Food and freedom

MIX cocoa and sugar, add a little of the water, mix to a paste, add remainder of the water. Bring this to the boiling-point, boil for three minutes, add the milk and bring to the boiling-point again. Remove from the fire, cool, add vanilla. Strain into tall glasses half full of crushed ice; top each glass with a spoonful of whipped cream. This chocolate is simpler to make than ice-cream, and quite as enjoyable. Recipe is easily divided. Lemonade Syrup "pOIL four cupfuls sugar, the chipped yellow rind of -*— ' four lemons, with one quart water for ten minutes. Cool, strain into a jar or bottle, cover, and keep on hand in refrigerator. When lemonade is needed put two table- spoonfuls syrup into a tall glass, add the juice of a lemon, plenty of shaved ice, and fill with water. Top with a slice of lemon or one or two berries. If small glasses are used, half a lemon is enough. Orange or other fruit juice may be substituted for lemon. Prevents sugar waste. Ice Cream Sauce "DEAT one egg yolk until light; add one-fourth cupful ■*--^ confectioners' sugar, and one-half cupful cream, whipped — but not too staff. A delicious sauce, very easily made. Good with tapioca puddings, fruit jellies, or sliced fresh fruit. With fresh strawberries or sliced bananas, or these two fruits combined, it makes a dish that is as good as ice-cream, is much less trouble, and requires less cream. 13 X PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD Prevent food waste by being ready to can, preserve, dry, pickle, salt, or store surplus fruits and vegetables. See that everything needed is at hand and ready to use. Do not have an empty container in your home as winter approaches. — From United States Department of Agri- culture. |F food products are left in their natural state, most of them spoil in a few- hours or a few days, owing to the growth on their surface or in their tissues of bacteria, molds, or other organisms of decay. If such organisms can be killed, and the entrance of other organisms prevented, the food can be kept in good condition practically indefi- nitely. ^ There are many methods of preserving sur- plus food against future need — canning, drying, jelly-making, sweet "preserves," salting, smok- ing, pickling, also natural storage and refrigera- ^ Bulletin 839, United States Department of Agricult- ure. PRESERVING AND STORING FOOD 191 tion. Of these, canning, drying, and storing are, perhaps, the most economical and practical for general home needs and common practice; jelly- making, and some forms of pickling, are desirable at times. The proper curing of meats requires special knowledge and skill, and should not be attempted without this. Under the present food stress, whatever method will best conserve possible food waste and produce greatest returns for the time and money spent — including ma- terials, fuel, and containers — should be favored. Food not properly preserved, whatever the method followed, is wasted rather than conserved. Reliable instructions and excellent recipes for all usual home methods of preserving food may be found in the books and bulletins listed at the close of this chapter. The following summary of principles and methods used in canning, jelly- making, drying, and storing may be helpful, how- ever, and serve as a background for the successful application of more detailed knowledge. CANNING: Principles: