Part 97

Tomatoes Canned Whole by Steaming.--Select medium sized, firm, ripe tomatoes. Wash and peel. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and they will peel easily. Pack in sterilized jars, fill with boiling water and put on the lid lightly. Set in cold water on rests and let boil about fifteen minutes. If necessary, fill the jar with boiling water to overflowing. Put on the sterilized rubbers and seal tightly. These tomatoes are especially good for winter salads.

Canned Corn.--Cut the corn from the cob while fresh, pack in sterilized jars, and fill with boiling water. Put the cover on lightly and set on a rest, such as small blocks of wood, pieces of thick paper or the corn husks, in a pan of cold water. Let boil from two to three hours. Remove the can, fill to overflowing with boiling water and seal tightly.

Canned String Beans.--Select medium sized beans and string. Pack in a sterilized jar, fill to overflowing with a brine and seal tightly. This brine may be made in two ways: First, by mixing cold water and salt; second, by mixing salt and boiling water and then letting it cool before pouring over the beans. This method is best as the salt dissolves more readily in boiling water than in cold water. One part salt to two parts water makes a strong brine. Keep in a cold place and freshen before using by letting the beans stand in cold water for an hour. In winter these beans make an acceptable substitute for fresh ones.

Canned Rhubarb.--Select medium stalks, skin and cut either into one-inch pieces, or eight-inch lengths. Pack in sterilized jars, fill to overflowing with cold water and seal. Rhubarb put up in this way has been known to keep for over a year, and is especially good for pies and sauce.

Steamed Strawberries.--Wash and hull the strawberries, and for every quart of strawberries use one cup of sugar. Pack the berries in a sterilized jar, cover with sugar and fill with boiling water. Cover the jar lightly, put in a pan of cold water, on a rest and let the water boil for about fifteen minutes. Remove, seal tightly, and keep in a cool place.

Canned Strawberries.--Wash and hull the berries. Make a syrup of sugar and water, using one cup of sugar to every three of water. Boil 10 minutes. Drop the berries in the boiling syrup and cook until soft. This will require only several minutes. Fill the jars to overflowing with fruit and syrup, then seal.

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Canned Cherries.--Follow the method for strawberries. Cherries can be pitted or not, as desired. If pitted, add a few stones for flavor.

Canning Raspberries.--Use the same method as for strawberries. The large number of seeds in raspberries are objectionable, and the berries are more often made into jam than canned.

Canned Pears.--The pears should be ripe and of fine flavor. Wipe and pare the fruit. If the pears are large they may be cut in halves. Make a syrup of sugar and water, using one cup of sugar to one cup of water. Boil 10 minutes. Put in the pears, cook until soft. Fill sterilized jars and seal.

Canned Peaches.--Follow the directions for pears. Peaches may be canned by the steaming method by cutting them in two and removing the stones.

Strawberry Preserves.--Wash and hull the berries, then weigh. Make a syrup by boiling three-quarters of their weight in sugar with water, allowing one cup of water to each pound of sugar. Cook syrup 15 minutes, fill glass jars with the berries, add the syrup to overflow the jars. Let stand 15 minutes. By this time the fruit will have shrunk; add enough more fruit to fill the jar. Put on a cover; set on a rest in a pan of cold water, heat to the boiling point, and keep just below boiling for one hour. Raspberries may be done in the same way.

Raspberry and Currant Preserves.--

3 lbs. Currants. 3 lbs. Sugar. 4 qts. Raspberries.

Pick over, wash and drain the currants. Put into a preserving kettle and mash. Cook one hour and strain through cheesecloth. Return to the kettle, add the sugar, heat to the boiling point, cook 20 minutes. Add the raspberries and cook until soft. Fill jars to over-flowing and seal. If the seeds of the currants are not objectionable the mixture need not be strained.

JELLIES.--Fruits to be used in making jelly should be underripe, rather than over-ripe. Green fruit contains two substances, called "pectase" and "pectose" and, by the action of the sun in ripening, these substances change into pectin which makes fruit jelly. If the fruit is over-ripe the pectin breaks down into pectosic acid which has not the power of jellying; and as a result the fruit does not jell. If the fruit is a little under-ripe pectin is formed through cooking, and it is often advisable to add some green fruit to the ripe fruit in making jelly. Nearly all failures in jelly making are due either to over-ripe fruit or to the use of too much heat, because in both cases the pectin is lost.

To Prepare Glasses for Jelly.--Wash the glasses, put in a kettle of cold water, heat the water gradually to the boiling point, and boil for fifteen minutes. Remove the glasses and drain; place, while filling, on a cloth wrung out of hot water. If the glasses are wrapped in brown paper with the mouths uncovered they will not break.

[DOMESTIC SCIENCE 823]

To Cover Jelly Glasses.--First: with paraffin. Melt the paraffin over hot water and pour over the jelly when cold about one-fourth inch thick. Be sure to use hot water in melting the paraffin, as it is apt to explode if heated to too high a degree.

Second.--Cut two pieces of white paper, one just the size of the glass and the other larger; dip the first cover in brandy or alcohol and press down tightly over the jelly. White of egg or water may be used, but it is not so good. Then cover with the second paper, sealing edges with white of egg. A tin cover could be used in place of the last paper.

To Make a Jelly Bag.--Take a piece of flannel about three quarters of a yard long, fold the opposite corners together and sew in the shape of a cornucopia, rounding at the end; if the seam is felled it will be more secure. Bind the top with tape and finish with two or three heavy loops by which it may be hung.

Good Fruits for Making Jelly.--Crab apples, snow apples, early summer apples, grapes, currants, blackberries, raspberries, quinces, barberries are the fruits most commonly used for making jellies.

General Directions for Making Jelly.--Wash the fruit, remove the stems and imperfections. Cut large fruit into pieces. With fruit such as apples or quinces add enough water to cover them, but with watery fruits, such as grapes and currants, omit any water. Cook the fruit, until the juice flows, keeping it just below the boiling point. Remove from the fire and strain through a pointed bag, hung at some height. Allow all the juice possible to drip through before squeezing the bag and keep this juice by itself. Then squeeze the bag and use the juice thus obtained for second grade jelly, which, while it is not as clear as the first lot, can be used for jelly cakes, etc. Measure the juice, bring to the boiling point, boil slowly two or three minutes, then add an equal quantity of heated sugar. Boil until the jelly thickens when dropped upon a cold plate. Pour slowly into sterilized jelly glasses and set away to harden. The jelly bags should be sterilized before using.

Apple Jelly.--Wipe the apples, remove the stem and blossom ends and cut into quarters. Put into granite or, porcelain lined preserving kettle and add enough cold water to come nearly to the top of the apples. Cook slowly until the apples are soft. Mash and strain through a coarse sieve. Allow the juice to drip through a jelly bag. Boil slowly for about 20 minutes, add an equal quantity of heated sugar, cook for about five minutes or until the jelly will harden when dropped on a cold saucer. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses and seal when cold. If the apples are pared a very light colored jelly is obtained.

Crab Apple Jelly.--Follow the recipe for apple jelly and use red cheeked crab apples, if possible.

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Quince Jelly.--Follow the recipe for apple jelly, substituting quinces for apples. Remove the seeds from the fruit. Sometimes apples and quinces are used in combination and make an excellent jelly.

Grape Jelly.--Pick over the grapes, wash and remove stems. Heat to the boiling point, mash and boil 30 minutes. Strain through a jelly bag, return the juice to the kettle and boil slowly for about five minutes. Add an equal quantity of heated sugar. Boil three minutes or until it hardens on a cold plate. Skim if necessary. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses; seal when cold. Be very sure the grapes are not over-ripe. It is very desirable to add a few green grapes. Wild grapes make excellent jelly to serve with game.

Barberry Jelly.--This is considered quite a delicacy, and is made the same as grape jelly, except that a very little water,--about one cup to one peck of berries--is sometimes added.

Currant Jelly.--Pick over the currants but do not remove the stems, wash and drain. Put into a preserving kettle and mash. Cook slowly for about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain through a coarse strainer and then through a jelly bag. Follow directions for grape jelly.

A combination of currants and raspberries makes a good jelly.

Raspberry Jelly.--Follow the directions for grape jelly. Raspberry jelly is hard to make and should not be tried if the fruit is not perfectly fresh or if it is at all over-ripe.

JAMS.--The pulp, seeds and skins are all retained in jams; often material that is left from jellies, and so on, can be used in this way by adding spices and nuts to give flavor. Sterilization and the exclusion of air are not quite so important in this class of preserving on account of the large amount of sugar used which takes away food from the bacteria. Equal amounts of sugar and fruits are used in making jams.

Raspberry Jam.--Pick over the raspberries, mash in a preserving kettle with a wooden masher. Heat slowly to the boiling point, and add an equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars.

Strawberry Jam.--Wash and hull the berries. Add the sugar gradually so that the juice of the berries will dissolve it. Boil about 20 minutes, or until it will harden when dropped on a cold plate. Pour into sterilized glasses.

Grape Jam.--

8 Cups of Grapes. 4 Cups of Sugar.

Wash the grapes, remove the stems and squeeze the pulp from the skins into a preserving kettle. Put the skins on a granite plate and save them. Boil the pulp until the seeds separate easily, stirring constantly. Strain through a sieve, add the skins to the strained mixture, measure, return to the kettle, and add an equal amount of sugar. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until the jam is very thick. Pour into sterilized glasses and seal when cold. The mixture needs careful watching and stirring, as it will burn easily, especially after the sugar is added.

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Rhubarb Conserve.--

2 lbs. rhubarb. 2 oranges. 3 lbs. sugar. 1 lb. shelled nuts. Juice of 3 Lemons.

Remove the leaves and pieces of root from the rhubarb and wash the stalks in cold water. Cut into one-inch pieces. Do not remove the skin unless it is fibrous. If the skin is removed do this before cutting in pieces. Wash the oranges and either grate the rind or cut the yellow into strips thin enough to be seen through. Wash the lemons and use only the juice. A little rind may be used, if desired, but it will take away from the orange flavor. The nuts need not be blanched, but should be broken into pieces of medium size. Any nut may be used, but walnuts are especially good. Mix all the materials, except the nuts, with the sugar. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick,--about three-quarters of an hour. After the first half hour's cooking, add the nuts. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses and seal when cold.

MARMALADES AND BUTTERS.--Marmalades and butters are really strained jams and the same rules hold true as for jams.

Apple Marmalade.--Pare and core the apples. Cook until tender with just enough water to keep from burning. Force through a fine sieve, return to the fire with a scant pound of sugar and the juice and rind of one lemon for each pound of pulp. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the marmalade is thick when dropped on a cold saucer. Pour into sterilized glasses.

Peach Marmalade.--Follow the recipe for apple marmalade, adding spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Crab Apple Marmalade.--When making crab apple jelly, core the apples and after straining, use the pulp that is left to make marmalade. Various seasonings can he added. Among the best are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, grated rind and juice of oranges and lemons. When seasoned according to taste, add sugar to the pulp, and cook until of the desired consistency. Seal in sterilized jars.

Rhubarb Marmalade.--

2 lbs. rhubarb. 3 lbs. sugar. Rind and pulp of 6 oranges.

Boil the ingredients together until thick. The rind of the orange may be grated and cooked by itself until tender before adding to the rest of the materials. Pour into sterilized glasses and seal.

Pineapple.--Pare and remove the eyes from pineapple, then grate. Weigh the pulp and heat two-thirds of its weight in sugar. Cook the pineapple in an uncovered dish for some time. Then add the juice of one lemon for each pound of fruit. Then add the sugar and boil until thick,--about five minutes. Pour into sterilized jelly glasses.

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PICKLES.--Under this heading are classified pickles and relishes, such as chili sauce, chow chows and catsups. Pickling is preserving in salt or acid liquor. Pickles do not contain much nutritive value, but add much to a meal in making it attractive. Cucumber pickles should never look as green when pickled as the fruit on the vine; if they do it is almost certain that some preservative has been used.

Sweet Pickled Pears or Peaches.--

1 peck peaches. 4 lbs. brown sugar. 1 quart vinegar. 2 ozs. stick cinnamon. Cloves.

Boil sugar, vinegar and cinnamon for 20 minutes. Dip peaches quickly in hot water and rub off fur with a towel. Stick each peach with three or four cloves, put into syrup and cook until soft. Cook only enough fruit at a time to fill one jar. Seal in sterilized jars. Pears may be prepared in the same way.

Chili Sauce.--

25 ripe tomatoes (medium sized). 1/2 cup brown sugar. 4 large white onions. 6 peppers. (chopped fine) 4 teaspoons of ginger. 4 teaspoons of allspice 1 teaspoons of cloves. 2 tablespoons of salt. 1 qt. vinegar.

Mix these materials and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. The consistency should be quite thick and more than an hour's cooking may be necessary. Strain or not as desired, but if strained put back in the kettle and bring to the boiling point before scaling. Use tall wide necked bottles and fill to overflowing, using the same precautions as you would in canning fruit. The chili sauce is quite "hot," but this can be remedied by altering the number of peppers and onions. In preparing, the tomatoes should be washed; scalded and peeled. The peppers should be washed in cold water, the stems removed and the peppers chopped finely. Chop the onions finely in the same bowl as the peppers.

Olive Oil Pickles.--

8 qts. sliced cucumbers. 1 teaspoon cloves. 1 cup olive oil. 1 teaspoon allspice. 1 cup sugar. 1 teaspoon celery seed. 1 teaspoon mustard seed. 4 teaspoons cinnamon. One dozen onions.

Slice the cucumbers thin and let stand over night in a weak brine. In the morning drain, add the onions sliced thin. Mix the ingredients given. Put the cucumbers and onions in a crock, pour over the mixture and add enough vinegar to cover. Mix well.

[DOMESTIC SCIENCE 827]

Sweet Cucumber Pickles.--Select small cucumbers. Wash well but do not peel. Put into a crock one cup of salt and 4 quarts of cucumbers. Cover with boiling water and let stand over night. In the morning remove from the brine, put in a granite kettle, cover with vinegar to which has been added mustard seeds, whole cloves, stick cinnamon, two cups of sugar and other desired seasonings. Let it come to the boiling point, but not boil. Seal while hot.

Green Tomato Pickles.--Remove a thin slice from each end of the green tomatoes. Slice and sprinkle one peck of tomatoes with one cup of salt and let stand over night. Drain, boil 15 minutes in two quarts of boiling water and one quart of vinegar. Drain again. Cook for 10 minutes the following: one gallon of vinegar, 2 pounds or less of sugar, 1 red pepper, 10 teaspoon mustard seed, 3/4 cup cinnamon bark, and any other seasonings desired. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally. The spices should be removed; this is easily accomplished if they are tied in a muslin bag. Pack in sterilized jars.

SOME HINTS ON CHAFING DISH COOKERY.

The Use of the Chafing Dish and Some Favorite Recipes.

Within recent years the chafing dish has become very familiar to us. It is, however, not a recent invention, for in the time of Louis XIV it was very commonly used. To the housekeeper who wishes to save herself and to serve her guests with food at its best, the chafing dish comes as an acceptable friend for use at the breakfast table in the preparation of eggs and dishes which should be served immediately. Toast can be served fresh and hot by using a toaster over the burner of a chafing dish. At luncheon a hot dish can easily take the place of the cold meat course if the chafing dish is at hand. However, the chief use of the chafing dish is in the preparation of late suppers, and is largely in use by those who have limited facilities for housekeeping, such as college girls. By those who entertain the chafing dish is looked upon as a true friend of hospitality.

Chafing dishes vary in price from the common ones made of tin which can be bought for about a dollar, to the more expensive ones made of silver. Various wares are utilized for the chafing dish. Among those most satisfactory are graniteware, earthenware, nickel, copper and aluminum.

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To get satisfactory results with the chafing dish you must have certain parts. There should be a pan to use for hot water, and it should be furnished with a handle. The cooking pan or blazer, as it is called, should have a handle also. Until one becomes an expert the hot water pan should be in constant use but later one need only use the hot water pan for keeping food warm. The burner should be carefully looked after and be in readiness. Alcohol, electricity and gas are all used as fuel, but denatured or wood alcohol is probably the most common of all. If care is taken in the use of alcohol there need be no danger. Fill the lamp with sufficient alcohol to cook the dish desired, and if necessary to refill during cooking shut off the flame and let the burner cool somewhat before replenishing with the alcohol. A large tray upon which to set the chafing dish prevents danger of fire and protects the table. Large forks and spoons, made especially for the chafing dish, can be obtained at a small price, but any table spoon and fork can be used. It is well to have a napkin and extra spoon and fork at hand if it is necessary to taste the preparation.

That a chafing dish supper may be a success, care should be taken on the part of the hostess to have everything in readiness. The table should be set with the required dishes, silver, etc., and all ingredients should be at hand for the preparation that is to be made on the chafing dish. Most chafing dishes will not supply portions for more than eight, so that a larger number should not be included at a chafing dish supper. Unless skilled in the use of a chafing dish, it is best not to prepare new dishes for guests. If one will observe some care and have everything in readiness, a chafing dish supper can be a very enjoyable source of entertainment for informal affairs.

To use the following recipes with success level measurements of all ingredients must be made--level teaspoon, level cup, etc.

SOME FAVORITE CHAFING DISH CONCOCTIONS.

Cream Sauce.--

2 tablespoons flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 2 tablespoons butter. 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 1 cup milk.

Melt the butter and stir in the flour and seasonings until smooth; add the scalded milk slowly, stirring constantly. Cook until of the right consistency. This makes a medium thick sauce, the thickness of which can be varied by increasing or diminishing the amount of flour. This is the foundation for a great number of chafing dish recipes, such as creamed dishes. A richer sauce may be made by substituting cream for milk and omitting most of the butter.

Creamed Chicken.--

1 cup cold flaked chicken. 1/2 teaspoon celery salt. 1 cup thin cream sauce. 1/4 teaspoon curry powder.

Prepare one cup of thin cream sauce and season with the celery salt and curry powder. Add the chicken and when heated through pour over slices of toast or into timbal cases. Garnish with parsley. Any desired seasonings can be used in place of the celery and curry.

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Chicken a la Goldenrod.--

1 cup cold flaked chicken. 2 cups thin cream sauce. 6 hard cooked eggs. 1/2 cup mushrooms. Seasonings.

Cut the eggs in slices, putting two yolks through a potato ricer. Make a thin cream sauce, season as desired with celery seed or curry. Add the chicken and mushrooms, drained from their liquor. When hot, and just before serving, add the eggs. Pour the mixture over rounds of toast and over the top of each portion sprinkle some of the yolk which was forced through the potato ricer as a garnish. A bit of parsley improves the appearance.

Creamed Beef.--

1 cup shredded dried beef. 1 cup medium cream sauce. 4 hard cooked eggs, Seasonings as desired.

Prepare the cream sauce, add the beef and hard cooked eggs, cut into slices. When heated through pour over toast diamonds. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Cheese Fondue.-- 2 cups grated cheese. 2 tablespoons butter. 1 cup soft bread crumbs. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 cup cream or milk. 1 teaspoon dry mustard. 3 eggs. 1/2 teaspoon paprika. 6 slices buttered toast.

Melt the butter and add the seasonings. When hot add the cheese and the bread crumbs which have been soaked in the milk. When very hot add the egg yolks which have been well beaten. Mix thoroughly, then fold in the whites of eggs beaten stiff. Let cook several minutes over the hot water, then pour over the buttered toast.

Curried Toast.--

1 cup cream sauce. 1 teaspoon curry powder. 4 hard cooked eggs. 6 slices buttered toast.

Make a cream sauce using the curry as seasoning. Chop the eggs fine, add to the cream sauce and when hot pour over the toast. Garnish with parsley.

Eggs and Cream.--

6 eggs. 1 cup cream. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce. 1 tablespoon butter. 6 slices toast.

Put the cream and seasonings in a dish. When almost boiling drop in the eggs and put in the butter cut in bits. When the eggs are poached serve on the toast which has been dipped in melted butter. Garnish with parsley.

Creamed Oysters.--

1 qt. oysters. 4 tablespoons butter. 1 cup cream. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon parsley, minced. 6 slices toast.