COFFEE, TEA, AND OTHER BEVERAGES

COFFEE. — There are several ways of making coffee ; and every housewife generally has her favorite mode. The French have decidedly the best fashion, by which they make excellent coffee without the aid of eggs, isinglass, or any foreign article to settle it. It consists of a sort of tin coffee-pot with two strainers. You remove the first strainer, and pour some boiling water into the coffee-pot through the second strainer. Empty out the water, and put in a sufficient quantity of coffee for the family over the under strainer, and press it flat with a little tin machine (which comes with the apparatus). Put in the other strainer, and pour in the hot water. The coffee will drain through in a few moments, and be perfectly clear, without any farther trou- ble. It is singular that this mode of making coffee is not more prevalent in this country.

ANOTHER MODE OF MAKING COFFEE. — Take fresh roasted cof- fee, (a quarter of a pound for three persons is the rule, but less will do;) allow two table-spoonfuls for each persons, grind it just before making, put it in a basin and break into it an egg, yolk, white, shell, and all. Mix it up with the spoon to the consistence of mortar, put warm, not boiling, water in the cof- fee-pot; let it boil up and break three times; then stand a few minutes, and it will be as clear as amber, and the egg will give it a rich taste.

STILL ANOTHER. — Pour hot water into your coffee-pot, and then stir in your coffee, a spoonful at a time, allowing three to every pint of water; this makes strong coffee. Stir it to pre-

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vent the mixture from boiling over as the coffee swells, and to force it to combine with the water. This will be done after i* has boiled gently a few minutes. Then let it stand and boil slowly for half an hour; remove it from the fire, and pour in a tea-cup of cold water, and set it in the corner to settle. As soon as it becomes clear, it is to be poured gently into a clean coffee- pot for the table.

Made in this manner, it may be kept two or three days in summer, and a week in winter; you need only heat it over when wanted.

The grounds and sediment may be boiled over and used once for coffee.

Fish skin is often used to settle coffee, and will answer tolera- bly well, if rightly prepared. Pull off the skin from a salted cod — scrape, wash, and dry it in the oven, after removing the bread; then divide it in pieces about an inch square, and put it in a bag for use. It will require one bit for every pint of water; put in when you make the coffee. Several substitutes for coffee are used by those who cannot afford the real berry — rye, peas, &c. None of these are very healthy, and certainly are not good. The best substitute is toasted crust of bread, but it is cheaper to drink water, and, if taken for a little time will be as palatable; or else use

COCOA SHELLS. — These should be soaked over night, then boil them in the same water in the morning. They are considerably nutritious, and allowed to be healthy, and are cheap.

CHOCOLATE. — To each square of chocolate, scraped off fine, and put in the pot, allow a pint (less if you like it strong) of water. Stir it while boiling, and let it be uncovered. Let it boil about fifteen minutes, or half an hour, then pour in j our cream or rich milk, and let it boil up. Nutmeg grated O"7er y. cup of chocolate improves the flavor.

TEA. — Scald the tea-pot with boiling water; then put in the tea, allowing three tea-spoonfuls to a pint of water — or for every t\v<> persons. Pour on the water. It must be boiling hot, and let the tea steep about ten minutes.

Black tea is healthier than green. Hyson and Souchong mixed together, half and half, is a pleasanter beverage than either alone, and safer for those who drink strong tea, than to trust themselves wholly with green.

COMMON BEER. — Two gallons of water to a large handful of hops is the rule. A little fresh-gathered spruce or sweet fern makes the beer more agreeable, and you may allow a quart of wheat bran to the mixture; then boil it two or three hours.

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Strain it through a sieve, and stir in, while the liquor is hot, a tea-cup of molasses to every gallon. Let it stand till lukewarm, pour it into a clean barrel, and add good yeast, a pint, if the bar- rel is nearly full ; shake it well together ; it will be fit for use the next day.

SPRUCE BEER. — Allow an ounce of hops and a spoonful of ginger to a gallon of water. When well boiled, strain it. and put in a pint of molasses, and half an ounce or less of the es- sence of spruce; when cool, add a tea-cup of yeast, and put into a clean tight cask and let -it ferment for a day or two, then bot- tle it for use. You can boil the sprigs of spruce fir in room of the essence.

GINGER BEER QUICKLY MADE. — A gallon of boiling water is poured over three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, one ounce of ginger, and the peel of one lemon; when milk-warm, the juice of the lemon and a spoonful of yeast are added. It should be made in the evening, and bottled next morning, in stone bot- tles, and the cork tied down with twine.

Good brown sugar will answer, and the lemon may be omit- ted, if cheapness is required.

LEMONADE. — Three lemons to a pint of water, makes strong lemonade ; sweeten to your taste.

This is the best beverage for parties : cool, refreshing, pleasant and salubrious.

ORANGEADE. — Eoll and press the juice from the oranges in the same way as from lemons. It requires less sugar than lemonade. The water must be pure and cold, and then there can be nothing more delicious than these two kinds of drink.

CURRANT WINE. — Break and squeeze the currants, put three pounds and a half of sugar to two quarts of juice and two quarts of water. Put it in a keg or barrel. Do not close the bung titrht for three or four days, that the air may escape while it is fer- menting. After it is done fermenting, close it up tight. Where raspberries are plenty, it is a great improvement to use half raspberry juice and half currant juice. Brandy is unnecessary when the above-mentioned proportions are observed. It should not be used under a year or two. Age improves it.

RASPBERRY SHRUB. — Raspberry shrub mixed with water is a pure, delicious drink for summer ; and in a country where rasp- berries are abundant, it is good economy to make it answer in- stead of Port and Catalonia Wine. Put raspberries in a pan, and scarcely cover them with strong vinegar. Add a pint of

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sugar to a pint of juice ; (of this you can judge by first trying your pan to see how much it holds;) scald it, skim it, and bottle it when cold.

CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOE A WATER FILTER. — Lay a thick be<l of pounded charcoal at the bottom of a large common earthen flower-pot; over this lay abed of fine sand, about four inches thick.

A bit of quick lime thrown into a water cask, is useful in puri fving the water. Agitating the water and exposing it to the air will both soften and help to keep it fresh. Strain muddy watei through a fine sieve in which a cloth and sponge, or layer of fine sand or charcoal is placed.