Crystallised Cowslips. — Gather the Cowslips when full-blown, wash gently, and then place them in a screen to dry. Cut the stems to within 2in. of the heads, and put the heads on the wire tray of a crystallising-tin, pushing the stalks through the holes so that the flowers shall be upright : when the tray Fig. 535. Crystallised Cowslips. is full, put it in the tin, and fill up with crystallising syrup, pouring it in round the sides and not over the flowers, and proceed as described under Crystallising. When dry the flowers may be arranged in baskets (see Fig 536), or used for ornamenting sweets and other dishes. Dried Cowslips. — Let the flowers be freshly gathered whilst the heat of the midday sun is upon them, and then by slow degrees of heat they can be dried in an oven. In this state they will keep in a dry place for a considerable time, and answer quite as well every purpose of the freshly-gathered flowers. Infusion, of Cowslips. — Take loz. of fresh, or half the quantity of dried, Cowslips, and put them into a vessel containing li pints of boiling water. Close the vessel tightly and let it remain for thirty minutes, and then it will be ready for use. It makes a plqasant tea. CRABS (Fr. Crabes ; Ger. Krebs). — The important tribe of sliell-fish to which Crabs belong is one of the largest described in natural history, and its varieties are legion. Happily for this Encyclopaedia, the tastes of men have not led them beyond the utilisation for food of a very few kinds, and these are the hard-shell red (see Fig. 536) and hard-shell blue (see Fig. 537), the first being found on British shores, and the second (the more highly prized) on the coast of the Atlantic. When these Crabs lose their shells, as they do periodically, they have soft shells for a time, and are then subject to special culinary treatment. The oyster-crab (see Fig. 538) is almost too small to be of any value as food, although epicures have pronounced the flavour very delicious. It Sauces, Ac., referred to, see under their special heads. TEE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. 449 Crabs — continued. Crabs — contimied. takes its name from tlie circumstance of its early days being spent in the gills of large ocean oysters. Crabs are in season from April to September, and about May lose entirely the dryness of flesh after cook- ing for which they are notorious during the winter months. They are caught in traps like lobster-pots, on Fig. 536. Crab. rocky shores, and sometimes attain extraordinary sizes; the richest flavoured being those of a medium size, say from Gin. to lOin. in their broadest diameter. They should be boiled alive, being plunged into cold water, and as the water warms a handful or two of salt should be thrown in upon them, and when the water has boiled for twenty minutes or half-an-liour, according to size of Crabs, they may be considered sufficiently cooked. If put into hot water at first, which the inclination of humanity might suggest, they are apt to throw off their claws by a violent jerk, and then the water would soak into the flesh and render it sloppy. After the salt is thrown in, the scum rising to the top of the water should be carefully skimmed off. The claws of large Crabs should be tied to prevent them opening and pinching or injuring each other.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Crystallised Cowslips. — Gather the Cowslips when full-blown, wash gently, and then place them in a screen to dry. Cut the stems to within 2in. of the heads, and put the heads on the wire tray of a crystallising-tin, pushing the stalks through the holes so that the flowers shall be upright : when the tray Fig. 535. Crystallised Cowslips. is full, put it in the tin, and fill up with crystallising syrup, pouring it in round the sides and not over the flowers, and proceed as described under Crystallising. When dry the flowers may be arranged in baskets (see Fig 536), or used for ornamenting sweets and other dishes. Dried Cowslips. — Let the flowers be freshly gathered whilst the heat of the midday sun is upon them, and then by slow degrees of heat they can be dried in an oven. In this state they will keep in a dry place for a considerable time, and answer quite as well every purpose of the freshly-gathered flowers. Infusion, of Cowslips. — Take loz. of fresh, or half the quantity of dried, Cowslips, and put them into a vessel containing li pints of boiling water. Close the vessel tightly and let it remain for thirty minutes, and then it will be ready for use. It makes a pleasant tea. CRABS (Fr. Crabes ; Ger. Krebs). — The important tribe of sliell-fish to which Crabs belong is one of the largest described in natural history, and its varieties are legion. Happily for this Encyclopaedia, the tastes of men have not led them beyond the utilisation for food of a very few kinds, and these are the hard-shell red (see Fig. 536) and hard-shell blue (see Fig. 537), the first being found on British shores, and the second (the more highly prized) on the coast of the Atlantic. When these Crabs lose their shells, as they do periodically, they have soft shells for a time, and are then subject to special culinary treatment. The oyster-crab (see Fig. 538) is almost too small to be of any value as food, although epicures have pronounced the flavour very delicious. It Sauces, Ac., referred to, see under their special heads. Crabs — continued. Crabs — continued. takes its name from tlie circumstance of its early days being spent in the gills of large ocean oysters. Crabs are in season from April to September, and about May lose entirely the dryness of flesh after cooking for which they are notorious during the winter months. They are caught in traps like lobster-pots, on Fig. 536. Crab. rocky shores, and sometimes attain extraordinary sizes; the richest flavoured being those of a medium size, say from Gin. to lOin. in their broadest diameter. They should be boiled alive, being plunged into cold water, and as the water warms a handful or two of salt should be thrown in upon them, and when the water has boiled for twenty minutes or half-an-liour, according to size of Crabs, they may be considered sufficiently cooked. If put into hot water at first, which the inclination of humanity might suggest, they are apt to throw off their claws by a violent jerk, and then the water would soak into the flesh and render it sloppy. After the salt is thrown in, the scum rising to the top of the water should be carefully skimmed off. The claws of large Crabs should be tied to prevent them opening and pinching or injuring each other.

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