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

When gently simmering the temperature is below that of boiling water. When the stock has boiled, or rather simmered, the time we have mentioned, the cook should take a cup or a small jug and ladle the stock out of the saucepan till she gets out as much as she can. This will be found better than straining the whole quantity off, as the dregs sink to the bottom of the saucepan, and will not interfere with the brightness of the stock. This stock should now be allowed to get cold and then the fat should be removed. If the whole has simmered gently it will probably be clear enough for the purpose of making good clear soup without being further clarified. The extract of meat can now be added to it, which in itself is sufficient to give the soup the desired colour. If, however, the soup is required very bright, it can easily bo cleared as follows : — Take the white of an egg and beat it up with about a quarter of a pint of cold water with a fork till it froths. After all the grease has been thoroughly removed from the stock, put the stock on to the fire and let it boil. When it is just beginning to boil pour in the beaten-up white of egg and stir it up into the stock, which, of course, will thereby be taken slightly off the boil. Stir the stock till it commences to boil again, and then let it boil gently for about ten minutes. Then E strain off the stock through a fine sieve, and, if necessary, re-strain it through a jelly-bag. The stock will now run perfectly bright and clear. This makes a good base for all kinds of clear soup. One great improvement to this stock in making it, though it is not absolutely essential, is a good-sized slice of raw ham. In making stock cooks should always turn to account anything they may have by them, and for this purpose they should always save the bacon bones, ham bones, etc. , that have been either left, or the pieces of bacon raw when it has been cut up for rashers, or that may be left on the dish when it has been sent up in the form of boiled bacon. One very good way of ordering in a small piece of ham for the purpose of assisting the flavour of soups — and in tire case of making white soups this is very essential — is to order one or two cushion rashers of bacon. Cooks will remember that in cushion rashers there is always a very great excess of lean over fat. This excess of lean can be removed and the rougher pieces used for the purpose of the stockpot, while the remainder of the ham can be fried for breakfast. Of course, the best stock is made from a variety of ingredients, such as the bones of chicken, bones of rabbits, and even game bones. In a large kitchen it is very easy to always have good stock, but in small private houses cooks could have a great deal more than they do were they to use up many of the things which now are thrown away. It is wonderful what good stock can be made simply from the bones of chickens or rabbits. In some households where economy is very desirable I would recommend the carver in the case of helping boiled fowl or roast fowl, where the party is small and the family is alone, to proceed as follows : — Cut the meat off the bones and leave the bones in the dish.