TO MAKE CHOCOLATE.
1807. INGREDIENTS.--Allow 1/2 oz. of chocolate to each person; to every
oz. allow 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 pint of milk.
_Mode_.--Make the milk-and-water hot; scrape the chocolate into it, and
stir the mixture constantly and quickly until the chocolate is
dissolved; bring it to the boiling-point, stir it well, and serve
directly with white sugar. Chocolate prepared with in a mill, as shown
in the engraving, is made by putting in the scraped chocolate, pouring
over it the boiling milk-and-water, and milling it over the fire until
hot and frothy.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 1/2 oz. of cake chocolate to each person.
[Illustration: MILL.]
CHOCOLATE AND COCOA.--Both these preparations are made from the
seeds or beans of the cacao-tree, which grows in the West Indies
and South America. The Spanish, and the proper name, is cacao,
not cocoa, as it is generally spelt. From this mistake, the tree
from which the beverage is procured has been often confounded
with the palm that produces the edible cocoa-nuts, which are the
produce of the cocoa-tree (_Cocos nucifera_), whereas the tree
from which chocolate is procured is very different (the
_Theobroma cacao_). The cocoa-tree was cultivated by the
aboriginal inhabitants of South America, particularly in Mexico,
where, according to Humboldt, it was reared by Montezuma. It was
transplanted thence into other dependencies of the Spanish
monarchy in 1520; and it was so highly esteemed by Linnaeus
receive from him the name now conferred upon it, of Theobroma, a
term derived from the Greek, and signifying "_food for gods_."
Chocolate has always been a favourite beverage among the
Spaniards and Creoles, and was considered here as a great luxury
when first introduced, after the discovery of America; but the
high duties laid upon it, confined it long almost entirely to
the wealthier classes. Before it was subjected to duty, Mr.
Bryan Edwards stated that cocoa plantations were numerous in
Jamaica, but that the duty caused their almost entire ruin. The
removal of this duty has increased their cultivation. (For
engraving of cocoa-bean, _see_ No. 1816.)
TO MAKE ESSENCE OF COFFEE.
1808. INGREDIENTS.--To every 1/4 lb. of ground coffee allow 1 small
teaspoonful of powdered chicory, 3 small teacupfuls, or 1 pint, of
water.
_Mode_.--Let the coffee be freshly ground, and, if possible, freshly
roasted; put it into a percolater, or filter, with the chicory, and pour
_slowly_ over it the above proportion of boiling water. When it has all
filtered through, warm the coffee sufficiently to bring it to the
simmering-point, but do not allow it to boil; then filter it a second
time, put it into a clean and dry bottle, cork it well, and it will
remain good for several days. Two tablespoonfuls of this essence are
quite sufficient for a breakfast-cupful of hot milk. This essence will
be found particularly useful to those persons who have to rise extremely
early; and having only the milk to make boiling, is very easily and
quickly prepared. When the essence is bottled, pour another 3
tea-cupfuls of _boiling_ water slowly on the grounds, which, when
filtered through, will be a very weak coffee. The next time there is
essence to be prepared, make this weak coffee boiling, and pour it on
the ground coffee instead of plain water: by this means a better coffee
will be obtained. Never throw away the grounds without having made use
of them in this manner; and always cork the bottle well that contains
this preparation, until the day that it is wanted for making the fresh
essence.
_Time_.--To be filtered once, then brought to the boiling-point, and
filtered again.
_Average cost_, with coffee at 1s. 8d. per lb., 6d.
_Sufficient'_-Allow 2 tablespoonfuls for a breakfast-cupful of hot milk.
TO ROAST COFFEE.
(_A French Recipe_.)
1809. It being an acknowledged fact that French coffee is decidedly
superior to that made in England, and as the roasting of the berry is of
great importance to the flavour of the preparation, it will be useful
and interesting to know how they manage these things in France. In
Paris, there are two houses justly celebrated for the flavour of their
coffee,--_La Maison Corcellet_ and _La Maison Royer de Chartres_; and to
obtain this flavour, before roasting they add to every 3 lbs. of coffee
a piece of butter the size of a nut, and a dessert-spoonful of powdered
sugar: it is then roasted in the usual manner. The addition of the
butter and sugar develops the flavour and aroma of the berry; but it
must be borne in mind, that the quality of the butter must be of the
very best description.
TO MAKE COFFEE.
1810. INGREDIENTS.--Allow 4 oz., or 1 tablespoonful, of ground coffee to
each person; to every oz. of coffee allow 1/3 pint of water.
_Mode_.--To make coffee good, _it should never be boiled_, but the
boiling water merely poured on it, the same as for tea. The coffee
should always be purchased in the berry,--if possible, freshly roasted;
and it should never be ground long before it is wanted for use. There
are very many new kinds of coffee-pots, but the method of making the
coffee is nearly always the same; namely, pouring the boiling water on
the powder, and allowing it to filter through. Our illustration shows
one of Loysel's Hydrostatic Urns, which are admirably adapted for making
good and clear coffee, which should be made in the following,
manner:--Warm the urn with boiling water, remove the lid and movable
filter, and place the ground coffee at the bottom of the urn. Put the
movable filter over this, and screw the lid, inverted, tightly on the
end of the centre pipe. Pour into the inverted lid the above proportion
of boiling water, and when all the water so poured has disappeared from
the funnel, and made its way down the centre pipe and up again through
the ground coffee by _hydrostatic pressure_, unscrew screw the lid and
cover the urn. Pour back direct into the urn, _not through the funnel_,
one, two, or three cups, according to the size of the percolater, in
order to make the infusion of uniform strength; the contents will then
be ready for use, and should run from the tap strong, hot, and clear.
The coffee made in these urns generally turns out very good, and there
is but one objection to them,--the coffee runs rather slowly from the
tap. This is of no consequence where there is a small party, but tedious
where there are many persons to provide for. A remedy for this objection
may be suggested; namely, to make the coffee very strong, so that not
more than 1/3 of a cup would be required, as the rest would be filled up
with milk. Making coffee in filters or percolaters does away with the
necessity of using isinglass, white of egg, and various other
preparations to clear it. Coffee should always be served very hot, and,
if possible, in the same vessel in which it is made, as pouring it from
one pot to another cools, and consequently spoils it. Many persons may
think that the proportion of water we have given for each oz. of coffee
is rather small; it is so, and the coffee produced from it will be very
strong; 1/3 of a cup will be found quite sufficient, which should be
filled with nice hot milk, or milk and cream mixed. This is the 'cafe au
lait' for which our neighbours over the Channel are so justly
celebrated. Should the ordinary method of making coffee be preferred,
use double the quantity of water, and, in pouring it into the cups, put
in more coffee and less milk.
[Illustration: LOYSEL'S HYDROSTATIC URN.]
_Sufficient_.--For very good coffee, allow 1/2 oz., or 1 tablespoonful,
to each person.
A VERY SIMPLE METHOD OF MAKING COFFEE.
1811. INGREDIENTS.--Allow 1/2 oz., or 1 tablespoonful, of coffee to each
person; to every oz. allow 1 pint of water.
_Mode_.--Have a small iron ring made to fit the top of the coffee-pot
inside, and to this ring sew a small muslin bag (the muslin for the
purpose must not be too thin). Fit the bag into the pot, pour some
boiling water in it, and, when the pot is well warmed, put the ground
coffee into the bag; pour over as much boiling water as is required,
close the lid, and, when all the water has filtered through, remove the
bag, and send the coffee to table. Making it in this manner prevents the
necessity of pouring the coffee from one vessel to another, which cools
and spoils it. The water should be poured on the coffee gradually, so
that the infusion may be stronger; and the bag must be well made, that
none of the grounds may escape through the seams, and so make the coffee
thick and muddy.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 tablespoonful, or 1/2 oz., to each person.
[Illustration: COFFEE.]
THE COFFEE PLANT grows to the height of about twelve or fifteen
feet, with leaves not unlike those of the common laurel,
although more pointed, and not so dry and thick. The blossoms
are white, much like those of jasmine, and issue from the angles
of the leaf-stalks. When the flowers fade, they are succeeded by
the coffee-bean, or seed, which is inclosed in a berry of a red
colour, when ripe resembling a cherry. The coffee-beans are
prepared by exposing them to the sun for a few days, that the
pulp may ferment and throw off a strong acidulous moisture. They
are then gradually dried for about three weeks, and put into a
mill to separate the husk from the seed.
CAFE AU LAIT.
1812. This is merely very strong coffee added to a large proportion of
good hot milk; about 6 tablespoonfuls of strong coffee being quite
sufficient for a breakfast-cupful of milk. Of the essence No. 1808,
which answers admirably for 'cafe an lait', so much would not be
required. This preparation is infinitely superior to the weak watery
coffee so often served at English tables. A little cream mixed with the
milk, if the latter cannot be depended on for richness, improves the
taste of the coffee, as also the richness of the beverage.
_Sufficient_.--6 tablespoonfuls of strong coffee, or 2 tablespoonfuls of
the essence, to a breakfast-cupful of milk.
TEA AND COFFEE.--It is true, says Liebig, that thousands have
lived without a knowledge of tea and coffee; and daily
experience teaches us that, under certain circumstances, they
may be dispensed with without disadvantage to the merely animal
functions; but it is an error, certainly, to conclude from this
that they may be altogether dispensed with in reference to their
effects; and it is a question whether, if we had no tea and no
coffee, the popular instinct would not seek for and discover the
means of replacing them. Science, which accuses us of so much in
these respects, will have, in the first place, to ascertain
whether it depends on sensual and sinful inclinations merely,
that every people of the globe have appropriated some such means
of acting on the nervous life, from the shore of the Pacific,
where the Indian retires from life for days in order to enjoy
the bliss of intoxication with koko, to the Arctic regions,
where Kamtschatdales and Koriakes prepare an intoxicating
beverage from a poisonous mushroom. We think it, on the
contrary, highly probable, not to say certain, that the instinct
of man, feeling certain blanks, certain wants of the intensified
life of our times, which cannot be satisfied or filled up by
mere quantity, has discovered, in these products of vegetable
life the true means of giving to his food the desired and
necessary quality.
CAFE NOIR.
1813. This is usually handed round after dinner, and should be drunk
well sweetened, with the addition of a little brandy or liqueurs, which
may be added or not at pleasure. The coffee should be made very strong,
and served in very small cups, but never mixed with milk or cream. Cafe
noir may be made of the essence of coffee No. 1808, by pouring a
tablespoonful into each cup, and filling it up with boiling water. This
is a very simple and expeditious manner of preparing coffee for a large
party, but the essence for it must be made very good, and kept well
corked until required for use.
TO MAKE TEA.
1814. There is very little art in making good tea; if the water is
boiling, and there is no sparing of the fragrant leaf, the beverage will
almost invariably be good. The old-fashioned plan of allowing a
teaspoonful to each person, and one over, is still practised. Warm the
teapot with boiling water; let it remain for two or three minutes for
the vessel to become thoroughly hot, then pour it away. Put in the tea,
pour in from 1/2 to 3/4 pint of boiling water, close the lid, and let it
stand for the tea to draw from 5 to 10 minutes; then fill up the pot
with water. The tea will be quite spoiled unless made with water that is
actually 'boiling', as the leaves will not open, and the flavour not be
extracted from them; the beverage will consequently be colourless and
tasteless,--in fact, nothing but tepid water. Where there is a very
large party to make tea for, it is a good plan to have two teapots
instead of putting a large quantity of tea into one pot; the tea,
besides, will go farther. When the infusion has been once completed, the
addition of fresh tea adds very little to the strength; so, when more is
required, have the pot emptied of the old leaves, scalded, and fresh tea
made in the usual manner. Economists say that a few grains of carbonate
of soda, added before the boiling water is poured on the tea, assist to
draw out the goodness: if the water is very hard, perhaps it is a good
plan, as the soda softens it; but care must be taken to use this
ingredient sparingly, as it is liable to give the tea a soapy taste if
added in too large a quantity. For mixed tea, the usual proportion is
four spoonfuls of black to one of green; more of the latter when the
flavour is very much liked; but strong green tea is highly pernicious,
and should never be partaken of too freely.
_Time_.--2 minutes to warm the teapot, 5 to 10 minutes to draw the
strength from the tea.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 teaspoonful to each person, and one over.
TEA.--The tea-tree or shrub belongs to the class and order of
Monadelphia polyandria in the Linnaean system, and to the
natural order of Aurantiaceae in the system of Jussieu. Lately
it has been made into a new order, the Theasia, which includes
the Camellia and some other plants. It commonly grows to the
height of from three to six feet; but it is said, that, in its
wild or native state, it reaches twenty feet or more. In China
it is cultivated in numerous small plantations. In its general
appearance, and the form of its leaf, it resembles the myrtle.
The blossoms are white and fragrant, not unlike those of the
wild rose, but smaller; and they are succeeded by soft green
capsules, containing each from one to three white seeds. These
capsules are crushed for oil, which is in general use in China.
[Illustration: TEA.]
AN EXCELLENT SUBSTITUTE FOR MILK OR CREAM IN TEA OR COFFEE.
1815. INGREDIENTS.--Allow 1 new-laid egg to every large breakfast-cupful
of tea or coffee.
_Mode_.--Beat up the whole of the egg in a basin, put it into a cup (or
a portion of it, if the cup be small), and pour over it the tea or
coffee very hot. These should be added very gradually, and stirred all
the time, to prevent the egg from curdling. In point of nourishment,
both these beverages are much improved by this addition.
_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 egg to every large breakfast-cupful of tea or
coffee.
TO MAKE COCOA.
1816. INGREDIENTS.--Allow 2 teaspoonfuls of the prepared cocoa to 1
breakfast-cup; boiling milk and boiling water.
[Illustration: COCOA-BEAN.]
_Mode_.--Put the cocoa into a breakfast-cup, pour over it sufficient
cold milk to make it into a smooth paste; then add equal quantities of
boiling milk and boiling water, and stir all well together. Care must be
taken not to allow the milk to get burnt, as it will entirely spoil the
flavour of the preparation. The above directions are usually given for
making the prepared cocoa. The rock cocoa, or that bought in a solid
piece, should be scraped, and made in the same manner, taking care to
rub down all the lumps before the boiling liquid is added.
_Sufficient_--2 teaspoonfuls of prepared cocoa for 1 breakfast-cup, or
1/4 oz. of the rock cocoa for the same quantity.
COWSLIP WINE.
1817. INGREDIENTS.--To every gallon of water allow 3 lbs. of lump sugar,
the rind of 2 lemons, the juice of 1, the rind and juice of 1 Seville
orange, 1 gallon of cowslip pips. To every 4-1/2 gallons of wine allow 1
bottle of brandy.
_Mode_.--Boil the sugar and water together for 1/2 hour, carefully
removing all the scum as it rises. Pour this boiling liquor on the
orange and lemon-rinds, and the juice, which should be strained; when
milk-warm, add the cowslip pips or flowers, picked from the stalks and
seeds; and to 9 gallons of wine 3 tablespoonfuls of good fresh brewers'
yeast. Let it ferment 3 or 4 days; then put all together in a cask with
the brandy, and let it remain for 2 months, when bottle it off for use.
_Time_.--To be boiled 1/2 hour; to ferment 3 or 4 days; to remain in the
cask 2 months.
_Average cost_, exclusive of the cowslips, which may be picked in the
fields, 2s. 9d. per gallon.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in April or May.
ELDER WINE.
1818. INGREDIENTS.--To every 3 gallons of water allow 1 peck of
elderberries; to every gallon of juice allow 3 lbs. of sugar, 1/2 oz. of
ground ginger, 6 cloves, 1 lb. of good Turkey raisins; 1/2 pint of
brandy to every gallon of wine. To every 9 gallons of wine 3 or 4
tablespoonfuls of fresh brewer's yeast.
_Mode_.--Pour the water, quite boiling, on the elderberries, which
should be picked from the stalks, and let these stand covered for 24
hours; then strain the whole through a sieve or bag, breaking the fruit
to express all the juice from it. Measure the liquor, and to every
gallon allow the above proportion of sugar. Boil the juice and sugar
with the ginger, cloves, and raisins for 1 hour, skimming the liquor the
whole time; let it stand until milk-warm, then put it into a clean dry
cask, with 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of good fresh yeast to every 9 gallons
of wine. Let it ferment for about a fortnight; then add the brandy, bung
up the cask, and let it stand some months before it is bottled, when it
will be found excellent. A bunch of hops suspended to a string from the
bung, some persons say, will preserve the wine good for several years.
Elder wine is usually mulled, and served with sippets of toasted bread
and a little grated nutmeg.
_Time_.--To stand covered 24 hours; to be boiled 1 hour.
_Average cost_, when made at home, 3s. 6d. per gallon.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in September.
[Illustration: ELDER-BERRIES.]
ELDER-BERRY WINE.--The elder-berry is well adapted for the
production of wine; its juice contains a considerable portion of
the principle necessary for a vigorous fermentation, and its
beautiful colour communicates a rich tint to the wine made from
it. It is, however, deficient in sweetness, and therefore
demands an addition of sugar. It is one of the very best of the
genuine old English wines; and a cup of it mulled, just previous
to retiring to bed on a winter night, is a thing to be "run
for," as Cobbett would say: it is not, however, agreeable to
every taste.
GINGER WINE.
1819. INGREDIENTS.--To 9 gallons of water allow 27 lbs. of loaf sugar, 9
lemons, 12 oz. of bruised ginger, 3 tablespoonfuls of yeast, 2 lbs. of
raisins stoned and chopped, 1 pint of brandy.
_Mode_.--Boil together for 1 hour in a copper (let it previously be well
scoured and beautifully clean) the water, sugar, _lemon-rinds_, and
bruised ginger; remove every particle of scum as it rises, and when the
liquor is sufficiently boiled, put it into a large tub or pan, as it
must not remain in the copper. When nearly cold, add the yeast, which
must be thick and very fresh, and, the next day, put all in a dry cask
with the strained lemon-juice and chopped raisins. Stir the wine every
day for a fortnight; then add the brandy, stop the cask down by degrees,
and in a few weeks it will be fit to bottle.
_Average cost_, 2s. per gallon. _Sufficient_ to make 9 gallons of wine.
_Seasonable_.--The best time for making this wine is either in March or
September.
_Note_.--Wine made early in March will be fit to bottle in June.
GOOSEBERRY VINEGAR.
(_An Excellent Recipe_.)
1820. INGREDIENTS.--2 pecks of crystal gooseberries, 6 gallons of water,
12 lbs. of foots sugar of the coarsest brown quality.
_Mode_.--Mash the gooseberries (which should be quite ripe) in a tub
with a mallet; put to them the water nearly milk-warm; let this stand 24
hours; then strain it through a sieve, and put the sugar to it; mix it
well, and tun it. These proportions are for a 9-gallon cask; and if it
be not quite full, more water must be added. Let the mixture be stirred
from the bottom of the cask two or three times daily for three or four
days, to assist the melting of the sugar; then paste a piece of linen
cloth over the bunghole, and set the cask in a warm place, _but not in
the sun_; any corner of a warm kitchen is the best situation for it. The
following spring it should be drawn off into stone bottles, and the
vinegar will be fit for use twelve months after it is made. This will be
found a most excellent preparation, greatly superior to much that is
sold under the name of the best white wine vinegar. Many years'
experience has proved that pickle made with this vinegar will keep, when
bought vinegar will not preserve the ingredients. The cost per gallon is
merely nominal, especially to those who reside in the country and grow
their own gooseberries; the coarse sugar is then the only ingredient to
be purchased.
_Time_.--To remain in the cask 9 months.
_Average cost_, when the gooseberries have to be purchased, 1s. per
gallon; when they are grown at home, 6d. per gallon.
_Seasonable_.--This should be made the end of June or the beginning of
July, when gooseberries are ripe and plentiful.
EFFERVESCING GOOSEBERRY WINE.
1821. INGREDIENTS.--To every gallon of water allow 6 lbs. of green
gooseberries, 3 lbs. of lump sugar.
_Mode_.--This wine should be prepared from unripe gooseberries, in order
to avoid the flavour which the fruit would give to the wine when in a
mature state. Its briskness depends more upon the time of bottling than
upon the unripe state of the fruit, for effervescing wine can be made
from fruit that is ripe as well as that which is unripe. The fruit
should be selected when it has nearly attained its full growth, and
consequently before it shows any tendency to ripen. Any bruised or
decayed berries, and those that are very small, should be rejected. The
blossom and stalk ends should be removed, and the fruit well bruised in
a tub or pan, in such quantities as to insure each berry being broken
without crushing the seeds. Pour the water (which should be warm) on the
fruit, squeeze and stir it with the hand until all the pulp is removed
from the skin and seeds, and cover the whole closely for 24 hours; after
which, strain it through a coarse bag, and press it with as much force
as can be conveniently applied, to extract the whole of the juice and
liquor the fruit may contain. To every 40 or 50 lbs. of fruit one gallon
more of hot water may be passed through the marc, or husks, in order to
obtain any soluble matter that may remain, and be again pressed. The
juice should be put into a tub or pan of sufficient size to contain all
of it, and the sugar added to it. Let it be well stirred until the sugar
is dissolved, and place the pan in a warm situation; keep it closely
covered, and let it ferment for a day or two. It must then be drawn off
into clean casks, placed a little on one side for the scum that arises
to be thrown out, and the casks kept filled with the remaining "must,"
that should be reserved for that purpose. When the active fermentation
has ceased, the casks should be plugged upright, again filled, if
necessary, the bungs be put in loosely, and, after a few days, when the
fermentation is a little more languid (which may be known, by the
hissing noise ceasing), the bungs should be driven in tight, and a
spile-hole made, to give vent if necessary. About November or December,
on a clear fine day, the wine should he racked from its lees into clean
casks, which may be rinsed with brandy. After a month, it should be
examined to see if it is sufficiently clear for bottling; if not, it
must be fined with isinglass, which may be dissolved in some of the
wine: 1 oz. will be sufficient for 9 gallons. In March or April, or when
the gooseberry bushes begin to blossom, the wine must be bottled, in
order to insure its being effervescing.
_Seasonable_.--Make this the end of May or beginning of June, before the
berries ripen.
LEMON SYRUP.
1822. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of loaf sugar, 2 pints of water, 1 oz. of
citric acid, 12 drachm of essence of lemon.
_Mode_.--Boil the sugar and water together for 1/4 hour, and put it into
a basin, where let it remain till cold. Beat the citric acid to a
powder, mix the essence of lemon with it, then add these two ingredients
to the syrup; mix well, and bottle for use. Two tablespoonfuls of the
syrup are sufficient for a tumbler of cold water, and will be found a
very refreshing summer drink.
_Sufficient_--2 tablespoonfuls of syrup to a tumbler-ful of cold water.
LEMON WINE.
1823. INGREDIENTS.--To 4-1/2 gallons of water allow the pulp of 50
lemons, the rind of 25, 16 lbs. of loaf sugar,--1/2 oz. of isinglass, 1
bottle of brandy.
_Mode_.--Peel and slice the lemons, but use only the rind of 25 of them,
and put them into the cold water. Let it stand 8 or 9 days, squeezing
the lemons well every day; then strain the water off and put it into a
cask with the sugar. Let it work some time, and when it has ceased
working, put in the isinglass. Stop the cask down; in about six months
put in the brandy and bottle the wine off.
_Seasonable_.--The best time to make this is in January or February,
when lemons are best and cheapest.
MALT WINE.
1824. INGREDIENTS.--5 gallons of water, 28 lbs. of sugar, 6 quarts of
sweet-wort, 6 quarts of tun, 3 lbs. of raisins, 1/2 lb. of candy, 1 pint
of brandy.
_Mode_.--Boil the sugar and water together for 10 minutes; skim it well,
and put the liquor into a convenient-sized pan or tub. Allow it to cool;
then mix it with the sweet-wort and tun. Let it stand for 3 days, then
put it into a barrel; here it will work or ferment for another three
days or more; then bung up the cask, and keep it undisturbed for 2 or 3
months. After this, add the raisins (whole), the candy, and brandy, and,
in 6 months' time, bottle the wine off. Those who do not brew, may
procure the sweet-wort and tun from any brewer. Sweet-wort is the liquor
that leaves the mash of malt before it is boiled with the hops; tun is
the new beer after the whole of the brewing operation has been
completed.
_Time_.--To be boiled 10 minutes; to stand 3 days after mixing; to
ferment 3 days; to remain in the cask 2 mouths before the raisins are
added; bottle 6 months after.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in March or October.
HOME-MADE NOYEAU.
1825. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of bitter almonds, 1 oz. of sweet ditto, 1 lb.
of loaf sugar, the rinds of 3 lemons, 1 quart of Irish whiskey or gin, 1
tablespoonful of clarified honey, 4 pint of new milk.
_Mode_.--Blanch and pound the almonds, and mix with them the sugar,
which should also be pounded. Boil the milk; let it stand till quite
cold; then mix all the ingredients together, and let them remain for 10
days, shaking them every day. Filter the mixture through blotting-paper,
bottle off for use in small bottles, and seal the corks down. This will
be found useful for flavouring many sweet dishes.
_Average cost_, 2s. 9d.
_Sufficient_ to make about 24 pints of Noyeau.
_Seasonable_.--May be made at any time.
ORANGE BRANDY.
(_Excellent_.)
1826. INGREDIENTS.--To every 1 gallon of brandy allow 3/4 pint of
Seville orange-juice, 1-1/4 lb. of loaf sugar.
_Mode_.--To bring out the full flavour of the orange-peel, rub a few
lumps of the sugar on 2 or 3 unpared oranges, and put these lumps to the
rest. Mix the brandy with the orange-juice, strained, the rinds of 6 of
the oranges pared very thin, and the sugar. Let all stand in a
closely-covered jar for about 3 days, stirring it 3 or 4 times a day.
When clear, it should be bottled and closely corked for a year; it will
then be ready for use, but will keep any length of time. This is a most
excellent stomachic when taken pure in small quantities; or, as the
strength of the brandy is very little deteriorated by the other
ingredients, it may be diluted with water.
_Time_.--To be stirred every day for 3 days.
_Average cost_, 7s.
_Sufficient_ to make 2 quarts. _Seasonable_.--Make this in March.
A VERY SIMPLE AND EASY METHOD OF MAKING A VERY SUPERIOR ORANGE WINE.
1827. INGREDIENTS.--90 Seville oranges, 32 lbs. of lump sugar, water.
_Mode_.--Break up the sugar into small pieces, and put it into a dry,
sweet 9-gallon cask, placed in a cellar or other storehouse, where it is
intended to be kept. Have ready close to the cask two large pans or
wooden keelers, into one of which put the peel of the oranges pared
quite thin, and into the other the pulp after the juice has been
squeezed from it. Strain the juice through a piece of double muslin, and
put it into the cask with the sugar. Then pour about 1-1/2 gallon of
cold spring water on both the peels and pulp; let it stand for 24 hours,
and then strain it into the cask; add more water to the peels and pulp
when this is done, and repeat the same process every day for a week: it
should take about a week to fill up the cask. Be careful to apportion
the quantity as nearly as possible to the seven days, and to stir the
contents of the cask each day. On the ''third' day after the cask is
full,--that is, the 'tenth' day after the commencement of making,--the
cask may be securely bunged down. This is a very simple and easy method,
and the wine made according to it will be pronounced to be most
excellent. There is no troublesome boiling, and all fermentation takes
place in the cask. When the above directions are attended to, the wine
cannot fail to be good. It should be bottled in 8 or 9 months, and will
be fit for use in a twelve month after the time of making. Ginger wine
may be made in precisely the same manner, only, with the 9-gallon cask
for ginger wine, 2 lbs. of the best whole ginger, 'bruised', must be put
with the sugar. It will be found convenient to tie the ginger loosely in
a muslin bag.
_Time_.--Altogether, 10 days to make it.
_Average cost_, 2s. 6d. per gallon. _Sufficient_ for 9 gallons.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in March, and bottle it the following January.
RASPBERRY VINEGAR.
1828. INGREDIENTS.--To every 3 pints of the best vinegar allow 4-1/2
pints of freshly-gathered raspberries; to each pint of liquor allow 1
lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 1 wineglassful of brandy.
_Mode_.--Let the raspberries be freshly gathered; pick them from the
stalks, and put 1-1/2 pint of them into a stone jar; pour 3 pints of the
best vinegar over them, and let them remain for 24 hours; then strain
the liquor over another 1-1/2 pint of fresh raspberries. Let them remain
another 24 hours, and the following day repeat the process for the third
time; then drain off the liquor without pressing, and pass it through a
jelly-bag (previously wetted with plain vinegar), into a stone jar. Add
to every pint of the liquor 1 lb. of pounded loaf sugar; stir them
together, and, when the sugar is dissolved, cover the jar; set it upon
the fire in a saucepan of boiling water, and let it boil for an hour,
removing the scum as fast as it rises; add to each pint a glass of
brandy, bottle it, and seal the corks. This is an excellent drink in
cases of fevers and colds: it should be diluted with cold water,
according to the taste or requirement of the patient.
_Time_.--To be boiled 1 hour. Average cost, 1s. per pint.
_Sufficient_ to make 2 quarts.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in July or August, when raspberries are most
plentiful.
RHUBARB WINE.
1829. INGREDIENTS.--To every 5 lbs. of rhubarb pulp allow 1 gallon of
cold spring water; to every gallon of liquor allow 3 lbs. of loaf sugar,
1/2 oz. of isinglass, the rind of 1 lemon.
_Mode_.--Gather the rhubarb about the middle of May; wipe it with a wet
cloth, and, with a mallet, bruise it in a large wooden tub or other
convenient means. When reduced to a pulp, weigh it, and to every 5 lbs.
add 1 gallon of cold spring water; let these remain for 3 days, stirring
3 or 4 times a day; and, on the fourth day, press the pulp through a
hair sieve; put the liquor into a tub, and to every gallon put 3 lbs. of
loaf sugar; stir in the sugar until it is quite dissolved, and add the
lemon-rind; let the liquor remain, and, in 4, 5, or 6 days, the
fermentation will begin to subside, and a crust or head will be formed,
which should be skimmed off, or the liquor drawn from it, when the crust
begins to crack or separate. Put the wine into a cask, and if, after
that, it ferments, rack it off into another cask, and in a fortnight
stop it down. If the wine should have lost any of its original
sweetness, add a little more loaf sugar, taking care that the cask is
full. Bottle it off in February or March, and in the summer it should be
fit to drink. It will improve greatly by keeping; and, should a very
brilliant colour be desired, add a little currant-juice.
_Seasonable_.--Make this about the middle of May.
WELSH NECTAR.
1830. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of raisins, 3 lemons, 2 lbs. of loaf sugar, 2
gallons of boiling water.
_Mode_.--Cut the peel of the lemons very thin, pour upon it the boiling
water, and, when cool, add the strained juice of the lemons, the sugar,
and the raisins, stoned and chopped very fine. Let it stand 4 or 5 days,
stirring it every day; then strain it through a jelly-bag, and bottle it
for present use.
_Time_.--4 or 5 days. _Average cost_, 1s. 9d.
_Sufficient_ to make 2 gallons.
CLARET-CUP.
[Illustration: CLARET CUP.]
1831. INGREDIENTS.--1 bottle of claret, 1 bottle of soda-water, about
1/2 lb. of pounded ice, 4 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, 1/4
teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 1 liqueur-glass of Maraschino, a sprig of
green borage.
_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a silver cup, regulating the
proportion of ice by the state of the weather: if very warm, a larger
quantity would be necessary. Hand the cup round with a clean napkin
passed through one of the handles, that the edge of the cup may be wiped
after each guest has partaken of the contents thereof.
_Seasonable_ in summer.
CLARETS.--All those wines called in England clarets are the
produce of the country round Bordeaux, or the Bordelais; but it
is remarkable that there is no pure wine in France known by the
name of claret, which is a corruption of _clairet_, a term that
is applied there to any red or rose-coloured wine. Round
Bordeaux are produced a number of wines of the first quality,
which pass under the name simply of _vins de Bordeaux_, or have
the designation of the particular district where they are made;
as Lafitte, Latour, &c. The clarets brought to the English
market are frequently prepared for it by the wine-growers by
mixing together several Bordeaux wines, or by adding to them a
portion of some other wines; but in France the pure wines are
carefully preserved distinct. The genuine wines of Bordeaux are
of great variety, that part being one of the most distinguished
in France; and the principal vineyards are those of Medoc,
Palus, Graves, and Blanche, the product of each having
characters considerably different.
CHAMPAGNE-CUP.
1832. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart bottle of champagne, 2 bottles of
soda-water, 1 liqueur-glass of brandy or Curaçoa, 2 tablespoonfuls of
powdered sugar, 1 lb. of pounded ice, a sprig of green borage.
_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a silver cup; stir them together,
and serve the same as claret-cup No. 1831. Should the above proportion
of sugar not be found sufficient to suit some tastes, increase the
quantity. When borage is not easily obtainable, substitute for it a few
slices of cucumber-rind.
_Seasonable_.--Suitable for pic-nics, balls, weddings, and other festive
occasions.
CHAMPAGNE.--This, the most celebrated of French wines, is the
produce chiefly of the province of that name, and is generally
understood in England to be a brisk, effervescing, or sparkling
white wine, of a very fine flavour; but this is only one of the
varieties of this class. There is both red and white champagne,
and each of these may be either still or brisk. There are the
sparkling wines (mousseux), and the still wines (non-mousseux).
The brisk are in general the most highly esteemed, or, at least,
are the most popular in this country, on account of their
delicate flavour and the agreeable pungency which they derive
from the carbonic acid they contain, and to which they owe their
briskness.
GINGER BEER.
1833. INGREDIENTS.--2-1/2 lbs. of loaf sugar, 1-1/2 oz. of bruised
ginger, 1 oz. of cream of tartar, the rind and juice of 2 lemons, 3
gallons of boiling water, 2 large tablespoonfuls of thick and fresh
brewer's yeast.
_Mode_.--Peel the lemons, squeeze the juice, strain it, and put the peel
and juice into a large earthen pan, with the bruised ginger, cream of
tartar, and loaf sugar. Pour over these ingredients 3 gallons of boiling
water; let it stand until just warm, when add the yeast, which should be
thick and perfectly fresh. Stir the contents of the pan well, and let
them remain near the fire all night, covering the pan over with a cloth.
The next day skim off the yeast, and pour the liquor carefully into
another vessel, leaving the sediment; then bottle immediately, and tie
the corks down, and in 3 days the ginger beer will be fit for use. For
some tastes, the above proportion of sugar may be found rather too
large, when it may be diminished; but the beer will not keep so long
good.
_Average cost_ for this quantity, 2s.; or 1/2d. per bottle.
_Sufficient_ to fill 4 dozen ginger-beer bottles.
_Seasonable_.--This should be made during the summer months.
LEMONADE.
1834. INGREDIENTS--The rind of 2 lemons, the juice of 3 large or 4 small
ones, 1 lb. of loaf sugar, 1 quart of boiling water.
_Mode_.--Rub some of the sugar, in lumps, on 2 of the lemons until they
have imbibed all the oil from them, and put it with the remainder of the
sugar into a jug; add the lemon-juice (but no pips), and pour over the
whole a quart of boiling water. When the sugar is dissolved, strain the
lemonade through a fine sieve or piece of muslin, and, when cool, it
will be ready for use. The lemonade will be much improved by having the
white of an egg beaten up in it; a little sherry mixed with it, also,
makes this beverage much nicer.
_Average cost_, 6d. per quart.
LEMONADE--"There is a current opinion among women" says Brillat
Savarin "which every year causes the death of many young
women,--that acids, especially vinegar, are preventives of
obesity. Beyond all doubt, acids have the effect of destroying
obesity; but they also destroy health and freshness. Lemonade
is, of all acids, the most harmless; but few stomachs can resist
it long. I knew, in 1776, at Dijon, a young lady of great
beauty, to whom I was attached by bonds of friendship, great,
almost as those of love. One day, when she had for some time
gradually grown pale and thin (previously she had a slight
embonpoint), she told me in confidence, that as her young
friends had ridiculed her for being fat, she had, to counteract
the tendency, been in the habit every day of drinking a large
glass of vinaigre. She died at eighteen years of age, from the
effects of these potions."
TO MAKE NEGUS.
1835. INGREDIENTS.--To every pint of port wine allow 1 quart of boiling
water, 1/4 lb. of sugar, 1 lemon, grated nutmeg to taste.
_Mode_.--As this beverage is more usually drunk at children's parties
than at any other, the wine need not be very old or expensive for the
purpose, a new fruity wine answering very well for it. Put the wine into
a jug, rub some lumps of sugar (equal to 1/4 lb.) on the lemon-rind
until all the yellow part of the skin is absorbed, then squeeze the
juice, and strain it. Add the sugar and lemon-juice to the port wine,
with the grated nutmeg; pour over it the boiling water, cover the jug,
and, when the beverage has cooled a little, it will be fit for use.
Negus may also be made of sherry, or any other sweet white wine, but is
more usually made of port than of any other beverage.
_Sufficient_--Allow 1 pint of wine, with the other ingredients in
proportion, for a party of 9 or 10 children.
A PLEASANT DRINK FOR WARM WEATHER.
1836. INGREDIENTS.--To every 1-1/2 pint of good ale allow 1 bottle of
ginger beer. _Mode_.--For this beverage the ginger beer must be in an
effervescing state, and the beer not in the least turned or sour. Mix
them together, and drink immediately. The draught is refreshing and
wholesome, as the ginger corrects the action of the beer. It does not
deteriorate by standing a little, but, of course, is better when taken
fresh.
FOR A SUMMER DRAUGHT.
1837. INGREDIENTS.--The juice of 1 lemon, a tumbler-ful of cold water,
pounded sugar to taste, 4 small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda.
_Mode_.--Squeeze the juice from the lemon; strain, and add it to the
water, with sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. When
well mixed, put in the soda, stir well, and drink while the mixture is
in an effervescing state.
TO MULL WINE.
1838. INGREDIENTS.--To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water,
sugar and spice to taste.
_Mode_.--In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to
give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what
quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful.
Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the
wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve
with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually
used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace.
Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually
selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large
proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be
delicately clean, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small
tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than
saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they will spoil
the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers
should be used for no other purposes.
TO MAKE HOT PUNCH.
1839. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of rum, 1/2 pint of brandy, 1/4 lb. of
sugar, 1 large lemon, 1/2 teaspoonful of nutmeg, 1 pint of boiling
water.
[Illustration: PUNCH-BOWL AND LADLE.]
_Mode_.--Rub the sugar over the lemon until it has absorbed all the
yellow part of the skin, then put the sugar into a punchbowl; add the
lemon-juice (free from pips), and mix these two ingredients well
together. Pour over them the boiling water, stir well together, add the
rum, brandy, and nutmeg; mix thoroughly, and the punch will be ready to
serve. It is very important in making good punch that all the
ingredients are thoroughly incorporated; and, to insure success, the
processes of mixing must be diligently attended to.
_Sufficient_.--Allow a quart for 4 persons; but this information must be
taken _cum grano salis_; for the capacities of persons for this kind of
beverage are generally supposed to vary considerably.
PUNCH is a beverage made of various spirituous liquors or wine,
hot water, the acid juice of fruits, and sugar. It is considered
to be very intoxicating; but this is probably because the
spirit, being partly sheathed by the mucilaginous juice and the
sugar, its strength does not appear to the taste so great as it
really is. Punch, which was almost universally drunk among the
middle classes about fifty or sixty years ago, has almost
disappeared from our domestic tables, being superseded by wine.
There are many different varieties of punch. It is sometimes
kept cold in bottles, and makes a most agreeable summer drink.
In Scotland, instead of the Madeira or sherry generally used in
its manufacture, whiskey is substituted, and then its insidious
properties are more than usually felt. Where fresh lemons cannot
be had for punch or similar beverages, crystallized citric acid
and a few drops of the essence of lemon will be very nearly the
same thing. In the composition of "Regent's punch," champagne,
brandy, and _veritable Martinique_ are required; "Norfolk punch"
requires Seville oranges; "Milk punch" may be extemporized by
adding a little hot milk to lemonade, and then straining it
through a jelly-bag. Then there are "Wine punch," "Tea punch,"
and "French punch," made with lemons, spirits, and wine, in
fantastic proportions. But of all the compounds of these
materials, perhaps, for a _summer_ drink, the North-American
"mint julep" is the most inviting. Captain Marryat gives the
following recipe for its preparation:--"Put into a tumbler about
a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint; upon them put a
spoonful of white sugar, and equal proportions of peach and
common brandy, so as to fill up one third, or, perhaps, a little
less; then take rasped or pounded ice, and fill up the tumbler.
Epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh
pineapple; and the tumbler itself is very often encrusted
outside with stalactites of ice. As the ice melts, you drink."
The Virginians, say Captain Marryat, claim the merit of having
invented this superb compound; but, from a passage in the
"Comus" of Milton, he claims it for his own country.
WHISKEY CORDIAL.
1840. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of ripe white currants, the rind of 2 lemons,
1/4 oz. of grated ginger, 1 quart of whiskey, 1 lb. of lump sugar.
_Mode_.--Strip the currants from the stalks; put them into a large jug;
add the lemon-rind, ginger, and whiskey; cover the jug closely, and let
it remain covered for 24 hours. Strain through a hair sieve, add the
lump sugar, and let it stand 12 hours longer; then bottle, and cork
well.
_Time_.--To stand 24 hours before being strained; 12 hours after the
sugar is added.
_Seasonable_.--Make this in July.
[Illustration]
INVALID COOKERY.