FoodNet

The "Queen" cookery books: Ices

1902

Page 5

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
To obtain full success, attention must be paid to the charging. The ice used should be weighed, and the proportion of salt mixed with it also carefully measured, and the two should not be mixed haphazard. The ice should be broken uj) into small knobs, as even in size and shape as anyway possible, a layer of ice being then put in and then a layer of salt, proceeding thus till the whole is used, and the ORIGIN AND KIND. 13 Itwo are perfectly blended, tlie whole being then well : shaken together to pack it closely. In large house - : holds where ices are in constant use, ice crushers, • which crush the ice blocks into equal knobs are in 'request, but in smaller establishments the following 'will be found the most convenient method. Lay •the ice on a piece of clean sacking or house-flannel, and chip off the pieces with an ice pricker or a ] mallet ; or else throw a flap of the flannel over the ace, and crush it up with a hammer. In Marshall’s , ice cave there is a screw J3lug fixed to both the body and the door of the machine, by which the melted iice, brine, &c., can be removed, while the machine can be re-charged without opening the inner cave in wliich the ice or material to be frozen is placed. By ’this means all chance of tainting the ice by the salt ' of the freezing mixture is utterly avoided, and there ;is no need to go to the expense of tightly closed 1 pewter moulds, such as were required by the old method of burying the ice pudding, &c., in the 1 freezing mixture. Moreover, thanks to the ice cave, souffles glaces are as easy to make as any other form of ice pudding. When the freezing mixture has been duly con- sidered, attention must next be bestowed on the •materials to be frozen. For cream or custard ices it may be reckoned that 4oz. of sugar to the pint ■ of custard is the fair average ; but this must to some ► extent depend on the fruit of which the ice is to be ' composed, therefore it is better to trust somewhat to • one’s palate, bearing in mind that freezing reduces •the sweetness. Another thing to remember is that 14 ICES. in freezing, the material to be frozen expands in the process, therefore allowance for this should be made. In fact to obtain a quart of ice a vessel of a gallon capacity is the safest. Lastly, when the ices have been made and tvu’ned out, special attention must be bestowed on the utensils used, which should be carefully washed and rinsed out, to remove any trace of tbe brine, which will otherwise inevitably rust the machine hopelessly. Especially is this the case with Messrs. E. Roberts’ pretty little machine, which in gratitude for the modesty of its price, and the simplicity and success of its action, well deserves tbe attention which vdll preserve its usefulness. From experience, I know that, fairly treated, it compares favourably with many higher priced machines ; and, if lacking (natur- ally), the infinite variety obtainable with my favourite Marshall’s freezer, and ice cave, will yet enable modest housewives to produce extremely good plain ices and sorbets, not to mention the form of ice- puddings known as Moscovites. CHAPTEE II. PLAIN ICES, CEEAM AND WATER.