Part 8

For Chocolate Cocoanut Cream Candy add 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate to other ingredients before boiling.

Hickory Nut Candy

2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water lemon or vanilla extract 1 cup hickory nut meats

Boil sugar and water, without stirring, until thick enough to spin a thread; place saucepan in cold water; add flavoring and stir quickly until white; stir in nuts; turn into buttered tin; when cold cut into squares.

Date and Peanut Paste

1 cup stoned dates 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Wash and dry dates; put through food chopper; add peanut butter and salt. Mix and roll into small balls; then cover with sugar. Lay on plate to dry.

Salted Almonds

Blanch almonds by putting into boiling water for a few minutes. Remove skins, dry well and brown in heated olive oil or butter in pan on top of stove stirring continually. Take from fire when very light brown, as they continue to color after removing from pan. Drain well on brown paper and sprinkle with salt.

Fireless Cookery

The Fireless Cooker has become an important factor in the home. The principle employed is the preservation of heat by the use of non-conducting materials. The device ordinarily used is a rectangular box lined on all sides with some substance which will prevent escape of heat, with spaces or wells for the insertion of stone or metal discs or radiators and vessels containing food to be cooked.

Among the advantages of this method are: the improvement in flavor by slower cooking with little opportunity for evaporation; improved appearance of food that is subject to shrinkage when cooked by ordinary methods; saving in labor, as the cooking practically takes care of itself. Dinner may be prepared in the morning, placed in the cooker, and without further attention be ready to serve at any time after 3 or 4 hours. While the time required for cooking is longer than in the usual methods, the actual time consumed in preparation of a meal is considerably reduced.

DIRECTIONS

Prepare food for cooking as usual. Place in special vessel, designed to fit into wells of Fireless Cooker, and heat on range or over gas flame until ordinary cooking temperature is reached. Put into cooker with one or more radiators which have been heated for 10 or 15 minutes over hot fire. For roasting, radiator should be hot enough to brown a pinch of flour immediately. Close cover, fasten lightly so that the steam may escape and allow cooking to proceed for time specified in recipes.

For baking cake, apples, etc., proceed as for roasting. The time required for baking is slightly longer than that specified for regular ovens. For cake ordinarily baked in a moderate oven, heat radiators hot enough to brown a pinch of flour in half a minute.

The Fireless Cooker is especially convenient for the preparation of cereals, meats, vegetables and other dishes that are ordinarily boiled or roasted. Remember that foods should be thoroughly heated before putting into cooker.

Cereals

Prepare cereal for cooking in double boiler as usual. Boil over fire for 5 minutes; place in larger vessel of boiling water in cooker and allow it to remain 4 or 5 hours or longer. If placed in cooker at night it should remain warm enough to serve for breakfast.

Steaming

For recipes see "Boston Brown Bread," "Steamed Fig Pudding," "Poor Man's Pudding," "Christmas Plum Pudding," etc. Prepare and mix ingredients as directed. Put into greased molds and place in shallow pan of boiling water over very hot radiator in cooker. Fasten cover tight and cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Soups

Place ingredients in vessel; cover with cold water; bring to boil over free flame and boil 5 minutes. Fasten cover and transfer to cooker, using one hot radiator in bottom of well. Cook 3 or 4 hours and season when ready to serve.

For ingredients and special directions for preparing soups, see "Soups."

Roast Meats

Prepare and season meat in usual way. Place in large dry vessel; put very hot radiator in bottom of cooker well; place vessel containing roast on radiator, and place another very hot radiator on top. Close cooker and fasten. Allow it to remain about one-half hour per pound of meat.

The roast may be browned in a very hot oven before putting into cooker or just before serving.

Boiled or Stewed Meats

Prepare meat for cooking as usual, searing in frying pan if desired brown. Place in large vessel and cover or partly cover with boiling water, boiling with cover fastened tight for 10 or 15 minutes over free flame. Transfer to cooker, using one hot radiator underneath. Cook 2 or 3 hours, season and serve.

Vegetables

Prepare vegetables as usual. Place in vessel with small quantity of boiling water. As there is little evaporation in fireless cookers, allowance does not have to be made for loss by evaporation. Boil over free flame for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to cooker, using one radiator in bottom of well. Cook 3 or 4 hours, remove from cooker, season and serve.

Invalid Cookery

Always prepare food for the sick in the most careful and attractive manner. In sickness the senses are unusually acute and far more susceptible to carelessness and mistakes in the preparation and serving of food than in health.

Barley Water

2 tablespoons pearl barley 2 quarts cold water

Wash barley, soak several hours in cold water and boil gently in same water for 2 hours; or put into double boiler and cook for 4 hours or until reduced one-half. Lemon juice and sugar or salt to taste may be added if desired.

Pineapple Juice

Peel a very ripe pineapple, cut into small pieces and put through fruit press or potato ricer to extract all juice. Strain and serve with cracked ice.

Albuminized Orange

1 egg white juice of 1 orange sugar

Add orange juice sweetened to taste to egg white and beat well. Chill on ice and serve cold.

Beef Tea

1 pound lean beef 1 cup cold water

Cut beef up into small pieces or put through meat chopper. Put into fruit jar; add water and allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes to draw out the juice. Place on trivet or rack in pan of cold water; heat very slowly for about 2 hours. The water must not boil. Season, strain, cool and remove fat. Beef tea may be served hot or cold.

Scraped Beef

Scrape meat with sharp knife from lean beef cut from round until nothing but connective tissue is left. Form into small balls and broil slowly for about 2 minutes. Season and serve. For sandwiches do not cook but spread between thin slices of bread and season.

Spanish Cream

2 cups scalded milk 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons granulated gelatine 1/4 cup cold water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pint cream

Pour scalded milk very slowly over egg yolks and sugar which have been mixed together. Cook slowly in double boiler until thick and smooth. Pour over gelatine which has been soaking in 1/4 cup of water. Chill, add vanilla and beat with egg whip until thick. Add the cream which has been whipped and chill in molds.

Gluten Muffins

2 cups gluten flour 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder 1 egg 1 tablespoon butter 2 cups milk

Sift together flour and baking powder; add beaten egg and melted butter to milk and add, Mix well and bake in greased muffin tins in moderate oven about 35 minutes.

In addition to the foregoing, many of the soups, broths, jellies, ices and plain drop cakes found in the preceding pages are suitable for invalids and convalescents.

Preserving and Canning

(Material adapted from U. S. Food Administration and N. Y. State Department of Agriculture.)

General Directions

Test all jars for leakage before using. To do this, fill with water, put on rubber and cover, seal and invert.

Sterilize all utensils, jars, covers, etc., by covering with cold water, and boil for 10 minutes. Use only new rubbers and dip in boiling water just before using.

Use a wide-mouthed funnel when filling jars to avoid loss of material and keep jar rim clean.

Invert all jars after filling and sealing.

Fruit should be sound, firm and not overripe. All fruit should be carefully prepared.

Clean fruit, clean hands, clean utensils, and a clean kitchen free from flies, are essential for safety and success.

Keep products in a cool place. Avoid freezing in winter.

Canning

Canning is the operation of preparing sterilized food so that it will keep indefinitely.

The custom of canning fruit in syrup is based on the improvement in flavor and texture which sugar gives to fruit. Sugar is not necessary for its preservation. Success depends upon thorough sterilization--that is, killing the organisms which cause food to spoil, and then sealing carefully to prevent their entrance. Fruit may be canned in water, in fruit juice and in syrup.

Preserving

The only difference between preserving and canning fruit is that sugar is always used in preserving, while in canning it is used in smaller quantity or not at all. In preserving the old rule of equal weights of sugar and fruit may be followed.

Directions for Canning by Open-Kettle Method

By this method which is generally used, for preserves, jams and marmalades, food is completely cooked and poured boiling hot into sterilized jars.

Prepare fruit, which may or may not be peeled, and cut into pieces depending on the variety. Blanch or scald peaches and similar fruits to loosen skin and chill by plunging into cold water. Cook slowly in as little water as possible or in fruit juice or fruit syrup until done. Fill the sterilized jars, seal and invert.

Directions for Canning by Can-Cooked Method

By this method uncooked or partly cooked food is packed in can or jar, covered with liquid and both jar and contents sterilized.

Pare fruit if desired or blanch or scald in boiling water a small quantity of the fruit at a time. (See time table.) Do not blanch cherries, sour cherries excepted, berries or plums.

Chill outside of the blanched fruit by immersing it for a few minutes in a vessel of cold water. Remove skin from such fruits as peaches.

Pack firmly in clean, tested jars to within one-half inch of top.

Fill jars to within 1/4 inch of top with boiling water, fruit juice, or syrup.

Place a new rubber on each jar, adjust cover and partly seal.

Place jars on false bottom of water bath and sterilize for required time. (See time-table.) If the hot-water bath is used, jars should be immersed in sufficient boiling water to cover tops to depth of about 1 inch. Do not begin to time the sterilizing until water boils. Keep water boiling during sterilizing period.

Remove jars from sterilizer. Seal them and invert to cool. Avoid a draft on jars, but cool as rapidly as possible.

Wash and label jars. Wrap in paper or store in a dark place to prevent loss of color of red fruit.

Vegetables may also be canned by this method.

A Time-Table for Canning Fruits by the Can-Cooked Method

TIME OF COOKING

If the If the pressure Time of hot-water cooker Blanching bath is is used used (5 pounds) FRUIT Minutes Minutes Minutes Apricots, Peaches 1-2 16 10 Blackberries 16 6 Cherries, Strawberries, Grapes, Plums 16 10 Fruit Juices 20 10 Huckleberries, Raspberries 16 8 Pears 1-2 20 10 Pineapples 60 40 Quinces 1-2 60 40

Use of Sugar in Canning Fruit

Sugar is used in canning fruit for the purpose of improving flavor and is not necessary for preservation.

Thin syrup--1 part sugar to 2 parts water for sweet fruits.

Medium Syrup--1 part sugar to 1 part water for berries and medium sweet fruits.

Thick Syrup--2 parts sugar to 1 part water for sour fruits.

To make syrup add sugar to boiling water. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, then boil 2 or 3 minutes.

Canned Peaches

Scald sound, firm freestone peaches, a small number at a time, in boiling water just long enough to loosen skins; dip them quickly into cold water and slip off skins. Cut peaches in halves, and remove stones. Have ready a syrup made by boiling sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to each cup water. Allow about 1 cup syrup for each quart jar of peaches. Put in 1 cracked peach pit for every quart of syrup.

Can-cooked Method.--Pack peaches in overlapping layers with rounded side uppermost and blossom end facing glass. Fill each jar with hot syrup and adjust rubber, cover and upper clamp, thus partly sealing jar. Place jars on a rack in hot water to cover tops to a depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boiling point, and boil pint jars 16 minutes, quart jars 20 minutes. Remove jars, seal and invert to cool.

Open-kettle Method.--Cook peaches in syrup until tender; then with sterilized spoon slip them carefully into sterilized jar; fill jar to overflowing with syrup. Adjust rubber, cover, seal immediately, and invert to cool.

Canned Cherries

Wash. Cherries should be pitted before being canned in order to conserve space. Can sweet cherries as berries. Blanch sour cherries 1/2 minute, in boiling water. Dip in cold water; drain and pack closely into hot sterilized jars. Cover with boiling water or boiling medium syrup. Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water bath. Remove jars at once, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Canned Pears

Wash and peel fruit and follow directions for canned peaches.

Canned Berries

Blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, raspberries, loganberries, gooseberries and strawberries should be canned as soon as possible after picking. Hull or stem; place in strainer and wash by lifting up and down in pan of cold water.

Pack into hot sterilized glass jars, using care not to crush fruit. To insure a close pack, put a 2 or 3 inch layer of berries on the bottom of jar and press down gently with spoon. Continue in this manner until jar is filled. Boiling water or boiling thin or medium syrup should be poured over the fruit at once. Loosely seal. Sterilize 16 minutes in boiling water. Remove jars, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Asparagus

Asparagus for canning must be fresh and tender. Select tips of uniform size and maturity and wash. Cut into lengths according to containers to be used. Scrape off scales, tough outer skins and hard ends and tie in bundles large enough for one jar.

Immerse the lower ends in boiling water and leave them immersed for 5 minutes, then the entire stalks, leaving them in 1 to 3 minutes longer.

Cold dip, drain, pack neatly, tips up, in hot sterilized jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal, sterilize two hours in boiling water bath. Remove as soon as time is up. Tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Beans

Green String Beans and Wax Beans.--The beans should be tender and fresh, and graded according to size and washed. Leave whole or break in uniform pieces. Blanch 5 to 10 minutes until the pod will bend without breaking. Cold dip, drain well and pack into hot jars. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Loosely seal and sterilize two hours in boiling water. Remove when time is up, tighten covers, and invert to test seal.

Corn

Make careful selection of tender, juicy sweet corn, at best stage for table use. Can as soon as possible after gathering. Remove husks and silk; blanch tender ears 5 minutes, older ears 10 minutes. Cold dip and cut from cob but not too close. Pack at once into hot sterilized jars. As corn swells during sterilization, leave space of 1 inch at top. Add salt and cover with boiling water. Be sure that water penetrates through corn to the bottom of jar. Loosely seal and sterilize three hours in boiling water. Remove when time is up, tighten covers, invert to test seal and cool.

Jams

Jams are usually made with small fruits or with chopped large fruits. Cook slowly with an equal weight of sugar until thick; put into sterilized tumblers or jars and seal.

Raspberry Jam

Pick over berries. Mash a few in bottom of preserving kettle; continue until fruit is used. Heat slowly to boiling point and add equal quantity of heated sugar. Cook slowly 45 minutes. Put into sterilized jars.

Blackberry, gooseberry or other berry jam may be made in this way.

Plum Conserve

4 pounds plums 1 cup seeded raisins 2 oranges sugar juice of 1 lemon 1/2 pound walnuts

Wash plums; remove stones; add raisins and oranges which have been sliced very fine. Measure and add 3/4 cup sugar to each cup fruit and juice. Put into kettle, cook slowly about 45 minutes or until thick like jam, stirring to keep from burning. Add lemon juice and chopped nuts. Pour into sterilized jars.

Spiced Currants

3 lbs. white sugar 5 lbs. ripe currants 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon cloves 1 tablespoon allspice 1/2 pint vinegar

Boil currants one hour, then add sugar, spices and one-half pint vinegar, boil one-half hour longer. Pour into jars and store.

Jellies

Heat and mash fruit until juice runs readily. If fruit is not entirely broken up rub through coarse sieve. Pour into sterilized jelly bags of unbleached muslin or doubled cheesecloth and drain thoroughly but do not squeeze. Take 7/8 cup sugar for each cup of juice. Boil juice 8 to 20 minutes (berries and currants less than other fruits); add sugar which has been heated in oven; stir until sugar is dissolved and boil about 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized tumblers. Hard fruits like apples and quinces should be cut up, covered with cold water and cooked until tender before turning into jelly bags.

Pickles

Pickled Peaches

2 pounds brown sugar 2 cups vinegar 1 ounce stick cinnamon 1/2 ounce whole cloves 4 quarts peaches

Boil sugar, vinegar and spices 20 minutes. Dip peaches quickly in hot water; then rub off the fuzz with a cloth. Place a few peaches at a time in syrup and cook until tender. Pack into sterilized jars. Adjust sterilized rubbers, and fill each jar to overflowing with hot strained syrup. Put on sterilized covers and seal jars immediately.

Chow Chow

1 quart small white onions 1 quart small cucumbers 2 heads cauliflower 3 green peppers 1 quart vinegar 6 tablespoons mustard 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon turmeric

Peel onions and add cucumbers, cauliflower cut into small pieces, and sliced peppers. Soak over night in brine (1 cup salt to 1 quart water). Drain and cook in fresh brine until vegetables are tender, and drain again. Boil vinegar in kettle and add paste made with mustard, flour, sugar, turmeric and a little cold vinegar, stirring until mixture thickens; add vegetables and cook slowly 10 minutes. Seal in sterilized jars.

Sweet Tomato Pickles

1/2 peck green tomatoes 4 onions 4 green peppers 1 cup salt 1/2 cup white mustard seed 2 teaspoons pepper 3 teaspoons cinnamon 3 teaspoons allspice 3 teaspoons cloves 2 quarts vinegar 1 pound brown sugar

Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers; cover with salt and allow to stand over night. Drain, and add to vinegar, spices and sugar which have been heated to boiling. Cook 15 minutes and seal in sterilized jars.

Chili Sauce

12 medium-sized ripe tomatoes 1 red pepper 1 onion 2 cups vinegar 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons salt 2 teaspoons cloves 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons allspice 2 teaspoons nutmeg

Peel and slice tomatoes; add chopped pepper and onion; put into kettle with remaining ingredients. Cook slowly for 2-1/2 hours. Seal in sterilized jars.

Tomato Catsup

4 quarts tomatoes (strained) 6 tablespoons salt 3 tablespoons black pepper 1 tablespoon cloves 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons allspice 1-1/2 pints vinegar

Put all together in kettle and boil down one-half. Pour into sterilized jars.

Keep the Home Baking Safeguarded

Housekeepers who have always used Royal Baking Powder with utmost satisfaction are sometimes misled into experimenting with baking powders containing questionable ingredients.

No real economy is thus accomplished--in fact, the use of an unwholesome, undependable baking powder often produces a bitter taste in the food which makes it unappetizing and sometimes inedible, to say nothing of the injurious effect produced upon the digestive system.

Royal Baking Powder is most economical. Its well-known dependability makes baking success simpler and surer, thus preventing loss of eggs, flour, butter and other ingredients. Only the best materials are used in its production--pure cream of tartar and tartaric acid, derived from grapes, bicarbonate of soda and corn starch, all scientifically blended and perfectly balanced. The best is always the most economical.

=To insure food that is always delicious, wholesome and appetizing, insist on using Royal Baking Powder which is made from Cream of Tartar, derived from grapes.=

BAKE IT WITH ROYAL AND BE SURE

has been the motto for fifty years in millions of homes where good food is recognized as the first essential of good health and where pride is taken in good baking.

One of the distinctive qualities of food baked with Royal Baking Powder is _wholesomeness_.

This is health insurance of such vital importance that millions of women bake at home just to be sure that Royal Baking Powder is used.

_Remember the adage_--

"Bake it with Royal and be sure."