the mouth by hard water, but also more or less indigestible,
aud, therefore, to delicate or young persons positively
injurious.
In the kitchen three means can be adopted for obtaining
practically so/i water. The best is to buy, aud have always
ready, a jar full of distilled water; the second is to obtain
and keep a supply of natural soft loater, such as rain-water
from pure sources, filtered, or such as many towns and
districts have naturally at their disposal or are provided
with by art. Several water-supplying institutions in England
do actually soften all the water they deliver for domestic
purposes, and this softening process, known as Clark’s,
ought to be applied to all water from chalky sources.
Clark’s process is, however, not very well adapted for
private use. There remains, therefore, failing the processes
just mentioned for use in the kitchen, when relatively soft
water is desired, only the addition of some carbonate of soda
to the water, follow'ed by boiling, and decanting the clear
water from the deposited carbonate of lime. Merc boiling
also will relatively soften water, but requires a longer time
than the boiling with the addition of some soda. The
amount of soda to be added to the water to be boiled should
not exceed the size of a filbert for a gallon of water.
There are in many parts of the world, particularly in
regions where volcanic action was formerly or is now going
on, a great number of springs which contain, besides larger
or smaller quantities of dissolved fixed mineral nuittcrs, a
certain amount of dissolved gas, most frequently and mainly
consisting of carbonic acid, now more commonly called
carbonic anhydride. Such waters, being pure, refreshing,
and wholesome, are in great demand. The best and
longest known is the water of Setters in Nassau, in this
country known as Seltzer (an abbreviation of Scltcrser),
w'hich was and is still sold in the actual state in which it
rises in the wonderful spring. The demand for similar
AERATED WATERS. WINES
613
waters having much increased, mnnufnctonss were estab-
lished in which common water was impregnated with
carbonic acid gas, made at one time from soda, whence the
water was called soda-xoater. In the present day all such
waters are impregnated with gas made from chalk, or its
ground, pulverulent form, called lohiting. The gas is gen-
erally placed under high pressure, because the public are
under the erroneous impression that they get the more of
the stimulating effect of the gas the more of it is con-
tained in the water. But the opening of such an over-
charged bottle only leads to effervescence, loss of gas, and
not rarely to uproarious overflow of water ; and the water
remaining in the bottle is immediately, by the unavoidable
commotion, made more flat than would be natural mineral
water charged under ordinary air-pressure, and at the
temperature of the earth. But this delusion on the part
of the public has gone further. Natural mineral waters
are now deprived of their carbonic acid, and then recharged
with it ; and for the results of this operation the public are
content to pay high prices. Distilled aerated waters are the
best, because they are not only free from organic impurities,
but also free from those salts which in some of the most
vaunted waters rise to an undue amount.
Page 386
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
the mouth by hard water, but also more or less indigestible, and, therefore, to delicate or young persons positively injurious.
In the kitchen three means can be adopted for obtaining practically soft water. The best is to buy, aud have always ready, a jar full of distilled water; the second is to obtain and keep a supply of natural soft loater, such as rain-water from pure sources, filtered, or such as many towns and districts have naturally at their disposal or are provided with by art. Several water-supplying institutions in England do actually soften all the water they deliver for domestic purposes, and this softening process, known as Clark’s, ought to be applied to all water from chalky sources. Clark’s process is, however, not very well adapted for private use. There remains, therefore, failing the processes just mentioned for use in the kitchen, when relatively soft water is desired, only the addition of some carbonate of soda to the water, followed by boiling, and decanting the clear water from the deposited carbonate of lime. Merc boiling also will relatively soften water, but requires a longer time than the boiling with the addition of some soda. The amount of soda to be added to the water to be boiled should not exceed the size of a filbert for a gallon of water.
There are in many parts of the world, particularly in regions where volcanic action was formerly or is now going on, a great number of springs which contain, besides larger or smaller quantities of dissolved fixed mineral matters, a certain amount of dissolved gas, most frequently and mainly consisting of carbonic acid, now more commonly called carbonic anhydride. Such waters, being pure, refreshing, and wholesome, are in great demand. The best and longest known is the water of Setters in Nassau, in this country known as Seltzer (an abbreviation of Scltcrser), w'hich was and is still sold in the actual state in which it rises in the wonderful spring. The demand for similar
AERATED WATERS. WINES
waters having much increased, manufacturers were established in which common water was impregnated with carbonic acid gas, made at one time from soda, whence the water was called soda-xoater. In the present day all such waters are impregnated with gas made from chalk, or its ground, pulverulent form, called whiting. The gas is generally placed under high pressure, because the public are under the erroneous impression that they get the more of the stimulating effect of the gas the more of it is contained in the water. But the opening of such an overcharged bottle only leads to effervescence, loss of gas, and not rarely to uproarious overflow of water ; and the water remaining in the bottle is immediately, by the unavoidable commotion, made more flat than would be natural mineral water charged under ordinary air-pressure, and at the temperature of the earth. But this delusion on the part of the public has gone further. Natural mineral waters are now deprived of their carbonic acid, and then recharged with it ; and for the results of this operation the public are content to pay high prices. Distilled aerated waters are the best, because they are not only free from organic impurities, but also free from those salts which in some of the most vaunted waters rise to an undue amount.