FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 334

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
or 10 gallons are a convenient size. New kegs are preferable, but old ones, such as beer or cider kegs, may l>e used if they are thoroughly wa.shed and steamerl to remove any undesirable odor or flavor which might be imparted to the foods packed in them. Wooden vessels of yellow or pitch pine are undesirable, since they are apt to give a disagreeable taste to the foods. Stone crocks or jars holding from 1 to 5 gallons are convenient. Stoneware is less likely to absorb flavors than wood, and stone jars nia}^ fje obtained in smaller sizc^s than wooden kegs. Wide- mouthed bottles or glass jars, wiiich arc not suitalile for canning, niay also be used for salting or fermenting small quantities of foods. A supply of ordinary fine salt, which can be purchased in bulk for about 2 cents a pound, m most satisfactory for general use. Table salt will do ver>^ well, but is rather expensive if large quantities of vegetables are to be preser\'ed. The rather coarse salt (known in the trade as ** ground alum salt'^i which is used in freezing ice cream, can he used. Rock salt should not be used because it is too coarse and is likely to contain impurities* Clean white cloth (cheese-cloth or muslin) is nt^*essar>^ for covering the material after it is packed into the container. It will be convenient to cot this into circular pieces about 6 inches larger in diameter than the stone crock or keg. Two or three thicknesses of cheese-cloth or one thickness of muslin or heavier cloth should be spread over the top of the vege- tables. Hound pieces of l>oard about 1 inch or more in thickness will be neetlttl to put on top of tlie chcestM^^loth. The boards should be a httle smaller in diameter than the inside of the crock or the head of tlie keg or tub, so that they will slip in and out easily* The pieces may be sawed out at a lumber mill, or may be made at home by fastening together several boartis with cleats and rounding them with a small saw^ and a carpenter's shave. Al- most any wood may be used except yellow or pitch pine, which is likely to impart an undesirable flavor to the vegetables. For small containers, if preferred, heavy plates of suitable size can be used instead of boards. '694 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING I One or imnv clean 1 *ricks or some clean stom*^ lu^y be t weights to \m\{\ down the mass in the ke^ or crock. Paraffin is needetl to |>oiir ovpr the liquid in the contiUiKn (after fermejitalion has eeiised) (o prevent mold. A pair of kitchen scales or steelyards and n, quart €ir gaOoii liquid measure complete the necessary equipment. Fermetitatian wUh dry salting. Aft ha^ already !>ccn stated, fermentation with dry saltisig eonsists in packing the material with a HinM atnoiint of miU No water is addeil, for the salt extracts the water from the vege- tables and forms the l>rine* The metlioii, in general, i^ h» fol- lows: