The ability to purchase food wisely comes only from
experience, but the following hints may prove useful to
the young housekeeper:
Meat. — In the selection of meats it is a mistake to
think that the higher-priced meats are more nutritious
than the cheaper cuts. No doubt a well-broiled steak
is more appetizing and delicate in flavor than the
less expensive cut, but in proportion to its cost it is not
equal in nutritive value. Careful cooking and judicious
flavoring will render the cheaper piece equally palatable.
Beef. — Good beef should be bright red, well marbled
with yellowish-white fat. The flesli must be firm, and
when pressed with the finger should retain no mark.
The suet should be dry and crumble easily.
Mutton. — The fat of good mutton is clear white and
very hard. The flesh fine-grained and bright red. The
best mutton is about three years old, and should hang
three weeks before using.
Lamb. — When killed from six weeks to three months
old is called " spring lamb." Lamb one year old is called
yearling. Lamb does not require to be hung like
mutton.
Veal. — The fat of veal should be white and clear and
the lean pink or flesh-colored. White lean veal is unfit
to eat.
99
100 DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
Pork. — Fresh pork should be pale red and firm with
white fat. Fat salt pork of good quality is white or
faintly tinged with pink.
Poultry. — Chicken not more than five months old is
" spring chicken " ; chicken over a year old is " fowl."
The breast-bone of a chicken or young fowl is yielding,
and the leg scales yellow and soft. Older fowls
have a hard breast-bone, horny leg scales, more fat and
a thicker and yellower skin. Full grown poultry is
finer in flavor than young chickens, and a young cock is
the best for roasting.
Turkeys. — Good turkeys have smooth, black legs,
plump breasts, soft spurs, and white flesh. As a rule, hen
turkeys are best.
Duck or Goose. — The windpipe of a young duck
or goose is brittle enough to snap readily between
the thumb and finger, and the feet are soft and yellow.
Ducks or geese should not be more than a year old.
Fish. — The flesh of good fresh fish is firm and hard,
and will rise at once when pressed with the finger. If
the eyes be dull and sunken, the gills pale and the flesh
flabby or soft, the fish is not fresh and should not be
purchased.
Eggs. — Fresh efrgn have a thick rough shell, and the
contents will not rattle if shaken. The contents are clear
if held between the eye and tlio light, and if dropped
into a bowl of cold water it will go to the bottom and
lie on its side. Fnssh eggs only arc .suitable for boiling,
omolctH and other (!gg dishes. Well preserved may bo
combined with other materials in cooking.
MARKETING. 101
Milk. — Great care should be exercised in the purchase
of milk. Good milk is a yellowish-white, opaque liquid,
with a slightly sweet taste ; it should have no sediment
and should not look blue around the edge. The house-
keeper should demand that the milk supply comes from
clean stables, is delivered by clean dealers in clean vessels,
and covered from the air.
Page 43
Presented as published in 1905. 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
The ability to purchase food wisely comes only from experience, but the following hints may prove useful to the young housekeeper:
Meat. — In the selection of meats it is a mistake to think that the higher-priced meats are more nutritious than the cheaper cuts. No doubt a well-broiled steak is more appetizing and delicate in flavor than the less expensive cut, but in proportion to its cost it is not equal in nutritive value. Careful cooking and judicious flavoring will render the cheaper piece equally palatable.
Beef. — Good beef should be bright red, well marbled with yellowish-white fat. The flesli must be firm, and when pressed with the finger should retain no mark. The suet should be dry and crumble easily.
Mutton. — The fat of good mutton is clear white and very hard. The flesh fine-grained and bright red. The best mutton is about three years old, and should hang three weeks before using.
Lamb. — When killed from six weeks to three months old is called " spring lamb." Lamb one year old is called yearling. Lamb does not require to be hung like mutton.
Veal. — The fat of veal should be white and clear and
the lean pink or flesh-colored. White lean veal is unfit
to eat.
Pork. — Fresh pork should be pale red and firm with white fat. Fat salt pork of good quality is white or faintly tinged with pink.
Poultry. — Chicken not more than five months old is " spring chicken " ; chicken over a year old is " fowl." The breast-bone of a chicken or young fowl is yielding, and the leg scales yellow and soft. Older fowls have a hard breast-bone, horny leg scales, more fat and a thicker and yellower skin. Full grown poultry is finer in flavor than young chickens, and a young cock is the best for roasting.
Turkeys. — Good turkeys have smooth, black legs, plump breasts, soft spurs, and white flesh. As a rule, hen turkeys are best.
Duck or Goose. — The windpipe of a young duck or goose is brittle enough to snap readily between the thumb and finger, and the feet are soft and yellow. Ducks or geese should not be more than a year old.
Fish. — The flesh of good fresh fish is firm and hard, and will rise at once when pressed with the finger. If the eyes be dull and sunken, the gills pale and the flesh flabby or soft, the fish is not fresh and should not be purchased.
Eggs. — Fresh eggs have a thick rough shell, and the contents will not rattle if shaken. The contents are clear if held between the eye and the light, and if dropped into a bowl of cold water it will go to the bottom and lie on its side. Fresh eggs only arc .suitable for boiling, omelets and other (!gg dishes. Well preserved may bo combined with other materials in cooking.
MARKETING. 101
Milk. — Great care should be exercised in the purchase of milk. Good milk is a yellowish-white, opaque liquid, with a slightly sweet taste ; it should have no sediment and should not look blue around the edge. The housekeeper should demand that the milk supply comes from clean stables, is delivered by clean dealers in clean vessels, and covered from the air.