Household hints

Green Corn may be boiled on the cob, and then be cut off and seasoned, or be cut off before it is cooked, and be boiled till tender in very little water ; then add milk, etc. It may also be grated, and a batter made with flour and water, the grated corn added to it, and be fried like griddle cakes. I have eaten sweet corn pickled, and was surprised to find it delicious. Take the ears when young, just beginning to fill out, make a pickle as for pears ; boil the corn in the vinegar until you pierce it easily with a silver fork. Hulled Corn. — Take three quarts of corn, three quarts of wood-ashes, six quarts of water ; boil the ashes in the water, skim off the scum which will rise to the top, then strain the lye and put into a clean kettle with the corn ; boil until the skins break easily from the kernels, skim out the corn, rinse it thoroughly in several waters, the last time rubbing it ; let it stand in cold water for ten or fifteen minutes, when you can rub off the black chits ; rinse again, put back into kettle with clean water and boil till tender. Eat in milk and with sugar and cream. Cucumbers, if sliced into cold water, will be made crisp and brittle even if not perfectly fresh. Tomatoes. — No vegetable can be used in more ways than the tomato. The recipe for catsup here given can not fail to please any one who tries it. If the directions given are carefully followed, the promised result is certain. Take six quarts of cut tomatoes, cook and strain them through a sieve, then add one pint of vinegar, half a cup of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of black pepper, two of salt, one each of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves ; boil until thick. I prefer putting into bottles rather than cans, for the reason that, unless all is used soon after opening the can, the top gets moldy, and much is wasted. Many good cooks have given up canning tomatoes because they have been unsuccessful in keeping them after having had all the trouble of putting them up. I have never known of a can being lost where the following directions have been observed : Slice the tomatoes and let them stand fifteen minutes ; then drain off all the liquor that has collected ; boil them an hour and a half. A great deal of scum will rise on them, which must all be skimmed off ; herein lies the secret of success. Seal in ordinary glass cans and set in a cool, dark room. Shirley Sauce and Chili Sauce made of tomatoes are so nearly alike that one is often mistaken for the other. Shirley Sauce is made by taking twelve ripe tomatoes, four green peppers, and four onions ; add a pint of vinegar and half a cup of salt. After chopping the vegetables fine, boil until thick. In addition to these. Chili Sauce has a tablespoonful each of allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. If you like it thin it may be strained through a muslin cloth. If your supply of pickles and catsup gives out in the spring, you can make Chili Sauce with canned tomatoes and onions ; use a little cayenne pepper in place of the green peppers. Fried Onions, — Peel carefully, slice thin, and fry in just as little lard as will answer ; the onions shrink a great deal in cooking, and, unless you are particular not to use too much lard, they will be greasy and unpalatable. Boiled Onions. — Peel and let them stand in cold water for half an hour ; then boil, the length of time required depending, of course, upon the size of. the onion, and varying from three quarters of an hour to an hour and a half. Baked Onions, — Wash and cut off the ends, but do not peel the onions; boil them for an hour, then peel them and brown them in the oven. Serve with melted butter.