The Pocumtuc Housewife, a Guide to Domestic Cookery as it is Practised in ...

Of Clear Starching. Take your Muslin aprons, Hoods, Neckcloths, fold them four double, putting the two Selvages together, then the ends together and wash it the way the Selvage goes; then take clear water, not too hot for that makes them yellow, and strain the water through a cloth; Take a small Quantity of the best soap, put it upon a clean Stick and beat up your lather; let it not be with a whisk because it will make the water yellow. Let your Muslin stand to soak, then wash them one by one, squeeze them, and shake them open into a dish; then let your Second Lather be beat up as your first only hotter, but not Scalding. Wash whilst they are warm and squeeze as before ; as to the third Lather let the Water be scalding, but not boiling, for that makes the water yellow. * * * To rinse them take Pump water in a clean pan with a small quantity of Powder Blue. * ♦ * Squeeze them very hard and puU them out with dry Hands. * * ♦ * To Starch. Take a Pint of Pump water to a Quarter of a Pound of Starch, put the Water in a Skillet, and put it over a clear Fire till it is lukewarm, then put in your Starch, keep it stirring one Way till it boils, one Boil and no more; when it is cold, take some upon your hand, and some Blue in the other Hand, and mix them together, but make it not too blue. Take your muslins doubled as before one by one, then spread the starch with your Hand but not too thick, first on one side and then the other, but not open it ; * ♦ when you have starched the Muslins, lay them in an earthen Dish, kneading them with your double fist, till the starch sticks about your Hands, then Squeezing them hard wipe them with a dry cloth; open them, rub them slightly through your Hands, take the two Ends, and so clap them between your Hands; hold them against the Light to See if they are clapped enough. If any Thing looks shining, that is the Starch, you might rub it over gently ; when they are clapped enough you will observe them to fly asunder, and not stick to your hands; but observe to clap very thick and very hard, for if you let them dry they will be limber. You must never clap them single, for that frays and tears them; neither clap by the Fire, except in frosty weather, for that spoils the Colour. For the ironing of Muslins, pull them out double on the Board, as smooth and even as you can, and so on till you finish about six one upon another ; then with your Box-iron, iron the under one first, because it is the driest. Let fine plain muslin be ironed upon a soft woolen cloth. * * * ♦ A whole Book might be written on the Art of clear starching, but all the Directions in the World cannot make a Skilled Starcher. It can only be learned by years of labour. Spruce Beer. For a half barrel keg, take a good sized bunch of spruce and birch twigs, a little princess piney, some checkerberry leaves, a few rings of dried pumpkin, a good handful of hops, some malt or bran, or both, and anything else you like. Boil them all together. in the big pot until the taste is well out. Strain off the liquor, add a quart or two of molasses and a pint of emptins. Pour it into the beer keg and let it work a day or two before using. It will keep a week or two. Save some of the emptins in the bottom of the keg to raise the next. — Compiled. Blackberry Wine. Jam the berries and let them stand twelve hours. Strain and add three pounds sugar to three quarts juice; let it stand twenty-four hours. Add water enough to make a g^on. Do not close it tight until it is done fermenting, then cork up. All kinds of berry wine can be made the same way, except that currants require four pounds of sugar to a gallon of juice and water.