FOR THOSE WHO LIVE ON FARMS.
LIFE on a farm has its bright and dark sides, as does life elsewhere. If
all other things were equal, the pure air, abundance of sunshine,
plentiful supply of good milk, butter, eggs, vegetables, and fruit
should make the farmer’s family the healthiest and happiest of any class
in the land. But to counterbalance all these advantages there are the
monotony of life and food, and often unwholesome water, where one would
expect to find only the purest. The farmer’s wife or daughter need not
feel that she is buried; that she is nobody; that she has no mission in
life; that she is largely a drudge. Every honest man or woman, unless we
exclude some of the very rich, must do some work. Now, this work,
whether it be in the kitchen, shop, on the farm, in the counting-room,
store, or any of the professions, may become drudgery or may be made in
some degree a pleasure. Everything depends upon the home life. The
mission of the farmer’s wife and daughter is one of great
responsibility. It means the physical, mental, and moral health of the
entire family. I know of no class of women whose mission means more to
humanity.
Have the home sweet and healthful. Remember that pure air and sunshine
in the house are the greatest purifiers. Do not exclude them. Impure
water carries poison through the system more effectually than if it were
in solid food. Water may look clear and sparkling, yet be filled with
the germs of disease. A well never should be placed where the sewage
from the house or barn can filter into it. If the well be near the
house, do not allow slops, suds, etc., to be thrown on the ground near
it. If there be a drain to carry off the household slops and suds it
should be laid as far as possible from the well and so constructed that
there shall be no leakage. Whatever else you may lack, be firm in your
efforts to have pure water, and pure air and sunshine in plenty in the
house.
Try to get as much variety in your food as possible, especially in the
matter of the more substantial things, such as vegetables, meats, fish,
soups, and breads. Try to educate your family and yourself up to the
point where pies, cake, doughnuts, etc. need not be a daily dish on your
table. Instead of these, have plenty of fresh stewed fruits when in
season, and canned fruits at other periods. These fruits, with good
bread, rolls, rusk, buns, etc., are healthful, and so simple that one
does not tire of them.
Learn to make simple puddings and other desserts for the noonday meal.
If you follow these suggestions you will reap a rich reward in a
healthy, clear-headed family. You must think for yourself, too. Keep up,
as much as possible, with the outside world. Take a part of a day at
least once a week to meet other people, and manage to get in a visit to
town now and then. Read some bright new books. Do not devote all your
spare moments to fancy work or the trimming of underclothing for
yourself and your children; you would be wasting your energies and
making extra work for ironing day. Keep yourself, as much as is in your
power, a bright, happy, thinking woman, and you will be an inspiration
and tower of strength to your family and neighborhood. This, perhaps,
seems a little like a sermon, but I mean every word of it.
To Prepare Meat for Corning.
All meats should be kept until free from animal heat before being put
into brine. This will take at least forty-eight hours. Have the meat cut
into suitable pieces and sprinkled lightly with fine salt and saltpetre
in the proportion of one tablespoonful of saltpetre to four of salt. Lay
the meat on a board that is slightly inclined, so that the surface blood
which is drawn from the meat can run off. At the end of forty-eight or
more hours put it in the brine.
All meats should be completely covered with brine. If there be any
tendency to float, lay pieces of board on the meat and put weights on
these. Large stones will answer.
Pickle for any Kind of Meat.
12 gallons of water.
3 gallons of salt.
3/4 pound of saltpetre.
3 pounds of brown sugar.
2 ounces of potash or washing soda.
Put all the ingredients in a large kettle and set on the fire. Stir
frequently, and skim until clear; then pour into a large tub, being
careful not to turn in the sediment. Any kind of meat may be put into
this pickle when cold. Beef should remain in the pickle from one to four
or five weeks, as one may desire it slightly or thoroughly salted.
Pickle for Tongues.
6 gallons of water.
9 quarts of salt.
2 quarts of brown sugar.
3/4 of a pound of saltpetre.
2 ounces of washing soda.
Prepare this pickle the same as directed for meat pickle. It will
require ten or twelve days’ time to pickle the tongues. If the flavor of
juniper berries be liked, simmer half a pound in one quart of water for
one hour; then strain the liquid into the brine.
Corned Shoulder of Mutton.
Rub two tablespoonfuls of salt into a shoulder of mutton and let it
stand for one day; then put it into a pickle for five or six days.
To Cure Hams.
8 hams of good size.
8 quarts of fine salt.
4 quarts of brown sugar.
4 ounces of saltpetre.
1 ounce of washing soda.
1/2 ounce of ground mace.
1/2 ounce of ground clove.
Mix all the ingredients together and rub thoroughly into the hams. Pack
the meat in a cask or tub having the skin side down. After three weeks
change the top layer to the bottom. Let the hams lie in pickle for six
or seven weeks; then wash them, and wipe them dry, and finally hang them
up to smoke. It will take from one to two weeks to smoke them. They are
often smoked three months.
Hams may be pickled in a brine such as is prepared for tongues. They
should remain in it from four to six weeks, if they are to be kept
through the year.
If you have no smoke-house, six or eight hams can be smoked in a
hogshead. Fasten a strong piece of board or joist across the top of the
hogshead and suspend the hams from this. Have an old tin or iron pan in
which to make the fire. For fuel use corn cobs, green hickory, or oak
chips. About twenty corn cobs are enough to use at a time. Have some
ashes in the bottom of the pan. Put some live wood coals on this, and
then pile on the corn cobs or chips, and place all under the hogshead.
Cover the hogshead with several thicknesses of old quilts and carpets.
This is to keep in the smoke and also to check the fire, which should
just smoulder, making a great deal of smoke and little heat. The fire
must be renewed every day. You must be careful not to get so much fire
that the meat will be heated.
When thoroughly cured, sew each ham in a thick cotton bag and hang all
in a cool dry place, or pack them.
To Cure Breakfast Bacon.
Select the flank pieces and the thin end of the ribs of the pork, and
treat the same as the hams. It is not necessary to pickle or smoke these
thin pieces quite so long a time as the thick hams.
Sausage Meat.
15 pounds of pork.
2 ounces of white pepper.
4 ounces of salt.
1 ounce of sage.
1/2 an ounce of coriander.
Have the pork about one third fat and two thirds lean. Chop it fine, and
free from all bits of gristle. Mix the seasoning thoroughly with it.
Fill cases with this, or pack in stone jars and keep in a cool, dry
place.
English Sausage Meat.
16 pounds of pork.
2 ounces of white pepper.
6 ounces of salt.
1 ounce of sage.
1 ounce of summer savory.
1/2 ounce of thyme.
1 nutmeg.
Prepare the sausage meat as directed in the preceding rule.
To Cure Jowl and Chines.
When a hog is being cut up, take out the backbone and remove the greater
part of the fat; then cut the chine in pieces about a foot long.
Split open the head and take out the brains. Next cut off the snout. Cut
the head in two, and cut off the upper bone to give the cheeks a good
shape. Mix three teaspoonfuls of saltpetre and one cupful of salt. Rub
this over the jowl and chines. Now pack them closely in a small
butter-tub, and place a piece of board and a heavy weight on top of
them. Put two quarts of coarse salt in a large kettle, and, after
setting the kettle on the stove, put in seven quarts of hot water. When
this begins to boil, skim it carefully, and set it away to cool. When
this brine is cold, pour it over the meat. Keep in a cold place. The
jowl and chines will be ready for use in about three weeks; they will
keep for a year.
When all the meat has been used, the brine may be scalded, skimmed, and
cooled, and used again for the same purpose.
To Cook Jowl.
Wash the jowl, put it in a stewpan and set on the fire. Cover it with
cold water and heat it slowly to the boiling point. Skim, and set back
where it will simmer for three hours. The water should not more than
bubble. Serve with sliced and boiled turnips and boiled potatoes.
Spinach or cabbage boiled in salted water, then drained and chopped, and
seasoned with salt and butter, should be served with the jowl when
possible. Later in the season substitute beet and other greens for the
spinach and cabbage. In families where economy has to be practised it is
customary to cook the cabbage or greens and the turnips with the jowl.
No butter is then required for seasoning.
Chine Pillau.
3 gills of boiling water.
1/2 pint of rice, scant measure.
3 pounds of chine, fresh or salt.
1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sage.
1 tablespoonful chopped onions.
1/2 tablespoonful of flour.
1/4 teaspoonful of pepper.
1 teaspoonful of salt.
This is a cheap and savory dish. Wash and wipe the pieces of chine
carefully, and lay them in a small dripping pan. Sprinkle the powdered
sage over them and then cook for an hour in a moderate oven, being
careful not to let the gravy burn. It is a good plan to set the pan on
the grate, to prevent the bottom from becoming very hot. At the end of
the hour take the meat from the oven and place it in a large stewpan.
Into the pan in which the meat was cooked put the chopped onion. Set the
pan on top of the stove and stir the contents until the onion begins to
turn a golden brown; then add the flour, and stir the mixture until it
froths. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring all the time. Season
with salt and pepper. Let this simmer for five minutes.
Wash the rice in three waters, and put it in the stewpan with the chine.
Strain the gravy over this. Cover the stewpan closely, and set it back
where its contents will hardly simmer for an hour and a half. Serve very
hot.
Should the chine be very salt, be scant in the measurement of salt, but
if it be fresh, heap the teaspoon as full as it will hold, and also rub
two scant teaspoonfuls of salt into the chine when it is put in the
oven. The onion may be omitted.
How to Render Lard.
The best lard is that made from the fat which lies around the kidneys,
and is termed leaf lard. Remove all the skin, and cut the lard in small
pieces. Put it in an iron pot, and heat slowly, stirring it frequently.
Cook it in this manner until the pieces of fat look shrivelled and
straw-colored. On no account let it get so hot that it will smoke. Draw
the pot back where the lard will partially cool; then strain it through
a piece of cheese-cloth. Tin pails are satisfactory vessels in which to
keep lard. Do not put on the covers until the lard is cold. Keep in a
cool, dry place.
Hogs’ Head Cheese.
Have the head split, scraped, and thoroughly cleaned. Put it in a
stewpan, with enough boiling water to cover it generously, and simmer
for five hours, skimming the liquid several times during the first hour.
Place the head on a platter and remove the bones. When the meat is cold,
chop it fine, and season each solid quart with two tablespoonfuls of
salt, a level teaspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of powdered and
sifted sage. Add to this mixture half a pint of the water in which the
head was boiled. Cook the mixture slowly for half an hour, and then turn
into deep earthen dishes. Place a plate with a weight on top of each
dish, and put away in a cool place. This cheese will cut in smooth
slices.
If spice and other kinds of herbs be liked, they may be added with the
other seasonings.
Should a part of the cheese be kept so long that there is danger of its
spoiling, heat it slowly to the boiling point; then let it simmer for
half an hour, and cool as before.
Scrapple.
1/2 of a pig’s head.
2 quarts of water.
1/2 pint of corn meal, generous measure.
2 teaspoonfuls of salt.
1/3 teaspoonful of pepper.
2 leaves of sage.
Clean the pig’s head and put it in a stewpan with the hot water. Let it
simmer for three hours; then take it from the fire and cool it. When
cold, remove the bones and chop the meat fine. Add this and the
seasonings to the liquor in which it was boiled, and return to the fire.
When the contents of the stewpan begin to boil, sprinkle in the meal,
stirring all the time. Cook for two hours, stirring frequently. Rinse a
deep bread pan in cold water, and pour the hot mixture into it. Set away
in a cold place.
When the scrapple is perfectly cold, cut it into slices about half an
inch thick, and after rolling these in flour, or breading them, fry
until brown.
Tripe.
Lay the tripe on a table and scrape it with a broad-bladed knife; then
wash it thoroughly in several waters. Soak it for five or six days in
salt and water, changing the water every other day, and using a quart of
salt to three gallons of water. At the end of this time boil it gently
for ten hours, turning it frequently, that it may not stick to the
bottom of the boiler and burn. When the tripe has been boiling for eight
hours, add half a pint of salt.
The boiled tripe may be used plain, with a butter sauce, or it may be
broiled, fried in batter, soused, etc. When soused it will keep for
several weeks.
Soused Tripe.
8 pounds of boiled tripe.
3 pints of vinegar.
1 stick of cinnamon.
6 whole cloves.
1 small blade of mace.
Cut the tripe in pieces and place it in a stone pot. Heat the vinegar
and spice to the boiling point and pour over the tripe. Set away in a
cool place and it will keep for several weeks. It will be ready for use
in twelve hours, and it may be broiled or fried.
Pigs’ Feet.
Pigs’ feet should be treated in every particular the same as tripe.
After being boiled they may, when cold, be broiled, or be fried in
batter or crumbs. They may be soused, and then be broiled or fried.
To Preserve Rennet.
Rennet is the lining membrane of one of the stomachs of the calf. Select
the stomach of a healthy calf, and empty it. Remove the outer skin and
the fat. Wipe the rennet, and then salt it well, using about half a pint
of salt, and putting the greater part of it in the sack. Let the rennet
lie on a dish for five or six hours, then stretch it on a forked stick.
Cover it with netting, to protect it from flies, and hang it up in a
cool, dry place. When the rennet is dry (which will be in about a week)
put it in a paper bag or a glass jar, and keep it in a cool, dry place.
This rennet may be used in making cheese or rennet wine.
Rennet Wine.
Wash the rennet, and cut it into small pieces. Put this in a
wide-mouthed bottle, with one quart of sherry. This will be ready for
use in four or five days. Rennet wine is used with fresh milk to make
delicate desserts, such as slip, rennet custard, etc.
When the quart of wine has been used, a second quart may be poured on
the rennet in the bottle.
If salted rennet be used, soak it for several hours in cold water to
remove the salt.
Essence of Rennet.
Clean a rennet and cut it into small bits. Put these in a glass jar with
three ounces of salt. Work the salt into the rennet with a spoon. Now
cover the jar, and put in a cool place for six weeks. At the end of this
time add a gill of rum and a pint of water. Let this stand for two days;
then filter through paper, and bottle for use. This essence may be
employed the same as rennet wine, using with it any flavor one wishes.
THE DAIRY.
The suggestions given for the work in the dairy are for the guidance of
the woman who has only the simplest appliances to work with, and only a
small amount of milk or cream to handle. In the large dairies, with such
modern apparatus as the separator, and other fine machinery, the process
of making butter differs from that outlined in this chapter. The
essentials are always the same, whether it be in the smallest and most
primitive dairy, or in the largest and most modern. There must be
perfect cleanliness and freedom from odors. Wood floors and racks on
shelves and in refrigerators must be watched carefully; for wood absorbs
the moisture from milk and water, and will taint milk, butter, and
cheese very quickly. The greatest care is therefore needed, that all the
woodwork shall be washed clean, and dried thoroughly. Guard against
letting any of the wood about the dairy become milk- or water-soaked.
Care of Milk and Cream.
Milk and all the products of milk require the most careful attention.
Thorough cleanliness and good ventilation are absolutely necessary.
Milk, butter, and cream quickly absorb any odors that there may be near
by. If possible, one room or pantry should be kept exclusively for the
dairy products. If this be impossible keep one side of the room—that
nearest the window—for this purpose. Never put strong-odored or warm
food in this room. Keep the room scrupulously clean and _dry_. Every
utensil that is used about milk in any form must be first washed in cold
water, then in hot suds, and finally scalded in clear, boiling water.
Wipe perfectly dry with towels that are kept for this purpose, and that
are washed and scalded every day. Now put the utensils out in the sun.
If the day be wet, put them by an open window to air. The milk, cream,
butter, etc., that come from such a dairy cannot fail to be of a
superior quality.
When the milk is brought in, pour it through a fine strainer into the
pans, and then set the pans in place. If at any time it be necessary to
mix the night and morning milk, cool the fresh milk before it is added
to the older milk. Adding warm milk to cold milk will cause the whole
mass to spoil quickly.
When the cream is being collected for butter making, it must not be kept
so long that it becomes very sour, or in winter until it becomes bitter.
Have a stone jar in which the cream can be kept. In summer keep it in
the coldest place you have, but in winter it must be kept where it will
become slightly sour, without becoming bitter. Old butter-makers advise
skimming the cream as free as possible from milk. Every time a batch of
cream is added to that in the jar, stir the contents of the jar, in
order to mix thoroughly the new and old cream.
The cream should not be allowed to remain on the milk until sour. Skim
it while both milk and cream are sweet.
Butter Making.
The quality of the butter will depend largely upon the care of the milk
and cream. It will help the butter-maker to use a thermometer. One
suitable for dairy work can be purchased for twenty-five cents at any
store where they keep such goods, or where they keep dairy supplies. The
cream should be slightly sour, and when put into the churn the
temperature should be from 58° to 60°. In cold weather place the cream
jar in a pan of hot water, and stir frequently until the cream is raised
to the desired temperature; in hot weather use ice water, if necessary.
In churning it is important that the stroke shall be slow and steady.
Rapid churning causes the cream to froth, and spoils the texture of the
butter. It should take at least from thirty to forty minutes’ churning
to bring the butter.
As soon as the butter begins to form into small masses, draw off the
buttermilk and pour cold water into the churn. After a few strokes of
the dasher, draw off the water and pour in fresh cold water, adding a
teaspoonful of salt to every quart of water. Work the butter for a few
minutes, then draw off the water. Put the butter in a wooden bowl and
salt it, allowing one ounce of salt to each pound of butter. Many
butter-makers allow four extra ounces of salt to every ten pounds of
butter. If the butter is to be packed for future use, this is necessary.
Let the salted butter stand in the bowl over night. In the morning work
all the buttermilk and water out of the butter, and then shape into any
form you please. Wet pieces of thin cotton in salt and water, and wrap
the rolls in them.
The less milk there is in the cream, the sooner the butter will come.
The amount of butter to a quart of cream will depend upon the quality of
the cream. A quart of thick cream will give a pound of butter, whereas
it may take more than two quarts of thin cream to produce the same
amount.
If only one cow be kept for family use, a small stone churn will be
found valuable for churning the small quantities of cream which one will
have. Of course, a patent churn is better for large quantities, as the
work can be done more easily with it.
Too much working makes the butter tough and waxy. Work it only enough to
free it from water and buttermilk. Never have the hands touch the
butter; use wooden paddles for the work.
If the cream be very cold it will froth, and the butter will be a long
time in coming. When it does come, it will be light and spongy, instead
of being smooth and firm. Most winter butter lacks color. If you wish to
impart a yellow tinge to it, grate the dark orange part of the carrot,
and simmer it in sweet milk for twenty minutes. Strain the milk, and,
when cool, add to the cream in the churn. Use half a pint of grated
carrot and a pint of milk for every eight quarts of cream.
Cottage Cheese.
Put a pan of thick sour milk over a stewpan of hot water, and heat
almost to the boiling point. When the pan has been over the water for
about six minutes, turn the thick milk gently with a large spoon,
getting the hot part on top. When the whey becomes so hot that it cannot
be touched by the finger, turn the mass into a strainer and let the whey
drain off. When the curd is free from whey, season it with salt and
butter, allowing one teaspoonful of salt and one tablespoonful of butter
to every four quarts of sour milk. A gill of thick, sweet cream, also,
may be stirred into the curd. Press the cheese into a bowl, or shape it
into balls. This cheese is good only while it is fresh.
Be careful not to have the milk too sour, or to get the curd too hot.
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