Some of the purest-tasting gelatine is obtained from the
swimming bladders of fish (sturgeon), and passes by the name
of isinglass. It has now become so expensive that only few
can use it habitually ; and, on the other hand, gelatine from
hones has become so excellent and cheap that all can use it
for the most ordinary as well as special purposes. This has
also replaced the gelatine which was formerly made from
hartshorn, and from the skin of pigs. Practically the
gelatine used in large kitchens was for centuries made of
calf’s feet, and every cook of our days ought to be fully
acquainted with its preparation from that material, as well
as with the use of the mercantile in-eparations caWed gelatine.
JELLIES, SAVOURY, SWEET, AND COMPOUND 261
An ounce of gelatine in a quart of water will make a firm jelly ;
this quantity of the finest glass-like gelatine should cost less
than twopence ; on the other hand, calf’s foot will only
yield jelly equal in weight to its own absolute weight, or
2 lb. of calf’s foot will yield a quart of jelly, or just as
much as 1 oz. of gelatine will produce. But now con-
sider the work and expense required to get that ounce of
gelatine out of the calf’s foot ; you have to purchase it, and
its price may be Is. 4d. ; you must split it, and for the
mere purpose of saving space remove the principal bones ;
you must then parboil it, wash and boil it anew with the
water which is to be the jelly. A kilogram of calf’s foot (or
2 lb.) is generally put on the fire with litres (a gallon)
of water, boiled and skimmed, and kept boiling during
from four to five hours, to extract as much gelatine as will
correspond to one thirty-second part of the weight of the
water which remains after 34 litres have evaporated,
namely, 1 litre, or about 31 grm., or nearly 1 oz. We
will not work out the details of our proof mathematically,
but they are overwhelming already, to the effect that
gelatine prepared de, novo from calf’s foot costs at least
sixteen times as much as the best gelatine sold in trade ;
and if it be of equal quality to the latter in all other
respects, it will certainly be less clear, and have to be
clarified at further expense, which will greatly increase its
price.
The two varieties of jellies, those naturally making them-
selves from fruit juice under the influence of stirring or
evaporation, and those produced by the addition to a
solution of starch, or agar-agar, are made with the aid of
carbo-hydrates, or substances consisting of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen only, without any nitrogen ; while the third
vai’iety of jellies, including the savoury ones, which are not
ordinarily made with carbo-hydrates, are produced with
animal gelatine, such as the swimming-bladder of fish, the
262
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
tendinous, gristly, and skinny parts of the extremities of
animals (the Italians have in this relation a fancy for the
legs of kids), and the hony and horny parts of the skeleton ;
only the bone-like horns of the stag tribe yield gelatine :
the horns of oxen, sheep, goats, etc., do not yield this sub-
stance by boiling in water.
Page 169
Presented as published in 1895. 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
Some of the purest-tasting gelatine is obtained from the swimming bladders of fish (sturgeon), and passes by the name of isinglass. It has now become so expensive that only few can use it habitually ; and, on the other hand, gelatine from bones has become so excellent and cheap that all can use it for the most ordinary as well as special purposes. This has also replaced the gelatine which was formerly made from hartshorn, and from the skin of pigs. Practically the gelatine used in large kitchens was for centuries made of calf's feet, and every cook of our days ought to be fully acquainted with its preparation from that material, as well as with the use of the mercantile preparations called gelatine.
JELLIES, SAVOURY, SWEET, AND COMPOUND 261
An ounce of gelatine in a quart of water will make a firm jelly ; this quantity of the finest glass-like gelatine should cost less than twopence ; on the other hand, calf’s foot will only yield jelly equal in weight to its own absolute weight, or 2 lb. of calf’s foot will yield a quart of jelly, or just as much as 1 oz. of gelatine will produce. But now consider the work and expense required to get that ounce of gelatine out of the calf’s foot ; you have to purchase it, and its price may be Is. 4d. ; you must split it, and for the mere purpose of saving space remove the principal bones ; you must then parboil it, wash and boil it anew with the water which is to be the jelly. A kilogram of calf’s foot (or 2 lb.) is generally put on the fire with litres (a gallon) of water, boiled and skimmed, and kept boiling during from four to five hours, to extract as much gelatine as will correspond to one thirty-second part of the weight of the water which remains after 34 litres have evaporated, namely, 1 litre, or about 31 grm., or nearly 1 oz. We will not work out the details of our proof mathematically, but they are overwhelming already, to the effect that gelatine prepared de, novo from calf’s foot costs at least sixteen times as much as the best gelatine sold in trade ; and if it be of equal quality to the latter in all other respects, it will certainly be less clear, and have to be clarified at further expense, which will greatly increase its price.
The two varieties of jellies, those naturally making themselves from fruit juice under the influence of stirring or evaporation, and those produced by the addition to a solution of starch, or agar-agar, are made with the aid of carbohydrates, or substances consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only, without any nitrogen ; while the third variety of jellies, including the savoury ones, which are not ordinarily made with carbohydrates, are produced with animal gelatine, such as the swimming-bladder of fish, the
tendinous, gristly, and skinny parts of the extremities of animals (the Italians have in this relation a fancy for the legs of kids), and the hony and horny parts of the skeleton ; only the bone-like horns of the stag tribe yield gelatine : the horns of oxen, sheep, goats, etc., do not yield this substance by boiling in water.