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

ing being sufficient to set them against it. On turning to the cup, what meets the eye ? The beef -tea has settled and cooled,and on the top four or five large wafers of white fat appear floating. It is a trifle, perhaps, but life is made up of trifles. It is quite enough. The very idea of grease at such a time is horrible, and the poor weak patient turns away once more disgusted. Of course, beeftea can be made at home from fresh gravy-beef, and the fat properly removed, every speck of fat, but how often is it really done? A tin of beef-tea contains the pure jelly only— -no dregs, no fat. One tin in a sick-room is invaluable. It contains all the nourishment. It can be eaten cold as a jelly, and a little can be warmed up at a time as it is wanted. A capital thing in which to warm up preserved beef -tea is a china saucepan inside another one. They are so clean and so handy, and it is impossible as a rule to depend upon ordinary saucepans being really properly cleaned. In trying to tempt patients to take beeftea I would strongly advise you to act as follows : — First — say the patient fancies it cold — get a clean plate, a small one. Take a little out of the tin at a time and put it on a plate — not more than a tablespoonful. Put two or three little sprigs of parsley round it. Don’t let the patient see the tin, or see any quantity. Even in good rude health appearances go a long way. No one would really enjoy the best turtle-soup if he ate it out of a huge cauldron. Pile up a little heap of this nice bright beef-tea, which is a jelly when cold, on a plate, and often when the' patient has eaten and finished what was offered more will be asked for. So, too, in serving the beef -tea hot. Don’t give “ a nice large basinful.” It is easy to come again, and when the appetite is very delicate a thin little china coffeecupful will tempt where the big basinful would have exactly the contrary effect. The tins of beef -tea provided by Crosse and Blackwell contain a nice clear wholesome jelly, free from fat and sediment. One or two tins in the house in case of accidents, especially with persons who live in the country, should always be kept as a wise precaution. With regard to serving toasted bread with beef-tea, take care that the bread is brown and crisp, and not black and i sodden. There is a great art in making toast, the art being common sense. 1 Some bread that is moist inside and a dirty black outside is most unappetising. What is wanted, as I have said, is common sense coupled with a clear fire and a little patience. Beef-tea can, of course, be turned to many other accounts than that of being used for the sick room, or for being eaten quite by itself. Beef-tea is simply the pure juice of good gravy-beef, from which all fat and all scum and sediment have been removed. When a tin happens to be in the house, and essence of beef not handy, these tins of beef-tea can be quickly turned into good soup by the addition of the flavourings recommended to be added to essence of beef — viz., onion, celery, parsley, garlic, etc., and vegetables added afterwards, or vermicelli, macaroni, sago, Italian paste, etc.