FoodNet

The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

1880

Page 229 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1880. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
of meat (see Extract of Meat). All that is necessary is to see that the vege- tables are perfectly tender before they are served. I would here remind house- keepers that these dried mixed vege- tables cannot be served at a moment’s notice, they require soaking. When it is possible, I would always recommend housekeepers to place a sufficient quan- tity of the mixed vegetables they may require in cold water overnight. Then in the morning, after the vege- tables are soaked, the cook should place them in the stock and let them boil gently till they are perfectly ten- der. They are far better, after being soaked, boiled in the stock, as the vege- tables themselves, when treated with boiling water or stock, undoubtedly give out their flavour, which is neces- sary, especially if the soup has . been made from extract of meat. When good stock has been made from ordinary vegetables, and contains the flavour of carrot, turnip, onion, celery, etc., of course it is not of so great importance. These mixed dried vegetables, however, enable housekeepers to put a really good, genuine dish of Julienne soupJulienne Soup on the table at all times of the year, and be perfectly independent of both gardeners and the weather. VEGETABLE COLOURING, BRETON’S. — Breton’s vegetable colourings are a most valuable assistance to cooks, and especially to those cooks who may be termed not “good plain,” but “pro- fessed.” These vegetable colourings are sold in bottles, containing carmine, red, green, yellow, etc. I would strongly re- commend all housekeepers who use colouring of any description to exercise the very greatest precaution in obtain- ing only those that are known to be harmless. There is a good old saying that “ comparisons are odious.” It is not my business so much to warn house- keepers against injurious colouring mat- ters as to be able to guarantee the colourings now sold by Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell to be perfectly harmless and pure. We have often heard of danger to children from eating green-coloured ornaments on twelfth cakes, and we have, indeed, heard of danger to persons from sleeping in a room with green- tinted paper. The word “vegetable” colouring is in itself sufficient guarantee that it does not contain metallic arsenic. 1S8 . CROSSE AND . The old-fashioned simple form of colour- 1 ing things green was to use the bright I and harmless vegetable, spinach, but { still those cooks who have endeavoured ' to make green colouring matter from spinach well know what a desperately troublesome job it was, and how often, owing to the want of proper power to express the juice, the result was a failure. These little bottles of colouring mat- ter _ are invaluable for the kitchen.