FoodNet

The school kitchen textbook

1915

Page 15

Presented as published in 1915. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
shelf and table that they may be ready for the clean dishes. Form the habit of working in this way instead of piling the dishes in the dish pan, working in a clutter, going with drip- ping hands from sink to closet and mixing clean and unclean dishes all over the place. Have ready, in the sink or on the table, a dish pan, a rinsing pan, good soap (not strong washing soap) in a shaker, dish- cloths, towels, and a tray on which to take away the clean dishes. Cover the tray with a clean paper or towel. As the dishes are held in the left hand it is more natural to have the soiled dishes at the left and the rinsing pan at the right, but the position of the sink and closet must decide that matter. When one person does the entire work the process differs from that when one washes and another wipes. In the latter case have the rinsing pan half full of hot water, rinse each piece as it is washed and put into the drainer. When working alone, it is easier to stack the dishes as washed in the empty rinse pan, and when all of a kind are washed or the pan is filled, pour hot water over and wipe them while other dishes are soaking. TABLE WARE Glass, Silver, and China. It is unwise in washing to use water so hot that it hurts the hands. A dish mop answers for some things, but there is nothing like the sense of touch to make dishes clean. The rinsing water may be much hotter for the dishes which need great heat. Do not have the pan too full at first nor use much soap. Begin with about two inches of hot water and shake the soap-shaker in it until you have a slight lather. Never leave soap in the water ; if you have no shaker rub a little soap on the cloth. Take glasses one at a time and roll them sideways in the water, that the outside and inside may take the heat equally and thus avoid cracking. Wipe glass at once for if it is drained, it will be streaky and have to be rinsed. Use a soft brush for deeply grooved glass. Handle cut-glass with special care, and do not have the water hot, or hit the glass against the pan. 24 SCHOOL KITCHEN TEXTBOOK Silver. Stand a pitcher in the rinsing pan. Wash each piece of silver, taking special care with fork tines ; put them handles up into the pitcher ; scald with slightly soapy water, and wipe dry at once ; — being in the pitcher enables them to be taken up easily. Glass and silver look brighter if wiped quickly from hot slightly soapy water, than if rinsed. There will be no taste of the soap if done as directed, but some persons prefer to rinse them. China. Add more hot water, using that from the pitcher and rinsing pan, and a little more soap. By this time your hands will bear the hotter water. Wash the less soiled dishes first, usually in this order ; — cups, saucers, pitchers, covers, plates, platters, etc. Stand them around the pitcher in the rinsing pan, not with the idea of draining them, but to rinse the part that has been used, the inside as well as the outside. The pitcher will keep small pieces from sliding. Do not crowd the dishes. Rinse and wipe as soon as the pan is full. While wiping cups, etc., let the plates soak. Change the dish water as often as needed, having it hotter but just as clean for the last as for the first. Put the dishes on the tray as wiped. When all are dry, wipe your hands and take the dishes to their places.