THE KITCHEN

quantity of water in the tea-kettle, aiming to have just enough for certain things, and if an extra demand occurs the kettle is empty, the fire is out, and the delay occasions no little trouble to both cook and mistress. "When water has been made to boil no matter what is cooking in it, tlie fire may be very much lessened, as but little heat is required to keep it boiling. Eapid boil- ing does not hasten cooking, and the articles cooked are much better when boiled slowly.

For general use copper and brass cooking utincils are not the best, be cause of the great care necessary to keep them clean and free from poisonous deposits, a work that can never he trusted to servants. The best granite iron is both safe, light and easy to clean. Care should be used in cooking in tin vessels, as they are liable to be aff'ected by acids, oils and salt, but not to the same extent as copper. For all ordinary cooking purposes, if tin vessels are kept clean and free from rust, no injury will result. A little whiting or dry flour may be used to polish tin with. If a kettle is to be used for cooking fish, heat it first over the fire ; if an odor arises, it needs cleaning as above, heat it over the fire, rub well with broAvn paper, then with an onion. In washing tin ware use soft water and soap, and wash well, rinse with hot water, wipe well, and put on the hearth or stove to dry perfectly ; once a week wash tin ware in water in which a little sal-soda has been dissolved ; take the suds for the pots and kettles (if not hot add more hot water,) and wash and rinse thoroughly on the inside. To wash the outside of pots, kettles and all iron ware, place in a tub or large dish- pan, and with soap on cloth, rub them briskly and hard; if necessary scrajte with an iron spoon or old knife to get all dirt oflf, rinse in hot water, wipe, and place on stove to dry. The best thing to wash them with is a wire dish-cloth. If kept wire Dish-cloth, scrupulously cleau, oysters, tomatoes, and even some delica- cacies that are usually cooked in porcelain and cranite ware, may be cooked

nicely in iron.

Dish washers and wipers should be kept very clean, being washed in

suds and well rinsed after each meal. A very convenient article, upon which to harx" them to drj' is the umbrella folding rack which niay be placed on the wall near the stove. When in use it presents a a coodly number of arms on which to hang articles to be dried, and when not in use it closes up modestly and occupies no useful space. We know of nothing so simjjle and useful for the purpose. It is made in the very best manner, and with fair usage will la^t a life-time. The cut on the left rep- resents the rack folded with arms droi)petl against the wall, and the one on the right the same spread out ready for use. En- umbreiu Folding Rack.

ameled ware may be cleansed by filling the vessel with hot water, with soda

dissolved in it— one ounce to a gallon ; let it boil twenty minutes ; then if the

THE KITCHEN. 989

stain does not all come off, scour with fine sand or brick dust ; rinse well with hot water and wipe dry. If by carelessness or accident, while making chow- chow, or anything else, it becomes burned on the porcelain kettle, empty immediately, fill with water, put in about pint of wood ashes to tAvo gallons of water, let it boil twenty minutes ; clean with sand or brick dust as above, if it does not all come off. In either case, if unsuccessful the first time, re- peat. To clean a brown porcelain kettle, boil peeled potatoes in it. The porcelain will be rendered nearly as white as when new. To clean silver or plated ware, wash in clean hot water or lay in hot soda water a few minutes ; then wipe dry with a canton flannel cloth, and polish with chamois skin. If silver powder is used for cleaning tarnished spots, care must be taken to brush out all the dust from the chased work on the plate. In the daily use of silver, wash in clean hot water and wipe dry with a canton flannel cloth. Never use soap in washing silver. Steel knives and forks are best cleaned by being scoured with bath brick, but some good "kitchen maids" always use the common brick pulverized, with good success. Have a properly made knife- box, with board extending, on which to lay the knife to scour, wet a cloth in hot water or soft soap and water, dip in the dust which has been previously shaved off; then rub onion Knife,

briskly and hard until all spots are removed; wash and rinse in clean, hot water and wipe dry. Never put a knife into hot fat, as it destroj^s the tem- per and the knife is useless. It is nice to have a separate knife for peeling

onions, and marked so that it can al- ways be kept for that purpose. One is Potato Knife. also uice SO marked for potatoes, and

one should certainly be had for use in preparing fish as the taint is so strong. A separate pan and board should also be kept for this purpose.

The sink comes in for special notice. Wash it daily with soap and water, rinse with clean boiltng water, alvmys rinsing in hot water after pouring suds into it. This can not be insisted on too strongly, because of such great importance in the cleanliness of the kitchen. The old adage, "A time for everything," applies here. On Mondays and Thursdays, during summer, pour hot water, containing a little chloride of lime, or some copperas water as directed in Kitchen Wrinkles, into the drains, and every Monday in win- ter. This will prevent all unpleasant and unhealthy odors. The use of soda in cleansing our wares generally diminishes the quantity of soap needed. As a general thing, too much soap is used in washing dishes. Many good house- keepers do not allow soap used in washing dishes at all, except to clean tin and iron ware, dish cloth and sink. In cleaning an unpainted kitchen floor, if there are spots of grease on it, i>ut some soft soap (or lye, if to be had) in a tin cup, kept for the purpose ; place on the stove until boiling hot ; then pour a little on each spot and scour with ashes ; wash the floor with soft hot water, rinse well, and, if the grease is not out the first time, try it again when the floor needs cleaning. Always remember to rinse thoroughly, changing the

990 THE KITCHEN.

water when it becomes too dirty. In cleaning floors, tables, or wood- work, remember to rub always with, and not across, the grain of the wood.

The breakage of dishes in some houses is fearful. There are very few families rich enough to bear it, much less the families of small means or just a competence. The mother is sick or wearied with the eare of the nursery, and cannot see to the putting away of the best china, which has been used because a friend dined with them. "While conversing with her guest, she hears a crash in the kitchen. It is with difficulty she remains calm until the guest departs, when she finds a cup has fallen and cracked her nice tureen, and broken a nick out of two or three saucers ; or several goblets, set in a careless place, have fallen and are broken. She is sick at heart, for it was but a few weeks before she had spent fifteen or twenty dollars to replace her broken, cracked, and nicked dishes. Little comfort does she get from Brid- get, who replies : "La, madam, it was but a few of your dishes, and sure I could not help it. I would not think the likes of ye would make such a fuss." Every wise housekeeper will distinguish between carelessness and accidents. To correct this evil, and stop the great waste, the only way is to have help understand they must replace each broken or nicked dish (for a nick in a dish is as bad as a break), or have the cost of them deducted from their wages. This will cause two very valuable results. The servant will become more careful, which will add much to the comfort of the mistress, and will also form a habit of carefulness that will fit her to become a goo<f housekeeper. There is a dish drainer that is also a help in pre- venting breakage, as the dishes can be easily ar- ranged in it. It consists of two separate articles — a neat, strong wire basket, with a

dishes in it may be removed from pan to sink, hot water poured over them, and then returned to pan to drain. This drain was the invention of a woman, and its convenience shows that she knew what she'wanted.

There is an old and true saying, that "a woman can throw out with a spoon faster than a man can throw in with a shovel." In cooking meats, for instance, unless watched, the cook will throw out the water without lettinir it cool to take off the fat, or scrape the dripping pan into the swill-pail. This grease is useful in many ways. Bits of meat are thrown out which would make good hashed meat or hash ; the flour is sifted in a wasteful manner, or the bread-pan left with dough sticking to it; pie-crust is left and laid by to sour, instead of making a few tarts for tea ; cake-batter is thrown out because but little is left ; cold puddings are considered good for nothing, when often they can be steamed for the next day, or, as in case of rice, made over in other forms ; vegetables are thrown away that would warm for breakfast

THE KITCHEN. 991

nicely ; dish-towels are thrown down where mice can destx'oy them ; soap is left in water to dissolve, or more used than is necessary ; the scrub-brush is left in the water, pails scorched by the stove, tubs and barrels left in the sun to dry and fall apart, chamber-pails allowed to rust, tins not dried, and iron- ware rusted ; nice knives are used for cooking in the kitchen, silver spoons used to scrape kettles, or forks to toast bread ; cream is allowed to mold and spoil, mustard to dry in the pot, and vinegar to corrode the casters ; tea, roasted coffee, pepper and spices to stand open and loose their strength ; the molasses-jug looses the cork and flies take posession ; vinegar is drawn in a basin and allowed to stand until both basin and vinegar are spoiled ; sugar is spilled from the barrel, coffee from the sack, and tea from the chest; dif- ferent sauces are made too sweet, and both sauce and sugar are wasted ; dried fruit has not been taken care of in season, and becomes wormy ; the vinegar on pickles looses strength or leaks out, and the pickles become soft ; potatoes in the cellar grow, and the sprouts are not removed until they become worth- less ; apples decay for want of looking after ; pork spoils for want of salt, and beef because the brine wants scalding ; hams become tainted or filled with vermin, for want of the right protection ; dried beef becomes so hard it can't be cut ; cheese molds and is eaten by mice or vermin ; bones are burnt that will make soap ; ashes are thrown out carelessly, endangering the premises and wasting them ; servants leave a light and fire burning in the kitchen when they are out all the evening ; clothes are whipped to pieces in the wind, fine

Kitchen 'Wrinkles.

Tomatoes are nice with cream and sugar. Tea. — Keep tea in a close chest or canister. Caramel. — Always stir with a wooden spoon

992 KITCHEN WKINKLES.

Coffee. — Keep cool by itself, and closely covered

Tea Stains can be removed from dishes with soda.

Bread. — Keep bread or cake in a tin box or stone jar.

Nutmegs. — Always grate nutmegs at the blossom end first.

To Warm np Soup. — Set the vessel in hot water and heat slowly.

Red Ants. — Scatter branches of sweet-fern where they congregate.

Sail Fish are quickest and best freshened by soaking in sour milk.

Oven Too Hot. — Sprinkle quarter of an inch thick with sand on bottom.

To Keep Cutlery from Bust. — Wipe dry, and wrap in coarse brown paper.

Too Much Salt. — When used, add tablespoon vinegar and teaspoon sugar.

For Soft Dish-cloths, both for washing and wiping dishes, try cheese cloth.

Salt in Gravy. — Do not put salt in milk gravy till it is done or it will curdle.

Bread for Ovem. — When bread will not retain the dent of the finger it is ready for the oven.

To Preserve Milk. — A spoonful of grated horse-radish will keep a pun of milk sweet for days.

Dry Sponge Cake. — AVhcn sponge cake becomes dry it is nice to cut in thin slices and toast.

When Washing Baking Dishes. — Kinse well, invert them a few minutes, and they will wash easily.

Tin Tea-ketiles. — Kerosene will make tin tea-kettles as bright as new. Saturate a woolen rag and rub with it.

Charred Casks. — Water and salt meat may be preserved pure a long time if put up in casks with the inside charred.

Corn Starch is a good substitute for eggs in cookies and doughnuts. One tablespoon of the starch is equal to one egg.

Pastry. — Wash the upper crust -of pies with milk just before putting them in the oven, and it will be a beautiful brown.

Corks. — When corks are too large to go into a l)ottlo, throw them into hot water for a few minutes, and they will soften.

To Make Meat Tender — A spoonful of vinegar put into the water in which meats or fowls are boiled makes them tender.

The Taste of Fish may be removed very effectually from steel knives and forks by rubbing them witli fresh orange or lemon peel.

Stain on Spoons from boiled egg is removed by rubbing with a little salt, or washing in water in which potatoes have been boiled.

Wire Table Ware — Should never be scoured ; it will remain bright if merely washed in clean water with a little soap added.

Salt will curdle new milk; hence, in preparing milk poridge, gravies, etc., the salt should not be added untiMhe dish is prepared.

To Clean Windows. — The wing of turkeys, geese and chickens are good to wash and clean windows, as they leave no dust nor lint as cloth.

KITCHEN WRINKLES. 993

To Mend Tin Pans.— Put putty on the outside and let dry well. The pan will never need mending in the same place again.

To Beat the Whites of Eggs Quickly, put in a pinch of Bait. The cooler the eggs the quicker they will froth. Salt cools and also freshens them.

Copperas Water. — Dissolve one pound copperas in a gallon hot water and add two ounces commercial carbolic acid ; pour a pint into sink twice a week.

Lemons. — Before using lemona for any porpose, sdwavs roll them awhile with your hand on a table. This will cause them to jield a large quantity of juice.

Silver Polish. — To one quart rain-water add two ounces ammonia and three ounces of precipitated chalk. Put into a bottle ; keep well corked and shake before using.

Ground Tea.— If tea be ground like coffee, or crushed, immediately be- fore hot water is poured upon it, it will yield nearly double the amount of its exhilarating qualities.

Or-.nges. — Oranges and lemons keep best wrapped in soft paper, and laid in a drawer. Lemons may be kept in cold water, which should be changed twice a week.

Fleas. — Carbolic soap is good to keep them away, but I don't know whether it will kill them or not ; wash the animal in carbolic soap and water and see how quicklj' they will leave.

Economy in Soap. — A soft soap for washing dishes can be secured by placing in an old dish, and occasionally adding water, all the scraps of soap which are too small to use for washing.

Cleaning Metals. — Triple lye and alcohol, well mixed, will clean brass, gold or silver, and make it look like new. Have used it three years with satisfaction. It removes verdigris nicely.

Stove Holders. — Take wrapping twine as it comes in the house, tie it to- gether neatly, and cast on to coarse knitting needles thirty stitches ; knit garter stitch until it is square, then bind off.

To Clean Bottles. — Save all broken and crooked carpet tacks, and keep them in a box in the kitchen, for cleaning bottles. They are better than shot, for the sharp edges scrape off all stains.

Fly Specks. — A solution of soap and water is about the best cleaning fluid. If you give the dirt and fly specks a little time to soak, they will come off easily. A woolen cloth is best to rub with.

Covering for Jars. — A good water-proof paper for covering jars used in preserving, etc., may be made by brushing over the paper with boiled lin- seed oil and suspending it over a line until dry.

To Clean Knives. — Cut a good-sized, solid raw potato in two ; dip the flat surface in powdered brick. dust, and rub the knife-blades ; or, use a cork, or a cloth in some way. Stains and rust will disappear.

To Freshen Walnuts. — When walnuts have been kept until the meat is too much dried to be good, let them staud in milk and water eight hours, and dry them, and they will be as fresh as when new.

Cement for China — The whites of two eggs, and enough quicklime to form a thick paste. The quicklime should be finely powdered ; this makes a good cement for mending broken china, marble, or glass-ware.

994 KITCHEN WRINKLES.

How To Treat Anr/eJs Cake. — "When one has nofe a pan with feet on up- per part, turn it out upon muffin rings to cool. This cake can be baked i« any pan usin^r some care as to cleanliness as with any cake.

To Remove a Tight Glass Stopper. — Apply a cloth wet in hot water to the neck of the bottle; or wind a cord around once, and "saw" back and forth a few times. This will heat and expand llie neck of the bottle.

To Keep Cake From Sticking. — Butter the pans well, and dust heavily with flour; turn them over and knock them on the table to get out all the Hour that will not stick, and then put in the cake. Mine never sticks.

Rust on Steel Implements or Knires. — Cover the steel with sweet-oil, rub- bing it on well. Let it remain for forty-eight lujurs, and then, using finely powdered unslaked lime, rub the steel until all the rust has disappeared.

Care of a Gridiron. — All ironware needs thorough cleaning every time it is used, and none more than a gridiron. The bars should be kept perfectly clean and smooth and buttered every time they are used, if one desires a steak cooked to perfection.

Clinkers. — may be removed from grates and range back, by throwing half a dozen broken oyster shells into the fire, when the coal is aglow, and covering them with fresh coal. When red-hot tho clinkers become doughy and are easily removed.

To Preserve Lamp Chimneys from Breaking. — Place a cloth in the bottom of a large pan, fill the pan with cold water, and place new chimney in it; cover the pan, and let its contents boil one hour; take from fire, and let chimney remain in water until it is cold.

Cement for Knife Handles. — Set handle on end, and partly till cavity with jKjwdered resin, chopped hair or tow, chalk, whiting, or quicklime; heat the spike of the knife and force it into its place. Equal parts <>f sulphur, lesin, and brick-dust also make an excellent cement.

To Soften Water. — Hard water is rendered verv soft and pure, rivaling distilleii water, by merely boiling a two-ounce vial, say in a kettle of water. The carbonate of lime and many impurities will be found adhering to the bottle. The water boils very much quicker at the same time.

A Fire Kindler. — Melt togefher three pounds resin and a quart of tar, and stir in as much saw-dust and i>ulverized charcoal as possible, spread the mass on a board to cool, and break into lumps the size of a walnut. Light one with a match, and it burns for some time with a strong blaze.

Tiihle Cover, to be thrown over the table after it is set, is best made of red cheese cloth. Pink mosquito netting is handsomer but does not keep off dust ; set table for next meal immediately after the dishes are washed — the most convenient plan where the dining-room is not used for other purposes.

Slair Spoon-Fork. — One of the _„___,____

most convenient articles for dishing "^ ~^7r^^'^^^~M-» ■ -^^ — ^

slaw is the spoon-fork as illustrated. ^^"^Mi^ifcir^^S^^^^-i^^Wrc — ^ One can serve neatly and quickly ^vith it. o, c f „

• Slaw Spoon-Fork.

To Cleansea Syrup Jar.— li\\n\^\e syrup is not hot enough when put in jars, or is imperfectlv sealed, it will crvstalize. In getting the crystal out lay the jar on the side," put in a little water and turn a little occasionally, and the crystal will come out without breaking the tjlass as it will if you try to soak it out while upright.