One should have a number of plates for cold food, that
each kind may be kept by itself. The fat trimmings from
beef, pork, veal, chickens and fowl should be tried out
while fresh, and then strained. The fowl and chicken
fat ought to be kept in a pot by itself, for shortening
and delicate frying. Have a stone pot for it, holding about
a quart, and another, holding three or four quarts, for the
other kinds. The fat that has been skimmed from soups,
boiled beef and fowl, should be cooked rather slowly until
the sediment falls to the bottom and there is not the shadow
of a bubble. It can then be strained into the jar with the
other fat ; but if strained while bubbles remain, there is water
in it, and it will spoil quickly. The fat from sausages can
also be strained into the larger pot. Another pot, holding
about three quarts, should be kept for the fat in which articles
of food have been fried. When you have finished frying,
set the kettle in a cool place for about half an hour ; then
pour the fat into the pot through a fine strainer, being care-
ful to keep back the sediment, which scrape into the soap-,
grease. In* this way you can fry in the same fat a dozei)
times, while if you are not careful to strain it each time, the
crumbs left will burn and blacken all the fat. Occasionally,
when you have finished frying, cut up two or three uncooked
potatoes and put into the boiling fat. Set on the back of
the stove for ten or fifteen minutes ; then set in a cool
place for fifteen minutes longer, and strain. The potatoes
clarify the fat. Many people use ham fat for cooking pur-
poses j and when there is no objection to the flavor, it is nice
CAKE OF FOOD. 63
for frying eggs, potatoes, etc. But it should not be mixed
with other kinds. The fat from mutton, lamb, geese,
turkey or ducks will give an unpleasant flavor to anything
with which it is used, and the best place for it is
with the soap-grease. Every particle of soup and gravy
should be saved, as a small quantity of either adds a great
deal to many little dishes. The quicker food of all kinds
cools the longer it keeps. This should be particularly
remembered with soups and bread.
Bread and cake must be thoroughly cooled before being
put into box or jar. If not, the steam will cause them to
mold quickly. Crusts and pieces of stale bread should be
dried in a slow oven, rolled into fine crumbs on a board,
and put away for croquettes, cutlets or anything that is
breaded. Pieces of stale bread can be used for toast,
griddle-cakes and puddings and for dressing for poultry and
other kinds of meat. Stale cake can be made into puddings.
The best tub butter will keep perfectly well without a
brine if kept in a cool, sweet room. It is more healthful
and satisfactory to buy the choicest tub butter and use it for
table and cooking purposes than to provide a fancy article
for the table and use an inferior one in the preparation of
the food. If, from any cause, butter becomes rancid, to each
pint of it add one table-spoonful of salt and one teaspoonful
of soda, and mix well ; then add one pint of cold water, and
set on the fire until it comes to the boiling point. Now set
away to cool, and when cool and hard, take off the butter in
a cake. Wipe dry and put away for cooking purposes. It
will be perfectly sweet.
Page 22
Presented as published in 1880. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
One should have a number of plates for cold food, that each kind may be kept by itself. The fat trimmings from beef, pork, veal, chickens and fowl should be tried out while fresh, and then strained. The fowl and chicken fat ought to be kept in a pot by itself, for shortening and delicate frying. Have a stone pot for it, holding about a quart, and another, holding three or four quarts, for the other kinds. The fat that has been skimmed from soups, boiled beef and fowl, should be cooked rather slowly until the sediment falls to the bottom and there is not the shadow of a bubble. It can then be strained into the jar with the other fat ; but if strained while bubbles remain, there is water in it, and it will spoil quickly. The fat from sausages can also be strained into the larger pot. Another pot, holding about three quarts, should be kept for the fat in which articles of food have been fried. When you have finished frying, set the kettle in a cool place for about half an hour ; then pour the fat into the pot through a fine strainer, being careful to keep back the sediment, which scrape into the soap-, grease. In this way you can fry in the same fat a dozen times, while if you are not careful to strain it each time, the crumbs left will burn and blacken all the fat. Occasionally, when you have finished frying, cut up two or three uncooked potatoes and put into the boiling fat. Set on the back of the stove for ten or fifteen minutes ; then set in a cool place for fifteen minutes longer, and strain. The potatoes clarify the fat. Many people use ham fat for cooking purposes j and when there is no objection to the flavor, it is nice
CARE OF FOOD. 63
for frying eggs, potatoes, etc. But it should not be mixed with other kinds. The fat from mutton, lamb, geese, turkey or ducks will give an unpleasant flavor to anything with which it is used, and the best place for it is with the soap-grease. Every particle of soup and gravy should be saved, as a small quantity of either adds a great deal to many little dishes. The quicker food of all kinds cools the longer it keeps. This should be particularly remembered with soups and bread.
Bread and cake must be thoroughly cooled before being put into box or jar. If not, the steam will cause them to mold quickly. Crusts and pieces of stale bread should be dried in a slow oven, rolled into fine crumbs on a board, and put away for croquettes, cutlets or anything that is breaded. Pieces of stale bread can be used for toast, griddle-cakes and puddings and for dressing for poultry and other kinds of meat. Stale cake can be made into puddings.
The best tub butter will keep perfectly well without a brine if kept in a cool, sweet room. It is more healthful and satisfactory to buy the choicest tub butter and use it for table and cooking purposes than to provide a fancy article for the table and use an inferior one in the preparation of the food. If, from any cause, butter becomes rancid, to each pint of it add one table-spoonful of salt and one teaspoonful of soda, and mix well ; then add one pint of cold water, and set on the fire until it comes to the boiling point. Now set away to cool, and when cool and hard, take off the butter in a cake. Wipe dry and put away for cooking purposes. It will be perfectly sweet.