To Pare Peaches. — Cut the peaches in halves, re-
move the halves from the pits by twisting or "wringing"
them in opposite directions, and pare the halves.
To Prepare Apples. — Begin to pare an apple at the
large or stem end, and pare round and round until the
other end is reached. When the desired number of
apples have been pared, cut them into halves, then into
quarters, and then remove the core from each quarter
by following with a small knife the natural outline of the
core. Large apples of irregular form can be pared
more readily after they are divided into quarters.
Apples and most other fruits become discolored by ex-
posure to the air, after they are pared, consequently
they should not be pared any length of time before they
Preparation of Food Materials, 29
are put to cook ; but when they are — as circumstances
frequently render it necessary for them to be — they
should always be covered with several folds of towel
wrung out of cold water.
To Pick Over Berries. — Pour from the basket or box,
upon a large white plate, enough berries to cover the
surface, then remove all poor berries and dirt from the
plate and carefully slip the berries into a dish. Repeat
this process until all the berries have been picked over.
Berries are so easily bruised and crushed that they
should never be piled high in deep bowls until they are
ready to be served.
To Hull Strawberries. — Take each berry between
the thumb and fingers of the left hand, gather up the
hull and stem with the thumb and forefinger of the
right hand, and by a gentle twist remove them, leaving
the berry unbruised or uninjured in the least.
To Wash Berries. — With rare exceptions, berries,
currants, and all small fruit should be washed before
they are served. For washing them, use an earthen
bowl, larger at the top than at the bottom, and that will
hold at least a gallon. Fill the bowl nearly full of cold
water. Slip the berries carefully from the plates upon
which they were laid when picked over into the
water, and with the hands lift and stir them gently,
so as to free them of dirt and dust. Pour off the light
dirt that rises to the surface of the water, and, with the
hands, lift the berries into a flat-bottomed sieve, and let
them drain a few minutes. If more than a quart of
berries is to be washed, pour those in the sieve into
the dish from which they are to be served, and proceed
30 The Art of Cookery.
in a similar manner with those remaining unwashed.
To Wash Rice. — Pick over the quantity of rice
needed, put it in a bowl, cover with tepid water, lift in
the hands and rub the kernels briskly against each other
to remove the starch. Rinse in cold water several
times, or until the water ceases to look milky, then
drain and put at once to cook.
To Wash Oranges and Lemons. — Before oranges and
lemons are used they should be well scrubbed with a
small, stiff brush, in warm water, then be rinsed in cold
water and wiped dry.
MANAGEMENT OF A COAL FIRE.
Page 9
Presented as published in 1899. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
To Pare Peaches. — Cut the peaches in halves, remove the halves from the pits by twisting or "wringing" them in opposite directions, and pare the halves.
To Prepare Apples. — Begin to pare an apple at the large or stem end, and pare round and round until the other end is reached. When the desired number of apples have been pared, cut them into halves, then into quarters, and then remove the core from each quarter by following with a small knife the natural outline of the core. Large apples of irregular form can be pared more readily after they are divided into quarters. Apples and most other fruits become discolored by exposure to the air, after they are pared, consequently they should not be pared any length of time before they
Preparation of Food Materials, 29
are put to cook ; but when they are — as circumstances frequently render it necessary for them to be — they should always be covered with several folds of towel wrung out of cold water.
To Pick Over Berries. — Pour from the basket or box, upon a large white plate, enough berries to cover the surface, then remove all poor berries and dirt from the plate and carefully slip the berries into a dish. Repeat this process until all the berries have been picked over. Berries are so easily bruised and crushed that they should never be piled high in deep bowls until they are ready to be served.
To Hull Strawberries. — Take each berry between the thumb and fingers of the left hand, gather up the hull and stem with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and by a gentle twist remove them, leaving the berry unbruised or uninjured in the least.
To Wash Berries. — With rare exceptions, berries, currants, and all small fruit should be washed before they are served. For washing them, use an earthen bowl, larger at the top than at the bottom, and that will hold at least a gallon. Fill the bowl nearly full of cold water. Slip the berries carefully from the plates upon which they were laid when picked over into the water, and with the hands lift and stir them gently, so as to free them of dirt and dust. Pour off the light dirt that rises to the surface of the water, and, with the hands, lift the berries into a flat-bottomed sieve, and let them drain a few minutes. If more than a quart of berries is to be washed, pour those in the sieve into the dish from which they are to be served, and proceed
30 The Art of Cookery.
in a similar manner with those remaining unwashed.
To Wash Rice. — Pick over the quantity of rice needed, put it in a bowl, cover with tepid water, lift in the hands and rub the kernels briskly against each other to remove the starch. Rinse in cold water several times, or until the water ceases to look milky, then drain and put at once to cook.
To Wash Oranges and Lemons. — Before oranges and lemons are used they should be well scrubbed with a small, stiff brush, in warm water, then be rinsed in cold water and wiped dry.
MANAGEMENT OF A COAL FIRE.