CHAPTER VIII

SALTED NUTS

ONE day Betsey said, "Mother, I should like to know how to prepare salted peanuts and salted almonds," and, as usual, mother was glad to comply with her request and teach her.

Salted Peanuts

Peanuts (shelled), 1 cup Butter, or Olive oil. Salt.

Betsey bought the peanuts that were not cooked. These she shelled, then covered with boiling water for a minute or two. Draining off the water, she removed the little brown skins easily.

Using a shallow cake tin, Betsey poured in a little olive oil (for those who do not like olive oil, a small piece of butter may be used), added the peanuts, put in a hot oven and cooked to a light golden brown.

When done she emptied the peanuts on to a piece of brown paper (this soaked up the extra oil or butter) and sprinkled lightly with salt.

Salted Almonds

Almonds (shelled), 1 cup Butter, or Olive oil. Salt.

These Betsey blanched as she did the peanuts by pouring boiling water over the almonds for at least a minute.

Draining off the water, she was able to remove the brown skins very easily.

The almonds were then placed in a shallow pan in which a little olive oil or butter had been melted, then baked in a hot oven to a light golden brown.

Betsey needed to watch these constantly and shake the tin occasionally that the almonds might be evenly browned.

The next step was to pour them on brown paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.

The brown paper soaked up all the extra oil or butter and made them much nicer.

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Next Betsey tried

Glacé Nuts and Fruits

Sugar (granulated), 1 cup Corn syrup, 1 cup Water, 1/3 cup Walnut meats. Pecan meats. Butternut meats. Brazil nuts. Filberts. Almonds. Peanuts. White grapes. Raisins. Pieces of orange. Pieces of grapefruit. Prunes.

The sugar, corn syrup and water Betsey boiled until the syrup became brittle the minute she dropped a little in cold water. Lifting the saucepan from the fire, she placed it in a larger pan of cold water to stop the boiling immediately, then she placed it in another pan of hot water and dipped the nuts and fruits one at a time.

Betsey used a long hat pin to pick them out with, then placed on buttered plates or waxed paper.

These were always made in cold weather and eaten while crisp. If they were kept any length of time they became sticky. This, however, never happened in Betsey's home, for they went too quickly.

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It took Betsey a long time, months in fact, to learn all these different ways of making candy, but she was so earnest in her work that the results were better than many "grown ups" obtained.

Mother felt fully repaid for the time and care it had required to teach Betsey and father was a much "puffed up" man.

He never failed to tell any guests that might be present when a dish of the home made confections were being passed that "Betsey made these" and his pride and pleasure were doubly increased when they invariably exclaimed, "Impossible! Surely a little girl so young as Betsey could never have made them."

Naturally, Betsey felt glad to have these nice things said about her candies, and mother felt still more glad that in spite of all praise Betsey was not spoiled.