done, turn off all the
water; add a teacupful of milk, a piece of butter the size of an egg,
pepper and salt to taste, a tablespoonful of flour stirred to a cream;
let all boil up once and serve in a vegetable dish hot.
ONIONS BAKED.
Use the large Spanish onion, as best for this purpose; wash them
clean, but do not peel, and put into a saucepan with slightly salted
water; boil an hour, replacing the water with more boiling hot as it
evaporates; turn off the water and lay the onions on a cloth to dry
them well; roll each one in a piece of buttered tissue paper, twisting
it at the top to keep it on, and bake in a slow oven about an hour, or
until tender all through; peel them; place in a deep dish and brown
slightly, basting well with butter for fifteen minutes; season with
salt and pepper and pour some melted butter over them.
FRIED ONIONS.
Peel, slice and fry them brown in equal quantities of butter and lard
or nice drippings; cover until partly soft, remove the cover and brown
them; salt and pepper.
SCALLOPED ONIONS.
Take eight or ten onions of good size, slice them and boil until
tender. Lay them in a baking-dish, put in bread crumbs, butter in
small bits, pepper and salt, between each layer until the dish is
full, putting bread crumbs last; add milk or cream until full. Bake
twenty minutes or half an hour.
A little onion is not an injurious article of food, as many believe. A
judicious use of plants of the onion family is quite as important a
factor in successful cookery as salt and pepper. When carefully
concealed by manipulation in food, it affords zest and enjoyment to
many who could not otherwise taste of it were its presence known. A
great many successful compounds derive their excellence from the
partly concealed flavor of the onion, which imparts a delicate
appetizing aroma highly prized by epicures.
CAULIFLOWER.
When cleaned and washed, drop them into boiling water, into which you
have put salt and a teaspoonful of flour, or a slice of bread; boil
till tender; take off, drain and dish them; serve with a sauce spread
over and made with melted butter, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, chopped
parsley and vinegar.
Another way is to make a white sauce (see SAUCES) and when the
cauliflowers are dished as above, turn the white sauce over, and serve
warm. They may also be served in the same way with a milk, cream, or
tomato sauce, or with brown butter.
It is a very good plan to loosen the leaves of a head of cauliflower
and let lie, the top downward, in a pan of cold salt water, to remove
any insects that might be hidden between them.
FRIED CAULIFLOWER.
Boil the cauliflower till about half done. Mix two tablespoonfuls of
flour with two yolks of eggs, then add water enough to make a rather
thin paste; add salt to taste; the two whites are beaten till stiff,
and then mixed with the yolks, flour and water. Dip each branch of the
cauliflower into the mixture, and fry them in hot fat. When done, take
them off with a skimmer, turn into a colander, dust salt all over and
serve warm. Asparagus, celery, egg-plant, oyster plant are all fine
when fried in this manner.
CABBAGE BOILED.